May 2020 - Page 14 of 14 - Adoption Links

Breonna Taylor: Lawsuit after US health worker shot dead by police

Image shows Breonna Taylor — Image caption

Breonna Taylor was a decorated emergency medical technician and had no criminal record

A woman in the US state of Kentucky was shot and killed by police after they raided the wrong address, according to a lawsuit.

Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician (EMT), was shot eight times when officers entered her apartment in Louisville on 13 March.

They were executing a search warrant as part of a drugs investigation, but no drugs were found in the property.

The lawsuit accuses the officers of wrongful death and excessive force.

It was filed by Ms Taylor’s family last month and says the officers were not looking for her or her partner – but for an unrelated suspect who was already in custody and did not live in the apartment complex.

Louisville police said they returned fire after one officer was shot and wounded in the incident.

At a press conference on 13 March, the department said its officers knocked on the door several times and announced themselves as police.

But a lawyer for Ms Taylor’s partner, Kenneth Walker, said he fired in self-defence because the officers did not identify themselves and he believed they were breaking in.

The lawsuit alleges that the police then fired more than 20 rounds of ammunition into the home.

The department has declined to answer questions on the case citing an ongoing investigation.

“Breonna had posed no threat to the officers and did nothing to deserve to die at their hands,” the lawsuit reads.

“Shots were blindly fired by the officers all throughout Breonna’s home,” it added.

The family, which is seeking compensation and damages, has hired a prominent civil rights lawyer to represent them.

Ben Crump has represented the families of other high-profile black shooting victims, such as Trayvon Martin and Ahmaud Arbery.

Media captionJoggers out in solidarity with the killed 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery

Mr Arbery was jogging in February when he was confronted by two men and fatally shot. The men have been arrested and the justice department is considering bringing federal hate crime charges against them.

“We stand with the family of this young woman in demanding answers from the Louisville Police Department,” Mr Crump said in a statement.

“Despite the tragic circumstances surrounding her death, the department has not provided any answers regarding the facts and circumstances of how this tragedy occurred, nor have they taken responsibility for her senseless killing.”

Staring at a Stranger for 60 Seconds Helped Me Feel Better About Quarantine Life

Physical distancing is necessary to keep our communities safe and healthy, yeah, but it sure is making us all a lot lonelier. Yes, we’re flattening the curve—and that’s crucially important—but it’s hard to cut ourselves off from our friends and family for weeks at a time. Zoom calls are simply no replacement for authentic human connection.

That’s where Human Online’s “Human Minute” comes in.

This simple video “chat” platform connects two strangers remotely and asks them to simply make eye contact with each other for a full minute—the idea being that you will facilitate an authentic connection through silence.

Individual artists and entire spiritual traditions have used similar techniques to facilitate emotional bonds between people, and there’s a whole lot of science backing up how the basic act of looking someone in the eye can be a profound experience. Maybe it can also help us find a moment of genuine connection in these troubled times.

How to use Human Minute

Illustration for article titled Staring at a Stranger for 60 Seconds Helped Me Feel Better About Quarantine Life — Screenshot: Brendan Hesse

Go to Human.Online and click “Sign In.” Click “Create Account” if you don’t have one and complete the verification instructions.
Once you’re signed in, scroll down to the video box and click “Connect.”
Agree to the user guidelines—no talking, no gestures or written communication, and, y’know, don’t flash the other user.
You’ll then have to wait while the site pairs you with someone. You’ll be notified on-screen once the other user is ready to connect; otherwise you can try joining a larger, multi-user “gatherings” if one is available.
Next, click “Allow” to let Human Online access your device’s camera. An on-screen guide will help you line-up your camera’s view for the best results.
Click “Start” to connect to the other person.
Here’s the hard part: Make eye contact with your match for 60 seconds. A timer bar will display for the first 10 seconds, then fade away and re-appear for the last 10 seconds so you can prepare for the end of the “chat.”
You can also click “End connection” to end the video early.
After the call, you can send a “Thank you” to the other participant, or, if needed, report any abusive behavior. Click “Move on from this experience” when you’re ready to close the window.

