Oprah and Facebook collaborate to host a virtual graduation ceremony

Oprah and Facebook collaborate to host a virtual graduation ceremony

With the end of the school year quickly approaching and no foreseeable end to the coronavirus pandemic, Facebook has teamed up with Oprah Winfrey to host a special online graduation ceremony for high schools and college students throughout the United States.

Students who desire to host a personal graduation celebration can do so utilizing Facebook. They’ll be a virtual graduation center, as well as custom-made filters to assist make things a bit more exciting than the usual video call.

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Shuttered: How Covid-19 Altered Sunday Service for Kennedi Carter

Shuttered: How Covid-19 Altered Sunday Service for Kennedi Carter

This is the third installation in a continuing task in which WIRED’s image editors speak to photographers about their experiences throughout Covid-19 self-isolation. The following interview has actually been modified for clearness.

Ever since Durham provided its shelter-in-place order on March 26, Sunday service in the North Carolina city hasn’t been the same. For photographer Kennedi Carter’s household, along with many others, this meant that Easter was invested in their living-room, with the sofa as the seat and the television as the pulpit.

” Towards the end of sermons, the congregation would normally get so hyped,” states Madison Cater, Kennedi’s sister. “People would start shouting and getting up and running around. That energy just isn’t there anymore.”

The Carter household portrait has been a yearly custom for the last 4 years. This is the very first time Kennedi photographed them utilizing black-and-white film. “I think black-and-white has an ageless quality to it and that’s something I wished to bring into the images,” she says. Picture: Kennedi Carter

Generally, her Easter Sundays are filled with the aromatic mix of cinnamon rolls and the chicken that was being gotten ready for dinner later in the evening. In the past, her mother, Felicia, would twist her hair and decorate completions with barrettes, a hairstyle that needed, at the minimum, a moderate amount of hair grease. Madison would repeatedly rest her head on her mother’s lap during the middle of the service, and later on realize she ‘d left a massive oil stain on her gown and pretend it wasn’t there. “She ‘d feel some sort of method however I constantly believed it was amusing,” she says.

This previous Easter, however, was far more soft. Felicia didn’t do Madison’s hair. The family didn’t purchase new Easter clothing for the at-home celebration. And the egg baskets Felicia normally produced her god-daughters, Jaelle and Jocelyn, didn’t exist. The Carters just gathered in their downstairs living space, gradually trickling in to enjoy Bishop Clarence Laney, Jr. livestream his preaching from the local Monolith of Faith church. Onscreen, he was joined by a handful of choir members, helping ministers and parishioners from the praise group, all distancing from each other.

” I believe that– especially below the Bible Belt– we feel church needs to be under a roofing system and it has to occur in a particular location. However as someone who has not been regularly going, I seem like church is wherever you make it,” Kennedi states.

Kennedi’s 7- and 10- year-old godsisters, Jaelle and Jocelyn, use masks while keeping a safe range from her. Picture: Kennedi Carter

Despite Covid-19 putting a damper on the holiday, Kennedi preserved her annual tradition of making household pictures. With her dad, mom, sis dressed in all white, Kennedi installed her medium-format cam in front of a mirror in order to include herself in the photograph. In addition to those of her immediate family, Kennedi likewise made pictures of Jaelle and Jocelyn.

” Their mother still desired a portrait of them, however it was a bit different this year,” Kennedi states. The 2 girls stood 6 feet from Kennedi and kept their masks on throughout the session, regardless of them constantly falling from their faces.

For Kennedi’s family, this year’s Easter pictures likewise tape-record a background of social change. Photograph: Kennedi Carter

When Kennedi reviewed her scanned negatives, she felt the images would be a significant part of her visual record. “If I was to look at these 50 years from now and ask why– why does Easter appear like this?” she says. “There’s the factor.”

WIRED is supplying open door to stories about public health and how to secure yourself throughout the coronavirus pandemic Register for our Coronavirus Update newsletter for the most recent updates, and register for support our journalism

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Manage Your Tasks by Dividing Your Day into 10 Chunks

Manage Your Tasks by Dividing Your Day into 10 Chunks

Illustration for article titled Manage Your Tasks by Dividing Your Day into 10 Chunks

Image: Shutterstock

If you feel like there isn’t enough time to do everything you want (and need) to do, one solution—as counterintuitive as it sounds—might be to reduce the number of hours in the day.

