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Headspace offers a free year of premium membership to healthcare professionals and those who lost their jobs
Because all our heroes need to take care of themselves too
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This will be a difficult post for me to write. I can usually draw a clear line between my Android Police work and my other job as a pharmacist, and call upon a (slightly) more objective and professional tone while relaying news, but today is different. Everything has been different for a while. So in lieu of a regular introduction, I'll just say that I'm very thankful to companies that appreciate the effort and stress our healthcare professionals are going through while fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, and are doing their best to offer them some relief. Headspace is one of them.
US carriers forgiving late payments, continue to bolster benefits during coronavirus fallout
Latest: T-Mobile and Verizon extend their pledge to June 30, U.S. Cellular to July 31
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Cellular carriers have earned many negative impressions over the years for poor billing practices, unfair contracts, and some dubious attempts to insert themselves where they might not belong; but there's no denying that they have a good track record for giving a little back in times of crisis. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, carriers in the U.S. have committed to not terminate customers' lines and provide more data and cheaper plans to those who need them.
Nokia adds an extra 60 days to expiring smartphone warranties
Of course, it's because of the coronavirus
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In a fragile time when the world is under a pandemic and the least common denominator in corporate marketing campaigns is "we're all in this together," there are still ways where companies can compete and advertise their efforts. HMD Global, for example, has made a goodwill gesture towards its customers by extending the warranties for some Nokia phones.
HBO makes Silicon Valley, dozens of shows and movies free to watch this month
Other titles include The Wire, Veep, and Detective Pikachu
As the novel coronavirus pandemic is expected to peak over the next several weeks, having the masses stay at home will be most crucial during this time. But the lockdown orders do have their deleterious domino effects from unemployment to mental deterioration. It's under these pretenses that AT&T-owned HBO has decided to offer about 500 hours of shows and movies to everyone, subscription-free.
Sling is offering a bunch of TV and movies for free right now, no signup required (Update: 7 new channels)
I'm gonna watch so much Samurai Jack, you have no idea
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To help fight stay-at-home boredom, Sling TV has just launched a new "Stay in & Sling" promotion. It's a derpy name, but it means you can binge watch a bunch of streaming shows from your computer or Android device, which would usually cost you money, but right now, it's free. Shows include Hell's Kitchen, Forensic Files, and the classic 3rd Rock from the Sun, and you can also watch live news coverage from ABC news.
AT&T, Cricket offer stupid cheap $15 2GB plans, bonus data for customers (Updated)
Customers on tighter budgets get some relief
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AT&T's prepaid wireless operations are the latest carriers to dole out extra high-speed data to existing customers and introduce cut-price wireless plans in response to the economic impacts of the novel coronavirus pandemic. AT&T Prepaid and Cricket Wireless will launch these efforts tomorrow, March 27.
T-Mobile introducing $15 plan in wake of coronavirus (Update: Fine print)
Metro offering temporary $15 rate, other deals
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One of the many concessions T-Mobile promised if it were allowed to merge with Sprint was that it would offer super-cheap wireless plans starting at $15 per month. Since then, however, the novel coronavirus has forced many customers out of work. While ISPs are accepting deferred payments for monthly bills, that may not be enough for people whose budgets continue to shrink. So, T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile have decided to roll out those new rate plans starting this Wednesday, March 25.
Master & Dynamic extends WFH sale: Great true wireless earbuds and headphones for 50% off (Updated)
Get the excellent MW07 true wireless for $100 or the MW60 over-ears for $150
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Boutique New York audio brand Master & Dynamic makes earbuds and headphones that sound superb, but they're usually a little too expensive for most people's budgets. Its products sometimes go on sale, but rarely are they discounted so heavily as right now — select products are 50% off for the next couple of days thanks to a WFH sale on the company's website.
Tidal is offering 4 months of Premium and HiFi subscriptions for just $4
An unlimited source of high-fidelity music to help you through the Coronavirus pandemic
The Coronavirus pandemic has forced the majority of the population to stay quarantined at home. Some people may find it difficult to work from home, especially when confined alone. Thankfully, music can be a good motivational factor, especially when it doesn't cost much. To help people go through the situation, Tidal is offering its paid subscriptions for just $4 for four months.
