Posted on January 2, 2018
5 Apps That Will Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
5 Apps That Will Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
New Year’s Resolutions? Meh. What’s the point?
According to this psychologist, 80 percent of our resolutions fail by the first week in February.
But you may be overlooking an important ally that can help to keep you on track for a healthier, happier year: your phone.
Today’s phone apps are smarter and more sophisticated than ever. And while they can’t actually go to the gym or meditate for you, they can provide (almost) effortless accountability.
Here are five awesome goal-setting apps that give you tips and help you keep your new year resolution.
(Standard disclaimer: App creators’ views and values are their own and are not endorsed by CREDO Mobile. Before downloading any app, please confirm that it meets your personal standards for corporate ethics and protection of privacy.)
1. HabitBull
Resolution: Create a new habit or break a bad one
Want to eat healthier, exercise more, or learn a new language? How about stop eating processed foods, give up negative self-talk, or stop watching more than two hours of TV a night?
It all sounds great except for one thing – creating new habits, or breaking bad ones, can be painful if not impossible.
Enter HabitBull. Based on Jerry Seinfeld’s productivity secret and The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, this app takes quite a bit of the agony out of building new habit or breaking a bad one.
HabitBull creates a sort of game out of habit tracking, and can track up to 100 habits (one is plenty for me!) each with their own calendar and reminders.
FREE, in-app products $3.49 – $62; available for iOS and Android. Prent Company: App Holdings
2. Countable
Resolution: Fight for change in Washington
One of the most effective ways you can participate in federal policy making is to actively lobby your Congressperson.
While pestering your reps isn’t a magic bullet, it does make a difference. This is especially true when impassioned citizens mobilize in shock-and-awe numbers.
A notable beneficiary of this approach is the Affordable Care Act. As of this writing, it’s still with us, thanks in large part to the lobbying of millions of concerned citizens.
For help staying on top of the issues that matter most to you, check out Countable. You can set this clever little app to send you legislative alerts on issues you care about, including social justice, education, immigration and more.
When an alert catches your eye, simply tap a button to email or call your representative. (Pro tip: don’t just leave a comment on the app. According to Capitol Hill staffers, mere comments rarely reach the legislators.)
Countable also alerts you immediately when one of your representatives casts a vote — which can provide valuable ammunition for future lobbying and social activism.
FREE, available for iOS and Android
3. Headspace
Resolution: Live more mindfully and enjoy the moment
OK, I just did a one-minute mini exercise with Headspace. So now watch me write freely, joyfully, and with focus. (Wait, where did I put the shopping list?)
Kidding aside, daily meditation is one of the best things you can do for yourself in our relentlessly busy culture.
Just a few minutes in the morning can set the tone for your whole day. It can also relieve stress and even help you sleep better.
The best thing is, you don’t have to be a total Zen master to benefit. The Headspace app makes getting started with mindfulness as easy as binge-watching Netflix (but far more productive).
The free version of the app includes a “Basics” pack of ten meditations for beginners. None of these runs longer than ten minutes, which makes it easy to squeeze mindfulness practice between your morning coffee and commute.
Users can unlock additional meditation packs with a paid subscription. These include themed packs (sports, creativity, kids) and those geared to certain life challenges (anxiety, sleep, pain management).
And while competition is so not the point, the perfectionist in me was thrilled when Headspace tracked my meditation stats for me.
FREE and PAID versions, available for iOS, Android, and Amazon
4. TaskRabbit
Resolution: Spend more time with your loved ones
Would you rather play outside with your kids than drive across town to pick up your dry cleaning? Well, now you can have someone else do the legwork for you.
TaskRabbit connects you with local, background-checked “taskers” who can help with shopping, cleaning, yard work, and even putting together your IKEA furniture.
Founder Leah Busque conceived the idea when she had to choose between going out to dinner with her husband and running to the store for dog food. She envisioned her company as a community of neighbors helping neighbors.
As a taskmaster (my word, not the app’s), you can choose your own assistant from a list of profiles. Or for a slightly higher hourly rate, you can have TaskRabbit handle the booking for you.
Quotes for a quick dry cleaning pickup and delivery in my area ranged from $20 to $35, with one of the taskers working exclusively by bicycle. So there’s the option to reduce carbon emissions while spending precious moments with your loved ones.
TaskRabbit currently operates in 39 U.S. metro areas and London.
FREE (um, the app, not the tasks), available for iOS, Android, and your desktop computer.