What it feels like to stare at a stranger for 60 seconds

It’s one thing to know explain how to use Human Minute, but you’re probably wondering what it actually feels like, so I’ll share my experience.

I’ve seen Human Minute users confess to feeling very anxious in the moments leading up to the video, and I expected I would feel much the same—but I found I was more curious than anything. Part of that is down to my personality: I’m not necessarily a shy person. I was a “theater kid” well into college, loved taking public speaking courses and still enjoy being around and in front of others most of the time. That’s not to mention the fact that I’ve been publicly sharing and publishing content online since I was a teenager. I have an aversion to certain social settings, sure, but in general, I’m okay with strangers.

Still, I won’t deny I had reservations. The experience of Human Minute is utterly personal, and while 60 seconds seems so ephemeral most of the time, I did wonder how it would feel to stare at a stranger for that long.

As it turns out, it’s not that bad.

I loaded up the website, made an account and clicked “connect.” After a very quick tutorial and an overview of the guidelines, I received a notification that another user was waiting for me. I clicked “I’m ready,” the video popped out to fullscreen and I was suddenly looking at an elderly gentleman on my screen. A progress bar at the top started slowly ticking down, then vanished.

I noticed that he and I both were sitting in very similar-looking rooms, flanked by shelves. I thought to myself, “This is kinda like looking at myself a few decades from now,” and I smiled—somewhat due to awkwardness. Then he smiled. Then we both smiled more, and I kinda just stopped thinking after that.

Next thing I knew, the progress bar faded back into view, signaling we were nearing the end of our shared moment. I expected the 60 seconds to feel like an awkward eternity, but actually passed quite quickly.

He silently nodded at the last moment, and the connection ended automatically. The page asked me to register how I felt, and I clicked to thank the other person just as I received a notification he had done the same.

I took a moment to reflect on exactly how I felt, and I can say truly I had a positive reaction. The last several weeks have been difficult for me, as I’m sure they’ve been for others. I’ve tried to use remote group activities to keep in touch with my friends, and I’ve become pretty good at carrying on conversations with neighbors from across the street, but these situations were surface-level interactions at best. And while I can’t say staring at a stranger for 60 seconds defeated my quarantine blues—nor was it the life-changing transcendental experience Human Online’s branding presents it to be—it definitely had a lasting impact on the quality of my day so far.

Obviously the potential for abusing a platform like this is high, and I don’t blame folks for staying away because they don’t want to be flashed by a stranger or subjected to other disturbing imagery. Equally, Human Online’s branding veers obnoxiously close to “New Age” sloganeering; some people might be turned off by that, and, fair. But when it comes to the experience itself, I found it oddly moving. I’d suggest giving it a try if you’re curious.

[Wired]

How to Share Your Location in WhatsApp and Other Apps

The idea of giving your phone permission to allow others to track your location is a little creepy, but there are plenty of scenarios where you might want a friend or family member to know exactly where you are at any given time.

Maybe you like sharing your location while you’re out on a run or during your commute so people will know when you’ll arrive or if you’ve made it safely to your destination. Or perhaps you use location-sharing to keep track of a group of friends during a night out.

There are quite a few apps that allow location sharing, and both iOS and Android have native location-sharing features.

For these features to work in any app, you’ll have to enable location sharing for each individual app in your device settings. On iOS, go to Settings, scroll down, and select the app you want to use. Tap Location and select whether you want the app to access your location at all times, only when the app is in use or never.

On Android, go to Settings > Location > App permission. You’ll see a list of apps that are allowed to use your location all the time or only while in use. Tap the app name to change or remove its permissions.

How to enable location sharing within popular Android and iOS apps

There are plenty of apps that allow you to share your location in different ways. Here are a few of our favorites (and how to set up location sharing in each one).

Live location sharing on WhatsApp

To share your location with a friend or group on WhatsApp, open the conversation from your Chats list and tap the plus sign in the bottom left corner.

Select Location and then tap on Share Live Location. You can decide how long you want to share (15 minutes, 1 hour or 8 hours) and add a comment if you want before confirming.

To stop sharing, reopen the group or individual chat and tap Stop sharing > STOP.

