January 20, 2026 • 23 mins
(January 20, 2026)
KTLA & KFI tech reporter Rich DeMuro joins the show for ‘Tech Tuesday.’There’s a ‘top-secret’ project happening beneath the White House. US overdose de4aths fell through 2025, federal data reveals.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Bill Handle on demand from KFI AM
six forty.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
KFI AM six forty. Bill Handle here on a Tuesday morning,
January twentieth, and it's the Taco Tuesday, and we are
looking at what's going on in Switzerland right now, DeVos, Switzerland,
where the annual summit. But it really is in a summit,
it's more of a get together, a schmooze together where
(00:27):
world leaders as well as the biggest manufacturing he has,
of the biggest companies he has, the biggest companies get
together and Donald Trump is there and he's going to
be speaking, and everybody is watching because the topic is
Greenland and tariffs. It is time for our Tech segment
with Rich Demurow Rich, who is heard every Saturday here
(00:49):
eleven o'clock to two pm on KFI. He's on KTLA
every day, Instagram address at Rich on tech website, richon
tech dot TV. And good morning Rich.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Good morning to you. Bill.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Oh, We've got a lot to going on while the
world's about to blow up talking about yeah, I know,
talking about Sony and tcl TV shakeup. What is that about?
Speaker 1 (01:18):
This is huge, You're going to really be This is
just wild news. So basically, Sony is saying they're putting
their hands up in the air and they're saying, you
know what, we give up no more TV business for us.
We are going to seed our TV business to TCL.
That is a huge shift. Now here's the deal. So basically,
(01:39):
they're going to form a joint adventure that puts TCL
in charge. They're going to own fifty one forty. TCL
is going to bring to the table. You know, they're
manufacturing skills, basically the ability to make TVs affordable for
the masses, while Sony is going to bring all of
its expertise and actually making very very high quality pictures
(02:01):
and audio for their TVs. A new company is going
to use the Bravia name. So they're basically saying, look,
we know people understand that Bravia is a very high
end name for TVs, and that's what we're going to
use and we'll see what happens here. I mean, this
still has to be approved, but that is a huge
shift in TVs, which used to be dominated by Japanese companies.
(02:23):
Now obviously these Chinese startups are really coming to power here.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Okay, as far as the ownership of TCL, is Sony
going to be a partner, a partial owner.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Sony. We don't have forty nine percent, so I can't
be the majority here.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Understand, all right, So it is sort of kind of
a Sony company, but spinning off, all right, And that
makes sense. By the way, A quick story, you mean,
I yeah, I think you'll appreciate. This is after the war,
After World War two, the Japanese had to start an industry.
Of course, they had to come back, and it was
(02:59):
I remember as a kid, these little crappy little toys
were Japanese. When you had really junky stuff, it was
made in Japan. It was a pejorative. And there is
a story, and it's not apocryphal. This actually happened where
the head of Sony, and this is right after the
war was sitting down with one of the major corporate
(03:22):
heads and they were having dinner and he was talking
about bringing up his manufacturing and the guy said to him,
I forgot who it was. All you are good for
are making those little umbrellas that they put in drinks,
you know, my ties, And that's because that's where they
came from. That was Japanese. And that's what he said
to the head of Sony who of course they created
(03:44):
this juggernaut and for a long period of time, technologically
they were ahead of anything anywhere in the world. And
then the Japanese product products were insane and they got
very expensive. And now, as you explained what was going on. So, yeah,
how I's been a while since the Japanese products, electronic
products particularly were at the top of the heap, hasn't it.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Well, Look, I think that people still understand that Japan
has a knack for designing and engineering things in a
very sophisticated way. I think that it's just a matter
of economy at this point, like people are not necessarily
willing to pay for that, and so China is like, Okay,
we'll do stuff. We're going to do it really well.
(04:29):
We're not maybe not going to have the same exact
polish as these other companies around the world, but we
are going to get these into the hands of the
people for cheaper than you can imagine. And that has
really worked pretty well for them.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
And the quality is good that no one notices the difference.
I mean, there used to be a time when the
Japanese remember the Trino tron television. Yeah, when it came
out was the best thing in the world by a
long shot. No one came nearer to the Trindo Tron.
And now it's all TV's are almost fungible now, aren't they.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Oh my? I mean I was in Costco and I
just couldn't believe that you can get a fifty five
inch TV sixty five inch TV three hundred dollars now.
I mean, it may not be the best quality for
that price, but the price on these things are clearly down.
I remember going to the Japanese electronics show they call
it c Tech the first time about I don't know,
fift ten years ago, fifteen years ago, and every brand
(05:25):
you walk in there, and it was so clear to me,
as a kid who grew up in the eighties, the
dominance of Japanese electronics. Right, we're talking Sony, Hatachi, Nissan, Sanyo, Toyota, Honda,
every company you ever heard of was all based in Japan.