Not literally, of course. We can’t stop the flow of time. But with the NewDay time system, we can restructure our days into ten equal chunks—which, surprisingly, has made it much easier for me to accomplish everything I want to get done in a typical day.

Here’s how the NewDay system works:

  • NewDay divides your waking hours into ten 100-minute segments. (This leaves you with 440 minutes, or 7.33 hours, for sleep.)
  • Each of your ten 100-minute segments gets an intention. If your first segment begins at 6: 30 a.m., for example, the first 100 minutes of your day could be devoted to “yoga, shower, breakfast” or, if you want to be a little more holistic about it, “morning routine.”
  • Fill in the rest of your 100-minute segments with what usually happens during a typical workday. I know it won’t be perfectly even—you might only take a 30 minute lunch break, for example, which means that you won’t be able to devote an entire slot to “lunch.” (Of course, that means that your primary intention for that time slot is actually “work,” and should be coded accordingly.)

Illustration for article titled Manage Your Tasks by Dividing Your Day into 10 Chunks

Screenshot: Nicole Dieker (NewDay)

What I love about the NewDay time system is that it helps you clarify exactly where your time goes. Do you get to take more than a few minutes here and there for yourself, or are you filling up the majority of your 100-minute segments with work? Do you ever devote a full 100-minute segment to family, exercise, relaxation or a luxurious meal? (Remember, if you don’t take time for those kinds of things, you run the risk of burning out.)

To make the way you spend your days even more obvious, NewDay lets you add a visual icon (person at desk, person eating, person exercising) to each 100-minute slot. The icons are disappointingly limited—there aren’t any that represent family, for example—but they’re still decent tools to help you visualize what you typically do with your time.

Once you know how you spend a typical ten-chunk day, you can start to tweak it. Instead of gumming up your workflow with short, unsatisfying breaks, you can tell yourself “I’m going to focus on work for the next 100 minutes, and then I’m going to take a 100-minute break for lunch and this novel I’ve been meaning to read.”

That’s the gamechanger—and why I love NewDay’s little browser time-tracker so much. When you divide your day into 10 chunks and truly focus on a single activity for each of them, you might find that there really is enough time for everything on your list.

Of course, it helps if you have enough control over your daily schedule to follow a 100-minute work session with a 100-minute break. If you’re a parent or caregiver, it also helps if you have the kind of support that lets you spend 100 minutes on work before spending the next 100 minutes on family.

But if you can divide your day into ten chunks and set a distinct intention for each of them, you might be surprised at how much you get done—and how much time you have left over, both in the middle and at the end of the day, for rest and relaxation.

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How to Celebrate Your Teen’s Graduation During the Pandemic

How to Celebrate Your Teen’s Graduation During the Pandemic

Illustration for article titled How to Celebrate Your Teen’s Graduation During the Pandemic

Photo: Shutterstock

Millions of high school seniors will be finishing up their final classes, submitting the last of their assignments and taking their end-of-school-year exams this month. Their long journey toward graduation is about to conclude, and they probably won’t get to walk across the stage, shake a bunch of hands or toss their hats into the air with all their classmates. But they do still deserve a celebration—and that, they can still have.

In fact, you—their parents—deserve the celebration, too. Getting a child through 13 years of school, starting with that teary first-day-of-kindergarten drop-off, is a team effort. And it’s worth making a big deal out of it even during a pandemic.

Participate in their school’s celebrations

Some schools are postponing regular graduation ceremonies until later in the summer, with the hopes that such a thing will be possible. Others are going straight to virtual ceremonies at the end of the school year. Check to see what your district’s plans are and make sure the whole family dresses up and attends, just as you would have under normal circumstances—even if it is simply watching a live stream event from your living room.

Dressing up is key because it adds a layer of formality to the day that will make it feel more special; if they’ve got their cap and gown, they should wear it.

Take pictures of them in their cap and gown

You might not get all the pictures you normally would with their arms around their closest friends, but you should at least get some nice portraits of them in their cap and gown. Take them outside for the best lighting and background—maybe even drive up to the high school to get pictures of them next to the school sign or in front of the building. Snap away as they toss their cap in the air. It’s not the same, but these are pictures you—and they—will want to have of this milestone.

