Nine-year old writes iPhone app, hates vegetables
By Laura June 
posted February 5th 2009 11:01AM
posted February 5th 2009 11:01AM
We've seen plenty of remarkable kids -- the world is just bursting with them -- and Lim Ding Wen, a nine-year-old from Singapore is no exception. Like his father, Wen enjoys writing iPhone apps in his spare time. His application, called Doodle Kids, is a drawing application for children that he wrote for his two younger sisters, who enjoy drawing, and it's already been downloaded over 4,000 times (we just checked in the App Store and it does indeed appear to be quite popular) since its release on February 1st. Wen, who is fluent in six programming languages and enjoys reading books about -- you guessed it -- computer programming, is already hard at work on his next app, a game called "Invader Wars." We can't wait to see that one!
It took over 3 months for them to authorize our developer program purchase at work so I wouldn't be surprised at the signing being difficult...we never tried as I had gone back to uni before they authorized it.
And to think that I dropped out of RealBASIC.
I can't even get the SDK to install properly an d I'm 29 years old.
Well, on the brightside, at least you don't have erectile dysfunction.
Samboini, How do YOU know??
I'm going off probability, although interestingly 18m + men in the US suffer. Thankyou Google.
"although interestingly 18m + men in the US suffer"
I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that there are probably 18m+ baby boomer men over a certain age that precludes them from naturally rearing children but they have a socially distorted perception that sex at that age is important.
sex at any age is important if you have the desire. Almost every time you post a comment I find myself wondering who shit in your Cherrios this morning?
I apparently have a fan.
@CraigJ:
I shat in his Cheerios
@Andir3.0:
You have *two* "fans"...
@Samboini
It is scary that you have that information about him...
Man stories like these are just rough on the ego.
Can I call BS on this? this app sounds like the apple drawing template on the developer site, also, you can't download the iPhone SDK unless you are 13 or over, how did he pay the $100 app store fee and how did apple not hear his age when they call you about the approval?
I'm 13 and apple did not let me publish my app! (I may release it through jailbreak soon)
(avmike in IRC said it best: "right, the dad dls the sdk, get the kid to type 2 lines, then publishes it")
Some people are just born with it...
...maybe its maybelline?
I sold my first application when I was 14. I don't remember exactly how many copies I sold, but I made over $300. Was a game for the TI-99. Sold that, and a lot of others for a couple of years through a local users group in Phoenix.
I'm not trying to be a smart ass here, but this has a lot to do with the environment you grew up in. My dad's an engineer and I used to play with his hp calculator and drafting tools, and basically tough my self about variables and basic algebra and trig when I was 10 or 11.
This is not surprising to me. If more parents would encourage their children to learn stuff like this the would would be a better place IMO, but then again, look at most parents. I weep for the future.
A nine year old is perfectly capable of this given the interest and the right environment. the important thing is not who signed the contract with Apple, it's who actually codded the app.
+1 for the kids parents.
I agree, my parents are both engineers and thus I've had a lot of programming books and other things around the house all my life, so when I was bored I just picked up a few and started learning. It really does make a difference. These days you can find lots of stuff online but even so the home environment is critical for the development of a child.
Not only is he a genius for writing an app. He also made an app that no one has thought of and incredibly fun.
Wow. That kid's a real jerk.
From all the "Apple fanboys" here in Engadget i think this kid deserve more the title of an Apple fan.
This pic says it all. http://virtualgs.larwe.com/Virtual_GS/Lim_Ding_Wen.html
And i have the impression that this kid will NOT be as idiot as the same ppl that r mention above.
Very very good work but he has to improve it like keeping the different shapes but having an option for consistent color (i.e when you when to draw a sea).
Aww, he's so cute. Plus he exudes a lot of confidence in those 2 pics for a 9 year old.
How much you wanna bet "Invader Wars" is a Chinese knock-off of Space Invaders?
Singapore != China
Doesn't this come with the location? Singapore has lots of amazing Kids that play musical instruments, etc before they hit the age of 10. But is that what they genuinely want to do or is it the something the parents want them too?
Hey thats nice, I wonder what else this boy has written so far. He is soooo smart
Wow, I was still trying to learn not to wet the bed at that age.
BS his dad did it for him
It is amazing, the kid is definitely a genius... at the same time, he's only 9 years old and he already has no life... I'm all for being smarter than a 5th grader (my god, that is bad!) but it's no good missing out on your childhood.
He is a very smart kid.
Meh, I was coding more complex programs in qBasic at that age. Just because he did it for the iPhone doesn't make it special.
It's... It's finally happening...
An all out war between Apple and Microsoft, the former led by a nine year old in Taiwan, the latter by a five year old in Calcutta.
Nobody will be spared.
@ Leo
...maybe its maybelline?
Classic!!!!!
Kid's dad probably did it and gave credit to the kid.