And that show over the years less and less, less
(05:47):
and less, less and less. And now when you go
to CS what is it. It's all the brands from
China and they are the ones that have just taken
over this entire industry. It's pretty wild to watch.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yeah, one of the things in the music industry. I
know we're just sharing stories back and forth, but I
think is fascinating. One of the best pianos in the world,
or it was for the money, was a Yamaha. Very
few people knew that Yamaha made pianos, and you could
go and get a Steinweight for eighteen or twenty two
thousand dollars and get a Yamaha for eight thousand dollars
(06:19):
and it was ninety five percent as good. I mean,
it's just extraordinary what they were able to do. And
so Sony, I mean, great, great products. Also they had
the walkman. I mean they pioneered a lot of stuff
Sony did. All right, Rich, I don't know where to
go to, Let's do the I bought automated eye test
that you saw at CEES That looks kind of interesting.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Yeah, I thought this was interesting. So CS they had
a whole bunch of health tech. This was one of them.
I bought is basically an eye test Kiosk, and they're
putting them. They've already had a deal with Walmarts, so
they're already in certain walmarts. But I tried it out.
You basically walk up to the Kiosk. You put in
some information and then it starts to test your eyes
the traditional test where you look at letters and you
(07:02):
type on the screen which letters you're seeing. Then it
does something where you kind of watch something on the
screen and it's scanning your eyes with infrared. You can
put your glasses in there. It will scan those if
you have already have glasses, and then that's It takes
about five minutes. All the results are sent to a
licensed tele optometrist, so that means the person is not
(07:23):
on site. They are remote, and a couple of minutes
later you get your prescription on your phone. Now I
will tell you Bill, I don't wear glasses, of course,
you know, getting to the age where things do look
a little different sometimes. But I did get a prescription.
So my theory is everyone gets a prescription from this machine.
But I'm not sure, but it's a very light prescription.
(07:43):
But now I can get glasses if I need them.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Well, I'm assuming that makes it a lot easier, a
lot cheaper too, because making an appointment with an octometrist
and you got to win. Although they do the glaucoma test,
which you can't get at ad on those machines. But
it's it's kind of even interesting where the medical stuff
I'm seeing, you know, those fitbits and the wearables that
(08:10):
connect directly to your phone and give you the information
and download and do a whole medical chart way beyond
just how many calories, how many steps you're taking kind
of thing or pulse rate.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
That's oh yeah, I've got go ahead. My phone will
tell me how much I snored in the middle of
the night. Like it literally records snoring, so it'll say, like,
you snored for you know, sixteen minutes last night, and
I'll show you exactly when and where. I mean, it's
it's pretty wild. But you know, I think you're you're
tapping onto a bigger topic here of you know, health.
(08:43):
The health industry is ripe for change with technology. I
don't think it's happening as fast as some other industries,
but stuff like this, like this iBOT, you know, the
whole proposition is like, look, there are places in America
where there's not an eye doctor nearby. You know, it's
or it's you know, the access to care is just
not there, and so all these things will eventually help.
(09:05):
Now that could just be their marketing materials who knows.
You know, we live in LA where there's eye doctors everywhere,
but you know, appointments, getting medical appointments can take while sometimes,
so this is just one more way. But like you said,
it doesn't do the in depth I exam. I think
it's more of an eye test that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Okay, Lift versus Uber, I mean that's the ongoing I know,
say fight, but the ongoing you know, I would say
fight for market share and for customers. You know, Lift
and Uber. Are there any other ones that even exist?
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Oh? I mean there's a couple out there, but there's
It's actually funny you said that because when you go
to LAX, they've got the LA exit and they've got
some other one. I want to say Diplo. I know
it's not that's the DJ, but there's like Dipolo or
some they on the side. It's like Uber Lift and
then some third part of that you've never heard of,
and you're like, who's taking that? Now? Maybe it's an
(10:00):
international one that people you know from out of town
use whatever. In China, I took one that was different
at add I think it was called but I think
it's all been absorbed. But yes, it's now Coke versus PEPSI,
Uber versus Lyft, And this study from the National Bureau
of Economic Research I found fascinating because it says what
I've always thought, you are overpaying for Uber or Lyft
(10:22):
if you do not check each app every time you
need a ride. And this is something that just people.
They get used to the app that they use, they
have a preference, and they just never compare. But with
this study found is that if you're not comparing the prices,
you are leaving money on the table because there is
always or not always, but there is generally a difference
(10:44):
in the price, and it could be substantial. So if
you're used to one of these apps, it really it's
best in your interest to open up the other app
just to see what they're charging. It could be the
same exact type of ride could be way cheaper.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Now that goes up and down doesn't mean because that's
dynamic pricing at its absolute best or worse. So I
and is it regular in the sense is is Lift
normally cheaper than Uber? Is a matter of business or
it just changes Sometimes Lift is more expensive sometimes Uber,
And it bounces all over the place.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Yeah, they did not find one cheaper than the other,
but they did find big price differences. So they said,
in New York City alone, people are leaving three hundred
million dollars a year on the table just by not comparing.
