KC Computers

PC Prodigies: Amazing Computer Whizz-Kids

Written by admin on April 6th, 2011

Kids these days are hooked on computers. But computer whiz kids are a different story, as they try their hand in creating computer programs that become useful to other people. Here’s a list of these kids and their brilliant creations.

Lim Ding Wen.

This Malaysian boy living in Singapore is thought to be the youngest ever Apple IIGS programmer. He started dabbling with computer programming at the early age of seven, and has since come to be proficient in six other computer programming languages. Wondering what this child’s claim to fame is? Well, he’s the creator of the very popular Apple iPhone application called Doodle Kids. The program allows one to finger-draw figures on the phone’s touchscreen. One shake of the phone will erase the drawn images, while a click on the space bar will move and animate the pictures.

Marko Calasan.

Hailing from the quiet country of Macedonia, Marko Calasan is perhaps more remarkable because of the positive way he faces everyday adversities. Even with such an immense talent, having been named the youngest Microsoft Certified System Engineer, he is having trouble finding support to further pursue his studies. He now runs the computer network of a local non-governmental organization providing services to people with disabilities. He also spearheads a project which endeavors to impart computer knowledge through online streaming videos.

Owen Voorhees.

This young boy from Hinsdale, Illinois created an iPhone application called MathTime. His brain-child has become one of the most downloaded educational applications since its release. The program was based on the old fashioned number flash cards system. You tap the phone to reveal the problem, and you tap it once more to show the answer. Rather simple but very ingenious indeed.

Fabian Fernandez-Han.

Another young boy who specializes in the creation of applications for the iPhone. His latest and most successful so far is called the Oink-a-Saurus, an application which aids young people in making financial, primarily investment, decisions. The program works rather simply too. The user chooses stocks that are currently being sold, the application then automatically shows the companies that sell these, and ultimately, the costs required for the investment.

Andrew Munsell.

This high school student from Woodinville, Washington has been fascinated by writing computer codes since he was 10. At 13, he crafted games which he would input into his calculator. He also put up a website to make these games available for download at the same time. Now, he’s mostly busy creating programs for mobile phones and getting paid a few thousand dollars for them each month, securing some funds for his college education.

Makonnen Blake Hannah.

While he’s no longer a kid any more, he was only 13 years old when he got the position as the Youth Technology Consultant under the Jamaican government back in 1998. Just how exactly did he get hired for a government post? Well, he was in the Department of Commerce and Technology office with his mother who was there for an official meeting. During this visit, the presiding officer suggested that changes to the country’s official website be made. None could address the request so Makonnen took to the computer, made some modifications, and got hired right then and there!

William LeGate.

This high school student from Marietta, Georgia is both a computer programmer and a business man. He is the brains behind the outfit Imagination Research Labs, and he creates iPhone applications being sold under the company as well. His business savvy is evidenced by how he markets his inventions to the public. Instead of outright charging for the applications, he allows interested parties to first try out the applications for a period of one day. Of course, his creations are so brilliant that the majority of people end up buying the apps after the trial period. In fact, there was such a high demand for his most famous application, Game Giveaway, that it quickly became the 2nd Most Downloaded Program.

 

These kids are just an example of what skill and imagination can produce. While we want our children to experience the joys of childhood the best they can, it’s also smart to let them spread their knowledge by making available computers and other techie gadgets which they can tinker or dabble with. So do you have a future computer whiz kid at home?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 6th, 2011 at 7:54 am and is filed under Fun. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.