The Daily Valet. - 1/22/21, Friday

✔️ A New National Plan

Friday, January 22nd Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Will we ever see the new James Bond film? Asking for myself.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

Biden’s National COVID Plan

He warns, it will take months ‘for us to turn things around’ on the pandemic

The United States lost more than 23,000 lives to COVID-19 last week, setting a record for the third week in a row. Case counts remain shockingly high. In order to tackle such an epic problem, President Biden spent his first full day in office seeking to assert leadership over the pandemic with a national plan.

According to the New York Times, Biden signed a string of executive orders and presidential directives on Thursday aimed at creating the kind of centralized authority that the previous administration had shied away from.

The orders included new requirements for masks on interstate planes, trains and buses; mandatory quarantines for international travelers arriving in the United States and the creation of a national testing board, along with a reduction of the out-of-pocket costs incurred by states as they combat the pandemic.

Biden has also advocated for expanding the use of the Defense Production Act to produce more material for personal protection equipment and vaccine distribution. He described his approach as a “full-scale wartime effort,” reports the Washington Post. He also pledged National Guard and FEMA support.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser for the coronavirus, made it clear how difficult the task would be. Appearing in the White House briefing room for the first time since November, he warned that while the current vaccines still work against the new variants, the immune response they induce might be slightly diminished, he said, adding even more urgency to quickly vaccinating people. And a reminder to wear masks.

“The experts say by wearing a mask from now until April, we’d save more than 50,000 lives going forward,” Biden said. “50,000 lives. So I’m asking every American to mask up for the next 100 days.” It couldn't come at a better time, as vaccine shortages effect large parts of the country. Regardless of politics, we can all hope that control of the pandemic improves with a new approach by the federal government.

↦ Dig Deeper: Take a closer look at the wide-ranging executive orders, which push federal agencies, private industry, and U.S. residents to act to slow the spread of the disease.

Alphabet Is Shutting Down Loon

The high-flying internet balloons come to an end

Google's parent firm, Alphabet, is done exploring the idea of using a fleet of balloons to beam high-speed internet into remote parts of the world, reports Tech Crunch.

The company said on Thursday evening that it was winding down Loon, a nine-year-old project, after failing to find a sustainable business model and partners for one of its most prominent moonshot projects.

Astro Teller, who leads the X moonshot division, wrote in the company blog that they were able to accomplish "many things previously thought impossible, like precisely navigating balloons in the stratosphere, creating a mesh network in the sky, or developing balloons that can withstand the harsh conditions of the stratosphere for more than a year."

It's unfortunate as it is surprising. Just last year, Loon had secured approval from the government of Kenya to launch its first balloons that would provide commercial connectivity services. But the idea of airborne internet isn't lost. Both SpaceX and Amazon are currently hovering in the space as well.

↦ Meanwhile: Google has threatened to pull the search engine in Australia.

Apple Is Working On VR Headsets

Probably a niche device, and it’ll likely be expensive

Apple is reportedly working on a VR headset that will include a fabric design, a fan, and an expensive price tag. Bloomberg reports that Apple’s first VR headset may launch as soon as 2022 as a standalone device that operates through batteries, similar to the Oculus Quest 2.

From a tech design perspective, the most notable detail in the report is that Apple's latest VR prototypes have "removed the space VR gadgets usually reserve for users who need to wear eyeglasses." That could help avoid some of the "ski goggle" bulk usually associated with the "eyebox" on most current headsets.

The company has faced challenges in the development of this headset, with some prototypes ending up too big and heavy. Apple is reportedly using a fabric exterior to reduce the headset weight, but the company is also using a fan—an unusual move for Apple given its reputation for fan-less design. In any case, Apple's decision to purchase sports-and-events-focused firm NextVR last year suggests the company's VR and AR ambitions are pretty ambitions.

↦ FYI: The headset (codename N301) will reportedly have its own App Store, which will include games, video streaming software, and applications for virtual meetings.

A Slew of Movies Just Got Delayed. Again.

No Time to Die was originally slated for April 2020

I'm sorry to report that the latest James Bond film No Time To Die is once again pushing back its release date amid the ongoing pandemic and widespread theater closures in many major markets around the globe, reports the Hollywood Reporter.

Daniel Craig's last appearance as 007 will now premiere on October 8th. It joins other spring and early summer tentpoles such as the Uncharted movie, the Venom sequel, Top Gun and Ghostbusters: Afterlife which will now be released later in the year or early 2022.

Bond was the big film whose third delay was enough to force theater chains Regal and Cineworld to close all of their U.S. and U.K. locations. It was originally slated for April 2020, then kept getting pushed back—if you're counting, this news marks the fourth delay.

According to The Verge, AMC has warned investors that it's about to run out of money, and other theaters also might not survive past the middle of 2021. So the Bond franchise moving to the end of the year is not a good sign.

↦ FYI: The Ringer compiled all the delayed movies of 2020, and ranked them by their trailers.

In Other News

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Nike’s war on fakes

Lantern festivals

Riz Ahmed

Lean Into Idleness

Do nothing, and do it with purpose

Being busy and overworked has been worn like a badge of honor for years. One thing the pandemic taught a lot of people was the importance of slowing down and staying put. Recently, I read about niksen, the Dutch concept of doing nothing, and thought about how we've all become masters of it while sheltering in place.

But to truly master niksen—which most closely translates as “nothing-ing” in Dutch—you've got to be more intentional about your idleness. You see, doing nothing does not mean wasting time. And that's what the culture of busyness has made us think.

Carolien Hamming is the managing director of CSR Centrum, a Dutch coaching center that helps clients manage stress and recover from burnout. She says when we're all so used to doing something at all times, it's a real challenge to sit and do nothing. And even in the Netherlands, niksen was historically dismissed as laziness or as the opposite of being productive, until it was proven to reduce the stress associated with our over-active lives.

Not into meditation? No problem. This is much better suited for you because instead of trying to focus your attention, you just let go and relax. You don't have to concentrate or channel your thoughts. You simply stop what you're doing and lean into the idleness. Allow us to walk you through the process.

↦ Read: Learn how to do nothing ... and get a whole lot from it.

What We’re Buying

Abercrombie & Fitch Classic Wool-Blend Topcoat

The timeless topcoat is a staple wardrobe piece that can get unreasonably priced very quickly. Abercrombie & Fitch, under creative director Aaron Levine, has stepped up in their classic menswear offerings. This overcoat is a handsome three-button style that is tailored for a modern fit and comes in five colorways (including two plaid options). Toss it over a hoodie with jeans or a proper suit, because it will work well with both.

↦ Get It $240 / $96 at Abercrombie & Fitch