And most people you know, should be comparing, they just
don't because they're used to it. So I've found in
my personal experience it is completely random. Sometimes you will find,
(11:44):
for like an even a nice ride like an Uber Black,
it could be one price on Uber extremely expensive. Let's say,
you know, fifty bucks sixty bucks, same ride on Lift
could be thirty I mean, it just depends on what
is happening with their algorithm at that exact time that
you're checking the app. So again, unless you have some
sort of loyalty to one of these ride shares, or
(12:06):
you know you don't want to use the other, check
both apps, have them installed on your phone, put them
side by side, and have all your information in there
so that you can use one or the other each time.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Yeah, there was that huge controversy with the CEO of
Uber getting into it with one of the drivers. Yeah yeah,
is yeah, and that had some far ranging ramifications because
I know people, particularly women, because it was a fairly misogynous, misogynist,
(12:36):
fairly misogynist move that simply will not touch Uber. They
just won't do it. Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
They both. By the way, if you are interested, they
both have a program in the settings where you can
prefer a female driver if you are a woman. So
I know my wife likes that. It's just, you know,
it's a little bit more peace of mind. You don't
get the creepy driver. But you know, they both have
that option. Now it's not guaranteed, but you know, if
(13:05):
you don't your options on Lifter or Uber, you can
set that as a as a preference.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
What if you're a man, can you suggest can you
request a woman?
Speaker 1 (13:16):
I don't think so, that's just creepy and strange. But
my you know, my wife does this all the time,
and so I'll always talk to the woman that's driving,
and she, you know, she'll tell stories forever about you know,
how much they love doing this and how nice it
is and how great it is that they can carry,
you know, just transport mostly females. And I think the
system works for you know, I think it's a good
thing for to have that option if you're more comfortable
(13:38):
doing it.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
I'd like to know how many I'd like to know
how many drivers are women? Of lifting uber, I'm assuming
the overwhelming majority have to be men.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
In my experience. Yes, that is the case, I think.
I mean, I take these things a lot, and it's
been far and few between.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Yeah, I mean, even allowing women to drive is like
beyond my comprehension. You know, you know, nineteen twenty they
actually gave women the right to vote. What the hell
happened there? You know? Okay, Rich, you're not joining in
on that conversation. Obviously, we will touch that one, no kidding,
all right, tomorrow morning, oh today on KTLA every day
(14:16):
Saturday eleven to two, and you can reach him on Instagram.
His address is at rich on tech and of course
his website which is pretty extraordinary, a lot of information
rich on tech dot TV. Have a good one, Rich,
Thank you beer. Okay, a quick word. This is the
last day of raising money for Kno for his car,
(14:38):
and we are doing that because Cono's car blew up.
He drives seventy two miles each way and he works
at iHeart. You put no car, it's blown up, and
the income you get an iHeart that is a very
very bad equation. So we're helping Kno out to get
a car. So if you would help, it's a go
(14:58):
fundme campaign. Please go to KFI A M six forty
dot com slash con o kf I a M six
forty dot com slash cono, and that will direct you
immediately to the our go fund page go fundme page
as opposed to others that well, people take advantage of
what's going on, so please join in. We're almost there
(15:19):
at our goal, and it's gonna be kind of neat.
Kno will uh, he'll be able to transport his meth
all over the neighborhood. No, no, no, no, no, come on.
I know you have a job or two on the side.
You have a side hustle. Yeah, yeah, I know. And
and one of them and I say, that's why he
needs a car. One of them is, of course, that
(15:42):
the stuff that makes you wake up very quickly and
go at a one hundred miles an hour. Yeah, all right,
moving along, moving along, singing a song. A little bit
of a history I want to share with you for
a moment. The President of the United States ordering the
secret construction of a secure underground facility under the East
(16:06):
Wing okay, underground East wing. There was an extension of
the East Wing on top and that we go back
to nineteen forty one when that happened. Franklin Roosevelt was
encouraged and did build a bomb shelter at the White
House after the attack on Pearl Harbor under the East Wing,
(16:30):
and at the time there was no public acknowledgment of
anything under construction, only that the East Wing was being rebuilt.
