13-year-old schoolboy becomes Britain's youngest iPhone app developer

Aaron Bond designs video game 'Spud Run' by watching online tutorials

Aaron Bond, a 13-year-old schoolboy, has become Britain's youngest recorded iPhone app video game developer.

He achieved the feat after creating Spud Run, a 59p game in which users have to navigate a mutant potato through a maze before it is squashed in 40 seconds.

Bond learnt writing the programme after watching online tutorials. The idea and design was by his16-year-old friend Sebastian McNeil.

Bond, from Paignton, Devon, and McNeil are believed to be among the youngest app developers in Britain. Nine-year-old Lim Ding Wen from Singapore holds the record for being the youngest app developer in the world.

Bond said that he and McNeil raised £1,400 through fixing friends' computers to buy the required equipment.

About the app game he developed Bond said, "I've always been fascinated by computers and how they work and when Seb [McNeil] mentioned this might be a possibility I thought "Why not?"

"So I bought lots of books about how to develop applications and then sat for hours watching YouTube tutorials and researching the Internet until I could make my own."

Bond, who is also the owner of a website designing company, admits that the task was not easy.

He said, "There's a lot involved and initially it was quite daunting but you kind of pick it up as you go."

"It's been extremely tiring and I've been spending literally all my spare time creating, developing and then refining it until it's perfect."
His mother said, "When he gets an idea he's like a dog with a bone and just won't let up until it's perfect."

Meanwhile, software maker Appsbuilder has introduced the full version of its app development software that uses one process to create native apps for both IOS and Android.

The software is available free to download and use, said the company.

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