App reviews: DragonBox Algebra 5+, 1 Second Everyday

If "algebra" is a scary word in your house, then maybe it's time to try a different approach. DragonBox Algebra 5+ is the first in a series of mobile games that makes algebra comprehensible and even fun for little minds - and some big ones, too. The game walks you through the fundamental tenets, instructing players to solve for x by isolating a box on one side of the screen.

As you advance, the levels grow more complicated, and you may find you have to add things to both sides of the screen to cancel out certain tiles or combine tiles to make your equation work. All the while, you're getting a sneaky education on how to recognize variables and figure out why operations must be done in a certain order. Whether you want to get a jump on teaching algebra to your children or a tool to illustrate the basics to a student of any age, DragonBox is worth exploring.

$4.99, for iOS devices; 99 cents, for Android devices.

Second Everday

There's a fine line between using your phone too much to document your life and missing out on recording precious moments altogether.

1 Second Everyday, a video compilation app, aims to hit exactly the right balance by asking you to record just a little bit of your life to keep for the record.

The app encourages you to get your phone out to record snippets of each day, similar to a video diary, and then it will string your clips together for a fun retrospective.

You will have to give it access to your camera and photos for it to work; that's something you should expect of a recording app.

Record as much video as you want, but the app will ask you to edit it down to a one-second snippet - a little extra boost to find a memorable moment every day.

Free, for iOS and Android devices.