5. Sleep Cycle alarm clock
Resolution: Sleep better and wake up refreshed
There’s nothing more miserable (OK, almost nothing) than being wrenched from a deep sleep by your alarm. Especially if you fell into bed just four hours before!
Well guess what? That never needs to happen again thanks to Sleep Cycle alarm clock.
Most sleepers cycle through periods of light and deep sleep several times a night. Sleep Cycle alarm clock allows you to set your alarm for a 30-minute interval. The app then wakes you when you’re sleeping lightly, leaving you alert and refreshed.
It also displays your sleep cycles graphically. To really weird yourself out, check out the graph after a night of boozing it up. Scary!
Sleep Cycle alarm clock can track your movements with either your phone’s accelerometer or microphone. (The latter works better if you are sharing are bed.) Whichever option you choose, it’s important to position the phone correctly. The app provides detailed instructions.
After you use Sleep Cycle alarm clock for several nights, it will start giving you personalized sleep quality scores. I’ll admit I’m totally obsessed with this part. It definitely encouraged me to go to bed earlier and at the same time each night.
And after a few months of tracking, I finally scored a perfect 100 percent after sleeping in my mom’s quiet condo in the suburbs. (She was very proud.)
FREE, available for iOS and Android
So there you have it — everything you need to bring your New Year’s Resolutions to life (finally). Good luck and happy new year!
Do you use any apps to help you set and track your life goals? Comment below to share.
Posted on December 30, 2017
New video: How CREDO members funded the resistance in 2017
The resistance was strong in 2017 – in no small part because of our amazing CREDO members.
That’s because every month, CREDO donates a portion of its revenue to support progressive causes our members care about, like women’s rights, climate justice and civil rights – at no extra cost.
In 2017 alone, hundreds of thousands of CREDO members helped us decide through their votes how to distribute nearly $2 million to progressive causes fighting back against Trump’s hateful agenda.
From the American Civil Liberties Union and Color Of Change to United We Dream, Planned Parenthood and 350.org, the progressive causes we fund are leading the resistance, and we’re proud to have their backs.
Please take a moment to watch our video about this year’s donations and share with your friends.
Posted on December 26, 2017
Tuesday Tip: How to Update Your Android Phone’s to the Latest Version of the Operating System
Do you ever ask yourself “should I update my device?” The answer is a solid yes. To get the most out of your phone or tablet, you should periodically update your Android phone to the latest version of the operating system. New versions of the OS offer new features, fix bugs and ensure that your device runs smoothly and efficiently. It’s easy to do. And it’s free.
However, you should consider waiting a short while before you download a new OS, because occasionally it will be accompanied by glitches that the OS maker (Apple or Android) will subsequently fix. A new OS may come with a range of issues. It may take hours to download. It might freeze your device. So think about waiting while the kinks get corrected.
Before you update any device, it’s a good idea to backup all your data in case something goes wrong.
Also, make sure your battery is charged before you start or plug your device in while you’re updating. And make sure to download updates while you’re connected to Wi-Fi, because updates are usually quite large.
Updating your Android phone to the latest version
Your device will alert you when there is an update available. It should appear at the top of your screen in the notification bar. In that case, simply pull down the bar and tap the alert to update your device.
If you don’t get a notification to update your Android phone or if you think you might have missed it, go to:
- Settings
- and scroll down to About (or About phone, About device or About tablet, depending on what device you’re using—Android interfaces vary)
- If you don’t see About device (or some variation) tap System. On some Android devices, you’ll see a System updates option in the main Settings menu below About device. If you do see it, tap that instead.
- System updates. (Or Software updates or Download updates manually.)
- Check for update. (Again, the phrasing here may vary, depending on your device.)
- If you’re asked to confirm, tap OK and your device will check for updates. This may take a short while.
- If an update is available, tap Download or Yes and the update will download to your device.
- Tap Install once the update has downloaded.
Your device will restart and begin the update process. It usually takes around 30 minutes to complete.
Apple
Looking to update an Apple device? Check out Apple’s excellent support article Update the iOS on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
Posted on December 19, 2017
Tuesday Tip: How to Use Snapchat
How to use Snapchat
Snapchat. Unless you’re just getting back from a 3-year vacation in the Andromeda Galaxy, you’ve heard of it. The app is the most popular social media site among teenagers and young adults in the U.S.,that is used by almost 80 percent of internet users aged 13 to 24.
