As developers, when we have an idea for app, we can build it. But what if you’re not a developer, but you have the idea for the next great app? Dandy recently launched their beta where people can share their app ideas with the Dandy community and help build an amazing app together. Last week, I spoke with Karl Allen-Muncey and Taylor Jones during BlackBerry Live to talk apps, BlackBerry 10, and building the next great app.

Fluxible is a new conference this September that brings user experience and design experts from around the world together for two days of workshops and talks. The team at Research In Motion® (RIM®) is especially excited that our own Dan Gärdenfors (Senior Concept Designer of The Astonishing Tribe) has just been announced as closing keynote speaker.

While I was making my way back from the BlackBerry® 10 Jam World Tour and @StartupFest in Montreal, I had the chance to speak with Mark Connolly, one of the organizers of Fluxible, about the origin of the conference, who should attend, and what the event means to the region of Waterloo.

Thanks for taking time to talk with us. Who should register for the conference?

Fluxible was conceived for UX practitioners and researchers – but it’s also a great opportunity for developers, product managers, and others who want to learn about designing front end interfaces and experiences.

I took a look at the agenda and you’re definitely taking advantage of the event spaces here in town.

Yes, we’ve had great support from Communitech. We’re starting at the Conrad Centre for the Performing Arts, which is where the main talks will be. We then move to Kitchener City Hall for a Saturday evening party, and then finish at the Communitech Hub on Sunday with the workshops. It’s very exciting.

What does Fluxible mean to the Waterloo region?

As you likely know, design has become crucial to the success of products and companies in the last several years, and the Waterloo Region has developed the same focus on design that has been visible globally. Bob (Bob Barlow-Busch) and I, as long time champions of uxWaterloo Communtech Peer 2 Peer (P2P), have seen this increased interest and awareness firsthand. To us, the awareness is another sign of the maturation of the region’s transformation into a digital economy. Fluxible is not only an opportunity to show what’s happening in Waterloo Region to the larger UX world, but also to bring the larger UX world to Waterloo Region. In addition to Dan as a keynote speaker, we have an amazing lineup of speakers who will be delivering terrific talks and workshops. Do check them out.

Definitely sounds like it’s going to be a great event.

We think so too! This is the first event of its kind in the area, and we’re really looking forward to attendees coming in from the region, the province, and around the world. It’s an opportunity to network and have a great time.

Early bird registration is open now and available until July 31. For information, check out the Fluxible site. The Fluxible conference takes place on September 22nd and 23rd, 2012.

The Research In Motion® (RIM®) Developer Relations team recently hosted a BBM™ Hackathon event in NYC. Developers were invited to apply for a chance to participate in the event, getting one-on-one time with BlackBerry® platform experts and network with other developers while working on integrating social elements into apps using the BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM) APIs.

Attendees told us that they found the direct contact with our social platform experts to be invaluable – and we liked hearing that so much that we’ve decided to host more of these hackathon events across the globe in the coming weeks.

The first of these events happened yesterday in our company hometown of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, with the second event happening today, September 29th. Following this, we’ll be hosting BBM Apps Hackathons in Toronto, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Jakarta, Amsterdam, London and more. Here are the scheduled dates:

Updated Dates!

• Toronto: October 6th and 7th
• Chicago: October 10th and 11th
• San Francisco: October 16th and 17th (just in time for BlackBerry DevCon Americas 2011!)
• Boston: November 3rd and 4th
• Jakarta: November 14th and 15th
• Bangkok: November 17th and 18th
• Amsterdam: November 24th and 25th (updated)
• London, England: November 28th and 29th (updated)

To enter for your chance to attend one of the BBM Apps Hackathon events, follow this simple process to apply: Visit the site bbmappshackathon.com and fill out an application, outlining among other things (i) why you feel social platform integration adds value to mobile applications; and (ii) give an example of previous mobile apps you have developed.

Developers who are selected to attend a BBM Apps Hackathon event will also receive a BlackBerry gift bag, which includes a BlackBerry® 7 OS device. In addition, those selected to attend the Toronto, Chicago and San Francisco Hackathon events will also receive a pass to attend BlackBerry DevCon Americas 2011 and three night accommodation at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis for the duration of the conference.

We definitely recommend that developers of any level apply to attend these collaborative events. The BlackBerry Social Platform gives developers a way to tie existing apps to BBM, or to build social apps from the ground up. One of the benefits to these social aspects is the added viral buzz that an app can gain from integrating with BBM. At these hackathons, developers will discover valuable strategies that will help them add social aspects to their apps.

Would you be interested in this type of event? Let us know which hackathons you’ll be applying to attend!