Gongol.com Archives: August 2012
Brian Gongol


August 10, 2012

Computers and the Internet Google keeps pushing to make its search engine results more natural
It's an enormous uphill climb -- and a risky one, since people have grown accustomed to the way things are done

Computers and the Internet Lenovo wants the ThinkPad 2 to compete with the iPad
But how much will it cost?

Business and Finance The rise of the "renovator" and the decline of the "builder"
A look at CEO styles

Science and Technology Why some people should doodle at work
Depending on your brain's hard-wiring, you might be of the type who learns best when converting information actively into a visual context.

Business and Finance The price of a logo

Business and Finance Depending on who's doing the estimating, America has a shortfall of 20,000 to 200,000 truck drivers
If the shortage persists, it's going to cause transportation costs to rise. Couple that with the inevitable impact on food prices that will result from this year's drought, 2013 could be an expensive year. The shortfall in drivers is one reason why one should expect trucking companies to be among the very first in line to demand the technology for self-driving vehicles. If one driver could operate more than one truck (operating in a semi-automated convoy), the trucking companies are going to be interested in making that investment.

Agriculture USDA expects Iowa corn production to be 141 bushels per acre this year
It was 172 bushels per acre last year -- so the USDA's estimate looks pretty optimistic, given just how awful Iowa's weather has been this year. The output will almost certainly be the worst in about twenty years -- if not more.

Computers and the Internet Always read your contracts first
A woman is suing because a breast-feeding video in which she appeared has led to some pornographic manipulation -- and her name has gotten involved. The release she signed included the use of her name, so though it's unfortunate, she did in fact give away permission for its use. And her daughter's name, too. The problem is that people are far too casual about giving away their rights -- witness how Facebook's terms and conditions claim a worldwide, royalty-free right to any pictures or videos you post.

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