Not just a phone for Bluespark director
John Ballinger wants to create iPhone applications fulltime, and plans a mysterious side project that involves strapping a helmet-cam on his dog
Thursday, May 27 2010 || Working IT || BY Amanda Sachtleben
I did Auckland University’s degree in engineering science in 1996, studying computer programming and mechanics. When I started developing, it was with a company called Canary, and I was about 21. Developing was quite new; there weren’t a lot of Apple webpages around but it was quite easy to see how making them worked.
Dad always played with motorbikes and pulled mechanical things apart. I’ve been pulling transistor radios and other things apart since I could use a screwdriver. I’ve got tools now to pull my iMac apart. Just about every computer I’ve owned I’ve pulled apart, along with my first iPhone — the first-generation model.
I was number five in the queue to buy the iPhone 3G when it came out in 2008. I waited 36 hours and only got to sleep for four, but I enjoyed it so much. We had some guy walk past and yell out ‘It’s just a phone!’ My wife’s mother in Sweden even saw me on TV.
All I need now to make apps is my iPhone and my iMac, a couple of drawing programs, and 57 inches of screen real estate. That’s what is changing, the development is so portable.
I use the iPhone for Tweeting, email and checking my stocks. One application tells me how my sales are going. In the early days I’d wake up at three in the morning to check how my heart monitor application was selling. On the first night I saw it was $9000 and thought I was going to be a millionaire. On day two it was $6000, then it slowly started going down and settled much lower.
My interests across IT stretch from building computers and servers to making websites, databases and systems. I have a lot of friends on Google Talk I stay in touch with. I also make a habit of meeting friends for lunch, including my friends from CactusLab, and I have a meet-up group that’s very stimulating.
When I started my company Bluespark, I thought I’d get X number of employees and do it the ‘standard’ way. The problem is I’m not very good at telling people off or firing them. I do a much better job at leading teams. There’s a concept that you need a lot of staff to be happy, but making software is a lot more fun than managing staff.
I’m a bit overly compulsive with gadgets — I have a whole collection of iPods, I collect routers, I’ve got computers coming out of my ears, along with video cameras and digital cameras.
Most people sell their older gadgets but I always think I can use them for something else. I like analysing things and running funny little projects. I wanted to pick avocados from the neighbour’s tree so I mounted a video camera on a pole. The next project might be attaching a video camera to the dog’s head with a little helmet. I’m curious to see what she’ll look at when I’m taking her for a walk.
