Why BlackBerry Hacks?

The term hacking has a bad reputation in the press. They use it to refer to those who break into systems or wreak havoc with computers as their weapon. Among people who write code, though, the term hack refers to a "quick-and-dirty" solution to a problem, or a clever way to get something done. And the term hacker is taken very much as a compliment, referring to someone as being creative, having the technical chops to get things done. The Hacks series is an attempt to reclaim the word, document the good ways people are hacking, and pass the hacker ethic of creative participation on to the uninitiated. Seeing how others approach systems and problems is often the quickest way to learn about a new technology.

The BlackBerry is ripe with opportunities for the hacker in all of us. Just the size of the keyboard and screen required RIM to build hacks into the device to make it usable for the average person. There are a slew of hacks for the beginner, but even the most advanced power user will find juicy nuggets to incorporate into daily use.