The Daily Valet. - 6/22/23, Thursday
✔️ Summer of Steak
Thursday, June 22nd Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
Do you listen to Spotify on your phone or from your computer? Or do you use Apple Music, like me?
Today’s Big Story
The Summer of Steak
Americans are eating more beef than ever and there's now a myriad of ways to eat it
Who doesn't love a good steak? My apologies to vegetarians and vegans ... please feel free to skip down to the rest of the newsletter. But, slicing into the perfectly-seared ribeye at an old-fashioned steakhouse ... it delivers flavor, tenderness and juiciness in a combination equaled by no other meat. It's scientifically proven to bring pleasure. That's because our brains have been hard-wired over the course of thousands of years to savor the taste of beef.And boy, do we. In fact, despite fears of the health consequences of eating red meat in the '80s and '90s and the rise of modern meat alternatives, Americans are back to eating more beef than ever before. Beef is now the best-selling meat in America, and the fastest-growing in terms of sales. Beef sales soared 23.7% year-over-year to $30.6 billion in 2022.Americans eat more beef than any other country. Per capita, we rank just below the Argentinians, who famously love their beef. Just how much are we putting away? The latest estimates are that the average U.S. meat eater consumes a little more than 57 pounds of beef each year.Of course, as some have pointed out, beef is also socially ingrained in American culture—associated with wealth, masculinity, power and independence. For many, especially American men, ordering a good cut of steak is a way to signal prestige and social class, or to celebrate a momentous occasion. Hence, the rise of the steakhouse.According to Robb Report, the precursors to steakhouses as we know them today—chophouses—opened in London in the 1690's, catering more to a working-class clientele. They ventured across the pond to New York City with a similar aim, but in the U.S. there was also the “Beefsteak,” which were big meat-filled banquets that served the upper crust. Eventually, the modern steakhouse debuted, with higher-quality cuts than a chophouse and diners of the same elevated social class as the Beefsteak attendees. Eventually, they spread across the country and cities with meatpacking bonafides like Chicago established their own steakhouse traditions. And today, you've got everything from Michelin-starred eateries to chains like Outback to fast food serving steak. Seriously, Chiptole's steak? Pretty damn good.
Meanwhile:
Meat made from real animal cells, but with no slaughter, will debut in American restaurants after receiving the green light from USDA.
More Ships Join Search for Titanic Submersible
Rescuers Follow Banging Noises in last desperate push as final hours of oxygen tick down
The race against time to find the Titan submersible that disappeared on its way to the Titanic wreckage site entered a new phase of desperation this morning as the final hours of oxygen possibly left on board the tiny vessel ticked off the clock. On Wednesday, rescuers shifted their search to an area where Canadian aircraft detected banging noises underwater.The U.S. Coast Guard said remotely operated vehicles are seeking the source of the sounds, and a team of experts is examining the noises to determine if they might be from the missing vessel. But so far, he said, that analysis has been “inconclusive.” And due to strong currents, the surface search area was vastly expanded to two times the size of Connecticut and the subsurface search was up to 2.5 miles deep.International agencies have sent equipment to the site where they believe the Titan is located, about 900 miles off Cape Cod. And more capable robotics were due to arrive last night. But even those who expressed optimism warned that many obstacles remain: from pinpointing the exact location and reaching it with the right equipment to bringing it to the surface—assuming it's still intact. And all that has to happen before the oxygen supply runs out, which is expected sometime today.
Fact Check:
No, SpaceX isn't responsible for the Titan's communication while underwater.
Did Amazon Trap You Into Prime?
The Federal Trade Commission is pursuing the e-commerce giant over ‘dark patterns’
Well here's some uncomfortable news on the heels of Amazon announcing its new, earlier Prime Day on the way ... The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against the e-commerce giant on Wednesday, alleging that the company tricked millions of customers into enrolling in Prime memberships that were purposefully hard to cancel.The FTC complaint alleges that Amazon used “manipulative, coercive, or deceptive user interface designs known as dark patterns” that it says intentionally confuse customers. Regulators have been pursuing other companies over similar “dark patterns” and last fall, Vonage paid $100M to settle a complaint alleging that the telecommunications company made it difficult for customers to cancel their internet-based phone service.Similarly, the FTC says that the purpose of Amazon's Prime cancellation process was to make it harder—not easier—for customers to cancel their Prime accounts. They also alleged that Amazon's leadership slowed or rejected changes that would have made it easier for users to get rid of Prime. Currently, Prime membership fees account for $25 billion of the company's annual revenue, which was $514 billion in 2022.
Dig Deeper:
What are some examples of dark pattern tactics? Here are a few tricks used to make you do things that you didn't mean to.
Spotify Has a New Look and Feel
There’s a new ‘now playing’ view with access to merch and tour dates
It's probably safe to assume that most Spotify users listen to music on their phones, but a new look is coming for those who navigate to the green desktop icon. There's been criticism that Spotify has really let its desktop app go in recent years, so it's probably time for an overhaul.The company says its aim is to offer easier access to details on the song or podcast you're currently listening to, and give you new ways to organize your playlists and other content. The biggest change you're likely to notice after the update is the Your Library sidebar on the left of the screen. This gives you immediate access to saved music and podcast collections, helping to save time when switching between playlists. You can now collapse the library for a compact view, which is always nice.According to The Verge, the right of the screen now shows the current song or podcast, alongside additional information. This might include tour dates or merch for music artists, or transcripts or episode descriptions of podcasts. The right side of the interface is where Spotify used to show what your friends are listening to, but this is now hidden behind the friends icon on the top right of the screen.
FYI:
At the end of 2022, Spotify had more than 456 million active users worldwide.
In Other News
Experts found several pyramid-like structures in the deserted Maya city.
Have you heard about ...
This Is Your Last Chance to Win
We're Giving away an $800 TITANIUM Apple Watch that's RUGGED, SMART AND STYLISH
Summer is here and with it, comes all sorts of adventures. The kind that come with plenty of sun, sweat and splashes of water. And you need a timepiece that can keep up with you, while also ideally keeping you in the loop with the rest of your everyday life. That's why we love the Apple Watch Ultra.Apple's most rugged smartwatch, it's got a durable yet extremely lightweight titanium case that's waterproof up to 100 meters. Meaning you can even dive wearing this. The flat sapphire crystal not only protects it, but gives the watch a modern look and feel. But our favorite feature is the “action button” in blaze orange that can be customized to control a workout, activate a GPS tracker or even sound an 86-decibel siren. It would usually run you $800, but we've partnered with a few of our favorite brands to give one away to one lucky reader.
Enter Now:
Shopping
What We’re Buying
Affordable sunglasses
If you ask us, any stylish, affordable pair of shades deserve to be celebrated. AIRE is a brand that specializes in modern frames made from recycled materials. They're stylish, surprisingly durable and among some of the most reasonably-priced styles on the market. This pair features an update on a classic keyhole style, with a rounded frame cut from a smoky, transparent polycarbonate. But despite the low cost, they offer full-coverage UV protection and the lenses are polarized for extra glare reduction.
Get It:
Nucleus polarized sunglasses, $49 by AIRE
Morning Motto
Step outta that comfort zone.
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