Wise Guys on WHO Radio - August 22, 2015

Brian Gongol


The WHO Radio Wise Guys airs on WHO Radio in Des Moines, Iowa on 1040 AM or streaming online at WHORadio.com. The show airs from 1 to 2 pm Central Time on Saturday afternoons. A podcast of show highlights is also available. Leave comments and questions on the Wise Guys Facebook page or e-mail them to wiseguys@whoradio.com.


Please note: These show notes may be in various stages of completion -- ranging from brainstormed notes through to well-polished monologues. Please excuse anything that may seem rough around the edges, as it may only be a first draft of a thought and not be fully representative of what was said on the air.

In the news this week

Threats and Hazards Red-light camera company engaged in corruption
Former CEO pleads guilty to a $2 million deal

Computers and the Internet An argument for Google to buy Twitter

Computers and the Internet Computerized reconstruction of murder victim's face closes cold case
The value of a tool like that is hard to quantify, but psychologically huge

Computers and the Internet How to make the shrugging guy emoticon

Computers and the Internet Why you should even back up your cloud-based data
A freak incident wiped out some data stored on Google cloud servers

Computers and the Internet An example of anything but transparency
The State Department just "found" thousands of emails it said did not exist

Computers and the Internet A tool for the compulsive over-sharer
A site called "My Social Book" will convert an individual's Facebook feed into a printed bok. Sure, it's appealing in a sense to have a personalized journal. But if you share enough on Facebook to fill an actual book, it's time to pump the brakes. Over-sharing on Facebook can lead to identity theft, among other serious personal hazards.

Broadcasting A bad sign for late-night television
If television stations are rebroadcasting old episodes of the Johnny Carson-era "Tonight Show", then someone really needs to work on talent development for today's broadcasters. Carson was a genius, no doubt -- but why hasn't anyone with comparable talent emerged in the 23 years since the show left the air?

Business and Finance Natural gas prices versus Chinese labor costs
The decline in the price of natural gas is making American electricity extra-cheap. Meanwhile, the cost of labor is rising in China. These factors mean that the overall cost of manufacturing in the United States is now within rounding error of that in China, and is likely to be in an advantageous positin within a couple of years.

Computers and the Internet Android Marshmallow is out for developers
The latest iteration of Google's operating system for mobile devices is ready for the last major step before public use

News "Knowledge wins: Public library books are free"
A terrific war poster just as accurate today as a century ago

Science and Technology The robotic lawn mower is finally coming to America
FCC finally approves an exemption for iRobot (makers of the Roomba) to use low-power radio signals to control the mowers. Honda already sells robotic mowers in the UK, so the technology isn't entirely new. Overall, the less time human beings spend on silly tasks like lawn mowing, the better.

Computers and the Internet Apple puts TV service on hold
Negotiating distribution deals is turning out to be harder than expected

Aviation News Using business jets to deliver scheduled flight service

Business and Finance A look inside Amazon.com's brutal workplace

The crime isn't justified just because you don't like the victim

Some selected observations on the Ashley Madison hacking incident:

Your role in cyberwar

Security update

Street-smart social media

There seems to be a consensus emerging among technology observers who think that Google is preparing to give up on Google Plus. They have certainly changed things by removing the requirement that YouTube users go through Google+ in order to upload or comment on videos. But that's not the same as killing the project. They're probably just going to try re-tooling it yet again, likely with a business and marketing focus.

Gadget of the week

You ought to follow...

Technically funny

Productivity tool

Dispatches from the flying-car future

Brian's Big Picture

Politics of technology

Jargon alert

Listener questions

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