Mobile app review: Codeacademy

Codeacademy Hour of Code

Do you have a little more than an hour and some curiosity to spare? Beginners to the world of coding should consider the app for the online coding school Codeacademy to pick up some new tricks. The app is aimed at those with nearly no coding knowledge — even novices may find it a bit too easy. But it offers a friendly path through a process that many find intimidating.

The app itself doesn't require that you make an account to use it, though if you want to take advantage of any of Codeacademy's other courses, you'll have to do so online. Those wary about privacy will probably want to skip the final step of the final lesson (spoiler alert!), which lets users publish a simple personal website. The app, originally made just for the iPhone and iPod Touch, has also been optimized for the iPad. Free, for Apple's iOS devices.