Mobile Apps News #76 - part 1
The stay-at-home edition (in two parts). Hope you are healthy, safe, and staying at home.
Hi everyone,
I hope you are all healthy, safe, and staying home as much as possible.
This issue of Mobile Apps News will be a bit different, given the situation we’re all in. In addition to news about mobile apps, I’ve collected news about the pandemic, since that’s on the forefront of everyone’s minds. This will be a two-part newsletter, since I have so many links!
I’m sure you’ve all seen plenty of scary stories, depressing statistics, and such. So in addition to the usual mobile app news, I’ll focus in part one on:
reliable COVID-19 news (fighting misinformation)
health tips + mental health
getting supplies
making music alone together
May you and your loved ones be healthy and safe.
— Nicole (plus James the husband and Max the cat in Tucson, Arizona).
p.s. Mobile Apps News #76, part 2 will cover:
The economy
Causes for optimism
Ageism
Diversions
The world after the pandemic
My offerings + extras
Our cat Max - adopted in Jan. 2019. He’s athletic, smart, and cuddly. And of course he has his own Instagram.
App news
Photo by William Hook on Unsplash
App launched to track coronavirus and help combat its spread (Covid Symptom Tracker, UK)
Neighbors Are Reaching Out on Nextdoor (the Nextdoor app connects people in the same neighborhood)
A Snapchat-owned location app just added a leaderboard comparing who stays home the most (Zenly)
Your Mac Can No Longer Listen for Aliens, but It Could Help Cure COVID-19 (similar to SETI@home)
Apple Siri Will Now Walk Users Through the CDC COVID-19 Assessment Questions and Then Recommend Telehealth Apps (If you say, “Hey Siri. Do I have coronavirus,” the voice assistant will walk you through a set of questions and make recommendations based on your responses).
Fun and Useful Apps (and more) for Working from Home (good list)
2020 iPad Pro Linked List: Reviews, Articles, Tips, and More (Apple released a new iPad Pro model. Learn more here).
Reliable COVID-19 news (fighting misinformation)
The Side Eye: Viruses vs Everyone - The Spinoff (site from New Zealand)
Cartoonist Toby Morris, with help from Dr Siouxsie Wiles (University of Auckland) explores three important points about Covid-19. Lovely cartoon style!Apple, Google, Amazon block nonofficial coronavirus apps from app stores - CNET
Amazon Alexa Has Removed Coronavirus Skills and Won’t Approve New Ones - Voicebot
Coronavirus Project – Federation Of American Scientists (good site for debunking misinformation)
How Wikipedia Prevents the Spread of Coronavirus Misinformation - Wired
How Wikipedia volunteers became the web’s best weapon against misinformation - Fast Company
Health tips
Alton Brown Explains Why Soap Is Better Than Hand Sanitizer (fun, useful video!)
Here’s how I avoided all viral illness after my bone marrow transplant, and how you can, too. (by A.M. Carter) When I read this story of a person getting through times of having no functioning immune system, and doing the simple things we all need to do, it somehow made this pandemic feel more manageable.
How to Clean Your Home for Coronavirus - New York Times
How to clean and sanitize Mac, keyboard, other Apple devices - 9to5 Mac
Guidance against wearing masks for the coronavirus is wrong – you should cover your face - opinion, Boston Globe
How To Make A No-Sew Coronavirus Face Mask With Fabric - HuffPost (4 different options, see videos)
Is Bicycling Safe During a Pandemic? - California Bicycle Coalition
How much distance should you leave to the cyclist ahead in a time of pandemic? - Road.cc
Mental health
Photo by Essentialiving on Unsplash
‘Write It Down’: Historian Suggests Keeping a Record of Life During Pandemic - University of Virginia. Keep a record as this historian suggests “ in one or more different forms of your own choosing, a journal, a blog, an e-portfolio, a film, a series of artworks, a short story, poems, a series of haikus – of your life in these unprecedented days. Each individual perspective is valuable, and adds to the whole.”
Why You Should Ignore All That Coronavirus-Inspired Productivity Pressure- Chronicle of Higher Ed
7 science-based strategies to cope with coronavirus anxiety - The Conversation
That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief - Harvard Business Review
Alone no more: People are turning to dogs, cats and chickens to cope with self-isolation - Washington Post
Pulling Together, Even as We Move Apart (comic) - The Sprawl, Calgary
How you can help during the coronavirus outbreak - Washington Post
Getting supplies
Our cat Max likes to help unload groceries from our Instacart deliveries.
A Brooklyn co-op hustles as food demand spikes (yay for food coops!) - Food & Environment Reporting Network
Is it safe to eat produce from farmers markets? Yes and please do. - by Marion Nestle of Food Politics
Coronavirus pandemic should shift our focus to a more locally sourced food supply - opinion: Boston Globe. (“A positive side effect of the pandemic: demand for local food is through the roof.”)
We’re Compiling a List of CSAs in All 50 States - from Modern Farmer. (James and I just signed up for our Tucson CSA to get a weekly food box of produce from local farms. The pickup point is only a block from our apartment! And they practice social distancing).
Why there will soon be tons of toilet paper, and what food may be scarce, according to supply chain experts - CNBC Make It. (This story suggests the shortage is temporary, while this other story from Vox suggests it will be a problem for a while).
Food Safety and Coronavirus: A Comprehensive Guide - from Serious Eats. (useful and complete FAQ)
How to safely order food delivery, takeout and groceries during coronavirus quarantines - CNET (good tips)
Making music alone together
My favorite one of these “alone together” performances so far: Helplessly Hoping - by students from different high schools and universities of Rome.
Powerful high school choir performs canceled concert remotely - California’s Chino Valley Unified School District Chamber Singers
Appalachian Spring - Musicians of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Berklee Music Students Send The World ‘Love Sweet Love’ - NPR
Part 2 of this newsletter
Keep an eye out for part 2 of this newsletter. It covers:
The economy
Causes for optimism
Ageism
Diversions
The world after the pandemic
My offerings + extras
Stay safe, everyone!
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