Donald Trump, by the way, when he says, when you know,
everybody says, that's horrible, how do you square around with
a White House of such historical importance, Well, the problem
is not. The problem is the reality is a lot
of presidents have done that. I mean, the Oval Office
(16:52):
didn't even happen until Teddy Roosevelt and you've got Truman
redid a lot of the White House, the interior part,
and Franklin Roosevelt did a lot of work. The problem
is is that they didn't quite do that big, big,
beautiful ballroom, big the big BBB, right, which is a
(17:15):
little bit yeah, yeah, kind of a little garish, don't
you think.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
And let's talk about who gutted it, because at one
point it was like.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
No, that was the main that was the main residence
that was under Truman, where they went down to the
steel literally a concrete and the steel because it was
falling apart, literally falling apart. And the way they discovered
it is Truman one day looks up and there is
the leg of a piano that was sticking through the
ceiling and he said, something's wrong. Oh yeah, that's a
(17:46):
true story. Yeah, yeah, no, that's absolutely true. Yes, oh yeah.
And they found out the whole place I was about
to collapse, so they gutted it and redid the whole thing.
But when you talk about what happened under the East
Wing that Roosevelt put in and had to demolish most
of it, it actually is almost a submarine like bunker,
(18:12):
and it included, because they're redoing it now, the Presidential
Emergency Operations Center and everything around it, and so it
is a whole bunker that can house the president, senior
staff members, certainly the president's family, and that space has
been used for everything watching a parody film that the
(18:36):
Nixon administration considered pornographics, so some people went down there
to watch a film, some senior aides. It was Biden's
clandestine trip to Ukraine was planned there. Vice President Dick
Cheney was evacuated there during nine to eleven, and now
the space is being totally redone and it's all being
(18:58):
replaced with new technology because this is old, I mean,
at best, nineteen sixties technology down there. And there is
some controversy in terms of and this is my feeling,
and a lot of people believe this and agree with me,
that the ballroom itself is an abomination. It's a bigger
(19:21):
footprint than even the White House itself. It is so big,
and they have to build in order to match that.
On the other side, the West wing is going to
be torn apart. I mean, the whole thing is an abomination.
Now underneath the East wing or the West wing, it
doesn't matter. You now have this bunker, the super super
(19:42):
secret bunker of where the president can work in the
event of an attack. That is that one's I think serious.
Now I don't have a problem with that. So here's
what's going on. There are actually two sections of it.
One is the building itself, the ballroom. Beneath the ballroom
is already in place a bunker where the president and
(20:06):
senior staff members go, and it's set up as a
location where the government can still function. And it was
originally built actually it was built in nineteen forty one,
and it was after it started nineteen forty one after
the attack on Pearl Harbord and Harbor, and Frank Roosevelt,
Franklin Roosevelt actually built it and it's still being used.
(20:29):
So the upper part of that big, beautiful ball room
is going to be built with private donations. It started
a two hundred million dollars is now at four hundred
million dollars and climbing. So Trump is changing the whole
(20:50):
footprint as well as the entire view of the curb
appeal of the White House, which I think is going
to go in the toilet now. With the military is
saying the recently when talk a lot about it, why
we didn't know much about it as the building is
taking place. Is the argument that they are using the
government is using is it is so secret we can't
(21:12):
allow any information out, And the government typically does that
because this is as secret as it comes and there
has to be communications at the technology is very very old.
Now you think of the situation room as where the
presidents and senior staff goes. Did you know that the
(21:34):
situation room is used twenty four hours a day, is
used by everybody in the White House. You know, general
sit down and use it. Senior aids will grab someone
and use it. It's a meeting place that is secure,
not bomb proof, the way the Operations Center is under
the East Wing. But it's used all the time. See,
(21:56):
we think of the Situation Room as empty and then
the presence as we have to meet in the situation
room when there's a major catastrophe or a major issue
going on internationally. No, not at all. It's used for everything. Well,
that is not the case with this bunker underneath the
East Wing. And we're not going to know how much
(22:17):
it costs, We're not going to know what's in there.
We're not going to know much about it because it
is secret. And I'm okay with that. And on top
of that, I'm okay with the taxpayer paying for that.
I have no problem underground, taxpayer, above the ground, private donations,
(22:40):
gold purchased on the world market, lots of it. Matter
of fact, it is going to be so incredibly ornate
and ostentatious that the only people that the only diplomats
that will feel comfortable is the embassy. Embassy personnel from Iran.
(23:00):
They're going to be comfortable with how gaudy it's going
to be. Okay, we're done, guys. Oh I had to
throw something out there, didn't I.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
You'll be red flocked wallpaper in the bathroom. There'll be
chandeliers at every corner of this place.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
Fit a bro, Why fix it?
Speaker 2 (23:18):
That's correct? All right, guys, We are done. Gary and
shann Was it Gary and Shannon? Today is the whole
team back? Okay? Gary and Shannon are back again. We're
back in with everybody. Look and John comes back. I
think today John coleblt. So the whole crew is here.
We're back to normal, well if you want to call
it normal. We're back to our regular programming and our
(23:40):
day parts. Catching them arow everybody. KFI AM sixty. You've
been listening to the Bill Handle Show. Catch my Show
Monday through Friday, six am to nine am, and anytime
on demand on the iHeartRadio app.