Just like messaging and calling on WhatsApp, location sharing is protected by end-to-end encryption. You can also turn off location sharing at any time by simply disabling WhatsApp’s location permissions on your device.

Live location sharing on Facebook Messenger

To share your location via Facebook Messenger, open a conversation, tap on the plus icon and then select the Location icon (the arrow on the far right). A map will pop up—tap “Start Sharing Live Location” to share your location with a friend or group for 60 minutes.

You can also kill the sharing early by tapping on “Stop Sharing” at any time.

Live location sharing on Google Maps

To share your location in Google Maps, open the app and tap on the blue dot that represents your location. Tap “Share your location,” and then select how you want to share your it and for how long.

Google Maps seems to offer the most control over how long you want to share your location, with the ability to select 15-minute increments up to an hour and then hour-long increments beyond that. You can also choose to keep sharing your location until you manually switch the feature off—it’s up to you!

You’re not limited to sharing your location within a single app. You can tap Select People to share with anyone in your Google or device contacts via Google Maps or email. You can also choose a different messaging app to send a link to your location (tap either the app icon or More for additional options).

Live location sharing in Glympse

None of us needs yet another app, but if you use location sharing mainly when you’re commuting or traveling, Glympse allows you to share (or request!) a live location along with a destination and route.

To create a Glympse, tap the Glympse icon at the bottom center of the main screen and then tap Request. Enter the following:

The recipient’s contact info (number or email)
Your message (custom or selected from presets)
Your destination
How long you want to share your location (and what type of transportation you are using)
Whether Glympse should stop sharing when you arrive

When you send a Glympse, the recipient can see your location, your speed and your progress along your route. This is handy if you want a friend or family member to know your exact ETA—and they don’t need to install Glympse themselves to get this information.

Location sharing on Snapchat’s Snap Map

Snapchat has a semi-live location sharing feature called Snap Map that shows where your friends are using your Bitmojis (or a blank outline if you or they don’t have one). To launch Snap Map, just open Snapchat and pull down.

You’ll be prompted to choose who you want to share your location with: your entire friend list, any friends who aren’t on a blocked list or specific friends you select. You can also toggle into Ghost Mode to stay hidden. Your location expires after a few hours.

Snap Map doesn’t work in the background, so your friends can see your location only if you are actively using the app. In some ways, it’s the least invasive option, but if you want someone to know where you are at all times, it isn’t the best one.

How to share your location within iOS directly

If you don’t want to use any of the above apps, iOS has a built-in location sharing feature, too. (On Android, just use Google Maps, which comes with most Android devices.)

On iOS, the easiest way to share your location is via Messages. Open the Messages app, select the conversation with the recipient, tap their name or icon at the top of the conversation, and tap the “info” icon. Choose Send My Current Location to share a dropped pin, or select Share My Location to share for an hour, a day or indefinitely.

You can also use Apple’s “Find My” app (or “Find My Friends” on older devices) to establish a permanent “where are you” connection with other people. Link up with someone in the app via the People tab, and you’ll both be able to see each other’s location whenever you want. I’d save this one for your immediate family and loved ones, perhaps not your roommates or casual acquaintances.

This article was originally published in 2017 by Jacob Kleinman and updated on May 1, 2020 by Emily Long. Our updates include the following: revised steps for each app for accuracy, added information about Glympse and native location sharing for iOS and Android, added new screenshots, and changed the first paragraph.

Now Is the Time to Embrace Your Guilty Pleasures

If you’ve spent your days in quarantine interacting with friends and family via Animal Crossing or bingeing every season of your favorite show, you’re not alone. Retreating to simple pleasures seems like a natural response to the stress we’re all living through—and according to new research, indulging in these so-called “guilty pleasures” can help us feel more connected during this period of unprecedented isolation.

Though the study, published in the journal Self and Identity, was conducted prior to the coronavirus outbreak, its findings are more relevant than ever. At a time when most of us are isolated in some way—either because we live alone, or are cooped up with only our partners, family or roommates for company—we may be aching for the myriad of social connections with those outside our immediate circle that we used to take for granted. Sure, there are Zoom happy hours and FaceTime check-ins, but those both take time and effort and can be an unsatisfying substitute for the real thing. That’s why this research, which considers non-traditional social strategies, is so timely and useful.