Host a drive-by graduation parade

We suggested this for birthday celebrations during the pandemic, and we’ll suggest it again here: “Invite” friends and family to gather (separately in their own vehicles) and drive past your home. They can hold balloons out the car windows, decorate their cars with streamers or just yell and honk a lot as they go by.

Encourage them to connect with their friends

You could host a virtual party with family and friends via Zoom or Google Hangouts, but you should also encourage them to hop on a video chat with just their closest friends at some point on graduation day. The social aspect of celebrating this achievement with their friends is going to be something they will really miss, so a few minutes to connect visually and congratulate each other (or to just say, “holy shit, can you believe it’s finally over??”) is important.

Bust out all the decorations

Now is the time to decorate so much it’s embarrassing. Get streamers, balloons and lawn signs—all in their school colors—and then deck out the inside and outside of the house.

Decorate their car with graduation signs and window chalk markers for a celebratory drive around town (just be careful not to obstruct their view). While you’re at it, use those same chalk markers to decorate the front windows of your home. Set up a festive graduation backdrop for them to sit in front of during the celebratory video chats.

Once you think you’ve done enough, keep right on going. When it comes to decorating and celebrating, more is more right now.

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Uber Link lets you deliver things to friends and family

Uber Link lets you deliver things to friends and family

Uber has announced a duo of brand-new services as the business chases fresh revenue streams to offset the impact of COVID-19

With billions of individuals all over the world forced into lockdown throughout the coronavirus crisis, tech firms across the spectrum have actually been adjusting to this “brand-new regular.” For platforms that make it possible for remote working, this has indicated accommodating a surge in need. However for Uber, which relies considerably on physical interactions, it has needed to get imaginative. Shelter-at-home policies enforced by the COVID-19 pandemic has annihilated Uber’s core ride-hailing business, leading the company to fast-track the international launch of Uber Consumes for company, accept phone orders for food deliveries, and even expand into grocery deliveries

Now, Uber is wanting to provide practically anything, from pet food and medical materials– and it even wishes to provide goods in between friends and family living at different addresses.

Direct deliveries

Uber Direct develops on a service that Uber released initially back in 2015 called UberRush, which was developed to allow local companies to get all manner of products to consumers in minutes. Uber eventually shuttered UberRush in 2018, noting that it was applying its lessons found out to its blossoming Uber Eats organisation.

Somewhere Else, Uber has actually registered partners in Portugal, South Africa, and Australia to courier parcels, medication, and family pet products.

But probably the most interesting new service is Uber Connect, which is basically a peer-to-peer delivery service that enables anybody to send anything they wish to anybody else. Inside the main Uber app, riders will now see a choice that enlists the services of a chauffeur to transfer goods.

Above: Uber Connect

This makes perfect sense for Uber, as it instantly opens its vast transport network to millions of individuals who may want to send some extra bathroom tissue or hand-wash over to their grandparents’ house. In truth, however, it might be used for almost anything, including somebody who wishes to switch a guitar for their friend’s exercise bike which lies on the other side of town.

Crucially, this new service promotes social distancing, so anybody who would otherwise have been lured to jump in their car and drive over to somebody’s home to borrow or provide an item can pay an Uber chauffeur to do so rather. And of course, the millions of Uber chauffeurs who have actually been practically out of work for the previous month will now have an extra way to make money.

For now, Uber Link is available in more than two dozen cities in the U.S., Australia, and Mexico, though it’s safe to assume that this will expand into brand-new markets and might even be made permanently offered, if demand for the service is sufficient.

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Listen to Iggy Pop and Bootsy Collins cover “Family Affair” by Sly & The Family Stone!

Listen to Iggy Pop and Bootsy Collins cover “Family Affair” by Sly & The Family Stone!

Today is Iggy Pop’s 73 rd birthday! In event, he launched this cover of Sly & The Family Stone’s traditional “Family Affair” (1971). Listen above! Who’s playing bass? Ah, the name is Bootsy, child! The great Expense Laswell produced. From Pop’s Bandcamp page:.

” To all Poptimists! [this track] made me feel excellent and it was great company and I hoped I might put it out and it would be great company for someone else too.”


image credit: Aaron Rubin( CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Silicon Valley’s workaholic culture is buckling under the strain of coronavirus

Silicon Valley’s workaholic culture is buckling under the strain of coronavirus

gettyimages-1207391933

The new normal for many parents.