But as popular as it is, even many regular users have not mastered all its features. This is partly because Snapchat keeps evolving and adding new functions. It started out as a messaging app you could use to send photos and videos that would self-destruct after 10 seconds – AKA “that app people use for sexting.”
And it still is that. But it’s many other things as well. Snapchat now has a My Story section where you can post photos and videos viewable you and your friends. It has cool filters you can add to your pics. It even has a Bitmoji feature you can use to make emojis out of your own face, so you can express yourself through a cartoon avatar.
But we’re not here to explain all that right now. We’re here to help you get started with Snapchat. From there, you’ll enjoy discovering the app’s many features as you use it.
Sign up
First things first. Download Snapchat from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Once it installs, open it and sign up for an account. You’ll have to enter your email and birthday and create a password.
Then you’ll choose a username or “unique identifier” for your account. This can’t be changed once it’s set, so give it some thought. Your friends will use this username to find you at Snapchat and it will appear beneath your real name in their Snapchat contacts list. (AwesomeUnicornLover? Perhaps not.)
Add friends
Snapchat will ask your permission to access your phone’s contacts list. Grant permission and the app will automatically pull up all your contacts who are also Snapchat users (easy) or you can add them manually (hard). If you do grant access to your contacts, Snapchat will present a list of potential friends and you can add them by tapping their names.
Posted on December 15, 2017
Tuesday Tips: How to check your voicemail from another phone
Have you ever run late in the morning, dash out of the house to catch the train to work, only to realize you’ve forgotten your cell phone? It happens to the best of us! But just because you’re away from your phone, doesn’t mean you have to miss your voice messages.
It’s easy to check voicemail from another phone, either mobile phone or landline. Here’s how.
Posted on December 15, 2017
The Trump Tax Scam is a Huge Threat to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security
Last month, Republicans in both the House and Senate voted for bills that would cut Medicare by $400 billion in the next 10 years. Why make such draconian cuts to the hard-earned benefits of working and middle class Americans? To enact a huge tax giveaway to their billionaire donors.
If you hadn’t heard that Medicare is at risk of huge cuts, that’s because cable news and other corporate media outlets barely talked about that aspect of the bill. Instead of covering how the Tax Scam bill would hurt people, most coverage focused on the horserace politics and prospect of a “win” for Donald Trump and his extreme right-wing Republican lapdogs in Congress.
If the bill passes, their “win” will be the American people’s loss. The Tax Scam bill would trigger PAYGO, an ill-advised law passed in 2010 that requires all increases in the deficit to be offset by cuts to Medicare and other programs, including federal student loans, foster care subsidies and funding for Meals on Wheels. This is not a partisan talking point: The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has announced that, if the Tax Scam is enacted this month, Medicare will be cut by $25 billion in 2018 and $400 billion over the next decade.
To be clear, this means that if a version of the Tax Scam legislation reaches Trump’s desk and he signs it, the law requires these cuts to Medicare. No other vote is required. Congress does have the ability to waive the cuts. But it’s doubtful that Speaker Paul Ryan, who freely admits that he has been dreaming of cutting Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security since he was drinking beer at frat parties, would suddenly decide he wants to help prevent cuts.
Posted on December 14, 2017
Not all telecoms want to destroy the internet
When the Federal Communications Commission meets today to repeal Obama-era regulations that protect net neutrality, the free and open internet as we know it could be drastically transformed. The rules that help preserve the internet as a place where free speech and innovation thrive without interference or censorship by your internet service provider would be replaced with a system that helps a few opportunistic and short-sighted corporations looking for more ways to monetize the internet.
As the CEO of a mobile phone company and wireless service provider that has been fighting to protect net neutrality for more than a decade, I can tell you that strong net neutrality protections are essential to thriving democracies as well as strong businesses – telecoms included.
In 2015, the FCC established strong, enforceable net neutrality rules to regulate broadband, like landline phones, as a public utility. Just like your phone company can’t discriminate or charge you more because of what you believe or say over the phone, classifying broadband under Title II prevents your ISP from picking and choosing what you do online, charging you more for certain content or prioritizing some content over others.
But Donald Trump’s FCC sees it differently. Chairman Ajit Pai, who has ties to the same telecommunications industry eager to profit from the repeal of Title II, claims net neutrality is stifling innovation. Without net neutrality rules, he argues, companies will invest more and the internet economy will grow.
