A 12-year-old app developer | Thomas Suarez | TED

Summary

The speaker shares their passion for technology and app development, highlighting their creations like 'Earth Fortune' and the popular 'Bustin Jieber'. They discuss the challenges of learning app development as a young person and the lack of resources compared to traditional hobbies. The speaker details their journey with Apple's software development kit and the support received from family, friends, and teachers. They've started an app club at school and are involved in an iPad Pilot Program, aiming to create educational apps for local districts. They aspire to develop more apps, explore Android development, and continue sharing their knowledge.

Takeaways

• 💻 The speaker has a passion for computers and technology and has developed several apps for iOS devices.
• 🔮 'Earth Fortune' is an app that displays different colors of Earth based on the user's fortune.
• 🎮 'Bustin Jieber' is a whack-a-mole game featuring Justin Bieber, created due to its creator's schoolmates' dislike for the celebrity.
• 👨‍💻 The speaker started programming in languages like Python, C, and Java before moving on to iOS app development.
• 🛠️ The iPhone SDK (Software Development Kit) was instrumental in enabling the speaker to create apps for the iPhone.
• 💼 The speaker's parents supported their app development journey by paying the $99 fee to publish apps on the App Store.
• 🤝 The speaker received encouragement and inspiration from family, friends, teachers, and even Apple Store staff.
• 🏫 An app club was started by the speaker at their school, with a teacher sponsoring it to teach students app design.
• 📱 The iPad Pilot Program is mentioned as a way to gather feedback on app usage and to decide which apps to put on iPads for educational purposes.
• 💡 The speaker believes students can be a valuable resource for teachers in terms of technology knowledge.
• 🚀 Future plans include creating more apps and games, exploring Android development, and continuing to share knowledge through the app club.

Q & A

What is the speaker's fascination with technology?

The speaker has always been fascinated with computers and technology.

What was the first app the speaker created?

The first app the speaker created was a unique fortune teller called 'Earth Fortune'.

How does 'Earth Fortune' work?

It displays different colors of Earth depending on the user's fortune.

What is the speaker's most successful app?

The speaker's most successful app is 'Bustin Jieber,' a Justin Bieber-themed whack-a-mole game.

Why did the speaker create 'Bustin Jieber'?

The speaker created it because many people at school disliked Justin Bieber.

When was 'Bustin Jieber' released?

It was released just before the holidays in 2010.

What challenges do young app developers face according to the speaker?

Young app developers face challenges in finding resources and guidance on how to create apps, as many kids want to make games but don't know where to start.

What programming languages did the speaker learn before creating apps?

The speaker learned Python, C, Java, and other programming languages to get the basics down.

What is an iPhone software development kit?

It is a suite of tools for creating and programming an iPhone app.

How did the speaker get started with app development?

The speaker started by learning multiple programming languages and then used the iPhone software development kit to create test apps.

What support did the speaker receive for their app development?

The speaker received encouragement from family, friends, teachers, and people at the Apple Store.

What is the iPad Pilot Program mentioned in the script?

It is a program that the speaker is part of, which involves using iPads in an educational setting and deciding what apps to put on them.

How does the speaker plan to use the revenue from selling apps?

The revenue from selling apps will go into the local education foundations to support education.

What is the speaker's future plan regarding app development?

The speaker plans to create more apps and games, get into Android programming, and continue the app club to share knowledge.