Getty Images

For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO website.

The coronavirus pandemic has pushed the world into a mass experiment in working from home. For some companies, self-quarantine for the public good has meant finding new ways to collaborate while navigating spotty internet connections, video conferencing etiquette, new apps and even newer security woes. That’s a no-brainer for Silicon Valley, where companies build apps and technologies to help power services used by hundreds of millions of people each day.

But with schools and day care centers closed around the country, tech companies, from Apple to Facebook to Google to LinkedIn to Uber, are facing a more challenging test: family. Even Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged in a March conference call with the press that caring for his two young daughters at home with his wife, Priscilla, a pediatrician, is “a big change.”

The nonstop 24-hour work culture that led many tech companies to hire high-end chefs for free food cafeterias, offer onsite car oil changes and, in some cases, do free dry cleaning is running up against the realities of child care and other family care in self-quarantine at home. The unspoken agreement that all those benefits came in exchange for long and grueling work hours is falling apart at home.

Keep track of the coronavirus pandemic.

Day care centers and schools around the country have closed, while nursing homes are sending some residents to live with family. That’s all put extra demand on working parents, who now have to split their attention between work, homeschooling, child care and family needs throughout the day.

Zoom said it’s tallied a 700% increase in weekday evening meetings on its platform since February, and a 2,000% increase in meetings on the weekend. While users have flocked to the service and social Zoom calls are now du jour, the numbers could also hint at an overburdened work force pushing meetings to out-of-hours when kids have gone to bed.

“The notion of the overwork culture in Silicon Valley happens because innovation is really hard,” said Silicon Valley futurist Paul Saffo, an adjunct professor at Stanford University. “But now that the climate has changed, we have a whole new set of issues.”

For decades, Silicon Valley sold itself as a worker’s utopia. The promise that if you work hard, you’ll succeed — with big salaries, employee perks and a stock option payoff that could make you a millionaire — is the driving force behind the always-connected work culture. But for families stuck at home, with no caretaker backups to speak of, many employees are being left to choose between caring for loved ones and doing their daily work. In California, home to Apple, Airbnb, Facebook, Google, HP, LinkedIn, Twitter, Uber and an endless list of startups, most schools won’t reopen until the fall. Meanwhile, nursing homes have been among the places hardest hit by the novel coronavirus, forcing some residents to move in with family members instead.

gettyimages-1207391933

You need that coffee now more than ever.


Getty Images

Though tech companies are known for their generous leave policies, offering much more than the 12 weeks of unpaid job-protected family and medical leave mandated by US law, some Silicon Valley parents say the pressure has intensified since being stuck at home — and not just from their bosses. A parent working at LinkedIn, writing last month on the anonymous employee messaging app Blind, said that while their manager was compassionate about handling work and kids, “I fear losing my job if I reduce my work hours.”

Most responding co-workers were supportive and some shared similar feelings. But others told the author to “stop whining like an entitled baby” and that “having kids is not an excuse to work less.”

LinkedIn, known in Silicon Valley for its employee-focused work culture, said it doesn’t tolerate retaliation against anyone for taking advantage of benefits it offers, or for bringing forward concerns. It also offers employees a way to anonymously report any issues. 

The social networking company is also offering an additional 12 weeks of paid emergency leave to help its 16,000 employees manage during the crisis (Microsoft, which bought LinkedIn in 2016 for $26.2 billion, has made the same offer to its 151,000 workers).

“Many of our employees are having to take on additional responsibilities at home with children out of school or parents who need care, and we are supporting them,” said Kenly Walker, a LinkedIn spokeswoman. 

http://www.cnet.com/


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Employees at Apple and Uber who spoke to me also said they felt overworked without much leeway to take care of kids. And they aren’t alone. More than half of the 6,163 working parents surveyed by Blind earlier this month said they felt their work wasn’t being fairly compared to that of their colleagues during the crisis. As a result, 61% of them, including employees from Google and Facebook, said they’re putting in at least three extra hours each day to complete their work.

“For people who have a family, you feel that you have to operate as if you don’t,” said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies. She’s faced many of these struggles firsthand, sharing online about navigating life in the tech world while homeschooling her daughter. It’s likely this crisis will change how we all prioritize life and family, she said. It may also change the culture at companies that have historically bristled at remote work, such as Google, Apple and Facebook.