Posted on December 13, 2017
Net Neutrality Posters
Net neutrality is a very personal issue for CREDO. As a mobile phone company that fights for progressive values, we know the importance of protecting the internet and internet users.
For more than a decade, we have been fighting to protect the free and open internet with net neutrality – the principle that internet providers must treat all users’ content equally. In 2015, after we donated over 1 million dollars and hundreds of thousands of CREDO members and millions of others took action to protect the open internet, we scored a huge victory that secured these basic protections for all internet users. No other mobile phone company can claim this victory. In fact, many mobile and internet companies have been actively opposing these important protections.
Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Communications Commission, Ajit Pai, who has close ties to the ISP and telecom industries, is now trying to destroy net neutrality. Defending net neutrality has been a long fight for us, going all the way back to when George W. Bush deregulated broadband and opened the door for big corporations to discriminate on the internet. We’ve taken on both Democrats and Republicans in this flight, and there was an enormous amount of money spent lobbying against us.
Marches and protests are important activism opportunities to get our messages out, and compelling posters with effective visuals can help.
If you don’t have time to make your own poster, you can get one from us. We have designed a range of excellent posters, which are all available for free download. Check them out below. Find your favorite, print it out and hold it high as you march for net neutrality.
Download Your Free Posters
Download When We Are More Free (PDF) – 11×17 in.
Download When We Are More Free (PDF) – 18×24 in.
Posted on December 12, 2017
Tuesday Tip: How to Locate a Lost Android Phone
Tens of millions of phones are lost or stolen each year. If it happens to you, there are steps you can take to find a lost phone or at least prevent your personal information from falling into the wrong hands.
To locate a lost phone, first, enable the find function, so that if your phone really is lost (not buried in your couch) you can see it on a map, play a sound, lock it or erase it. There are different ways of doing this, depending on whether your phone is an Android or iPhone.
We’ll walk you through the basic steps.
Find lost Android phone
If your phone is linked to a Google account (and you’re signed in), Find My Device is on by default. But for the function to work, your phone must:
- Be turned on.
- Be signed into a Google account.
- Be connected to mobile data or Wi-Fi.
- Be visible on Google Play.
- Have Location turned on.
- Have Find My Device turned on.
Is Find My Device switched on? Let’s check.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Security & Location. (If you don’t see Security & Location, tap Google > Security.)
- Tap Find My Device.
- Turn on Remotely locate this device and Allow remote lock and erase.
Is Location switched on?
- Open Settings.
- Tap Security & Location > Location. (If you don’t see Security & Location, tap Location.)
- Turn on Location.
Is your phone visible on Google Play? If it’s not visible, it won’t show up when you try to use Find My Device.
- Go to https://play.google.com/settings/.
- Check the box under Visibility.
Can you find your device? Let’s see.
- Go to android.com/find and sign into your Google account.
If you want to use another Android device to find a lost Android phone, install the Find My Device app on all your devices. You’ll find it at the Google Play store.
OK, so you’ve lost your phone. Now what? You can see it on a map, play a sound, lock it or erase it. Here’s how.
- Go to android.com/find and sign in to your Google account.
- If you have more than one device, click the device that’s lost at the top of the screen.
- You’ll see a map that displays the location of your device. (The location is approximate. If your device can’t be found, you’ll see its last known location, if available.)
- You can click Play Sound and your device will ring at full volume for 5 minutes, even if it’s set to silent or vibrate.
- You can click Enable Lock & Erase. Choose Lock you’ll lock your device with your PIN, pattern or password. If you don’t have one, you can set one at this time. To help someone return your device to you, you can add a message or phone number to the lock screen. Choose Erase and you’ll permanently delete all data on your device. After you erase, Find My Device won’t work on the device anymore.
You can also search “find my phone” at Google and proceed from there.
Here’s Google’s nifty video on how to locate a lost phone:
Posted on December 5, 2017
New video: Stephen Miles of Win Without War visits CREDO headquarters
Stephen Miles, executive director of Win Without War, joined CREDO for a special conversation to discuss how the organization has refocused its efforts since Donald Trump took office. If you missed the live stream, you can watch the full broadcast on our Facebook page or below.
LIVE NOW: Win Without War live at CREDO headquarters
CREDO welcomes Win Without War’s Stephen Miles to discuss how the organization has refocused its efforts since Donald Trump took office.
Posted by CREDO Mobile on Tuesday, December 5, 2017
