Fitness tracker data shows less movement, more sleep, with telehealth intentions
Evidation Health conducted a study of 160,000 U.S. citizens including 68,000 with fitness trackers and watches from Apple, Fitbit and Garmin. The data reveals that quarantined people are 39% to 50% less active than prior to quarantine, and time asleep has increased by 10% to 20%. Most notable, however, is that people’s willingness and future plans to visit doctors via telehealth has risen to 30% from 19% pre-pandemic. CNBC
dis-rup-shun: The pandemic will accelerate the telemedicine industry (as it has the video conferencing industry) by three to five years, as the crisis is proving the efficacy of remote care to doctors, payers and patients. This sea change would have taken years in ordinary times, but when the crisis abates, telehealth will be a standard tool in care portfolios and will serve to trim escalating care costs.
14 apps to combat cabin fever
Wired offers some great alternatives to madness, as people strive to pass the long days of living mostly indoors:
Calm — a meditation and relaxation coach.
Headspace — another meditation and relaxation coach.
Libby — an electronic library card enables check out of books and videos.
Noisli — emulates a multitude of ordinary sounds.
Brain.fm — musical accompaniments to accelerate a desired state of mind.
JustWatch — a guide to finding and starting whatever programs are online on a streaming service.
Google Duo — another video chat app.
House Party — a party-like video chat app.
Peloton — a fitness app for people without the bike.
Aaptiv — a fitness training app with online coaches.
Design Home — an interior design app.
Minecraft — a virtual world app that can include others.
Nuzzel — an app for curating news based on what your contacts are reading.
YouTube — a good place to get lost watching things you never imagined.
dis-rup-shun: I recommend Simone Giertz, aka Queen of Shitty Robots, on YouTube. This is fascinating entertainment, especially considering that Simone does this for a living.
UAE citizens appeal to government to allow use of WhatsApp and Skype
The UAE prohibits use of free communications apps, requiring its citizens to use government telecommunications infrastructure. Last week the government allowed temporary use of Zoom, Skype for Business and Google Hangouts, but has not allowed WhatsApp, Facetime or regular Skype. Citizens are calling for support of all major communications apps as they seek to connect with relatives around the world. CNBC
dis-rup-shun: Just as the Berlin Wall was torn down after a few crosstown communications were allowed in 1989, the UAE’s stranglehold on communications policies could quickly slip away with frequent use of internet conferencing. If it happens, the good people of UAE can thank a global crisis for gaining what most of the rest of world considers to be innate internet freedoms. Another potential Coronavirus winner.
Polaroid instant film camera reborn
In a long and strange trip, the functionality that made the Polaroid camera a hot item in the 60s and 70s has been reunited with the brand name, and the instant film camera is re-born. The Polaroid Now camera costs about $100 and, based on film costs, each picture costs about $2. TechCrunch
dis-rup-shun: What is the demand for a bulky but fun camera which provides instant printed, color photos in the online age? Perhaps this throwback to the time when processing ordinary film took a week and Polaroid owners whipped out pictures in minutes will strike nostalgic chords. It is hard to imagine, however, that this technology will go beyond a very small niche. Polaroid marketers should work to make these instant photos unusually artsy in an effort to create a fad and hope it has legs.