“I’m hoping this is going to help us afterward to be more flexible,” Milanesi said. “I’m hoping it will humanize workers more.”

More flexible

Some companies are already rethinking how they treat staff with families. On April 16, Google extended a special paid family leave plan during the crisis, giving up to 14 weeks paid time off (or 28 weeks of half time off) to help its more than 103,000 employees care for loved ones. A company spokesperson said almost 1,000 employees signed an internal letter thanking Google for helping them juggle family and work responsibilities.

Facebook followed a similar model for its roughly 45,000 employees, announcing in March that it will provide up to four weeks paid leave while schools are closed. It also encouraged managers to offer their staff flexible work hours or even additional time off to help manage family life in the midst of the crisis. 

This is a new approach for Facebook, said Brynn Harrington, the company’s vice president of people growth. The social network is acknowledging “you needing to be in your life,” she said. “It’s no longer ‘I want to get to my kid’s school concert.’ It’s ‘I need a four-hour block to take care of my kids.”http://www.cnet.com/”

The social networking giant plans to reopen most of its offices on July 6, CNBC reported, but will give most employees a choice to work from home through the end of 2020.

As the San Francisco Bay Area ordered residents to shelter in place starting on March 20, Uber’s administrative team sent notes to managers and to an opt-in staff parental resource group encouraging them to find a schedule that works for them.

“Please lead with empathy as you help balance work and at-home needs, and be flexible where you can if they need to reschedule, be offline at certain times, or need some variable time off,” Andrew Macdonald, Uber’s senior vice president of global rides and platform, wrote in a March 17 email to managers. 

Apple, meanwhile, said it’s increased communications with managers and employees since the outbreak began. Its 137,000 employees have been encouraged to ask for help or accommodation, but managers as well have been told to proactively help employees too. That’s meant offering flexibility, whether it’s for parents working reduced schedules, or caregivers who have to take time off to take care of elderly family members. 

“No deadline is too important, and no priority is more urgent, than caring for our loved ones. Our goal is to be flexible, collaborative and accommodating of every parent and caregiver on our teams,” said Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet. “This is a trying time for everyone — especially parents — and we want to do all we can to support every member of our Apple family.”

gettyimages-1096013734

Getty Images

Work-life balancing act

This isn’t just a Silicon Valley problem. Most employers seem to recognize that their workers are “experiencing challenges unique to their situation and that this evolving situation calls for more flexibility,” said Amelia Green-Vamos, a career trends expert at employer rating site Glassdoor. 

Still, 28% of US adults from a variety of industries said their employer “has done nothing in response to concerns of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak,” according to a survey by The Harris Poll for Glassdoor. And only 16% of respondents said companies offered additional paid or unpaid sick leave.

Surveys by email client maker Superhuman found peak email time has crept up an hour to 9 a.m.. People are working later too. Surfshark, a privacy app maker, found spikes in usage between midnight and 3 a.m. that didn’t exist before the crisis.

“While it’s still too early to say what the long-term effect will be, this new way of working is an interesting test for Silicon Valley,” Green-Vamos added.

Once the pandemic subsides and we return to whatever new normal we’ll be living, analysts and companies I spoke to say their work environments will be different.

Texas-based tech giant Dell estimates that more than half its 134,000 employees will be working remotely. To lay the groundwork, the computer maker increased communication from the executive team to staff.

That includes regularly telling co-workers on conference calls when they’re also taking care of their kids or family. This gets them more comfortable with this new life-work balance. It also means that a wayward child or pet popping up in the background isn’t jarring.

“Work will not return to how it was,” said Jennifer Davis, Dell’s senior vice president of global communications. “We need to advertise the need for flexibility and that it’s OK to have a work and home life.”

CNET’s Richard Nieva and Queenie Wong contributed to this report.

Our new reality now that coronavirus has sent the world online


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Coronavirus is taking its toll on tech’s unforgiving work culture

Coronavirus is taking its toll on tech’s unforgiving work culture

gettyimages-1207391933

The new normal for many parents.


Getty Images

For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO website.

The coronavirus pandemic has pushed the world into a mass experiment in working from home. For some companies, self-quarantine for the public good has meant finding new ways to collaborate while navigating spotty internet connections, video conferencing etiquette, new apps and even newer security woes. That’s a no-brainer for Silicon Valley, where companies build apps and technologies to help power services used by hundreds of millions of people each day.

