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

Introduction to App Development

Personal Journey in Technology

  • The speaker shares a lifelong fascination with computers and technology, having developed several apps for iOS devices.
  • Introduces the first app, "Earth Fortune," which displays different colors based on fortunes, and mentions the popular game "Bustin Jieber," a whack-a-mole style game featuring Justin Bieber.

Challenges in Learning App Development

  • Highlights the difficulty children face when trying to learn app development, noting that resources are not as readily available compared to traditional activities like sports or music lessons.
  • Discusses prior programming experience in languages such as Python, C, and Java before discovering Apple's iPhone software development kit (SDK).

Creating Apps: The Process

Initial Steps and Support

  • Describes experimenting with the SDK by creating test apps leading up to releasing "Earth Fortune" on the App Store after persuading parents to pay a $99 fee.
  • Acknowledges support from family, friends, teachers, and even Apple Store employees as crucial for motivation and encouragement.

Educational Initiatives

  • Mentions starting an app club at school sponsored by a teacher to help students learn app design.
Channel: TED
Video description

Visit http://TED.com to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more. Most 12-year-olds love playing videogames -- Thomas Suarez taught himself how to create them. After developing iPhone apps like "Bustin Jeiber," a whack-a-mole game, he is now using his skills to help other kids become developers. (Filmed at TEDxManhattanBeach.) The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You're welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know. Follow TED on Twitter: http://twitter.com/TEDTalks Like TED on Facebook: http://facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://youtube.com/TED TED's videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy (https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization/our-policies-terms/ted-talks-usage-policy). For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at https://media-requests.ted.com