Zoom is Giving Fandoms a New Place to Hang
Nancy
A slow song comes on, and phone flashlights light up across a series of Zoom tiles, swaying like they would at a concert.
In a way, these fans are at a concert, but this is a virtual one on Zoom, with over 200 people all listening to the same songs together from their own rooms. The 5 Seconds of Summer songs cut in and out, getting fuzzy, distorted, muted, and blaring as fans wave their arms, mouth the words, dance along, or just scroll through their phones. Although the members of 5 Seconds of Summer aren’t scheduled to be on the call, their faces appear as Zoom backgrounds, posters hanging on walls, user icons, and, in one case, a mask worn by a fan.
Marie Bouzkova brings ‘Tennis Talk’ to kids on Zoom
Nancy
Bouzkova, who is currently staying indoors in her South Florida training base, was inspired by all the ways her fellow athletes have been engaging with their communities during the pause in professional sports. With many parts of the world still under strict-stay-at-home orders preventing children from playing tennis, the player decided to take her initiative online.
You Can Now Zoom With a Puppet
Nancy
Hopping on a quick Zoom meeting, friend catch-up, family reunion, or gossip sesh?
You’re likely not too nervous or worked up. You know the other people on the Zoom, what topics they’ll likely address, and what you might say, too.
But what if you knew you had a Zoom meeting on your schedule that most definitely had some strings attached?
You might be a little nervous, or jittery, but there’s no need for either emotion. Rather, the chance to Zoom with one of the marionettes from the celebrated Bob Baker Marionette Theater should only fill a potential Zoomer with joy, magic, and delight.
This new and sprightly service is now available, for $150, a fanciful fundraiser for the long-running children’s theater.
Saturday Night Live Season-Finale Recap: SNL Dreams of Life Outside Quarantine
Nancy
The spring of 2020 will go down in the annals with a massive, corona-like asterisk next to it, and the last stretch of SNL season 45 will, too. While Studio 8H remained empty, the final three episodes were prerecorded remotely from the homes of quarantined SNL comics, guest stars, and musicians. Technically, much of it was stripped down, and involved no live audience; most scenes were front-facing monologues or sketches produced using Zoom. Given the limitations of its unusual framework, the show eschewed longer narratives in favor of quick-hit premises or improvisational bits tailored to individual players. The season finale is no different, though with Kristen Wiig as the nominal host, writers found ways to stretch their ideas into slightly larger frameworks.
Virtual Graduation Cold Open
High School Athletes Train Over Zoom Using Creative Strategies
Nancy
There are even fewer excuses not to work out after you hear about what these high school kids thought of.
No two-a-days, no formal weight rooms, no spring training. Not quite. Athletic trainers put the Hoover Bucs through the ringer – through their computers.
“Hoover Football, I was already in the middle of training, and so with them and Hoover Baseball, we said hey, we are doing the Zoom with adults, let’s do this with the athletes,” said Lance Rhodes, Godspeed owner and athletic trainer.
But the playing field wasn’t level for the players at home.
“We coded everything gold, blue, or black – gold meaning you’ve got a full gym, blue meaning you had a couple items like a dumbbell or a kettle bell,” said Rhodes.
And black – that meant you had only what you could work with like shovels, tree branches, and brooms.
“If they had a deck, they were hanging from the stairs of the deck. If they had trees, they were hanging from trees,” laughed Rhodes.
All of Duchess Kate's Best Zoom Looks
Nancy
Just like us, the Royal Family is finding new ways of working during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been taking part in numerous video calls to mark annual occasions such as VE Day, as well as to support charities and awareness weeks, including Mental Health Awareness Week and International Nurses Day.
In true form, the duchess, 38, has continued to recycle her wardrobe throughout lockdown, from re-wearing the red LK Bennett dress she debuted at Wimbledon in 2015, to donning a casual Breton striped top first seen at the King’s Cup Regatta last year.
The mum-of-three has also worn several new items, including a £29.99 jumper from Zara and a Sandro cardigan still available to buy from Selfridges.
Here’s a definitive rundown of the Duchess of Cambridge’s Zoom call outfits.
Zoom with Seattle's Zoo Critters
Nancy
We’ve all seen plenty of dogs and cats wander by or laze about in video conference calls these days. Maybe it’s time to invite an Arctic fox or Chilean flamingo or some other exotic animal or insect — and put more zoo in your Zoom call.
Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle is launching a new program called “Call of the Wild” to encourage people who are holding virtual meetings, happy hours and other online gatherings to invite a furry, feathered or scaly friend.
The non-profit zoo has been closed to the public since early March in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus. Funds are needed to support animal care and veterinary teams which have continued working and supporting nearly 1,000 animals.
San Antonio Zoo offering virtual tours, Zoom appearances
Nancy
The San Antonio Zoo will begin offering visitors and supporters the opportunity to get virtual behind-the-scenes tours and even birthday messages from the animals.
Virtual behind-the-scenes tours are available starting at $30 and a Zoom link for groups of up to six. Visitors can get an up-close look at the fan-favorite hippos, Timothy and Uma, as well the okapi, giraffes, rhinos and more.
Simpsons Animators Design Zoom Backgrounds
Nancy
You’d be hard-pressed to find a franchise more iconic — and with more fans — than The Simpsons, the animated sitcom that’s been on the air for three decades.
Since we all live on video-calls now, we thought we’d get actual Simpsons animators to bless us all with straight-up amazing Zoom backgrounds.
Mashable got in touch with three current or former Simpsons staffers who each took their own approach to the task. Thanks to their creativity you’ll soon be dialing up fans from a Zoom-version of Moe’s Tavern or with a Simpsons-themed comic background chock-full-of Easter eggs.