Arrive at airport before international flight

We would expect to see anxiety levels rising during COVID-19, but in fact we first made this observation before the pandemic. Passengers reported that they experience anxiety about getting to the airport on time. They’re anxious about spending time in close proximity with strangers, TSA staff, and the airline crew. There’s anxiety about suitcases being over the weight limit, and about properly emptying their pockets before going through the TSA line. Even after clearing Security, there’s anxiety about boarding the flight and whether there will be room for a carry-on. COVID-19 compounds all these worries, as passengers shuffle through a seemingly motionless queue, struggling to keep a proper social distance. … [Read more...] about Three shockingly obvious ways to make flying less miserable

Today, Systrom says, the company’s mission is “strengthening relationships through shared experiences.” The idea underpinning this goal is that Instagram should offer users a more overt and unvarnished way to connect through the universal language of images—to broadcast moments and not just just-so snapshots. “A lot of times you’re on the way to the airport, or you’re at a campground, and [a photo] doesn’t need to endure, because you’re not actually sharing a photo: You’re just communicating a status update of what you’re doing,” says product manager Stein, who has only been with Instagram since May 2016 but fell in love with the app as one of its original beta testers. “That [emphasis on experiences] wasn’t always clear to us,” Systrom says. “It wasn’t always clear to Facebook. And it wasn’t always clear to the world.” … [Read more...] about How Instagram Changed—Before It Had To

https://wp-cms-fastcompany-com.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/01/i-2b-90596884-230-audio-clips-in-24-countries-what-life-sounds-like-under-lockdown.mp3 https://wp-cms-fastcompany-com.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2021/01/i-3b-90596884-230-audio-clips-in-24-countries-what-life-sounds-like-under-lockdown.mp3 A different perspective What’s clear from the comments made by those submitting, particularly in recordings which reveal previously hidden sounds, is a renewed and affectionate consideration of our sound environment, with mindful reflection and the importance of the listening activity to our well-being. This is borne out by comments from participants: … [Read more...] about 230 audio clips in 24 countries: What life sounds like under lockdown

This approach is the opposite of how most users will approach the system, which is likely with the question, “Where and when can I schedule an appointment?” There is no reason for systems meant to speed the vaccine rollout to slow users down by attempting to collect the amount of information someone might anticipate offering up as a clinical trial participant. That degree of data collection will be impossible for the general population. It is also unnecessary for vaccine recipients beyond healthcare workers. For the general public to consider using it, the system will need to be completely rethought and redesigned. We need to cut out those invasive questions. This is what we have done with contact tracing and exposure notification apps that I (Ramesh) and my team have built for six U.S. states and territories with PathCheck Foundation . … [Read more...] about ‘When can I schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment?’ Why the government can’t answer this simple question

The essential parts of an economy are intertwined by their very nature. There’s no point in having a food market if there are no farmers to supply food. But there’s no point in growing food until there are markets where you can sell it. And what is the right moment to go into the “food transportation” business, carting the freshly harvested produce from the field to the store? We’ve seen this in our own era: What was the point in creating high-speed internet service if there was no content online that required such speeds? Why bother creating YouTube if no one has the bandwidth to watch and upload videos easily? … [Read more...] about Why now is the most exciting time in space in 50 years