Following the huge success of the BBM™ Hackathons across North America earlier this year, we’ve got a few upcoming events for our BlackBerry® developer communities across the world! If you’ve ever wanted to come and hack with BlackBerry and you have not won a place at a previous BBM Apps Hackathon event within the last 60 days, here are your chances:

• Bangkok: November 17th and 18th, 2011
• Amsterdam: November 24th and 25th, 2011
• London, England: November 28th and 29th, 2011

With more than 50 million users worldwide, BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM) has become one of the largest mobile-centric communities in the world. During each two-day Hackathon event, you can learn how to incorporate BBM into your application as well as tips to drive viral adoption of your app through the BBM community. The workshops are fast-paced, free of charge (!), and will give you a great opportunity to network with other developers. BlackBerry product experts will be on hand throughout the two days to answer all your questions.

If you’re still not convinced, check out this blog post for a recap on previous BBM Hackathon events – they’ve been well received by developers, and we’re thrilled with the good vibes that have been shared. To find out more and apply for a place at the upcoming Hackathons, go to
http://bbmappshackathon.com/
.

Also, be sure to bookmark the recently launched BlackBerry Developer Events Calendar to keep track of any upcoming events happening near you! If you have questions or comments, please share them below.

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Being a mother of twins and a mobile app developer has to be quite a handful, but Kathryn has managed to wear both these hats with style. With historical interests in web design, she took a look into the BlackBerry WebWorks SDK and managed to turn these interests into working skills, with the result being top notch mobile application development. Kathryn attended the BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) Apps Hackathon in New York this past August, which allowed her to collaborate with other developers and improve the functionality of her apps. Her project, called PowWow, is a one-stop shop for organizing social events that leverages the BBM social platform.

Check out Kathryn’s story in the video above, and prepare to experience the contagious passion that she has for web-based mobile app development. If you want to get into that experience yourself, blog post about upcoming Hackathon events – one might be happening in your area soon!

Have you spread the word about the BlackBerry WebWorks SDK to any web designers? Did you start mobile app development as a web designer yourself? Share your story in the comments.

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It’s no secret that we love to share the success of developers. Today I’d like to shine the spotlight on Dominik, who attended the BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) Apps Hackathon back in August. The challenge presented at the event was to include BBM functionality within BlackBerry® platform applications. With a passion for web design and mobile development, Dominik did just that in his BBM Been There app, which has been designed to allow users to collect and share media from places they have visited.

Check out the video to see Dominik’s story, and see our blog post for details on upcoming Hackathon events that you can attend. Dominik said it best: “It’s a social experience to develop social applications!”

Are you working on a social app? What’s the social angle? Share in the comments!

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Our lives are constantly integrating with technology, as well as expanding beyond a desktop environment. It’s on the wave of this trend that Thorben works as a mobile application developer along with a wider team at Gowalla that creates top-notch apps. While attending the BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) Apps Hackathon in New York last August, Thorben worked collaboratively with fellow developers and representatives from Research In Motion® (RIM®) on his ShareIt app, which is designed to allow users to share memo and task items with peers in a BBM contact list.

Check out the video above for the full story on Thorben, ShareIt, and the BBM Apps Hackathon. (Pssst – there might be a Hackathon happening near you! Check out our blog post about upcoming Hackathon events.)

When do you do your best work: independently, or as part of a team? Share your stories in the comments.

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With HTML 5 and the BlackBerry® WebWorks™ SDK, developing mobile apps from a web development background has never been easier. Graham is a developer who attended the BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) Apps Hackathon in New York in August. He has demonstrated how web technologies can bring functionality and design to social apps. At the Hackathon, Graham was able to collaborate with other developers to convert ideas into realities. Graham’s app, Wink, integrates the BBM platform into a location-based app, allowing users to meet new people around them and share experiences.

Check out the video above to learn more about Graham, his application work, and his passion for mobile web apps. Also, if you’re interested in checking out a BBM Apps Hackathon in your area, be sure to read our blog post about upcoming Hackathon events.

How do you see web technologies impacting mobile application development in the future? Share your thoughts in the comments!