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americans finding ways to stay active while keeping distance

Vicki L. Friedman always wanted to play golf with her adult sons but until this spring couldn’t find time to learn the game and practice. Shaun Warkentin was looking for a diversion when his young sons tired of jumping on the backyard trampoline and being indoors. He discovered the joy of taking them fishing. Neighborhood and park trails across the country have been getting higher-thanusual use by runners, walkers and bicyclists as people find ways to get fresh air while maintaining social distancing during the coronavirus outbreak. Golf courses are welcoming more beginners and people returning to the game, states have seen robust sales of fishing licenses since the coronavirus hit full force in the U.S. in March and fitness tracking technology has shown a surge in the number of steps recorded. Friedman, who…

coronavirus pandemic claims another victim: robocalls

Have you been missing something amid the lockdowns and stay-at-home orders? No, not human contact. Not even toilet paper. Robocalls. Industry experts say robocalls are way down — scam calls as well as nagging from your credit-card company to pay your bill. The coronavirus pandemic has inflicted millions of job losses, and scammers have not been immune. YouMail, which offers a robocall-blocking service, says 2.9 billion robocalls were placed in April in the U.S., down from 4.1 billion in March and 4.8 billion in February. That’s a daily average of 97 million calls in April, down from 132 million in March and 166 million in April. The main reason: many global call centers have closed or are operating with fewer workers, said YouMail CEO Alex Quilici. While it may be odd to think of…

pandemic a boon for the bicycle as thousands snap them up

Joel Johnson hadn’t owned a bicycle since he was 15, but the pandemic changed all that. Johnson first bought a multipurpose bike to avoid the germs on crowded buses and trains but then discovered a passion for pedaling around San Francisco, where some streets are now closed to traffic. He has been taking regular morning rides to stay fit and weekend excursions in leafy Golden Gate Park or along the Pacific Ocean. He has since upgraded to a new road bike. “It’s addictive,” he said. Johnson, 25, is among thousands of cooped-up Americans snapping up new bicycles or dusting off decades-old bikes to stay fit, keep their sanity or have a safe alternative to public transportation. The pandemic is proving to be a boon for bike shops, which have seen a surge in…

vanishing jobs for young could create ‘lock-down generation’

Bashar Ali Naim used to work in a perfume and accessories store in Baghdad, earning $480 per week on average. About three months ago, the coronavirus outbreak swept into Iraq, and the 28-year-old father of two has been out of work ever since. “I am suffering a lot without work. I feel like a human with a body but no soul, especially when I look at the kids and wonder: How will I provide for them?” he said. Naim is not alone: The U.N. labor agency reported Wednesday that more than one in every six young workers globally have stopped working during the pandemic, warning that long-term fallout could lead to a “lock-down generation” if steps aren’t taken to ease the crisis. The International Labor Organization, in a new look at the impact…

arcade: the best 10 games that you need to play

It’s been eight months since the launch of Apple Arcade, the company’s gaming subscription service, and though its initial reception was mixed, there’s no denying that the Cupertino firm has reinvented the way we play games on our iPhones, Macs, and Apple TVs. But now with more than 100 premium gaming titles to choose from, deciding what to play can be tough. CHANGING THE WAY WE PLAY Last year, Apple went all-in on subscriptions. As well as announcing its revolutionary Apple Card and the long-awaited Apple TV+, Tim Cook and co also lifted the lid on Apple News+ - a new way to access content from your favorite publishers - and a wildcard: Apple Arcade. There’s no denying that Apple has revolutionized the gaming industry, contributing towards the mobile gaming market $137.9…

branson’s virgin orbit fails on first rocket launch attempt

Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit failed Monday in its first test launch of a new rocket carried aloft by a Boeing 747 and released over the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Southern California. The inaugural launch had appeared to be going well until moments after the rocket was dropped from beneath the left wing of the jumbo jet dubbed Cosmic Girl. “We’ve confirmed a clean release from the aircraft. However, the mission terminated shortly into the flight. Cosmic Girl and our flight crew are safe and returning to base,”Virgin Orbit said in its official Twitter commentary on the launch. There was no immediate word on what went wrong with the rocket, which carried a test satellite. Will Pomerantz, Virgin Orbit’s vice president for special projects, commented during a preflight briefing that about half of…