NASA imagines a drone of your own

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Forget getting the latest, greatest cell phone. The next indispensable tech tool may be a drone of your own. And daily life may never be the same.

"I see a time when every home will have a drone. You're going to use a drone to do rooftop inspections. You're going to be able to send a drone to Home Depot to get a screw driver," said Parimal Kopadekar, manager of NASA's Safe Autonomous System Operations Project at Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif.

And this won't happen in some long-distant future. "This is in five or 10 years," Kopadekar said Wednesday.

Kopadekar gave a keynote talk at a conference on Unmanned Aerial Systems Traffic Management hosted by NASA and the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. The conference, at NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., runs through Thursday.

"We can completely transform aviation. Quickly," said Dave Vos, lead of Google's secretive Project Wing, which is working with NASA  — as are some 100 other companies — on an air traffic control system for small, low-altitude drones.

An effective air traffic system — needed to keep the skies under 500 feet from turning into a demolition derby — will play a major role in turning drones from a plaything into an engine of the economy, one affecting package delivery, agriculture, hazardous waste oversight and more.

In addition to Google the companies working with NASA include Amazon, Lochheed Martin, Raytheon, Airware, DroneDeploy, Matternet, Cisco and Verizon. "We have 125 collaborators and it's growing," said Kopadekar.

Multiple companies could provide this kind of air traffic control for different needs, said Kopadekar.

"That's the idea of this collaboration; we don't want to pick winners. We will want to set the parameters but keep the operation open."

"The FAA is saturated just doing their job," said Ro Bailey, policy director for the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. "So the how do you solve the problem of managing a massive influx of these unmanned systems which can't see and avoid other people because there's nobody looking?"

Vos says he imagines using the same technology that allows cell phones to talk to each other and the network — systems that also decide which messages go first and ensure that everything gets through in milliseconds.

Bailey said the idea is "brilliant."

"We already have a sophisticated cellular network that has a protocol for who goes first and how things are routed in the fastest possible way," she said.

Another component needed to make drone traffic safe is ADS-B,and Google says it's working on this, as well. That's automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast, a cooperative surveillance technology that allows aircraft to determines their positions via satellites and broadcast them to nearby aircraft.

"We think everyone who wants to build one should be able to build one," Vos said. "Marketplaces that don't have competition, don't really go anywhere."

Facebook beats Street but expenses a worry

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook delivered a Street-beating second quarter with revenue, profits and user growth all exceeding expectations.

The only hitch: Expenses grew even faster.

The Menlo Park, Calif.-based social network reported revenue jumped 39% to $4.04 billion in the second quarter, up from $2.91 billion a year ago.

But that gain was outpaced by total costs which rose 82% from the same quarter a year ago.

Net income fell 9.1% to $719 million, or 25 cents a share, compared with $791 million, or 30 cents a share, a year ago.

Excluding certain expenses, Facebook said it would have earned 50 cents a share. Analysts had expected adjusted earnings of 47 cents.

Facebook shares were volatile in extended trading on Wednesday, seesawing between gains and losses.

Shares, which have been trading near all-time highs, lost 2% following the earnings report. They briefly turned higher during Facebook's conference call when Facebook Chief Financial Officer David Wehner narrowed Facebook's guidance on expense growth rate for 2015 to 55%-60% from 55%-65%. Shares fell again when Wehner said to expect slowing revenue growth for the rest of the year.

Investors are increasingly scrutinizing the expenses of technology companies such as Facebook and Google, said S&P Capital IQ analyst Scott Kessler.

Facebook warned investors earlier this year that costs and expenses would rise dramatically as it invests in long-term projects such as virtual reality, as well as in recruiting top engineers and building new data centers.

"People are worried about runaway, undisciplined, expenses and ultimately, unsuccessful expenses," Kessler said. "But here the proof is in the pudding. Facebook put up the growth numbers and that is what ultimately people want to see."

