Quarantine Appdate: Most Used Apps While in Quarantine
Published Apr 28, 2020 12:00 am
With the enhanced community quarantine still in place, we try our best to keep our sanity intact. As Sting once said "When the world is running down, you make the best of what's still around." Thank heavens technology is still on our side. Let’s make the best of what we can still do in this difficult time and stay connected amidst this pandemic.
Zoom
As big and small businesses try to adapt and struggle to survive, “work from home” has become a new norm for most of the employees. This is also true to most schools and universities as they shift this year’s curriculum to digital learning as Education Secretary Leonor Briones emphasized, “Education must continue even in times of crisis…”, and so for now, teachers and students are transitioning to distance learning.
From all these changes, Zoom has been the go-to platform. Founded in 2011, Zoom is a cloud-based software platform used for teleconferencing, telecommuting, distance education and social relations. It features a free video conference for up to 100 participants; but with a time limit of 40-minutes. And so when community quarantine was imposed, most companies and schools used Zoom for work from home meetings and online classes. A useful feature of Zoom is screen sharing. This enables users to see what the host or the first user sees. This is specifically useful for online training or in times when you need to demonstrate something one-on-one or to a large group.
Houseparty
Another video conference app is House Party. The Houseparty app takes “hanging out with friends” to a new level for it takes aim on friends/family members who are into video games. The app allows you to call friends on video and play video games all together. In addition to connecting and playing games with friends, a unique feature in the app is the number of games that you can play during calls. Some of the games include Heads Up, Trivia, Quick Draw, Chips and Guac and you can play with up to eight people at a time! Throw in a few drinks and some snacks and you’ve got, as the name suggests, a virtual house party.
Grab Philippines
Living up to their slogan #GrabBayanihan, Grab has made some features available amidst the pandemic. GrabMart is an added service by Grab whose goal is to provide its users with their essential needs. Truly beneficial for everyone since we are all advised to stay home. Users can now do the grocery without having to leave home. Users can have packed dry goods, beverages, home care and personal care delivered to them. Additional Grab services are GrabFood and GrabExpress - this service aims to satisfy their user’s cravings by having their favorite food delivered! Just make sure to order before 6pm, as drivers will no longer accept orders if it’s already near the curfew hours. All these services can be paid through credit card or GrabPay for a contactless, hence safer delivery. One can also be a hero (even in their own little way) through GrabRewards and donate to the frontliners of the pandemic and support #GrabBayanihan.
Lalamove
Another useful app during this difficult time is Lalamove. Known for its same day delivery service, Lalamove also features the “Purchase Service” or “Pabili Service” which allows their riders to buy items for their users. This feature is specifically useful for grocery shopping and when a particular restaurant you love does not offer delivery service.
TikTok
As cabin fever sets in, more and more people are finding ways to cure it. The TikTok app allows users to get away from it all and get their creative juices flowing. Users get creative with the different short skits and songs that they can sing, dance, and even lip-sync to. Those shared by users are mostly comical and funny in nature. It’ll definitely cure boredom. So what are you waiting for? Get through quarantine by making hilarious videos with your family and friends through TikTok!
Netflix Party
Although made available through Chrome browser on desktop or laptop computers and not accessible through the mobile app, watching your favorite shows with your movie buddies has gone to a different level. Netflix Party is a new way to watch Netflix with your friends online. It features a synchronized video playback and a group chat so you and your friends can exchange reactions, opinions and other ideas while in the middle of a movie. Much like what you do when you are in an actual movie house! In the new norm of social distancing, with Netflix Party, we no longer need to meet up at the cinemas to fan-over our favorite artists. All you need is to just link up with friends and host long distance movie nights and TV watch parties.
As big and small businesses try to adapt and struggle to survive, “work from home” has become a new norm for most of the employees. This is also true to most schools and universities as they shift this year’s curriculum to digital learning as Education Secretary Leonor Briones emphasized, “Education must continue even in times of crisis…”, and so for now, teachers and students are transitioning to distance learning.
From all these changes, Zoom has been the go-to platform. Founded in 2011, Zoom is a cloud-based software platform used for teleconferencing, telecommuting, distance education and social relations. It features a free video conference for up to 100 participants; but with a time limit of 40-minutes. And so when community quarantine was imposed, most companies and schools used Zoom for work from home meetings and online classes. A useful feature of Zoom is screen sharing. This enables users to see what the host or the first user sees. This is specifically useful for online training or in times when you need to demonstrate something one-on-one or to a large group.
Houseparty
Another video conference app is House Party. The Houseparty app takes “hanging out with friends” to a new level for it takes aim on friends/family members who are into video games. The app allows you to call friends on video and play video games all together. In addition to connecting and playing games with friends, a unique feature in the app is the number of games that you can play during calls. Some of the games include Heads Up, Trivia, Quick Draw, Chips and Guac and you can play with up to eight people at a time! Throw in a few drinks and some snacks and you’ve got, as the name suggests, a virtual house party.
Grab Philippines
Living up to their slogan #GrabBayanihan, Grab has made some features available amidst the pandemic. GrabMart is an added service by Grab whose goal is to provide its users with their essential needs. Truly beneficial for everyone since we are all advised to stay home. Users can now do the grocery without having to leave home. Users can have packed dry goods, beverages, home care and personal care delivered to them. Additional Grab services are GrabFood and GrabExpress - this service aims to satisfy their user’s cravings by having their favorite food delivered! Just make sure to order before 6pm, as drivers will no longer accept orders if it’s already near the curfew hours. All these services can be paid through credit card or GrabPay for a contactless, hence safer delivery. One can also be a hero (even in their own little way) through GrabRewards and donate to the frontliners of the pandemic and support #GrabBayanihan.
Lalamove
Another useful app during this difficult time is Lalamove. Known for its same day delivery service, Lalamove also features the “Purchase Service” or “Pabili Service” which allows their riders to buy items for their users. This feature is specifically useful for grocery shopping and when a particular restaurant you love does not offer delivery service.
TikTok
As cabin fever sets in, more and more people are finding ways to cure it. The TikTok app allows users to get away from it all and get their creative juices flowing. Users get creative with the different short skits and songs that they can sing, dance, and even lip-sync to. Those shared by users are mostly comical and funny in nature. It’ll definitely cure boredom. So what are you waiting for? Get through quarantine by making hilarious videos with your family and friends through TikTok!
Netflix Party
Although made available through Chrome browser on desktop or laptop computers and not accessible through the mobile app, watching your favorite shows with your movie buddies has gone to a different level. Netflix Party is a new way to watch Netflix with your friends online. It features a synchronized video playback and a group chat so you and your friends can exchange reactions, opinions and other ideas while in the middle of a movie. Much like what you do when you are in an actual movie house! In the new norm of social distancing, with Netflix Party, we no longer need to meet up at the cinemas to fan-over our favorite artists. All you need is to just link up with friends and host long distance movie nights and TV watch parties.