In the 9-minute tutorial, you’ll see how to connect the MIT App Inventor with your phone and add the needed functions.

App Inventor — a Google cast-out that is now maintained by MIT — is a graphical tool that unlocks the power of an Android handset to those with the most basic of programming understanding.

While the MIT App Inventor platform started out as a way to teach programming skills to young people, it has now evolved to become a powerful tool for creating mobile applications that anyone can use.

In a time when technology is rapidly changing, the MIT App Inventor provides an excellent example of how to democratize the process of creation.