Blackberry Hacks: Tips & Tools for Your Mobile Office

by Dave Mabe

Book Overview

The BlackBerry has become an invaluable tool for those of us who need to stay connected and in the loop. But most people take advantage of only a few features that this marvelous communications device offers. What if you could do much more with your BlackBerry than just web surfing and email?

BlackBerry Hacks will enhance your mobile computing with great tips and tricks. You'll learn that the BlackBerry is capable of things you never thought...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0596101155
• ISBN13: 9780596101152
• Release Date: October 2005
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media
• Length: 327 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Great book of ideas for enhancing your Blackberry's usefulness

Everyone from the end user to the BlackBerry administrator to the developer will find conveniences in the BlackBerry that don't exist on other platforms. In this book, you'll find clever uses for some of these enhancements and new tricks for using some features that have been there from the beginning. This book can be read from cover to cover, but each hack stands on its own, so jumping around shouldn't hinder your comprehension. If there's a prerequisite you need to know about, a cross-reference will guide you to the right hack. Chapter 1 uncovers some of the tricks you may not have known your device was capable of. New users will be happy to know what's just below the surface: a clipboard [Hack #2], multitasking [Hack #6], and wireless calendaring [Hack #4]. The hackers in the crowd might like to display the signal strength in decibels instead of bars [Hack #17], use your computer as a wireless headset [Hack #16], or get mobile Internet access on your computer [Hack #9]. Rather than building an organizer and then retrofitting email support onto it, Research In Motion (RIM) designed the BlackBerry for email from the beginning and only then added support for other features. Highly secure, push based email is what has made the BlackBerry so popular in the business world. Every effort was made to allow users to efficiently process the mountain of email messages they receive daily. Email is great, but it can quickly become a burden. There are a number of hidden features of the BlackBerry you can use to your advantage. You can clear a bunch of messages at once [Hack #22], filter your messages [Hack #24], and make your email doubly secure [Hack #28]. Although the BlackBerry is optimized for the suit-and-tie business crowd, newcomers are pleasantly surprised at the graphics capabilities of the device. Currently, Magmic Games has a big lead in the BlackBerry gaming market, which is the subject of chapter 3. There are even some games that you can play against online opponents. While Magmic pushes the limit of BlackBerry games, there are plenty of free games you can download and install over the air in seconds. You could even use the device simulator [Hack #93] to play the games. With the advent of the Mobile Data Service and TCP/IP on the BlackBerry [Hack #37], an entire world of Internet services became accessible on the BlackBerry. Some of the best applications in existence are accessed by using some type of client software (perhaps just a browser), but the real power comes with its integration with a central service where users and data meet in interesting and exciting ways. Very few client-only software packages carry the same importance as one that integrates well with a web service. With your BlackBerry, you can track your to-do list [Hack #47], corral your bookmarks [Hack #46], and even use instant messaging [Hack #44]. Chapter 5 is about free software. If you tried out every commercial program that interested you, you'd be nickeled and dime

Be all that you can Blackberry

I've read a few books from the "Hacks" series and I'm a big fan. This addition is no different, it's a lot of fun. As usual it has a collection of well covered items aimed at the beginner, moderate and expert users, but regardless of your experience level there is enough information available to give any of the tips a try. Expert users may even find some gems in the beginners entries! I was particularly impressed that the book didn't limit itself to just operation on the Blackberry hand-held devices, it also gives tips on integrating it with you desktop and other ways to extend the functionality and get full use out of the device. Possibly of less use is the section covering development for the Blackberry and some of the specifics about the BES and MDS servers, but some of the tips mentioned are of great use to developers and I would recommend the book to them too. Other readers may also appreciate this look under the covers. "Blackberry Hacks" doesn't stray from the standard "Hacks" formula, so it can be skimmed easily in an afternoon or so, but the projects will keep you busy for a long while, and you'll also have problems holding onto this book due to the people who will be trying to borrow it. This one is a great resource for jump starting your Blackberry usage and getting all you can from the gadget.

Blackberry Hacks is essential for any Blackberry user

I have been a Blackberry user for about 4 years. Until reading "Blackberry Hacks" I relied on my Blackberry only for emails and seeing which meetings I had next. Now that I have this book I have unlocked the power of my Blackberry. I have cleared up much needed memory, installed numerous add-on applications, and have entered the new age of Blackberry use. Dave's book taught me things about my Blackberry that I had no idea were possible. It even got me reacquainted in a long lost passion: Chess. This book is a must own for all Blackberry users and a valuable resource for my everyday use of my "can't live without" device.

Blackberry Hacks

Very good book, a must have for all blackberry addicts. The book has lots of useful insights on configuring the 7100, and 72xx series blackberry and BES infrastructure.

For BlackBerry users of all levels

As a co-worker of Dave Mabe's for several years, I can tell you that his passion for simplifying/mechanizing tasks is incredible. To allay your fears of this book being too technical, Dave has a "thermometer" with the level of complexity from low to high for each hack so you can get an idea how much effort it might take. Also, each hack is a very easy read that stands on its own. If you use a "CrackBerry", you know how addicting it is and how much it can increase your productivity. Dave's book teaches you how to wring even more out of this wonderful invention. If you are a BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server) administrator, Dave's sample administration scripts should be worth thousands of dollars to you and your company! I highly recommend this book!