Traditional and non-traditional social strategies

Dr. Shira Gabriel, a professor of psychology at the University of Buffalo and one of the paper’s co-authors, has been studying non-traditional social strategies for more than a decade—everything from cooking comfort foods, to reading pulp fiction to playing video games set in a virtual reality where everyone is a different animal. Though some of these activities may be labeled as “guilty pleasures,” Gabriel said that we shouldn’t feel guilty about engaging in them—even (or perhaps especially) now. “I don’t think people realize that these non-traditional connections are as beneficial as we found [them to be] in our research,” she said in a release from the University of Buffalo. “Don’t feel guilty, because we found that these strategies are fine as long as they work for you.”

Although there has been plenty of research into the importance of traditional social strategies like interpersonal relationships or group memberships (think choirs, community sports teams and crafting groups), this is the first study to simultaneously test the relative effectiveness of both traditional and non-traditional social strategies.

“People can feel connected through all sorts of means. We found that more traditional strategies, like spending time with a friend in person, doesn’t necessarily work better for people than non-traditional strategies, like listening to a favorite musician,” Elaine Paravati, a University of Buffalo graduate and co-author of the paper, said in a statement. “In fact, using a combination of both of these types of strategies predicted the best outcomes, so it might be especially helpful to have a variety of things you do in your life to help you feel connected to others.”

Redefining what it means to be social

When we think of a “social” person, someone who is outgoing, adventurous and constantly out and about with friends probably comes to mind. But that’s not necessarily the case: “We live in a society where people are questioned if they’re not in a romantic relationship, if they decide not to have children or they don’t like attending parties,” Gabriel said. “There are implicit messages that these people are doing something wrong. That can be detrimental to them. The message we want to give to people, and that our data suggest, is that that’s just not true.”

According to Gabriel, non-traditional social connections—sometimes referred to as “social surrogates”—are typically seen as less valuable than interacting with someone in person. Her research suggests that’s not the case. “Nothing [showed us] that people using non-traditional strategies were lonelier, or less happy, less socially skilled or feeling any less fulfilled,” she explained. “These aren’t surrogates for real social connections; these are real ways of feeling connected that are very important to people.”

The key to feeling connected, the authors note, is gaining the sense that you’re fulfilling your need to belong. And if you’re able to accomplish that right now through playing Animal Crossing or watching 15 episodes of “Too Hot to Handle,” more power to you.

It’s Time to Order Directly From Restaurants Again

One of the many challenges of being stuck at home during this pandemic is not knowing the best ways to help the local businesses we love and depend on. Take, well, takeout: We’ve been instructed to order takeout and delivery from our favorite restaurants—especially smaller, family-owned businesses—to ensure they are bringing in at least some income while their dining rooms are closed during this period of physical distancing. And while this is a great plan, the degree to which you’re helping them comes down to exactly how you’re placing your order.

The problem with third-party delivery platforms

Over the past several years, many of us have gotten in the habit of ordering food through third-party delivery apps like GrubHub, Seamless or Caviar. And over the past few weeks, you’ve likely received a steady stream of emails from these companies, trying to lure us in with promotions like “Support for Supper,” where GrubHub users get additional discounts for ordering food from local restaurants during certain hours. On the surface, this seems like a great idea: keeping your favorite restaurants in business and getting cheaper food? Yes, please.

But not so fast: As it turns out, these discounts are coming out of the restaurants’ profits, and are certainly not the altruistic acts that third-party apps want you to believe they are.

Let’s take a look at some numbers. Susie Cagle, a reporter at The Guardian, recently tweeted a GrubHub invoice from Chicago Pizza Boss, breaking down exactly where your money is going when you use the third-party app and take advantage of its promotions. (Spoiler: it’s not to the restaurants.)

Unfortunately, this is not a new situation: We’ve been writing about how ordering food through third-party apps is harming local restaurants for a while. The difference is that now people are ordering delivery more than ever before, and may be doing so under the mistaken perception that they are helping a business stay afloat, unaware of the apps’ shady practices. On top of that, restaurants are no longer able to offer table service at all, and with delivery and takeout comprising 100 percent of their orders, they might feel they can’t afford to remove themselves from listings by these third-party services.

