The Daily Valet. - 5/6/22, Friday

✔️ Ditch Your Passwords

Friday, May 6th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Do you have a lawn? Could you go a month without mowing it?

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Ready to Ditch Your Passwords?

Some of tech’s biggest names are ready for a future without passwords

Did you know that yesterday was World Password Day? Of course you didn’t. You, like everyone else, were probably preoccupied with Cinco de Mayo and who can blame you? Not me. But this other holiday was created by Intel in 2013 to encourage people to better secure their online accounts.

Why? Because despite years of warnings, experts say most people are still using weak passwords to protect even their most sensitive information. But in today’s world of online work, school, shopping, healthcare, and almost everything else, keeping our accounts secure is more important than ever.

Passwords are not only hard to remember and keep track of, but they’re also one of the most common entry points for attackers. Did you know there are 921 password attacks every second—nearly doubling in frequency over the past 12 months?

But we might have come one step closer to passwords being a thing of the past. In a joint effort, tech giants Apple, Google and Microsoft announced Thursday that they have committed to building support for passwordless sign-in across all of the mobile, desktop and browser platforms that they control in the coming year.

According to The Verge, this means that passwordless authentication will come to all major device platforms in the not too distant future: Android and iOS mobile operating systems; Chrome, Edge and Safari browsers; and the Windows and macOS desktop environments.

Google detailed a passwordless login process that will let users choose their phones as the main authentication device for apps, websites and other services. Unlocking the phone with whatever is set as the default action—entering a PIN, drawing a pattern or using a fingerprint—will then be enough to sign in. It’s made possible through the use of “a unique cryptographic token called a passkey” shared between your phone and the website. So you still have to prove your identity to access your accounts and information. But at least you wouldn’t have to bother with an endless string of unique eight-character (or longer) passwords, right?

↦ Meanwhile: Google Assistant can now automatically change passwords.

Stock Market Whiplash

Stocks slide Thursday, erasing Wednesday’s big gains, as volatility continues to reign

Stocks dove on Thursday, erasing gains from their best day since 2020 in a swing that highlights Wall Street's heightened anxiety over what the Federal Reserve's campaign to slow inflation will mean for the economy.

What does this mean? Axios says that volatility, absent last year, is back this year and here to stay. The stock market's pendulum swings—which have become more dramatic than usual—prove that the debate over the fate of the economy is far from settled.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Big Tech (namely Apple and Meta) had a huge impact on the losses. Tesla dropped 8.3%, Amazon fell 7.6% and even bank stocks, a key indicator of economic expectations, dropped 2.7%. E-commerce giants Etsy, eBay and Shopfiy spooked investors when they cautioned growth would be slowing.

Investors are worried that the combination of rising prices and rising interest rates will hit consumer spending, corporate profits and economic growth. In between bouts of panic, glimmers of good news like upbeat corporate earnings reports or reassuring economic data have resulted in big rallies. So in many ways we have reverted to normal.

↦ FYI: Cryptocurrency prices slid Thursday along with major stock market indexes. Of the top 30 cryptocurrencies listed by CoinDesk, 29 were down on the day.

Partner

Losing your hair can be scary. But you don't have to feel powerless. Here's how you regain control.

No Mow May?

Can you actually do more by doing less?

It's like Movember, but for your grass ... No Mow May, a movement that began in the United Kingdom and is now rapidly spreading throughout the United States. By participating, you'll spend less time, money and energy on your lawn while helping to improve the planet.

According to Bee City USA, the nonprofit that oversees No Mow May here in the States, mowing your lawn less creates a welcome habitat for the abundance and diversity of wildlife including bees and other pollinators.

An initial study of unmowed yards in 30 cities in the Midwest discovered a fivefold increase in the number of bees, and they're very hungry this time of year.

And while you're definitely saving time and gas by not mowing for a few weeks, you'll also save water. By reducing the frequency in which you mow, your lawn actually becomes more resilient to drought. Just make sure to tell your neighbors about your plans to avoid any dirty looks or citations from your city or homeowner's association.

↦ FYI: There are somewhere around 40 million acres of lawn in the lower 48 states, according to a NASA estimate derived from satellite imaging.

A Weekend Pairing

‘Doctor Strange’ + a Rock & Rye cocktail

Most of Marvel Studios' movies are meant to be (at least somewhat) accessible regardless of how much familiarity you have with the larger Cinematic Universe or the comics a film is loosely based on. To a certain extent, this is also true of director Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, out today. But the crossover event-style film goes all-in on the concept of alternate universes.

But several media outlets have offered primers on what you need to know before seeing it, so that speaks to the complexity. Vulture wasn't impressed. The Verge got lost in the middle but seemed to enjoy most of it. The Hollywood Reporter said that while the film is unsatisfying in some respects, it offers enough fun to “make one wish for a portal to a variant universe in which Marvel movies spent more time exploiting their own strengths and less time trying to make you want more Marvel movies.”

↦ Your Pairing:Slow & Low is a modern update to the historic category of Rock & Rye. A combination of 84 proof Straight Rye Whiskey, a pinch of rock candy and the additions of raw honey, navel oranges and most importantly, Angostura bitters, this is a tasty canned cocktail that’d be easy to sneak into a theater.

In Other News

↦ Magic Johnson Reportedly Joins Team Bidding for Denver Broncos

↦ This High Schooler Invented a Low-Cost, Mind-Controlled Prosthetic Arm

↦ 15 Stars Who Belong on Your Movie-Going Radar This Summer

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Canceling plans

Discontinued cars

What does “all-American” mean?

Partner

Worried About Hair Loss?

It’s not just vanity. It’s a self esteem issue.

The stats are pretty serious. According to the American Hair Loss Association, two-thirds of American men will experience some degree of hair loss in their lifetime, with 85% of men “significantly thinning” by the age of 50. And nearly 25% of men start losing hair before they reach the age of 21. Which means this is a nearly universal experience, but it doesn't make it any easier.

Many people feel that a retreating hairline often contributes to a man looking older. This seemingly small change can cause a dramatic loss in confidence and lead to deeper mental health issues. Researchers have found that hair loss can lead to a general feeling of being unattractive and even, in some extreme cases, it can lead to a body dysmorphic disorder where a person has overwhelming anxiety about their looks. Another study found that hair loss directly affects symptoms of depression, such as loss of self-confidence, low self-esteem and heightened self-consciousness. When this happens, nearly every aspect of your personal and professional life is touched. And much of the anxiety revolves around feeling powerless. But there are ways you can take control of the situation.

Hims, the modern wellness brand, offers a direct-to-consumer approach to men's health. They've got a range of solutions for the often embarrassing concerns that men typically eschew going to the doctor for—from hair loss and erectile dysfunction to mental health. Herewith, their proven regimen to help you tackle hair loss and the mental health concerns that come with it.

Want to ensure healthier, fuller hair? Then you want this kit. It starts with finasteride (which has been shown to effectively help hair regrowth in about 85% of men). Thick Fix shampoo is formulated with saw palmetto to cleanse buildup, unblock follicles, and stimulate strands. And the delicious biotin gummies provide a delicious dose of vitamin B7 (an essential building block for thick hair, strong nails, and healthy skin).

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If you’re feeling anxious, defeated or simply not like yourself, there are treatments that can be personalized to support you and fit your specific needs. Complete an online mental health assessment and answer a few questions from your licensed healthcare provider. The service comes with unlimited check-ins and dosage adjustments without the need to visit a doctor’s office.

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