Chances are you’re hold up at home right now but how can you make the best of this isolating experience? Well there’s plenty of Tech to help. The key point here is the ability to stay connected with others virtually when you can’t do it physically.
Broadband.
Right now, having good, fast, reliable internet is more important than ever. Internet service providers are under extra strain to deliver right now. Test out your speed at https://testmyspeed.onl
Meetings and Chats
If you’re lucky enough to have a job where you get to work from home there are some great virtual meeting apps around. Zoom and Google Hangouts are both great choices and both have paid and free options.
For staying connected with those closer to home here’s a great idea that the people in my street came up with. Using WhatsApp we’ve created a street chat group. The idea is that we can stay connected as neighbours and give each other support as needed, like shopping for someone who can’t leave the house. Yes you could also create a Facebook private group for something like this but WhatsApp does offer a more secure chat experience.
If your child’s school isn’t already, many use Google Classrooms for normal class asctivity anyway but now we’re seeing some add on tools like Zoom for live teaching.
What does your work space look like?
Again so many people now working from home there’s a scramble to set up home offices. I think a great idea here is to have a sit/stand desk…and to ensure you are using an ergonomic keyboard and mouse. Plus make sure your computer monitor is at the correct height so you don’t end up with neck strain.
Right now we’re being encouraged to be more ‘clean’ than ever. This should also apply to your computer. Wipe down your keyboard with an Isopraphy alcohol wipe or spray with a cloth (turn it off or unplug it first).
Need to keep busy or make extra cash?
Here’s a couple of sites that enable to you both work from home and earn a few dollars.
Utest.com – Testing out new gadgets, websites and Apps.
UpWork.com – A freelancer website so you can do work for other people across a wide range of skills.
Shopping
We’re being asked to stay home but no doubt there will be things you need. If you plan ahead you can still do this online. Many retailers are ramping up their delivery services (with the exception of supermarkets) so see if what you need can be delivered. If you use Amazon.com.au with a membership subscription you can get free delivery on many items plus access to their music, movie and TV streaming services. The cost is $6.99 a month.
Get the OFFICIAL Coronavirus App from the Australian Government – https://www.health.gov.au/resources/apps-and-tools/coronavirus-australia-app