You're listening to Bill Handle on demand from KFI AM
six forty.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
KFI AM six forty. Bill Handle here on a Tuesday morning,
January twentieth, and it's the Taco Tuesday, and we are
looking at what's going on in Switzerland right now, DeVos, Switzerland,
where the annual summit. But it really is in a summit,
it's more of a get together, a schmooze together where
(00:27):
world leaders as well as the biggest manufacturing he has,
of the biggest companies he has, the biggest companies get
together and Donald Trump is there and he's going to
be speaking, and everybody is watching because the topic is
Greenland and tariffs. It is time for our Tech segment
with Rich Demurow Rich, who is heard every Saturday here
(00:49):
eleven o'clock to two pm on KFI. He's on KTLA
every day, Instagram address at Rich on tech website, richon
tech dot TV. And good morning Rich.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
Good morning to you. Bill.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Oh, We've got a lot to going on while the
world's about to blow up talking about yeah, I know,
talking about Sony and tcl TV shakeup. What is that about?
Speaker 1 (01:18):
This is huge, You're going to really be This is
just wild news. So basically, Sony is saying they're putting
their hands up in the air and they're saying, you
know what, we give up no more TV business for us.
We are going to seed our TV business to TCL.
That is a huge shift. Now here's the deal. So basically,
(01:39):
they're going to form a joint adventure that puts TCL
in charge. They're going to own fifty one forty. TCL
is going to bring to the table. You know, they're
manufacturing skills, basically the ability to make TVs affordable for
the masses, while Sony is going to bring all of
its expertise and actually making very very high quality pictures
(02:01):
and audio for their TVs. A new company is going
to use the Bravia name. So they're basically saying, look,
we know people understand that Bravia is a very high
end name for TVs, and that's what we're going to
use and we'll see what happens here. I mean, this
still has to be approved, but that is a huge
shift in TVs, which used to be dominated by Japanese companies.
(02:23):
Now obviously these Chinese startups are really coming to power here.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Okay, as far as the ownership of TCL, is Sony
going to be a partner, a partial owner.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Sony. We don't have forty nine percent, so I can't
be the majority here.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Understand, all right, So it is sort of kind of
a Sony company, but spinning off, all right, And that
makes sense. By the way, A quick story, you mean,
I yeah, I think you'll appreciate. This is after the war,
After World War two, the Japanese had to start an industry.
Of course, they had to come back, and it was
(02:59):
I remember as a kid, these little crappy little toys
were Japanese. When you had really junky stuff, it was
made in Japan. It was a pejorative. And there is
a story, and it's not apocryphal. This actually happened where
the head of Sony, and this is right after the
war was sitting down with one of the major corporate
(03:22):
heads and they were having dinner and he was talking
about bringing up his manufacturing and the guy said to him,
I forgot who it was. All you are good for
are making those little umbrellas that they put in drinks,
you know, my ties, And that's because that's where they
came from. That was Japanese. And that's what he said
to the head of Sony who of course they created
(03:44):
this juggernaut and for a long period of time, technologically
they were ahead of anything anywhere in the world. And
then the Japanese product products were insane and they got
very expensive. And now, as you explained what was going on. So, yeah,
how I's been a while since the Japanese products, electronic
products particularly were at the top of the heap, hasn't it.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Well, Look, I think that people still understand that Japan
has a knack for designing and engineering things in a
very sophisticated way. I think that it's just a matter
of economy at this point, like people are not necessarily
willing to pay for that, and so China is like, Okay,
we'll do stuff. We're going to do it really well.
(04:29):
We're not maybe not going to have the same exact
polish as these other companies around the world, but we
are going to get these into the hands of the
people for cheaper than you can imagine. And that has
really worked pretty well for them.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
And the quality is good that no one notices the difference.
I mean, there used to be a time when the
Japanese remember the Trino tron television. Yeah, when it came
out was the best thing in the world by a
long shot. No one came nearer to the Trindo Tron.
And now it's all TV's are almost fungible now, aren't they.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Oh my? I mean I was in Costco and I
just couldn't believe that you can get a fifty five
inch TV sixty five inch TV three hundred dollars now.
I mean, it may not be the best quality for
that price, but the price on these things are clearly down.
I remember going to the Japanese electronics show they call
it c Tech the first time about I don't know,
fift ten years ago, fifteen years ago, and every brand
(05:25):
you walk in there, and it was so clear to me,
as a kid who grew up in the eighties, the
dominance of Japanese electronics. Right, we're talking Sony, Hatachi, Nissan, Sanyo, Toyota, Honda,
every company you ever heard of was all based in Japan.