But with schools and day care centers closed around the country, tech companies, from Apple to Facebook to Google to LinkedIn to Uber, are facing a more challenging test: family. Even Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged in a March conference call with the press that caring for his two young daughters at home with his wife, Priscilla, a pediatrician, is “a big change.”

The nonstop 24-hour work culture that led many tech companies to hire high-end chefs for free food cafeterias, offer onsite car oil changes and, in some cases, do free dry cleaning is running up against the realities of child care and other family care in self-quarantine at home. The unspoken agreement that all those benefits came in exchange for long and grueling work hours is falling apart at home.

Keep track of the coronavirus pandemic.

Day care centers and schools around the country have closed, while nursing homes are sending some residents to live with family. That’s all put extra demand on working parents, who now have to split their attention between work, homeschooling, child care and family needs throughout the day.

Zoom said it’s tallied a 700% increase in weekday evening meetings on its platform since February, and a 2,000% increase in meetings on the weekend. While users have flocked to the service and social Zoom calls are now du jour, the numbers could also hint at an overburdened work force pushing meetings to out-of-hours when kids have gone to bed.

“The notion of the overwork culture in Silicon Valley happens because innovation is really hard,” said Silicon Valley futurist Paul Saffo, an adjunct professor at Stanford University. “But now that the climate has changed, we have a whole new set of issues.”

For decades, Silicon Valley sold itself as a worker’s utopia. The promise that if you work hard, you’ll succeed — with big salaries, employee perks and a stock option payoff that could make you a millionaire — is the driving force behind the always-connected work culture. But for families stuck at home, with no caretaker backups to speak of, many employees are being left to choose between caring for loved ones and doing their daily work. In California, home to Apple, Airbnb, Facebook, Google, HP, LinkedIn, Twitter, Uber and an endless list of startups, most schools won’t reopen until the fall. Meanwhile, nursing homes have been among the places hardest hit by the novel coronavirus, forcing some residents to move in with family members instead.

gettyimages-1207391933

You need that coffee now more than ever.


Getty Images

Though tech companies are known for their generous leave policies, offering much more than the 12 weeks of unpaid job-protected family and medical leave mandated by US law, some Silicon Valley parents say the pressure has intensified since being stuck at home — and not just from their bosses. A parent working at LinkedIn, writing last month on the anonymous employee messaging app Blind, said that while their manager was compassionate about handling work and kids, “I fear losing my job if I reduce my work hours.”

Most responding co-workers were supportive and some shared similar feelings. But others told the author to “stop whining like an entitled baby” and that “having kids is not an excuse to work less.”

LinkedIn, known in Silicon Valley for its employee-focused work culture, said it doesn’t tolerate retaliation against anyone for taking advantage of benefits it offers, or for bringing forward concerns. It also offers employees a way to anonymously report any issues. 

The social networking company is also offering an additional 12 weeks of paid emergency leave to help its 16,000 employees manage during the crisis (Microsoft, which bought LinkedIn in 2016 for $26.2 billion, has made the same offer to its 151,000 workers).

“Many of our employees are having to take on additional responsibilities at home with children out of school or parents who need care, and we are supporting them,” said Kenly Walker, a LinkedIn spokeswoman. 

http://www.cnet.com/


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Employees at Apple and Uber who spoke to me also said they felt overworked without much leeway to take care of kids. And they aren’t alone. More than half of the 6,163 working parents surveyed by Blind earlier this month said they felt their work wasn’t being fairly compared to that of their colleagues during the crisis. As a result, 61% of them, including employees from Google and Facebook, said they’re putting in at least three extra hours each day to complete their work.

“For people who have a family, you feel that you have to operate as if you don’t,” said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies. She’s faced many of these struggles firsthand, sharing online about navigating life in the tech world while homeschooling her daughter. It’s likely this crisis will change how we all prioritize life and family, she said. It may also change the culture at companies that have historically bristled at remote work, such as Google, Apple and Facebook.

“I’m hoping this is going to help us afterward to be more flexible,” Milanesi said. “I’m hoping it will humanize workers more.”

More flexible

Some companies are already rethinking how they treat staff with families. On April 16, Google extended a special paid family leave plan during the crisis, giving up to 14 weeks paid time off (or 28 weeks of half time off) to help its more than 103,000 employees care for loved ones. A company spokesperson said almost 1,000 employees signed an internal letter thanking Google for helping them juggle family and work responsibilities.

