Beacon Links & Apps – April 2018
Edgar Allan Poe monthly podcast
WYPR in Baltimore will air the first in a series of new podcasts by the National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre on the Air on Tuesday, April 17, with its production of “The Tell-Tale Heart.”
The series features fresh, 20- to 30-minute podcast adaptations of the best-known works of Edgar Allan Poe, including “The Black Cat,” “Berenice” and “The Cask of Amontillado.” Musical underscore and sound effects add even more suspense to the stirring character accounts.
Each episode guides listeners through a figurative mental hospital, where each cell houses Poe protagonists who are waiting to thrill audiences with dramatic re-tellings of familiar stories. The program will air every month using a team of performing artists from the Baltimore metro area.
http://www.poetheatre.org
Why address hearing loss early?
Signia has created a video series exposing the lost opportunities and connections caused by waiting too long to address hearing loss.
The “It’s Your Choice” video series follows three individuals who decide to take a proactive approach to resolving their hearing loss and the emotional journey it takes them on.
The average person waits nearly seven years from the onset of hearing loss until they seek help, and the video indicates that those who wait too long not only delay enjoyment of better hearing, but also expose themselves to a variety of health risks.
Nearly 48 million people are affected by hearing loss in the U.S., and this video project was designed to raise awareness of hearing loss and the risks associated with waiting to address it. Hearing aids are a proposed solution for this common problem.
http://www.signiausa.com/itsyourchoice
Digital time capsule for family memories
Have you ever wondered what your mom’s family heirloom meant to her now that she’s gone? Now there’s a way to pass that kind of information down to future generations using a free app.
The Imbueapp is an iOS app (compatible with Apple products) that identifies photos, antiques and heirlooms, and turns them into digital time capsules. Using a smartphone camera image, Imbueapp captures your precious items and remembers them using machine learning from Google Cloud’s Vision API.
Users can add audio or video to the items, explaining where they came from, who they belonged to, and why they are special. Examples include books, old photos, jewelry, blocks, sheet music and more.
The app uses cloud storage and the Google recognition software to connect the item and its description permanently so that others can identify your family treasures and the stories associated with them.
With a “pay forward” account, your memories are preserved in the cloud for a generation (for now, 25 years), so you can be certain the memories will live on. This service starts at $17.99 for up to five items.
Imbueapp is free in the Apple App Store.
Senior discounts app
Restaurants, grocery stories and movie theaters often offer senior discounts, but it can be embarrassing to have to ask for them.
So Big Book Apps, LLC has created an app called Senior Discounts Free to show a wide range of discounts at the touch of a button. Users can search through the comprehensive database by category and filter by age, since some discounts are offered to those 55 and older, while others are only offered to 62+ or 65+, etc.
Once you find a deal you’re interested in, simply click it for more information on how to get access to it.
Senior Discounts Free is free and available in both the Google Play and Apple Stores. (Based on the reviews, the app works much better on Android devices.)
Old-timey radio
If you miss good old-fashioned radio, Old Time Radio 24 is an app where you can stream the sounds of yesteryear. The app has over 35 old radio stations playing your favorite hits from the 1920s, 50s and 70s.
You can listen uninterrupted in the background while you use other apps or if your phone screen is in locked mode.
Examples of radio shows include “21st Precinct,” “Abbott and Costello,” “Adventures by Morse” and more.
Old Time Radio 24 is available for free in the Apple Store.