And that show over the years less and less, less
(05:47):
and less, less and less. And now when you go
to CS what is it. It's all the brands from
China and they are the ones that have just taken
over this entire industry. It's pretty wild to watch.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yeah, one of the things in the music industry. I
know we're just sharing stories back and forth, but I
think is fascinating. One of the best pianos in the world,
or it was for the money, was a Yamaha. Very
few people knew that Yamaha made pianos, and you could
go and get a Steinweight for eighteen or twenty two
thousand dollars and get a Yamaha for eight thousand dollars
(06:19):
and it was ninety five percent as good. I mean,
it's just extraordinary what they were able to do. And
so Sony, I mean, great, great products. Also they had
the walkman. I mean they pioneered a lot of stuff
Sony did. All right, Rich, I don't know where to
go to, Let's do the I bought automated eye test
that you saw at CEES That looks kind of interesting.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Yeah, I thought this was interesting. So CS they had
a whole bunch of health tech. This was one of them.
I bought is basically an eye test Kiosk, and they're
putting them. They've already had a deal with Walmarts, so
they're already in certain walmarts. But I tried it out.
You basically walk up to the Kiosk. You put in
some information and then it starts to test your eyes
the traditional test where you look at letters and you
(07:02):
type on the screen which letters you're seeing. Then it
does something where you kind of watch something on the
screen and it's scanning your eyes with infrared. You can
put your glasses in there. It will scan those if
you have already have glasses, and then that's It takes
about five minutes. All the results are sent to a
licensed tele optometrist, so that means the person is not
(07:23):
on site. They are remote, and a couple of minutes
later you get your prescription on your phone. Now I
will tell you Bill, I don't wear glasses, of course,
you know, getting to the age where things do look
a little different sometimes. But I did get a prescription.
So my theory is everyone gets a prescription from this machine.
But I'm not sure, but it's a very light prescription.
(07:43):
But now I can get glasses if I need them.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Well, I'm assuming that makes it a lot easier, a
lot cheaper too, because making an appointment with an octometrist
and you got to win. Although they do the glaucoma test,
which you can't get at ad on those machines. But
it's it's kind of even interesting where the medical stuff
I'm seeing, you know, those fitbits and the wearables that
(08:10):
connect directly to your phone and give you the information
and download and do a whole medical chart way beyond
just how many calories, how many steps you're taking kind
of thing or pulse rate.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
That's oh yeah, I've got go ahead. My phone will
tell me how much I snored in the middle of
the night. Like it literally records snoring, so it'll say, like,
you snored for you know, sixteen minutes last night, and
I'll show you exactly when and where. I mean, it's
it's pretty wild. But you know, I think you're you're
tapping onto a bigger topic here of you know, health.
(08:43):
The health industry is ripe for change with technology. I
don't think it's happening as fast as some other industries,
but stuff like this, like this iBOT, you know, the
whole proposition is like, look, there are places in America
where there's not an eye doctor nearby. You know, it's
or it's you know, the access to care is just
not there, and so all these things will eventually help.
(09:05):
Now that could just be their marketing materials who knows.
You know, we live in LA where there's eye doctors everywhere,
but you know, appointments, getting medical appointments can take while sometimes,
so this is just one more way. But like you said,
it doesn't do the in depth I exam. I think
it's more of an eye test that makes sense.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Okay, Lift versus Uber, I mean that's the ongoing I know,
say fight, but the ongoing you know, I would say
fight for market share and for customers. You know, Lift
and Uber. Are there any other ones that even exist?
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Oh? I mean there's a couple out there, but there's
It's actually funny you said that because when you go
to LAX, they've got the LA exit and they've got
some other one. I want to say Diplo. I know
it's not that's the DJ, but there's like Dipolo or
some they on the side. It's like Uber Lift and
then some third part of that you've never heard of,
and you're like, who's taking that? Now? Maybe it's an
(10:00):
international one that people you know from out of town
use whatever. In China, I took one that was different
at add I think it was called but I think
it's all been absorbed. But yes, it's now Coke versus PEPSI,
Uber versus Lyft, And this study from the National Bureau
of Economic Research I found fascinating because it says what
I've always thought, you are overpaying for Uber or Lyft
(10:22):
if you do not check each app every time you
need a ride. And this is something that just people.
They get used to the app that they use, they
have a preference, and they just never compare. But with
this study found is that if you're not comparing the prices,
you are leaving money on the table because there is
always or not always, but there is generally a difference
(10:44):
in the price, and it could be substantial. So if
you're used to one of these apps, it really it's
best in your interest to open up the other app
just to see what they're charging. It could be the
same exact type of ride could be way cheaper.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Now that goes up and down doesn't mean because that's
dynamic pricing at its absolute best or worse. So I
and is it regular in the sense is is Lift
normally cheaper than Uber? Is a matter of business or
it just changes Sometimes Lift is more expensive sometimes Uber,
And it bounces all over the place.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Yeah, they did not find one cheaper than the other,
but they did find big price differences. So they said,
in New York City alone, people are leaving three hundred
million dollars a year on the table just by not comparing.
