Five cool apps helps you figure out computer codes
Learning how to write computer codes can be full of fun, thanks to these cool apps.
It's no secret that geeks will inherit the Earth (thanks, I Fight Dragons), so being able to create your own computer program, app, and website is pretty much the coolest thing you can do right now.
Learning to code doesn't just mean being at a desk all day either: its applications include fashion, animation, music, art, dance, and light design.
If you find IT classes a little dry, you can give yourself a solid base of skills by playing around with one of these cool apps.
1) Kodable Class
To be a programmer you have to think like one, and the award-winning Kodable Class will get to work re-wiring your brain to think logically. The Fuzz family have crash-landed on planet Smeeborg and the player needs to explore the many mazes and collect coins.
Players guide the Fuzzes through mazes dragging and dropping simple commands - move up, down, left and right. You'll learn all about algorithmic operations and sequencing with this colourful and addictive app.
Available: iOS/Android - Free
2) Move the Turtle
A cute turtle is the star of the show: need any more reason to play? This app teaches you the basics of coding via a colourful game in which, as the title might suggest, you move your new friend through a series of commands and tasks. As you learn skills, you earn stars and progress through the chapters. While using your imagination to draw shapes, you'll become familiar with the notions of loops, procedures, variables and instructions. Sneaky!
Available: iOS - HK $28 (search for "Algoid" for a similar Android-based game)
3) Made with Code
"People will try to put you in a box. Coding will help you break out," says Ayah Bdeir, the founder of littleBits.
Started by a bunch of female developers, Made with Code is a project to get more girls into the male-dominated computing industry. Instead of downloading an app, you can try out a series of fun online games and challenges, including turning your face into a kaleidoscope, making a yeti dance and mixing a song.
Available: https://www.madewithcode.com - Free
4) My Robot Friend
He's funky, has a metal head, and a deranged grin ... why wouldn't you want to hang out with a robot to defeat the annoying villain Fat Cat? You program your cybernetic chum with directions to navigate through mazes to a treasure chest. Completing each round brings prizes, including fun mini-games - like dance parties where you use your newfound skills to design music and moves for the robot. The game lulls you into a sense of security by starting off easy, but ramps up the difficulty with direction changes, negative numbers and obstacles.
Available: iOS - HK $28 (no Android app yet)
5) Codecademy: Code Hour
Perhaps the most challenging and least game-oriented app on our list, Codecademy offers an introduction into the meatier side of programming with a series of lessons that get you working on code from the very beginning. Once you're let loose, it's sink or swim - but there's plenty of encouraging feedback available for when it's all going pear-shaped.
With follow-up lessons online to build on what you've learned in the app, this definitely is one for those looking to be the next Mark Zuckerberg.
Available: iOS - Free (no Android app yet)