My Journey from a Simple Calculator to a Next-Gen Neural Style Transfer App

Back in the day, I embarked on my first foray into app development by creating a basic calculator in Android Studio. Inspired by countless YouTube tutorials, my goal was simple: create a functioning app. However, it wasn't without its hurdles. It took me a month to complete the project, filled with confusions and setbacks, but it was a learning experience that wasundeniably rewarding.

Developing the First Android App

My first Android app was nothing extraordinaryit was a simple calculator. Watching endless tutorials on YouTube certainly helped, but the process was still challenging. I remember struggling with APIs, UI design, and basic functional errors. After numerous attempts and defaulting to numerous YouTube sessions, I finally managed to create a working calculator app. It was a fun and educational experience that sparked my interest in app development further.

Playing Store Debut: An All-In-One App

Fast forward to today, and I published my first app on the Google Play Store just the other day. This app is more ambitious; it’s an all-in-one platform that allows users to browse multiple social media shopping and entertainment sites from one place. With just a swipe, you can switch between apps without the need to download multiple ones on your phone. This not only saves storage space but also time.

Developing this all-in-one app was a significantly more extensive project than my first calculator. It was a great experience to publish an app for the first time, especially at the age of 17. It feels like a milestone to have something of my own out there for others to use and enjoy. You can check out the app here.

Sports Web App

A few weeks ago, I launched another app, called 'Sports Web.' This app focuses on sports-related content. It's a straightforward platform that provides the latest sports news, live scores, and even matches streaming links. My hope is that it becomes a go-to source for sports enthusiasts, and I am eager to see how it will perform.

Lastly, let’s talk about my most recent release, a neural style transfer app. It is a highly advanced tool that allows users to transform photographs into paintings, drawing from various artistic styles. Named 'Spectrum,' this app is a neural network-based tool that doesn't rely on sending data to a remote server for processing, saving both time and ensuring greater privacy for the user.

Technical Challenges

Developing a neural style transfer app came with its own set of challenges. The app uses a deep learning algorithm called a Neural Network, which is computationally expensive. The goal was to create a fast and efficient application that could run on smartphones. After about two months of troubleshooting, I finally succeeded. The app supports over 65 different art styles and includes features such as color preservation, high-resolution output, and a user-friendly interface. It is available for download here, and I would recommend checking out the implementation on GitHub if you are interested in building similar apps.

Developing apps has been a rewarding experience, and I'm excited to see where my journey takes me next.