And most people you know, should be comparing, they just
don't because they're used to it. So I've found in
my personal experience it is completely random. Sometimes you will find,
(11:44):
for like an even a nice ride like an Uber Black,
it could be one price on Uber extremely expensive. Let's say,
you know, fifty bucks sixty bucks, same ride on Lift
could be thirty I mean, it just depends on what
is happening with their algorithm at that exact time that
you're checking the app. So again, unless you have some
sort of loyalty to one of these ride shares, or
(12:06):
you know you don't want to use the other, check
both apps, have them installed on your phone, put them
side by side, and have all your information in there
so that you can use one or the other each time.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Yeah, there was that huge controversy with the CEO of
Uber getting into it with one of the drivers. Yeah yeah,
is yeah, and that had some far ranging ramifications because
I know people, particularly women, because it was a fairly misogynous, misogynist,
(12:36):
fairly misogynist move that simply will not touch Uber. They
just won't do it. Yeah, it was.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
They both. By the way, if you are interested, they
both have a program in the settings where you can
prefer a female driver if you are a woman. So
I know my wife likes that. It's just, you know,
it's a little bit more peace of mind. You don't
get the creepy driver. But you know, they both have
that option. Now it's not guaranteed, but you know, if
(13:05):
you don't your options on Lifter or Uber, you can
set that as a as a preference.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
What if you're a man, can you suggest can you
request a woman?
Speaker 1 (13:16):
I don't think so, that's just creepy and strange. But
my you know, my wife does this all the time,
and so I'll always talk to the woman that's driving,
and she, you know, she'll tell stories forever about you know,
how much they love doing this and how nice it
is and how great it is that they can carry,
you know, just transport mostly females. And I think the
system works for you know, I think it's a good
thing for to have that option if you're more comfortable
(13:38):
doing it.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
I'd like to know how many I'd like to know
how many drivers are women? Of lifting uber, I'm assuming
the overwhelming majority have to be men.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
In my experience. Yes, that is the case, I think.
I mean, I take these things a lot, and it's
been far and few between.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Yeah, I mean, even allowing women to drive is like
beyond my comprehension. You know, you know, nineteen twenty they
actually gave women the right to vote. What the hell
happened there? You know? Okay, Rich, you're not joining in
on that conversation. Obviously, we will touch that one, no kidding,
all right, tomorrow morning, oh today on KTLA every day
(14:16):
Saturday eleven to two, and you can reach him on Instagram.
His address is at rich on tech and of course
his website which is pretty extraordinary, a lot of information
rich on tech dot TV. Have a good one, Rich,
Thank you beer. Okay, a quick word. This is the
last day of raising money for Kno for his car,
(14:38):
and we are doing that because Cono's car blew up.
He drives seventy two miles each way and he works
at iHeart. You put no car, it's blown up, and
the income you get an iHeart that is a very
very bad equation. So we're helping Kno out to get
a car. So if you would help, it's a go
(14:58):
fundme campaign. Please go to KFI A M six forty
dot com slash con o kf I a M six
forty dot com slash cono, and that will direct you
immediately to the our go fund page go fundme page
as opposed to others that well, people take advantage of
what's going on, so please join in. We're almost there
(15:19):
at our goal, and it's gonna be kind of neat.
Kno will uh, he'll be able to transport his meth
all over the neighborhood. No, no, no, no, no, come on.
I know you have a job or two on the side.
You have a side hustle. Yeah, yeah, I know. And
and one of them and I say, that's why he
needs a car. One of them is, of course, that
(15:42):
the stuff that makes you wake up very quickly and
go at a one hundred miles an hour. Yeah, all right,
moving along, moving along, singing a song. A little bit
of a history I want to share with you for
a moment. The President of the United States ordering the
secret construction of a secure underground facility under the East
(16:06):
Wing okay, underground East wing. There was an extension of
the East Wing on top and that we go back
to nineteen forty one when that happened. Franklin Roosevelt was
encouraged and did build a bomb shelter at the White
House after the attack on Pearl Harbor under the East Wing,
(16:30):
and at the time there was no public acknowledgment of
anything under construction, only that the East Wing was being rebuilt.
Donald Trump, by the way, when he says, when you know,
everybody says, that's horrible, how do you square around with
a White House of such historical importance, Well, the problem
is not. The problem is the reality is a lot
of presidents have done that. I mean, the Oval Office
(16:52):
didn't even happen until Teddy Roosevelt and you've got Truman
redid a lot of the White House, the interior part,
and Franklin Roosevelt did a lot of work. The problem
is is that they didn't quite do that big, big,
beautiful ballroom, big the big BBB, right, which is a
(17:15):
little bit yeah, yeah, kind of a little garish, don't
you think.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
And let's talk about who gutted it, because at one
point it was like.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
No, that was the main that was the main residence
that was under Truman, where they went down to the
steel literally a concrete and the steel because it was
falling apart, literally falling apart. And the way they discovered
it is Truman one day looks up and there is
the leg of a piano that was sticking through the
ceiling and he said, something's wrong. Oh yeah, that's a
(17:46):
true story. Yeah, yeah, no, that's absolutely true. Yes, oh yeah.
