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This one time at Apple Camp... Tech titan offers to school US fanbois on coding

Or they can sit down at Microsoft for an hour... if they can pay attention that long

Apple Stores across the US will offer fanbois an hour of computer programming lessons this week in a bid to boost the nation's digital economy.

The fruity firm has joined tech firms, schlebs, and even the US president himself in promoting a national scheme called Hour of Code, which aims to teach Americans the basics of programming.

For 60 minutes on Wednesday 11 December, Apple Stores will offer free programming lessons to anyone who wants them.

The intention, Apple said, is to "demystify code and show that anyone can learn the basics of computer programming".

In a video released to publicise the Hour of Code, organisers stress that learning to program is not just useful for spectrum surfers, but basketball players, presidents and pop stars like Carly Rae Jepsen.

“Don’t just buy a new video game, make one," advises President Barack Obama. "Don’t just download the latest app, help design it. Don’t just play on your phone, program. No one’s born a computer scientist, but with a little hard work — and some math and science — just about anyone can become one.”

Microsoft retail stores will also offer an hour of coding lessons, while Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates have teamed up to record a video tutorial as part of the same effort.

According to the charity Code.org, which is organising the project, more than 1.5 million people have already undergone an hour of coding lessons. ®

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