Topic: Carbonite

The hosts call out NPR for running what they describe as illegal commercial spots for Carbonite. They then transition to a roll call of their own "executive producers" from Australia, North Carolina, and Texas. The segment highlights the importance of monthly subscriptions and the "value for value" model in maintaining the show's independence.

The hosts question why the tech community promotes slow, over-the-air cloud backup services like Carbonite when local 4-terabyte hard drives are inexpensive and faster. They suggest that tech publications avoid critical analysis of cloud security because these companies are major advertisers. A "theater of the mind" segment illustrates how advertisers can exert pressure on media outlets to silence dissent.

The hosts observe a lack of critical reporting on major companies with large advertising budgets, such as GoDaddy, Carbonite, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. They argue that significant PR spending effectively buys media silence. The current lack of news is attributed to PR departments being closed for the holidays, leading to a reliance on "best of" retrospectives and celebrity clickbait.

The hosts share a success story from a listener who received a job offer after a "karmic shout" on the show. They also discuss Carbonite's acquisition of Fanfare and the subsequent cancellation of lifetime backup deals, using it as an example of why the traditional advertising model compromises media integrity.

The hosts criticize the increasing commercialization of PBS and NPR, noting the frequency of "sponsored messages" and underwriting that resembles traditional advertising. They argue that because these organizations sell their audience to sponsors, the audience becomes the product, contrasting this with the No Agenda donation model.

The hosts critique NPR for its increasing reliance on corporate advertisements disguised as sponsorship acknowledgments. They highlight commercials for Cedars-Sinai, Carbonite, and LifeLock appearing on the public radio network. This is contrasted with the No Agenda model of direct listener support without corporate influence.

The hosts engage in a technical debate regarding Skype's bitrate degradation and bandwidth monitoring. One host suggests that Windows background processes or potential surveillance software might be interfering with the connection, recommending a switch to Macintosh.