The unwanted lockdown season is upon us. Though the start of spring is categorized as the busiest season of the year, the Corona outbreak has turned it into a calamitic season with many regions on full or partial lockdown. If you are not aware of the situation outside of your home, we reported that Microsoft had released a tool that can provide the statistics of the cases in any region. Head over to the link here to see the situation of your region. Google will soon follow suit with its own tool. The CEO of Google promised that the website would be available by the end of this week.
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If like me, you too are socially isolated, there is not much to do in your home. However, it is one’s social responsibility to limit oneself in the house as WHO has already announced that Coronavirus is a Pandemic. While you are at home, a day seems longer than 24 hours. To cope with that, we have come with a set of recreational and educational activities that can help with the social cause while at the same time gets you busy.
So, without further wait, let us get into the list.
Netflix Party Extension
Netflix & Chill with friends is one of the most cherished memories of one’s life. However, during the lockdown watching Netflix or any other streaming service alone for some individuals can cause great mental agony. Netflix actually has you guys covered with its one of the most neglected features. If you happen to have a Chrome browser on your computer (Who doesn’t), then you only need to have the Netflix Party extension, and you are good to go.
Head over to the link here to add the extension in your Chrome Browser. It allows you to stream Netflix with your friends simultaneously. It also has a chat window and a group pause/play button. So if you are not close to your loved ones or your friends, you can have the extension and have little merriments in the time chaos. Moreover, it keeps the video in sync for everyone so that everyone is on the same page (or rather second) for the dense discussion to follow every episode of The Witcher or Money Heist.
The Facebook party is a similar tool that lets friends on Facebook watch the same video together. The good thing about this is it works with Facebook, which means you can use it with your phone too.
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Another powerful tool is called Twoseven. The desktop-based app lets you watch Netflix, YouTube Vimeo, or even Crunchyroll. It also allows the other person to watch videos that are in the storage of your computer. While it seems a Privacy hazard, the user has a discretion to which video the user wants other people to see. You can download the tool for your Windows PC through the link here.
Video Games
Video games are a powerful tool if you want to have quality time while at the same time, many compelling stories in video games revolve around the current situation, so it adds relevance to the situation too. Consoles and PC are the best way to play games, but games in your Android or IOS devices are getting better too. To help with the situation, many game stores are having huge sales so that more and more people can play games during their leisure time.
If you own a PS4, PlayStation Store is currently having deals on many games. Similar is the case with Xbox, add the Xbox game pass subscription, and you can play thousands of games for the whole month. While consoles are the easier way to play games, PC remains the best platform to play games. Steam and Epic have sales throughout the year. Moreover, the Epic Store has a free game or games every week. GOG.com is giving away many games too. Talking about the relevant situations, the following games feature compelling stories around the post-apocalyptic world where humanity is trying its best to survive.
- The Last of Us
- Fallout 3/4
- Farcry New Dawn
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- Resident Evil Series
Online Courses
If you are tired of gaming and movies, a little time on improving yourself does not hurt right. Online courses are the best ways to acquire skills that can help one in all aspects of life. More importantly, many sites feature flexible deadline and financial aid services so that no one is left in the pursuit of knowledge.
Coursera is the biggest platform for online courses. It has a vast library of courses from many reputed universities. On top of it, the site also provides certificates that one can add to the resume/CV after the completion of courses or specialization. It also supports yearlong Master’s programs so that you are all set in the voyage of learning. Lastly, during the COVID-19, the site has made all of its courses free for the universities. If you are, a university student and your university satisfy the criteria that the site has set for the services. Signup with the username provided by the university, and you are good to go.
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The whole point of these activities is to make one stay at home. As the condition outside becoming worse day by day, the only way to stop the spread of Coronavirus is by social Isolation. Wash your hands regularly and stay safe at your home.