Mike's NBC-TV stories

Apps to help with social distancing

As social distancing restrictions continue to generally loosen across the U.S., experts advise people to continue the practice in the near-term.

As PC Mike Wendland reports, using the right app can help you continue safe distancing without losing your connection to others.

Zello turns your smartphone into a walkie-talkie and works anywhere in the world as long as you are connected to the internet. The push-to-talk app lets you create groups that can include literally hundreds of family, friends, or collaborators — or use it for one-on-one communication. The app is free for iOS and Android.

Nextdoor is a great way to stay connected to your neighborhood. Many people are using it these days to recommend places to get food, but it has many other uses, too. For example, many use it to buy and sell stuff — kind of like a virtual garage sale. The app is free for iOS and Android.

Houseparty makes connecting face-to-face effortless, alerting you when your friends are “in the house” and ready to chat so you can jump right into the conversation. The same goes for you opening the app because your friends will know you’re in the app and ready to chat, so they can join you. The app is free for iOS and Android.

Mike is a veteran journalist whose video "PC Mike" reports have been distributed weekly to all 215 NBC-TV stations since 1994, making him one of the most experienced tech reporters in the country. His tech stories and videos have appeared on MSNBC, CNBC, the Today Show, The New York Times, USA Today and in numerous national newspapers and magazines. In addition to the PC Mike tech blog, he also publishes the Roadtreking.com RV Travel Blog in which he travels North America in an RV reporting about interesting people and places.