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People in lockdown are no longer trying to use technology to get their old lives back and that’s a good thing, says Annalee Newitz

22/05/2020

By Annalee Newitz Box, fort, same thing arlo0886/Getty Images WE’VE been living in quarantine for almost two months in San Francisco, and lockdown tech is starting to drive us bonkers. We were initially full of hope that the internet would save us but now all we want to do is go outside and run around. Unfortunately, “outside” will never be the same. When we were only a week or two into this, things felt extremely weird, but those of us who still had jobs could do them. We had Zoom. We had Skype. Kids had Google Classroom. Amazon had masked workers to dispatch …

Finance

Before the pandemic, 54% of people didn’t have a proper work setup at home, according to a survey conducted by YouGov with LinkedIn.

clapford

22/05/2020

If you're working from home, here are some tips to stay productive and ensure your home office is optimized for working remotely. USA TODAY Stephanie Silva didn't have a proper home office set up before the coronavirus pandemic, so the transition to remote work from her Orange County, California, home over the past couple of months was "surprisingly expensive." During most of April, the HR assistant sat on the floor and worked from her personal laptop. But with the COVID-19 shutdown extending into May, she and her boyfriend invested in a more comfortable setup. They ordered a desk from Wayfair, an office chair from Amazon, ink for the printer and other home office staples. In total, they spent more than $600. "It all added up quickly," Silva said. "I had no idea it would cost this m...

Theatre

The best digital pens let you take notes the old fashioned way while saving them to your phone or computer.

clapford

22/05/2020

Smart pens combine traditional writing implements with modern digital technology. The result is a pen that helps capture what youve written in digital form, turning whats traditionally a messy analog medium into organized, structured data that you can keep forever. Some smart pens record what youre writing using tech in the pen itself; others rely on special paper, your tablet, or your smartphone to capture the information.Because there are so many options and because they work quite differently from one another you may need a guide to the right smart pen or stylus for you. Depending upon your note-taking or sketching needs, you might want something like the Livescribe, which has a built-in audio recorder, or a Rocketbook with a Frixion pen which is super inexpensive, but focused on captur...

Sports

From colouring and sculpture, to weaving, robotics and baking — there’s something to suit a variety of interests.

clapford

22/05/2020

Craft kits are a good option for days spent stuck indoors. But it can be hard to tell which are genuinely engaging and which ones will just clutter up your house for years to come. So, we asked seven crafting experts to recommend their favourite sets and supplies for kids aged 2 to 12. From colouring and sculpture, to weaving, robotics and baking theres something to suit a variety of interests. Children will be kept busy colouring in these beautiful designs, says Annalees Lim, author of the Happily Ever Crafter activity book series. They then get to spend many more hours enjoying wearing them and showing off to their friends. The top is made from a lightweight jersey blend and the fabric pens use UV ink which sets once air cured for 24 hours or ironed by a parent. The colourful kit foste...