With the COVID-19 pandemic spreading all over the globe, many people are opting to work from the comfort and safety of their homes. With over 780,000 confirmed infected cases with the virus globally, companies are closing their working quarters to help to reduce the spread of the virus.

(source: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/).

Working from home can be tough, challenging, not to mention boring. There are some tools, though you can rely on to make your working from home time more productive, and slightly more fun. Here, we are going to demonstrate some of these tools that you can use.

First, let us start by talking about some applications that would make your life easier.

Applications you can use to work from home

DingTalk

DingTalk is an all-in-one mobile workplace app. It was developed by the Alibaba Group. Founded in 2014, DingTalk became the world's largest management and communication application in China. DingTalk has over 120 million active users. DingTalk supports both iOS and Android platforms. In addition, it is compatible with Mac OS and Windows.

DingTalk offers tons of features that are very important for any organization:

• It provides an all-messaging platform, including text messaging, voice messaging. Moreover, it supports sending pictures and video files.
• All organizational contacts. This is a feature that collects all of the enterprise contacts into one online platform, making reaching any of those contacts within a click of a button.
• It supports up to 30 parties' conference calls.
• DingTalk provides the employer with the ability to track internal workflow like employee leaves, travel applications, and reimbursement via the SmartWork OA platform.
• It provides the employer with records that can be summed up and exported to any format.
• It provides great security to its users, as DingTalk is the first Chinese app to obtain the ISO/IEC 27001:2003.

Zoom

You probably have heard of this application before. With the coronavirus lockdown in place throughout most of the world, the Zoom app is on almost every laptop, pc, and mobile phone. Zoom is a video conferencing app that is web-based. It allows its users to connect throughout all platforms and devices. In 2020, Zoom is one of the most secure applications on the market and is used widely by governments all over the globe. Since it is a cloud-based application, the amount of strain the application put on your devices is of a minimum value.

Zoom packs up some very useful features including:

• Online one-on-one meetings. This feature is available in all subscriptions including the free plan.
• Group video callings. Zoom can host up to 500 different participants in one single video conference.
• Screen live to share. Which is a very useful feature if you are an online tutor. It allows you to share your screen activity with your students and other participants.

Zoom offers several plans that suit every person and budget. You can choose the plan that best suits you and subscribe to it.

Zoom is compatible with Windows, Mac OS, Android, and iOS. It even works on Linux.

Pointofix

Pointofix is the perfect application for you if you are going to be giving a presentation. Whether you are going to give a business or an educational presentation; Pointofix is your perfect application. Pointofix is a free license application for Windows that lets you optimize a series of top-notch features to be used while you are giving your presentation. These features and tools allow the program to be on the top of the list for online sharing applications.

Of the features PointoFix provides:

• It allows the presenter to draw directly on the screen while he/she is giving a presentation.
• It supports a wide range of file types including, PowerPoint, PDF, and web presentation software.
• It allows the presenter to save all of the changes that were done live on the presentations.

For people who need to give presentations a lot, PointoFix is the perfect online solution for them.

Devices you can use to work from home

Parblo A610 Pro graphics tablet

With a price of only $79.99, the Parblo A610 Pro graphics tablet is one of the best devices there is on the market. Record anything you create anytime, anywhere. The Parblo A610 Pro supports Android OS. It features many advantages that made it one of the best graphics tablets on the market.

The Parblo A610 Pro features:

• 8,192 different levels of pressure sensitivity. This allows you to paint the most exquisite lines you ever think about easily.
• It has a stylus, which is battery-free for extreme mobility.
• It has a 10.6 inches working area.
• It supports the 60 degrees tilt function for smoother drawing experience.
• It has one dial ring and eight different customizable express keys.
• It supports all platforms and operating systems. (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux).
• It is compatible with much high-end software like Photoshop, SAI, Painter, Illustrator, Clip Studio, Krita, and Final Cut.

The Parblo A610 Pro--offers the best experience an artist can ever get.

With a price of only $29.99, the Parblo A640 graphics tablet is one of the most affordable tablets on the market in 2020. It comes in both black and green colors. The Parblo A640 graphics tablet has a 6''x4'' drawing area. The Parblo A640 graphics tablet features:

• It has the thinnest design on any graphics tablets, with a thickness of only 5.2 mm.
• It comes equipped with four customizable express keys.
• It comes equipped with a smart battery pen that has 8,192 different pressure points.

Parblo Mast13 graphics monitor

This is by far one of the best graphics monitor globally. With a price of just $299, The Mast13 graphics monitor is an affordable choice for all artists out there. The Mast 13 graphics monitor comes equipped with tons of features that arguably make it one of the best graphic monitors on the market in 2020. Some of the features it has are:

• It has a 13.3 inch IPS LCD display.
• It has a resolution of 1920*1080.
• The monitor can reach up to 88% NTSC color gamut.
• It has OGS full lamination technology.
• It comes equipped with a battery-free pen that has 8,192 pressure sensitivity points.
• It comes with a USB Type-C port, which is the most convenient option on the market now.
• It has a wear-resistance back made of Aluminum.
• It has six different customizable express keys.
• It supports all platforms. (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux)

Some tips to help you work from home

• Create a working schedule and adhere strictly to it.
• Communicate with your customers or boss. Be Transparent and state all the facts. Remember, in these times transparency is the key to success.
• If you have children, teach them that your working area is a prohibited area, and teach them to respect your time while working.
• Do not forget to take breaks and stretch every hour or an hour and a half.
• If your partner also works from home, it is recommended that you work at the same time. That way you can both relax together.
• If you have children, alternate shifts with your partner. Try working early in the morning while your partner takes care of the kids, then alternate and you take care of the kids while your partner works in the afternoon.

Finally, we would like to say that these are hard times, however, it will not last forever. The most important thing to remember is to always be safe, wash hands, and have a positive attitude.