The Daily Valet. - 8/3/21, Tuesday

✔️ Olympic-Level Access

August 03, 2021

Tuesday, August 3rd Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

May you find the same joy as these Italian announcers at the Olympics.

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Olympic Access

We could call this the ‘TikTok Games’

The Summer Olympics in Tokyo will continue through the end of the week, but today will be a big day for competition. The final day of gymnastics event finals promises to garner attention as Simone Biles returns after withdrawing from multiple events.

That’s been a big storyline reported on NBC and in the media over the past week, but it’s certainly not the only one. Though it is connected. As Richard Zoglin writes in the Washington Post, “to understand Biles’s decision to step back from much of the competition at the Games, it's hard to ignore the elephant in the room: the orgy of hype, hero worship and home-team hyperventilating that has come to define NBC’s coverage of the Olympics.”

That lopsided coverage left me searching for more. And some of the most interesting content Olympic fans (like myself) have consumed so far has been through social media. Namely YouTube, Instagram and, of course, TikTok.

With crowds prohibited, and the entire thing looking a little dystopian and eerie thanks to strict COVID protocols, the ingenious young athletes who have traveled from across the world to compete are managing to show what life is really like—both in and out of the infamously horny Olympic Village—on their own terms.

“Accept it: The Olympics are a reality TV show,” according to Glamour’s Jenny Singer. “And TikTok has allowed athletes to do the only thing braver and more patriotic than winning gold medals: content creation.”

She makes a really valid point: Instead of experiencing the Olympics “through the lens of big TV networks,” anyone with a phone or a laptop has been able to watch this unique experience through the eyes of the athletes—thanks to these mesmerizing snippets of video posted to social media.

↦ By the Numbers: Hashtag #OlympicVillage has over 150 million views on TikTok currently, while #Tokyo2020 has more than two billion.

U.S. Hits Its Vaccination Goal

But it’s a month later than Biden had hoped

The United States on Monday finally reached President Biden’s goal of having 70% of eligible adults at least partly vaccinated—a few weeks after of his goal of July 4th.

There was was no celebration at the White House on Monday, nor a setting of a new target, as the administration instead struggles to overcome skepticism and outright hostility to the vaccine, especially in the South and other rural and conservative areas.

But thankfully, the pace of vaccinations is rising again as the delta variant drives a new, dangerous surge in coronavirus cases across the country. CDC data shows nearly 800,000 shots were recorded nationwide on Sunday, the highest single-day total in weeks.

Unfortunately, the number of new daily coronavirus cases is also on the rise in the U.S. More than 100,000 new cases were recorded on Friday, for the first time since February. Experts hope the Delta surge in the U.S. mirrors those seen in India and Europe, where cases peaked and then declined quickly.

Partner

Need a confidence boost? Try one of these good-for-you fragrances that help feed your skin while making you smell great.

Update Your Apple Device Right Now

You don’t wanna sit this one out

If you haven't checked for updates on your iPhone and iPad in a while, today is a good day to do that, because Apple rather quietly released an important security fix.

According to InsideHook, what looks like a typical and boring update to your Apple gear (iOS 14.7.1 and iPadOS 14.7.1) actually contains a fix for a security vulnerability.

ZDNet reports that security researcher Saar Amar, who discovered this vulnerability several months ago, has detailed this bug and how bad guys can exploit it. You can read the gory details here.

But Forbes breaks it down like this: “What Saar discovered is a memory corruption issue in the IOMobileFrameBuffer … which meant hackers could use it to execute malicious code on an iPhone or iPad.” Which is all we need to hear, right?

↦ Meanwhile: There is also an update for your Apple Watch as well.

Are Airports Getting Better?

The pandemic presented an opportunity to innovate ...

Is it possible to travel stress-free these days? Considering the uncertainty that still looms large throughout the world, it may be difficult—perhaps impossible—to travel without feeling some degree of anxiety.

Surely, our airport experience could be better, right? As any international traveler knows firsthand, U.S. airports have long lagged behind their foreign counterparts in both aesthetic appeal and the amenities they offer.

However, one of the rare silver linings of the pandemic pause in traveling is that it gave domestic airports a chance to up their game—and become world-class gateways in their own right, reports Afar.

In addition to more modern, greener and relaxing interiors, these improvements are getting us faster to the utopian goal of a queue-less airport. Pandemic travel upped our demand for self-service and contactless options—which means the end result is that fewer people will have to line up to interact with a human being.

↦ FYI: U.S. airports collectively lost $40 billion in revenue during the past year, according to Airports Council International.

In Other News

↦ YouTube Tests a Cheaper Premium Lite Subscription Tier

↦ Lindsey Graham 1st Vaccinated Senator to Test Positive for COVID-19

↦ Did TV Marriage Destroy Our Sex Lives?

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The future of American prep

Whipped lemonade

Waking up early

Partner

A Fresh Take on Cologne

These aren’t your average fragrances. They’re better in a myriad of ways.

There's a lot to be said for smelling good. You get a boost of confidence and who doesn't like the compliments? But a lot of fragrances these days can feel a little, well, heavy-handed. Personally, I like smelling fresh but not like I'm trying to smell like a noxious cologne ad in a magazine.

You could say I want something a bit more subtle and sophisticated. Which is what I really appreciate about Pheroe. They've created a range of colognes that are designed specifically for daily wear, cleverly packaged for guys on the go. Lighter and more approachable than standard spritzes, Pheroe's rollerballs make targeted applications easy—no overdoing here.

What's more, the formula's utilizes natural oils such as nutrient-rich jojoba and skin-soothing marula to literally feed your skin. But what does it smell like, right? Well, my favorite is the Ocean—a shower-fresh clean scent that's warmed with sandalwood but balanced out with a light grassy touch of lavender and crisp citrus. But the Savannah, with its darker, earthy notes is particularly nice for late-night adventures.

↦ Get It: $28 / $23.80 (with code VALET15) at Pheroe

Shorts Guaranteed to Keep Things Casually Cool

Fatigue short, $110 by General Admission

Sun rays, lazy days and a down-for-whatever attitude ... Summer 2021 is holding strong, and your shorts game should be, too. Heavy jeans and work pants can wait until fall—right now, take the opportunity to let the legs breathe, free and uncovered like they should be. Browse our selections of the best pairs of casual shorts for optimal summer socializing below.