2016-01-18 Show Notes

Tech NewsTwo great online weather apps, in Jim’s and my opinions.  At the least two of the better ones available today.

AccuWeather

WeatherSpark

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Judge says Facebook tagging violates protective orders

You don’t have to physically get close to a person or to call and text them to end up violating a protection order. According to Acting Westchester County Supreme Court Justice Susan Capeci, tagging the victim, which sends them a notification, is enough to breach the order and ultimately land the perpetrator in jail. Capeci made the ruling for a case filed against a woman named Maria Gonzalez who was prohibited by law from contacting her sister-in-law. While she didn’t blow up the sister-in-law’s phone or show up uninvited to her house, she reportedly created a Facebook account and tagged her on some status updates.

One called the sister-in-law, Maribel Calderon, "stupid," and the other allegedly read: "You and your family are sad…You guys have to come stronger than that!! I’m way over you guys but I guess not in ya agenda." Protection or protective orders, by the way, are sometimes used interchangeably with restraining orders. There is a distinct difference between the two, though: protective orders are the maximum protection the law can grant to victims of family violence.

Gonzalez has been charged with second-degree criminal contempt for the status updates, which could land her in prison. Her side tried to argue that she wasn’t explicitly banned from contacting Calderon via Facebook. The judge, however, pointed out that Gonzalez was ordered not to contact Calderon via "electronic or any other means."

Continue…

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Do I stay or do I go now? Google Maps can tell you.

Now Google can even tell you where to go…and when.

Well, Google Maps has good news for you. If you use Google Maps you can find out whether you should hit the road or put in some gym time while you wait out the grid lock. Get information like ETAs, traffic updates, nearby gas prices and quickest routes to familiar places–like home, work and recently searched destinations–all without entering a destination.

If like me you have preset home and work locations along with having location history enabled you will see ETAs at times when you’re likely to be heading to these destinations. These suggestions are based on location data, time of day and day of week. And if you’re logged in, it will suggest destinations based on recent Google Maps and Google searches when you are in the driving.

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