Topic: Google Earth

The discussion covers In-Q-Tel, the CIA's venture capital arm, and its role in funding emerging technologies like Keyhole (Google Earth) and Palantir. Meyericks also mentions IARPA (Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity). The hosts explore how these organizations bridge the gap between classified intelligence needs and commercial market applications.

Kara Swisher mentions her ex-wife's role in Google's acquisition of CIA-funded satellite software that became Google Earth. The hosts pivot to a discussion about the current leadership at the CIA, noting a trend of women in top positions. They speculate on the political and social affiliations of the agency's new "cabal" of directors.

Google recently addressed the upcoming "leap second," explaining that the Earth's rotation speed varies due to climatic and geological events. The suggestion that climate change is actively slowing or altering the planet's rotation is met with skepticism. The adjustment is necessary to keep atomic clocks synchronized with the Earth's irregular rotation.

A review of the film Enemy of the State highlights its predictive nature regarding NSA surveillance and the origins of technologies like Google Earth. The film mentions the Keyhole mapping system and massive underground mainframe facilities at Fort Meade. Observations are made regarding potential edits in modern streaming versions of the movie compared to original releases.

Dvorak discusses an interview with Jeopardy champion Ken Jennings regarding his book "Maphead." Jennings argues that modern tools like Google Earth discourage a global overview of geography, and he hints at restrictive contracts regarding his experience playing against IBM Watson.

Producer Pedro Dos Santos successfully placed a No Agenda app in the Nokia Ovi store. The website noagendawords.com is officially launched for tracking show-specific vocabulary. A discussion ensues regarding a driver who used GPS coordinates to spell "Ayn Rand" on Google Earth, sparking a plan to coordinate producers globally to spell "No Agenda" using KML files.

The hosts use Google Earth to examine the coastline of Somalia, joking about its potential as beachfront property despite its history of conflict. They discuss the small nation of Djibouti and its authoritarian history under President Hassan Guled Abtodon. The conversation touches on the presence of "economic hitmen" in Africa and the strategic importance of the region's resources.

The hosts discuss a viral Twitter tool that calculates "e-penis size" based on user profiles. This leads to a story about an 18-year-old in Berkshire who secretly painted a 60-foot phallus on the roof of his parents' £1 million mansion. The drawing remained undetected for a year until it was reportedly discovered via Google Earth.

The hosts discuss their travels to the equator in Brazil and Africa. This transitions into a critique of the modern internet, where SEO and advertising have made it difficult to find high-quality information or compare cell phone service packages. They mention the Mahalo project as a potential but limited solution.

A host describes a stressful evening spent tracking his daughter via text and Google Earth after she and a friend ended up at the end of a train line in Boissy-Saint-Léger at 1:00 AM. The situation was complicated by dead phone batteries and language barriers, but eventually resolved when the teenagers were assisted by a local couple and returned safely to their hotel.

The expansion of Google Street View into residential neighborhoods has sparked a debate over the balance between utility and privacy. While Google Earth provides valuable situational awareness for pilots approaching new airfields, the detailed imaging of private homes is described as "creepy." This discussion extends to broader surveillance concerns, including government access to credit card transaction data and the proliferation of public cameras.