And they found out the whole place I was about
to collapse, so they gutted it and redid the whole thing.
But when you talk about what happened under the East
Wing that Roosevelt put in and had to demolish most
of it, it actually is almost a submarine like bunker,
(18:12):
and it included, because they're redoing it now, the Presidential
Emergency Operations Center and everything around it, and so it
is a whole bunker that can house the president, senior
staff members, certainly the president's family, and that space has
been used for everything watching a parody film that the
(18:36):
Nixon administration considered pornographics, so some people went down there
to watch a film, some senior aides. It was Biden's
clandestine trip to Ukraine was planned there. Vice President Dick
Cheney was evacuated there during nine to eleven, and now
the space is being totally redone and it's all being
(18:58):
replaced with new technology because this is old, I mean,
at best, nineteen sixties technology down there. And there is
some controversy in terms of and this is my feeling,
and a lot of people believe this and agree with me,
that the ballroom itself is an abomination. It's a bigger
(19:21):
footprint than even the White House itself. It is so big,
and they have to build in order to match that.
On the other side, the West wing is going to
be torn apart. I mean, the whole thing is an abomination.
Now underneath the East wing or the West wing, it
doesn't matter. You now have this bunker, the super super
(19:42):
secret bunker of where the president can work in the
event of an attack. That is that one's I think serious.
Now I don't have a problem with that. So here's
what's going on. There are actually two sections of it.
One is the building itself, the ballroom. Beneath the ballroom
is already in place a bunker where the president and
(20:06):
senior staff members go, and it's set up as a
location where the government can still function. And it was
originally built actually it was built in nineteen forty one,
and it was after it started nineteen forty one after
the attack on Pearl Harbord and Harbor, and Frank Roosevelt,
Franklin Roosevelt actually built it and it's still being used.
(20:29):
So the upper part of that big, beautiful ball room
is going to be built with private donations. It started
a two hundred million dollars is now at four hundred
million dollars and climbing. So Trump is changing the whole
(20:50):
footprint as well as the entire view of the curb
appeal of the White House, which I think is going
to go in the toilet now. With the military is
saying the recently when talk a lot about it, why
we didn't know much about it as the building is
taking place. Is the argument that they are using the
government is using is it is so secret we can't
(21:12):
allow any information out, And the government typically does that
because this is as secret as it comes and there
has to be communications at the technology is very very old.
Now you think of the situation room as where the
presidents and senior staff goes. Did you know that the
(21:34):
situation room is used twenty four hours a day, is
used by everybody in the White House. You know, general
sit down and use it. Senior aids will grab someone
and use it. It's a meeting place that is secure,
not bomb proof, the way the Operations Center is under
the East Wing. But it's used all the time. See,
(21:56):
we think of the Situation Room as empty and then
the presence as we have to meet in the situation
room when there's a major catastrophe or a major issue
going on internationally. No, not at all. It's used for everything. Well,
that is not the case with this bunker underneath the
East Wing. And we're not going to know how much
(22:17):
it costs, We're not going to know what's in there.
We're not going to know much about it because it
is secret. And I'm okay with that. And on top
of that, I'm okay with the taxpayer paying for that.
I have no problem underground, taxpayer, above the ground, private donations,
(22:40):
gold purchased on the world market, lots of it. Matter
of fact, it is going to be so incredibly ornate
and ostentatious that the only people that the only diplomats
that will feel comfortable is the embassy. Embassy personnel from Iran.
(23:00):
They're going to be comfortable with how gaudy it's going
to be. Okay, we're done, guys. Oh I had to
throw something out there, didn't I.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
You'll be red flocked wallpaper in the bathroom. There'll be
chandeliers at every corner of this place.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
Fit a bro, Why fix it?
Speaker 2 (23:18):
That's correct? All right, guys, We are done. Gary and
shann Was it Gary and Shannon? Today is the whole
team back? Okay? Gary and Shannon are back again. We're
back in with everybody. Look and John comes back. I
think today John coleblt. So the whole crew is here.
We're back to normal, well if you want to call
it normal. We're back to our regular programming and our
(23:40):
day parts. Catching them arow everybody. KFI AM sixty. You've
been listening to the Bill Handle Show. Catch my Show
Monday through Friday, six am to nine am, and anytime
on demand on the iHeartRadio app.
The Bill Handel Show News
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