T-Mobile offering two free months of YouTube Premium
Another way to stay entertained during the pandemic
We're all looking for ways to pass the time as we stay inside during the COVID-19 pandemic. How about some YouTube? T-Mobile's latest "T-Mobile Tuesday" includes a solid discount on YouTube Premium. That discount is 100%. See? Solid. It's only for two months, but that could still mean plenty of ads you won't have to watch.
Amazon is making some kids content free to fight coronavirus quarantine boredom
All you need is an Amazon account — no Prime membership necessary
Amazon is making a whole pile of children's content free to stream, even without a paid Prime membership. A selection that includes Amazon Prime original shows and PBS KIDS series. You will still need an Amazon account, though.Accessing the now-free children's content will vary by platform, but it should be available via the Prime Video app for Android and iOS, as well as other platforms, including Amazon's Fire TV devices. To get there quickly on desktop, you can follow this link to see a list of free content in your market.
Fitbit and Peloton offer free 90-day Premium memberships to help you exercise, eat, and sleep better (Updated)
Only for new subscribers, though
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With everyone stuck at home, stressed, moving very little and probably eating a lot more, it's becoming crucial to take care of our bodies and minds to be able to sustain our quarantines and fight the coronavirus pandemic. Fitbit is here to help us with that thanks to a new offer on its paid service.
Sesame Street eBooks are free on Amazon, Google Play, and other platforms
Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?
Many companies and organizations are working to make movies, TV shows, books, and other entertainment free (or cheaper, at least) for folks stuck at home during the coronavirus outbreak. Sling TV has free movies and TV shows, 24 Hour Fitness made some of its premium features free for everyone, and now the makers of Sesame Street have made over 100 eBooks free on various platforms.Sesame Workshop announced yesterday that "over 110" free Sesame Street eBooks are now available on all major platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble Nook, Google Play, and Kobo.
These new Hollywood movies are hitting streaming services early for safe at-home viewing (Update: Amazon)
Watch on-demand the same day as in-theaters starting with 'Trolls World Tour'
Following what was reported to be the worst weekend of the last 20 years for the US domestic film business, NBCUniversal/Comcast has decided to (finally) make movies available for rental the day of their theatrical release. This new policy debuts with the upcoming DreamWorks Animation film Trolls World Tour on April 10th, but on-demand releases for flicks currently in theaters, including The Invisible Man and Emma, will begin as soon as March 20th — this upcoming Friday.Details for this new "Day-and-Date" release system aren't entirely fixed, but these rentals will be available "on a wide variety of the most popular on-demand services" including Comcast and Sky with 48-hour rental periods and a suggested price of $20 per rental in the US (and the equivalent to that in other markets)."Rather than delaying these films or releasing them into a challenged distribution landscape, we wanted to provide an option for people to view these titles in the home," NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell said of the announcement. "We hope and believe that people will still go to the movies in theaters where available, but we understand that for people in different areas of the world that is increasingly becoming less possible."With coronavirus disrupting every aspect of our lives right now and forcing many of us to stay at home, at least we'll be able to watch some new flicks in some semblance of normalcy.
Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs for short, are incredibly useful. They're even more useful when you're stuck at home, as you can access the internet from different parts of the world without leaving your couch. Want to watch a Netflix series that isn't available in your country or keep your ISP from snooping? You can do those and more with the right VPN.
24 Hour Fitness offers premium app features for free as it temporarily closes clubs due to COVID-19
Helping you take your workout home
While what feels like half of Europe has already imposed closures and restrictions on non-essentials stores, public spaces, and fitness studios, this phase of the COVID-19 response is only starting in the US. The second largest fitness chain in the country, Fitness 24, has decided to take the step proactively and closed all of its locations Monday, March 16. In order to keep you fit in the meantime, the company offers premium content in its 24GO app free of charge.
Check your email — Google is sending $5 Play Store coupons to Google One subscribers
Get yourself something nice while you're stuck at home
Perhaps you, like many others, are cloistered at home and getting a bit bored. If you're a Google One subscriber, you may have a little surprise in your inbox. Google is sending out $5 vouchers that you can spend on anything in the Play Store.
Samsung's in-store Sanitizing Service offers to clean your phone with UV light for free
In some shops, the service also disinfects tablets and smartwatches
Like any business, Samsung has been hit by the outbreak of the coronavirus — it even had to shut down a plant in South Korea to prevent the spread of the illness. In order to limit the reach of the virus, the company now offers to sanitize your phone with UV-C light when you're willing to walk into its Samsung Experience stores and its Service Centers in a few countries.