COVID secure coworking spaces have arrived.

Adult webcam company CamSoda has launched pop-up studios for “cam girls” so they can have a workspace where they don’t have to worry about disturbing roommates or family with their work. potentially loud and erotic.

A trial for the concept was recently opened in Medellin, Colombia, where lockdown orders are still in place. CamSoda took advantage of the hard-hit real estate market and converted one of the city’s many empty warehouses into studios with individual disinfected capsules. Models go through a temperature check before entering, and pods feature a laptop, bed or sofa, and webcam. They are cleaned after each use.

“The quarantine over the past few months has been incredibly difficult for all of us. And for many of our models, it was particularly difficult to find a place to cam, ”said Daryn Parker, vice president of CamSoda, in a press release.

Camming has been one of the few professions that can continue and thrive during the coronavirus pandemic by nature to be ideal for remote working, making it one of the only forms of adult entertainment capable of producing smoothly. security of new equipment since March. But for cam girls who don’t live alone, the quarantine posed a unique work-life balance challenge.

“There has been a surge in traffic to adult cam sites, as well as a large influx of new models looking for ways to make money while staying socially aloof,” Parker said. “These models, both veteran and newcomer, have children, spouses, parents and roommates who are now at home 24/7, and it has become almost impossible for them to broadcast. in private without interruption. “

Before the pandemic, the company hosted sex workers at its CamSoda home. Due to the social configuration of the space, with artists often mingling between shifts, CamSoda decided to give the new pop-up pod model a try.

Following its success in Colombia, CamSoda is preparing to launch co-working cam modules in the United States, starting with states hard hit by COVID-19, including Florida, California, Texas and Arizona.

Even if the lockdown lifts, virtual dating is still a hot topic for singles and long-distance lovers.

Months of living a pandemic have made many of us more open to having dates on computer screens, but even the practice in the form of Endless Zoom meetings and Houseparty quizzes doesn’t completely eliminate the potential for awkwardness.

To help us navigate the rough waters of dating on a screen, we asked the experts for their essential tips for a successful virtual date.

And by experts we mean cam girls, because who knows better how to make a connection and get sexy onscreen than the people who get paid to do it?

We spoke to some cam girls who work with Off The Record for their wisdom on getting your next virtual date.

Amber Kelly

“My best advice is to make sure you have decent internet speeds first. Don’t just watch your download speeds, check your download as this is the most important part when uploading sound / image. You don’t want the cat to fall halfway.

“Second, check the background and clean the decks, make sure there is nothing distracting behind you. Go somewhere with a blank wall and avoid your room for obvious reasons.

“Get a good webcam, HD or 4K and a ring light, because looking your best is essential. Ring lights create a beautiful glow.

“You can also play games, get yourself a card game that breaks the ice. As many people as possible can ask a question about the other person. Have fun and always be yourself! ‘

Your goddess Jo

“My main goal would be to ask them questions about their hobbies. It’s an easy icebreaker and helps you get to know someone.

“For a virtual date, you need to make sure your lighting is perfect and test it on cam before the date starts.

“You’ll also want your hair and makeup done to suit the occasion, dressed for the date like it’s a person so you really feel the role.

“You can always have a glass of wine to calm your nerves and make sure you are comfortably seated – it’s always easier at home!” “

Camille West

“Virtual dating is almost like inviting someone over to your home on the first date. It can feel quite intimate and personal, even if we are not physically together.

“It is important that you are well presented. Make an effort as if you are going on a real date.

“Also, make sure your background and surroundings on your webcam are tidy and clean. You don’t want leftovers from yesterday’s dinner to be played out or a pile of laundry in the corner of the camera!

“Make sure your lighting and camera settings are sorted before the date starts. Open the software you’ll be using and get it properly before they call you.

“It’s still a real date, although it’s virtual, so just be yourself and talk and ask about things you usually would. Find out about their work, their hobbies, how their day was, who they live with, where they grew up… if you click, the conversation will take place.

“There are a lot of icebreaker questions that you can find online that are very helpful if you get really stuck! “

Lola rose

“The main thing to take away from cam in the dating world is the trust factor. Everyone assumes that cam girls have to be very confident to do the job, but I gained confidence from working. It has helped me tremendously when it comes to dating as I would be petrified to meet someone for the first time before.

“Like cams, virtual dating helps you find your dates faster. When we talk to customers, we need to figure out what they are looking for so that they can spend the money. You find that you use this technique when dating someone so that my time isn’t wasted on a guy who maybe isn’t looking for the same thing.

“Because I spend so much time online as someone else, when I go out, I go out completely like me. Before going on cam, I didn’t always feel confident that I was myself. I would trade the things I really liked for things I thought men like women… so drink a cocktail to read books etc. Now I am 100% myself and feel so much better.

“Remember to be true to yourself. ”

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And as social distancing leaves her stuck inside, she found herself working harder than ever. While she tends to work directly with individual clients through Discord, a favorite chat app for video game players, she now uses other platforms more, including Chaturbate, OnlyFans, and Skype.

While she works particularly hard and recognizes that sex work and the stigma associated with it can be difficult, she said she felt privileged to be able to work from home. “There has been a change,” she said, “but it’s not like I suddenly had the rug under me and I’m unemployed, you know?”

The economy of the camera

Online sex, in general, seems through the roof. OnlyFans, a website where people subscribe to see the type of photos and videos that can’t be posted on Instagram, reported a 75% increase in total new signups – 3.7 million new registrations last month, 60,000 of them being new creators.

Subscription activities are very different from tip-based income, however. On sites like CamSoda, tips are usually tied to “rewards” for viewers. For example, if someone tips a number of tokens – websites often create their own currencies, and in this case each token is worth 5 cents – the model may take off clothing or perform a sexual act.

