These apps were designed with baby boomers in mind
The AARP app offers the group's 38 million members access to news of interest, events and exclusive shopping discounts. Credit: AARP
Here’s a hard, cold fact: Even the youngest baby boomer is now eligible for many senior discounts. Boomers — born between 1946 and 1964 — may have thought they’d be forever young, but time waits for no generation. While many like to say 60 is the new 40, the truth is boomers are the new seniors. Like it or not, these apps are for them.
AARP Now
(iOS, Android; free)
The youngest boomers turned 54 this year, which means they have been pestered by AARP to join up for nearly five years. The app is mainly aimed at AARP’s 38 million members and offers access to news of interest for older adults, nearby events and exclusive shopping discounts. Nonmembers do get limited access to some features, and, of course, they will be pestered to join.
Skype
(iOS, Android; free)
Old conventional boomers’ wisdom: “Never trust anybody over 30.” New conventional boomers’ wisdom: “Why doesn't my 30-year-old kid (or 30-year-old grandkid) call me more?” Skype is a perfect resource to connect with loved ones anywhere in the world via video phone calls. Want a full family reunion? Skype allows for group video chats with up to 25 people.
MedWatcher
(iOS, Android; free)
This app from Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School was developed in partnership with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It offers useful descriptions of common drugs and their side-effects, but it also wants your input. If you have a bad reaction to a drug, you can send a report via the app. You can also link up with a community of others taking the same drugs as you.
Lumosity
(iOS, Android; free)
Lumosity’s brain-training program offers more than 40 interactive puzzle, educational and problem-solving games aimed at keeping older adults mentally alert. Lumosity says the games can improve cognitive abilities and memory. The science behind Lumosity is still controversial, but there’s no doubting that the games are fun, especially for adults who are not hardcore gamers.
Selfie deaths 'an emerging problem'
People are going to extremes to snap the perfect selfie, and the results can be fatal. Labeling selfie-related deaths “an emerging problem,” the National Institutes of Health says 259 people died while taking selfies from October 2011 to November 2017. The average age of the victim was 22.9, and 73 percent of those killed were male. Falls and drownings were among the main causes of selfie deaths.
— PETER KING
Red hot
Red Dead Redemption 2 earned $725 million in global revenue during its first three days on sale, the biggest opening weekend for any entertainment release, according to its publisher, Rockstar Games. The video game, released Oct. 26, is available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The largest three-day movie opening was this year’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” grossing about $640 million in its first three days of worldwide release.
— PETER KING
U.S. tightens online security
Employees responsible for running government websites will have to use two-factor authentication to access their . gov administrator accounts. The tightening of security is the latest move by the federal government to defend its websites and databases against cyberattacks. Two-factor verification works by requiring users to input both a password and a special code sent to a mobile device in their possession.
— Washington Post
Hochul's State of the State ... Disappearing hardware stores ... LI Volunteers: Marine rescue center ... Get the latest news and more great videos at NewsdayTV
Hochul's State of the State ... Disappearing hardware stores ... LI Volunteers: Marine rescue center ... Get the latest news and more great videos at NewsdayTV