Facebook followed a similar model for its roughly 45,000 employees, announcing in March that it will provide up to four weeks paid leave while schools are closed. It also encouraged managers to offer their staff flexible work hours or even additional time off to help manage family life in the midst of the crisis. 

This is a new approach for Facebook, said Brynn Harrington, the company’s vice president of people growth. The social network is acknowledging “you needing to be in your life,” she said. “It’s no longer ‘I want to get to my kid’s school concert.’ It’s ‘I need a four-hour block to take care of my kids.”http://www.cnet.com/”

The social networking giant plans to reopen most of its offices on July 6, CNBC reported, but will give most employees a choice to work from home through the end of 2020.

As the San Francisco Bay Area ordered residents to shelter in place starting on March 20, Uber’s administrative team sent notes to managers and to an opt-in staff parental resource group encouraging them to find a schedule that works for them.

“Please lead with empathy as you help balance work and at-home needs, and be flexible where you can if they need to reschedule, be offline at certain times, or need some variable time off,” Andrew Macdonald, Uber’s senior vice president of global rides and platform, wrote in a March 17 email to managers. 

Apple, meanwhile, said it’s increased communications with managers and employees since the outbreak began. Its 137,000 employees have been encouraged to ask for help or accommodation, but managers as well have been told to proactively help employees too. That’s meant offering flexibility, whether it’s for parents working reduced schedules, or caregivers who have to take time off to take care of elderly family members. 

“No deadline is too important, and no priority is more urgent, than caring for our loved ones. Our goal is to be flexible, collaborative and accommodating of every parent and caregiver on our teams,” said Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet. “This is a trying time for everyone — especially parents — and we want to do all we can to support every member of our Apple family.”

gettyimages-1096013734

Getty Images

Work-life balancing act

This isn’t just a Silicon Valley problem. Most employers seem to recognize that their workers are “experiencing challenges unique to their situation and that this evolving situation calls for more flexibility,” said Amelia Green-Vamos, a career trends expert at employer rating site Glassdoor. 

Still, 28% of US adults from a variety of industries said their employer “has done nothing in response to concerns of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak,” according to a survey by The Harris Poll for Glassdoor. And only 16% of respondents said companies offered additional paid or unpaid sick leave.

Surveys by email client maker Superhuman found peak email time has crept up an hour to 9 a.m.. People are working later too. Surfshark, a privacy app maker, found spikes in usage between midnight and 3 a.m. that didn’t exist before the crisis.

“While it’s still too early to say what the long-term effect will be, this new way of working is an interesting test for Silicon Valley,” Green-Vamos added.

Once the pandemic subsides and we return to whatever new normal we’ll be living, analysts and companies I spoke to say their work environments will be different.

Texas-based tech giant Dell estimates that more than half its 134,000 employees will be working remotely. To lay the groundwork, the computer maker increased communication from the executive team to staff.

That includes regularly telling co-workers on conference calls when they’re also taking care of their kids or family. This gets them more comfortable with this new life-work balance. It also means that a wayward child or pet popping up in the background isn’t jarring.

“Work will not return to how it was,” said Jennifer Davis, Dell’s senior vice president of global communications. “We need to advertise the need for flexibility and that it’s OK to have a work and home life.”

CNET’s Richard Nieva and Queenie Wong contributed to this report.

Our new reality now that coronavirus has sent the world online


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Disney Family Singalong Volume 2: How to watch & when it airs

Disney Family Singalong Volume 2: How to watch & when it airs

Keeping the kids entertained while schools are closed and the world focuses on social distancing hasn’t been easy. Luckily, the Disney Family Singalong is back with a whole new slate of stars and performances for little ones to look forward to, along with host Ryan Seacrest.

The first Disney Family Singalong aired on April 16 and featured stars like Ariana Grande, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Demi Lovato, and Christina Aguilera singing covers of classic and modern Disney tunes, from The Lion King‘s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” to Frozen‘s “Let It Go”. Volume II comes just three weeks later and is scheduled to feature performances by Halsey, Shakira, Idina Menzel, Miguel, Keke Palmer, and Donald Glover, among others.

If you haven’t seen the first Disney Family Singalong, you’ll want to catch up on that now!