For example, as Baba’s Pierogies in Brooklyn recently explained in an Instagram post that the restaurant has spent more than $20,000 in third-party platform percentage fees since January 1, 2020. So why did they join in the first place? They explain that, too:

We didn’t have a choice, we caved. Revenue from these platforms made a difference for our business and I’m certain does for many other NYC businesses. Like other fellow businesses, we never liked the partnership but went along with it. Now, during this crisis which is really holding the industry hostage to 3rd party platforms, we are even more aware of the amount of money that we get withdrawn from our account just to have our name on their site. We make the food AND deliver the food. Seems unfair because it is.

Yes, this is all pretty grim—especially if you thought you were genuinely doing the right thing by ordering through these third-party apps—but there is something you can do to help.

Order directly from the restaurant

By ordering food directly from the restaurant, you’re guaranteeing that they’re the ones who profit from the sale. Remember back when everyone had a drawer in their kitchen stuffed with takeout menus alongside the other assorted junk like pens, tape and rubber bands? Well, it’s time to resurrect the menu drawer—at least in some form.

But can’t you just pull up GrubHub to peruse the menu and find a phone number to call and order your food? While that sounds great in theory, in practice, third-party sites may list their own phone numbers for the restaurant—meaning that if you call to place an order, it’s still going through their platform. The app uses this as a justification to take a commission, even though your order didn’t come through their website or app, because it “proves” the transaction originated there.

That’s where good old-fashioned paper menus—or at least going directly to a restaurant’s own website—come in. This allows you to completely cut out the middleman and ensure that your beloved local eatery is getting the maximum profits possible from your order.

In the same Instagram post, Baba’s Pierogies announced that they have set up a link on their website that allows customers to order directly from them for delivery or pickup. It also allows you to pay online, so the takeout/delivery remains contactless. Other restaurants have done the same thing, so check to see if that’s an option before you order.

And if you’re not a fan of clutter or having paper menus sitting around, just snap a photo of the menu and store it on your phone or in a special folder on your computer. The bottom line is to put in the tiny amount of extra effort it takes to order directly from the business you are trying to support. It may mean the difference between them staying open and going under before you’re able to dine there in person again.

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Coronavirus: Spanish family reunited after two months apart

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Two aunts greeted their family for the first time in two months, and found their one-year-old niece had learned to walk.

The best adult control software application for your family

Keep your kids safe with the best software for obstructing specific, troubling, and prohibited sites and apps.

By Joseph Green2020-05-0605: 00: 00 UTC

We all have the very best intentions when it comes to captivating the kids, but it doesn’t always work out like we hoped.

Everybody begins with strong plans for outdoor activities, craft exercises, board games, and maybe even a dance routine, but this doesn’t last long. This sort of schedule needs superhuman levels of focus, energy, and persistence, and nobody has all 3.

You might have the best objectives, but it’s only a matter of time prior to you’ll turn to innovation to conserve the day.

Modern kids have never ever understood a world without the Web and consistent access to videos, games, motion pictures, and programs.

Luckily, there is an easy solution to this problem.

There are plenty of parental control software options out there for you to think about, with something for every family.

These are the best parental control software application alternatives for 2020.

Fairly cheap – No device or profile limitation – Strong web filtering – Resists uninstallation.

Filtering limited to certain browsers – User interface isn’t the best.

Economical and comprehensive parental control software that can protect all your devices.

Kaspersky Safe Kids is among the most popular adult control software alternatives, and is designed to assist you secure your kids online and offline.

It’s a basic system to use, with an app for your child and an app for you linked through a single account. The app on your kid’s gadget helps you to control their activity, and your app lets you see reports and personalize settings.

You can even handle their screen time by gadget.

Kaspersky Safe Kids also uses a GPS tracker so you can locate their whereabouts on a real-time online map. This function lets you specify a safe area for them to stay in and informs you if they step outside it. You’ll also get an alert when they’re running low on battery so you can caution them to plug in and charge.

This thorough service costs ₤14

No gadget number limitations – Easy setup – Appealing dashboard.

Does not deal with Apple Macs – Time constraints.

