Tech review: Google's top nongame apps for 2020
The Centr app by actor Chris Hemsworth offers health, diet and fitness advice from experts. Credit: Newsday/Loup Pty
In a year that broke records for app downloads, here’s a look at the best nongame apps of 2020 as selected by editors at Google Play’s Android app store. Next week: The best 2020 nongame apps according to the editors at the Apple App Store.
Loóna
(iOS, Android; free)
A deadly pandemic and a tense presidential election combined to cause stressful days and sleepless nights. Loóna is aimed at helping users rid themselves of "negative emotions" and get a good night’s sleep. In naming it the App of the Year, Google said Loóna is "beautifully designed and thoughtfully executed" and was a "rare case where utility meets ingenuity and delight."
Grid Diary
(iOS, Android; free)
As it has done in past years, Google selected other best of 2020 apps across various categories where five of the year’s standouts were honored equally. One of the honorees in the Best Everyday Essentials category was Grid Diary, a self-help app that lets users record feelings and emotions in an attempt to reduce stress and boost personal growth. Other Best Everyday Essentials winners: Calmaria; The Pattern; Whisk; and Zoom Cloud Meetings.
Centr, by Chris Hemsworth
(iOS, Android; free)
The five apps honored in the Best for Personal Growth category were selected by Google based on how well they helped users meet "2020’s challenges with personal feats big and small." One of the five honorees was Centr by Chris Hemsworth (yes, the actor best known for playing Thor). Centr is a health, diet and fitness app with advice from trainers and chefs. Other Best for Personal Growth winners: Intellect: Create a Better You; Jumprope: How-to Videos; Paired: Relationship & Marriage Quiz; Speekoo: Learn a New Language.
Reface
(iOS, Android; free)
When we think of fun apps, we often think of games. But these nongame apps were named Best for Fun by Google Play because they "helped us unwind and get creative." Reface is a clever "face-swapping" app that lets you insert yourself into movie and TV show clips. Other Best for Fun winners: Bazaart: Photo Editor & Graphic Design; Disney+; Dolby On: Record Audio & Music; Vita.
Free fix for iPhone 11 screen issues
If you have an iPhone 11 with touch screen issues, you might be eligible for a free repair. Apple said some iPhone 11 touch screens “may stop responding to touch due to an issue with the display module.” Apple says the affected devices were manufactured between November 2019 and May 2020. To see if you are eligible, go to http://nwsdy.li/37t626n and enter your phone’s serial number.
— PETER KING
Work from home not hurting productivity
Almost 70% of full-time employees are working from home during the pandemic, and most say they are the “same or more productive” as they were in the office. The results come from Owl Labs, which has published an annual State of Remote Work study for four years. Employees also are saving nearly $500 per month by working from home, although few companies are reimbursing them for home office equipment.
— PETER KING
Back to ‘The Office’
NBCUniversal will put “The Office” behind a paywall when the hit sitcom leaves Netflix and comes to Peacock ON Jan. 1, a bid to attract paying customers to the fledgling streaming service. While the first two seasons of “The Office” will be free, customers will have pay $4.99 a month to stream the other seven seasons. NBC paid $100 million a year for the rights to the show.
– BLOOMBERG NEWS
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