Coding for Kids
Coding in the News: January 2020
Can you remember a time when you weren’t reaching for your cell phone to text a friend or write an email to a co-worker? It’s getting harder and harder. Or maybe you just wanted to save yourself a trip to the mall and do some shopping online?
How did we ever survive without today’s technology? But are we any better for it?
It seems like every week you’re getting lectured by a friend or family member about a must-have phone app that you suddenly can’t live without. Or you run into a neighbor that has some amazing new device that you thought you’d only ever see in the movies.
How’s that possible? What’s happening in the world of technology that’s bringing the imaginations of millions of coders to life. Are the possibilities to create really infinite?
At Tynker, we know that triumphs in code come in all different sizes. Whereas some have enormous global impact and others fill a unique niche, both are essential to tech’s vibrant fabric.
Here are three software developments that we found this time around:
An app that reduces food waste at supermarkets.
Have you ever been to the grocery store and seen so much food that you wonder who’s going to eat it all before it goes rotten? Well, you’re not alone. That’s why this new app that supermarket chain Meijer is developing to cut waste got our attention.
With the Flashfood app at Meijer stores, customers can get up to 50% off food that’s close to its sell-by-date. That’s great news for shoppers who have a limited budget or are looking for a bargain on meat, fish, and produce that would otherwise end up in a landfill.
According to Don Sanderson of Meijer, “Minimizing in-store food waste is the right thing to do for our communities and our customers.”
We love it when programmers write code for the good of the world.
A service that allows you to organize and share lists.
You wanted what? Where does it say veggie? I can’t read that. I’m not a mindreader. With Google Keep, you don’t have to be. Share your grocery list with roommates and family members like you would an online doc with co-workers and make your life that much easier.
Don’t forget all the little athletes in your universe. Where’s the next game? Who’s driving them? And we still need someone to pick the girls up at soccer practice. This free app is a smartphone to-do list that you can share—in real time—with anyone you want. No more excuses. Everyone’s on the same page.
A device that allows you to leave your laptop and keyboard at home.
This coding development borders on the indulgent, even though its virtual keyboard is being pitched as oh so practical. The device works like a laser, projecting a keyboard and mouse, so that you can type on any flat surface, right into your phone—without having to lug around an actual keyboard or even a laptop. Tempting, isn’t it? Here’s a list of some of the best.
At Tynker, we teach kids to code, so we know the possibilities for discovery are endless, which means it’s anyone’s guess what the future holds for computer programming, just that developing focus and creativity in young coders is a great start.
Tynker offers over 3,700 courses and tutorials for all experience levels, emphasizing interest-based paths that make learning to code FUN.
We’ve taught more than 60 million kids around the globe how to code with our award-winning programs, ages 5 to 18, from kindergarten all the way through high school.
How can your kid change the world with code?
Tynker is coding for kids.