Norton Household lets you track and handle your kids’s activity with lots of features and simple setup.

Norton Family

Norton Household is easy to install and set up, and makes the web more secure for your kids to explore.

Norton Household lets you handle the time your kids invest online so you know when to encourage more offline enjoyable.

It works by keeping you informed of which sites your kids are visiting, and letting you block hazardous or inappropriate material. It also helps your kids balance time invested online by scheduling screen time frame for their devices.

Norton Household offers helpful insights into the search terms and videos that interest your kids, and flags hazardous behaviour. You’ll also get detailed reports on what your kids are doing online.

Till May 31, you can get six months of Norton Household totally free. You can also get this parental control software application as part of an annual membership to Norton 360 Deluxe (₤7999) or Norton 360 Premium (₤8999). We would not suggest ever paying full cost since these services regularly go on sale.

Unrestricted number of gadgets – Time-management features – Geofencing.

Pricey – Not for Apple Macs.

Provides a lot of parental control tools and can keep an eye on an endless number of devices.

McAfee Safe Family

McAfee Safe Family enables you to easily limit your childrens’ screen time.

Your kids are probably glued to their devices throughout the day, so it is essential to buy something that can let you know what they’re doing, safeguard them from harm, and limit their screen time.

McAfee Safe Family does all of the above and more, and lets you view your kid’s gadget activity, website gain access to, existing place, and checked-in locations. You can set rules and time frame for apps and websites, beginning with pre-defined age based rules that you can personalize.

McAfee is another company that lets you find their gadgets on a live map. You’ll get automated alerts the moment they enter or leave familiar locations like a school or the library.

It also comes free with a subscription to a McAfee Overall Protection household plan.

Attractive and instinctive user interface – Straightforward time limitations – App obstructing – Cross-platform support.

Relatively expensive – Social media tracking limited to Facebook.

Costly adult control software application is well designed, intuitive, and comprehensive.

Qustodio

Qustodio is a straightforward and extremely configurable tool for handling your kid’s online activity.

Qustodio is created to supervise, manage, and protect your kid’s device usage on the go, making your life as a digital parent much easier than ever.

With the Qustodio online control panel and app you’ll have the ability to see how your kid utilizes gadgets, apps, and the web. You can easily set healthy limitations to handle your child’s online experience, and the effective filtering technology is automatically enabled to safeguard your child from possibly hazardous content.

Qustodio offers all the details you require to help protect your children versus the growing number of major online threats like improper material, cyberbullying, cyberpredators, and screen dependency.

A Little Strategy secure up to five devices with all premium functions and costs ₤3995 per year and safeguards up to 10 devices, and a Large Plan costs ₤92

Mobile apps – Organised user interface – App blocking.

Possible to bypass browsing restrictions – No geofencing.

Mobicip provides all the tools you need to monitor your children’s web and app activity.

Mobicip

Mobicip’s lets you easily obstruct screen time and develop rules for mobile apps.

Mobicip lets you safeguard your household on the web, limitation screen time, handle apps, and track area.

Its dynamic internet filter scans sites in real-time to ensure web safety and allow only age-appropriate material for each user. It also handles screen time by setting useful schedules, and locks or restricts family devices, apps, and video games when it’s time to go offline.

The area tracker lets you keep tabs on your kids’s location, revealing their last known location. This feature offers you valuable assurance and makes sure that your children are safe.

There are 3 strategies to think about: Small, Medium and Large. These choices secure up to 5, 10, and 15 gadgets, and expense ₤ 3.34, ₤ 6.04, and ₤ 8.38 each month respectfully. All of these plans are billed annually.

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Google Duo adds a ‘household mode’ and web-based group calls

And yes, group chats will get much easier. Google is planning to present group Duo calls on the web in the “coming weeks.” It’ll just be available as a Chrome sneak peek when it does, but it’ll consist of a brand-new design that allows more individuals at the same time. It’ll also be simple to participate in– much like other group chat services, you can welcome anybody with an account by sending out a link. The company is not-so-subtly offering this as an alternative to Google Meet and Zoom, and it may work if you currently use Duo but want to make it a mainstay for work, school or buddy get-togethers.

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