The Disney Family Singalong: When & where

The second Disney Family Singalong premiered on Mother’s Day and was hosted by Ryan Seacrest. It’s now available on both Disney+ and Hulu for those who missed the live performance.

How to stream The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II in the U.S.

The second edition of The Disney Family Singalong is now available for you to watch on both Hulu and Disney+. Whether you missed it the first time around, or your kids loved it so much that you just need to watch it again, we have you covered.

Disney+ is the way to go

As you’d expect, the Disney Family Singalong is now available for all Disney+ members to stream free of charge. The hour-long event can now be enjoyed with your whole family at a time that works best for you. Disney+ subscriptions start at just $6.99 per month for the standalone service, or $12.99 per month when you bundle it with Hulu and ESPN+.

If you enroll in the annual option you can get a free 7-day trial of the service as well.



Disney+

If you want to stream Disney’s Family Singalong Volume 2, you’ll want to get started with a Disney+ subscription right now. The bundle is the best value, but the standalone subscription offers the same content for you.

Hulu is another option

Whether you already have a Hulu subscription or have been looking for a reason to enroll in one, Disney’s Family Singalong may be the one that pushes you over the edge. It’s available right now to stream, and Hulu is offering new customers a 7-day free trial of the service, and you can easily rewatch the performances on-demand for a limited time.



Hulu with Live TV

With a free 7-day trial, Hulu is a great option for watching the big event if you missed the live performance.

The Disney Family Singalong: Performances & more

Volume II of the Disney Family Singalong is set to be just as jam-packed as the first with performers and Disney favorites. During the show, audiences will be treated to performances such as:

  • “A Whole New World” performed by Idina Menzel and Ben Platt
  • “Almost There” performed by Chloe x Halle and Anika Noni Rose
  • “Hakuna Matata” performed by Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner feat. Donald Glover and Walter Russell III
  • “Part of Your World” performed by Halsey
  • “Poor Unfortunate Souls” – Rebel Wilson
  • “Remember Me” – Miguel
  • “Step in Time” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” – Derek Hough, Julianne Hough and Hayley Erbert
  • “Try Everything” – Shakira
  • “When I Am Older” – Josh Gad
  • “You’ll Be in My Heart” – Disney on Broadway stars
  • “Zero to Hero” – Keke Palmer

Even more special guests and celebrities will appear during the show, so be sure to check it out now. With enough viewers, we may even be treated to a Volume III in the future.

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HBO Beats Netflix to Officially Rolling Out One of the Most Coveted Features in Streaming

HBO Beats Netflix to Officially Rolling Out One of the Most Coveted Features in Streaming

Illustration for article titled HBO Beats Netflix to Officially Rolling Out One of the Most Coveted Features in Streaming

Image: Scener

As many of us are sheltering in place or social distancing right now, our ways of connecting with friends and family have been severely limited. One way we’re still able to connect with others, regardless of their physical distance from us, is watching a movie together on the same streaming service. But if you’ve found yourself attempting the impossible task of smashing that “play” button at exactly the time as everyone else in your viewing party, reader, there it is a better way.

A Chrome extension called Scener, which already supported simultaneous streaming with Netflix, announced this week that it now also supports shared streaming for HBO Now and HBO Go customers as well. The extension works by creating a kind of viewing window on your screen—like a personal theater—with an associated code you can share with friends. Once you select whatever movie or series you want to watch, you can either interact with others through chat or video, or enlarge the window and enjoy the stream without any outside chatter.

In a statement by email, Scener co-founder Joe Braidwood called the current global health crisis a “watershed moment for the streaming industry,” adding that Scener has seen 15 times the usage of the service while folks have been in lockdown. Netflix might be supported by Scener, but it’s not an official relationship, and you won’t be able to reach out to Netflix itself if problems arise. However, HBO does officially support the extension.

“Due to our steadfast focus on enabling people to be connected virtually while bringing their own subscription (BYOS), it’s highly significant that this respectful approach to copyright has yielded a commercial partnership,” Braidwood told Gizmodo.

Right now, Scener is supported on Windows, Mac, and Chromebook devices. The service supports up to 20 people on video chat at once, but the company says it plans to roll out support for even larger viewing parties with a live host or live group “in the coming days.” You can snag Scener in the Chrome Web Store.

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