Can you trust your mobile payment app?
Money transfer apps including Venmo, Cash App and PayPal have surged in popularity during the pandemic as people seek safe, contactless ways to send and receive money. Unfortunately, many people don’t understand the limitations of these payment platforms or how they can put someone’s finances at risk. Like over-the-counter medicines, payment apps can be safe when used as directed — ... READ MORE
Links and apps
Caregiver help via chat Recently, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) introduced a new way for families affected by dementia to get free, immediate help. Now people can “chat” with licensed social workers on the foundation’s website. Callers can ask about signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, how to develop a care team and support network, how... READ MORE
Make money at home selling used items
Especially with more of us spending time at home, and often looking for ways to raise some needed cash, what better way to “declutter” than by selling off items we no longer need? For the past three years, Melanie Heltke, a 61-year-old realtor from Connecticut, has been making money online selling purses from her “very large collection” of Louis Vuitton handbags, along with... READ MORE
Tracking app aims to help users feel safe
It can be difficult for older adults to continue living on their own if their family members are constantly worried about them. Now there’s an app specifically designed to provide peace of mind to independent older adults and their loved ones: Safe365. Safe365 is a free, downloadable application for mobile phones that tracks the location of other people in real time. It also can notify ... READ MORE
Beacon Links & Apps – February 2019
Links Guidance for travelers Unsure how TSA PreCheck works? Upgraded Points, a website for travelers that explains the real value of points and miles, offers a helpful primer on the program. Run by the Transportation Safety Administration, TSA PreCheck is a program that expedites the security checkpoint process for low-risk travelers. Learn about the program’s benefits, cost and... READ MORE
Best apps for busy people, self-employed
Whether working, retired, or somewhere in between (working independently as part of the “gig economy”), many of us have so many different tasks to perform on a daily basis that it can get overwhelming. Fortunately, with a smartphone and some helpful mobile apps, you can stay organized and focused. These are my 15 favorites, some of which are particularly good for... READ MORE
Beacon Links & Apps – September 2018
Links Travel podcasts From Maine vacation spots to packing tips, the Associated Press’s free travel podcast “Get Outta Here!” offers short weekly conversations for both armchair travels and frequent flyers. Recent topics have touched on visiting Little Women author Louisa May Alcott’s Concord, Mass. home, when travel insurance is worth buying, and Disney trip tips. A year and a ... READ MORE
Beacon Links & Apps – August 2018
Links Helping you help others There are many online fundraising sites today, but CaringCrowd is distinctive because it is solely dedicated to raising money for global public health causes — from projects helping sick moms in Malawi, to repairing children’s hearts in India. More than $900,000 has been pledged to projects so far. Any nonprofit organization can submit a campaign idea... READ MORE
Beacon Links & Apps – June 2018
Links Get on the road The Roadtrippers website shows travelers what lies between point A and point B when they’re on the road. Enter a starting point and a destination, and Roadtrippers will map out the trip, highlighting places of interest — without too much of a detour — that make getting there half the fun. Users can also look for food and hotels on the route, and read about... READ MORE
Beacon Links & Apps – May 2018
Leonard Bernstein centennial In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth, the Library of Congress has made available online for the first time musical manuscripts and scrapbooks from the legendary composer’s personal and professional archives housed in the library. The public can now access for free more than 3,700 items — including photos, writings,... READ MORE