Many camera models also supplement their income through subscription sites like OnlyFans or Patreon, where they sell photos and videos.

Ms French, who was a camera model herself, created ManyVids to enable various sources of income for the models. For example, there is a separate store section, where models can sell the clothes they have worn. Remi Ferdinand, 30, who works as a stripper and model, said it was one of his favorite platforms for this reason.

Most of the established camera models who spoke to The New York Times painted a consistent picture: Over time, they established stable bonds with their regular viewers, which helped them through tough financial times.

But some, like Betsy, 32, and Raie, 33, a British couple who met on Chaturbate, said that while they’ve seen a lot of new audiences recently, they haven’t received no more tips.

“I think people aren’t just hoarding toilet paper, they’re hoarding money because nobody knows when their next paycheck is coming,” said Raie.

The couple have been together for almost 10 years, have been married for six years, and have been touring for three years. Although Raie typically does freelance work outside of sex work as a chef and makeup artist, both jobs have been cut short due to the pandemic. The couple now rely on the camera as their sole source of income. Either way, they feel relatively safe as they stand out from other camera models given that Betsy is trans and Raie is cisgender.

Ms Ferdinand, who also worked in the sex trade during the 2008 recession, feels stable and happy when working from home. However, she is not sure of the future. “Whenever there is a financial problem, anything that qualifies as a luxury service is always the first to be affected,” she said.

An influx of new camera models

Cecilia Morrell, a cam model in Toronto, said that such a sudden increase in the number of new models makes it difficult to distinguish pre-existing models.

“There are a lot of people looking to get into this industry for the first time, and it’s saturating the market a bit,” said Ms. Morrell, 21.

Valentine, a sex worker in Portland, Ore., Worries that people who have never been involved in sex work and who start filming do not take into account the socio-political context of the work.

“Sure, do it, make an OnlyFans, start filming – but that means you have to support sex workers all year now,” said Valentine, who declined to give her age. “You can’t just jump in and out of it because you think it’s easy and then throw us in at the end.”

Coronavirus isn’t the only thing raising temperatures around the world – cam girls are too.

Business is booming for sexy solo performers as millions of locked-in horndogs seek to ease their epidemic anxiety, according to XXX employees.

“If you’re trying to sell porn, having the whole country locked up at home doing nothing is kind of a dream scenario,” Los Angeles-based pornstar Kate Kennedy said.

Kennedy, 25, opened an account a week ago on the OnlyFans site, where users pay $ 10 a month to watch her perform sex acts, fold clothes naked and brush her teeth.

She said she had up to 100 followers and made four figures in tips and fees – about what she typically made in a month.

“Cam girls and content creators are doing business like crazy,” Kennedy said.

Miami-based Joslyn Jane – who sells sexy solo videos and partner performances on OnlyFans and sells others for $ 5.99- $ 32 on the ManyVids site – said she made around $ 1. $ 700 per week in tips and sales, compared to an average of $ 1,050.

“There’s a lot going on,” said Jane, 29. “And we’re definitely taking fans’ attention away from that.”

Many are feverish with impatience.

“I guess I stay inside and watch cam girls all night long” @Hologram_Matrix tweeted. “Where’s my Corona hoe?” “

Not all sex workers collect crown money. Strippers who get closer to customers drop the post and sing the COVID-19 blues.

“I decided to stay away from all the clubs as well,” said dancer Tyler Faith.

“I canceled quite a few appearances. You have to be safe in these times.

(Anita) – The CAM women’s basketball team is heading towards a Rolling Valley Conference championship.

The Cougars (13-1, 11-1) picked up a key victory last Thursday, avenging their only loss of the season with a 58-55 victory over Ar-We-Va. A match scheduled for Tuesday evening with their biggest competitor RVC – Exira / EHK (13-4, 10-2) – has been postponed to Monday, January 28^e.

“The girls have been focused on teamwork all season,” assistant coach Kaitlin Hodges told KMA Sports. “Share the ball and work hard. We’re only focusing on one game at a time at the moment. “

Seniors Madison Gettler (18.6 points per game) and Paige McAfee (10.8 points per game) are the top scorers, but they offer a lot more to the team than just scoring. Gettler also leads the team in rebounds (7.1 per game), assists (53) and steals (61) while McAfee is second on the team with 24 3 points.

“(The numbers) just show what kind of player (Madison) is,” Hodges said. “She can score, and she’s preparing other players as well.”

Junior Sammi Jahde (9.5 PPG) has a 33-point 3-point record while sophomore Zoey Baylor (8.0 PPG) is one of the team’s top post players. Senior Macy Ticknor (6.1 PPG), rookie Marissa Spieker (4.8 PPG), junior Allison Spieker (4.0 PPG) and second year Molly Venteicher (2.8 PPG) also had their own contributions. this season.

“Everyone has been a leader in their own way,” Hodges said. “Whether it’s a girl on the floor or on the bench. Everyone always encourages and uplifts girls when there is a mistake.

CAM is scheduled to host West Central Valley and ACGC on Thursday and Friday of this week. Next comes their showdown with the Spartans and a chance to virtually win a conference title.

“I think we need to continue to focus on teamwork, sharing the ball and free throws,” Hodges said. “We’ll have to focus on (Tatum) Grubbs and (Macy) Emgarten and keep their points low. Play a tough defense against them.

Coach Hodges commented on Tuesday’s sports report. Listen to the full interview below.

KMA Radio would like to offer its condolences, thoughts and prayers to CAM’s Joe Wollum and his family.