Google's new wireless network, 'Fi,' LA's move for a wrongful convictions committee, waterless ways to wash your car during the drought.
Google’s Fi could make Verizon and AT&T nervous
Google Fi could disrupt the mobile industry in more ways than one. For starters, the new carrier will only charge customers for the data they use. Most carriers charge customers a flat rate. Combine that with no contracts and a bill as low as $30 a month, and companies like Verizon and AT&T may face some stiff competition.
Fi piggybacks on T-Mobile and Sprint’s networks, connecting to whichever signal is strongest. Ryan Knutson covers the telecommunications industry for the Wall Street Journal. He tells Take Two that, if the service becomes widely available, it could be a game changer.
“Consumers [could] start pressing on their carriers, saying, ‘hey, why do I have to buy a big data bucket when I don’t even use it half the time? Why can’t I just pay for exactly the service that I use?’ And carriers might have to respond.”
For now, the service will only be available for owners of the Nexus 6.
Press the play button above to hear the Wall Street Journal’s Ryan Knutson talk about Google Fi’s potential impact on the smartphone industry.
D.A.'s office to create a wrongful convictions claims unit
Yesterday, LA County's District Attorney's office announced it will be creating a unit to review wrongful conviction claims. Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey is asking for nearly $1 million to fund the new team.
Similar units have been cropping up across the country. Harvard Law Professor Ron Sullivan designed and implemented a conviction review unit in Brooklyn, New York. He joined the show to talk more about it.
Barry Bonds' obstruction of justice charge overturned
More than ten years ago an investigation into the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative shook the sports world and thrust performance enhancing drug use into the national spotlight.
Some of the biggest athletes in the US, like star baseball player Barry Bonds were wrapped up in what was known as the BALCO scandal. While Bonds was never convicted of anything having to do with steroids, he was charged with obstruction of justice during the investigation.
Well, the only conviction federal prosecutors had against him is now gone, because yesterday a court overturned the obstruction charge.
What does this mean for Bonds and for the future of baseball?
A Martinez speaks with
a Senior Reporter with The Center for Investigative Reporting and the co-author of the book "Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports."
LA City Council calls for a new strategy to tackle homelessness
LA City Councilman Jose Huizar is calling for a committee to devise a strategy for dealing with the region's homeless population. Huizar along with Council President Wesson and councilmen Mike Bonin, Gil Cedillo and Curren Pirce Jr. introduced the measure yesterday.
The proposal follows a report by the City Administrative Office which found the issue is not only a social one but an economic one. Councilman Jose Huizar joined the show to tell us more about it.
The Wheel Thing: Washing your car WITHOUT water
As the arid fist of the drought grips tighter, there's at least one soft spot for people who hate washing their cars. It's now politically correct to have a dirty automobile. But if you are among those who can't bear to hit the road in a vehicle spattered with bird poop and road gradeau, there is a way to be water-wise and still shine on the highway.
Enter waterless car wash products. They're environmentally safe, and, if used correctly, actually clean your car without damaging the finish. They're a good way to save a lot of water, since hand washing your car in the driveway will probably eat up between 80-150 gallons of precious resource.
You'll need two things to get your car gleaming sans H2O. First, a waterless wash product. This is a spray that contains a lubricating agent. It acts to encapsulate the crud on the surface of your vehicle. There are a variety of spray washes available, but we like one made by Griot's Garage. A 35 ounce bottle costs under $20 and will give you 8-10 washes.
You'll also need a batch of microfiber cloths to remove the dirt. In combination with the spray, these work to lift the grime without scratching the surface. You'll need a few of them to complete the wash job. Don't skimp and use rags or old t-shirts. The design of the microfiber cloth is critical to the success of this method.
Spray some product on a small section of the car (or on a microfiber cloth if you prefer) and much like waxing, clean each little area, and then move on to the next. You might use one cloth to remove the dirt (and don't press too hard, a gentle wiping is best) and a second to buff it to a shine. Turn the cloths frequently and when they get wet or dirty, pull out a new one.
The whole thing can easily be done in a half hour or less, although waterless is probably not the way to go if your car is really, really dirty. Run it through a commercial car wash, then give it the waterless once-over every week or two. You'll be sparkling, water smart and guilt free.
Susan Carpenter is auto and motorcycle critic for the OC Register. She joins us on Take Two each Thursday for The Wheel Thing.
Australia's Millennium Drought
It seems there is a new headline every day about who is to blame for California's water shortage.
Whether it's irresponsible car washers, those nefarious frackers, or of course -- almonds. But before Californians go nuts playing the blame game, water economists suggest there could be something else at the heart of the water crisis: the byzantine system of water rights.
Many go back to the days of the Gold Rush in California, and over the years the state has made more promises of water than it can possibly deliver.
Rebecca Nelson is a nonresident fellow with the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, and she lives in Australia, a country that is often considered the model for water management.
Australia is the driest continent on Earth, and it recently went through what was called the Millennium Drought, an extended period of drought that lasted from the late 1990s until just a few years ago.
Nelson speaks to host A Martinez about how the Millennium Drought changed water policies in Australia.
How have you changed your daily water habits?
Now that California's drought is in its fourth year, and Gov. Jerry Brown has called for cut backs in water use, how have your daily habits changed?
Are you taking fewer showers, washing dishes differently, or installing water-efficient appliances?
We want to hear from individuals and businesses. You can post a comment below, or head to KPCC's Facebook page.
State of Affairs: Mandatory vaccines, Airbnb, and legalizing pot
On this week's State of Affairs: Mandatory vaccines in schools, labor versus business, regulating Airbnb, and legalizing pot in California.
Political news from around the Golden State with USC's Sherry Bebitch Jeffe and Capital Public Radio state government reporter Katie Orr.
Where the Comcast-Time Warner deal stands
Comcast caused a stir about a year ago when they unveiled a $45 billion deal to buy Time Warner Cable.
The deal would fuse two of the largest cable providers in the country. That has the U.S. Department of Justice and the FCC worried.
Lawyers for Comcast and the U.S. Department of Justice met Wednesday to discuss the details of the merger. Meg James followed the meeting for the LA Times, and tells more about where things stand.
What you should know about Ventura's fault, tsunami risk
Scientists have been gathering all this week at the Seismological Society of America conference in Pasadena.
Discussions at the meeting on Wednesday centered around the dreaded "big one." According to new research, L.A. could be in not just for one big one - but a series of big ones.
And, scientists are zeroing in on a lesser known fault in Ventura. That fault line poses a larger earthquake, and tsunami, threat than previously thought.
Rick Wilson is a senior engineer geologist with the California Geological Survey, Tsunami Program, and he tells more about the tsunami risk.
Ozomatli Day: Band releases new song 'Read to the Rhythm'
April 23 marks the fifth annual Ozomatli Day in the city of Los Angeles.
Band member Raul Pacheco joins host Alex Cohen to celebrate the fifth anniversary and talk about the band's new song, "Read to the Rhythm," for the L.A. Public Library.