A growing number of advertisers are turning to Facebook to reach digital consumers, especially on smartphones and tablets. Mobile advertising revenue accounted for 76% of advertising revenue in the quarter. Research firm eMarketer expects Facebook to control 16% of the $69 billion mobile ad market this year. Google is expected to capture 35%.

Consumers continue to spend a lot of their time on Facebook. The number of users who check their account at least once a month grew to 1.49 billion from 1.44 billion last quarter. Of those users, 968 million check their account every day, up from 936 million in the first quarter.

"Facebook's rate of user growth actually picked up this quarter, which makes for a dramatic contrast with Twitter. In fact, Facebook added more daily active users in the U.S. alone in the quarter than Twitter added monthly active users globally," said Jan Dawson, chief analyst with Jackdaw Research. "Facebook growth shows no sign of slowing down, which is incredible when they're just shy of one and a half billion users."

Facebook is also making money from that growth in users, Dawson says.

"The Street must have been expecting something pretty outlandish to react as badly as it has, because this is a really solid set of results," he said.

Shares FB closed up 2% to $97 in regular trading on Wednesday. Facebook announced its second-quarter results after the close of trading.

Will consumers upgrade to Windows 10?

LOS ANGELES — Microsoft vows to have 1 billion folks using the new Windows 10 by 2018.

Is that a stretch?

Not really, says analyst Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies.

The PC industry sells from 275 million to 300 million computers yearly with Windows pre-installed. Three years of sales plus upgrades, “and it’s easy to get to 1 billion,” he says.

Wednesday, the new Windows 10 is available as a download, initially aimed at enthusiasts who signed up to be early adopters.

Richard Doherty, an analyst with the Envisioneering Group, says some 600 million to 650 million users of Windows 7 and Windows 8 qualify for the free upgrade, but most — about two-thirds — will wait a few months before giving it a try.

“It’s always the more technically inclined who start the upgrade process for first 6 to 9 months,” says Bajarin, “The general consumer will wait" because they’ll want to make sure issues with download speeds, lost connections and other kinks are worked out first.

Also, most of the Windows 10 sales will be to businesses, which traditionally stall the longest before upgrading, says Bajarin.

“We don’t expect serious upgrades until the second or third quarter of next year,” he adds.

While Apple computers have a huge presence on TV shows and college campuses and at tech start-ups, it’s good to remember that most consumers and businesses are overwhelmingly Windows based, notes Bajarin.

Apple sells around 16 million computers a year — a far cry from the nearly 300 million Windows PCs.

USA TODAY will have a new app available for Windows 10 in August.

Yelp shares plunge, chairman steps down

Yelp, the crowed-sourced reviews site, has taken a big hit from shareholders after a review of its own.

Shares of the site toppled 28% Wednesday after it reported grim second-quarter earnings Tuesday and also announced that chairman Max Levchin is leaving.

Yelp reported a second-quarter loss of $1.3 million (two cents a share) compared to the $2.7 million (four cents a share) profit it registered for the same quarter a year ago, according to its earnings report released Tuesday.

Due to "lower sales headcount growth" and the elimination of its "brand-advertising product," or display advertising, the company said, it slashed revenue guidance from $544 million to $500 million for the year, which is down from prior guidance of $574 million to $579 million.

Meanwhile, the company announced that Levchin, co-founder of PayPal and an early investor in Yelp, has resigned from his position as chairman of the board of directors to pursue other interests, effective immediately.

The company's board has yet to appoint a new chairman, but plans to consider the issue at its September meeting.

"I am extremely proud of what Yelp has accomplished over the last 11 years and believe I leave it well-positioned to take advantage of the large local advertising market," Levchin said in a statement Tuesday.

Yelp, the digital version of word-of-mouth recommendations, posts reviews of local businesses ranging from boutiques to hair salons to restaurants. The company was founded in 2004, and has taken hold in major metro areas across 31 countries.

The company said approximately 83 million visitors — up 22% from last year — have visited the site via mobile devices on a monthly average basis during the second quarter. Yelp said this quarter was the first time mobile traffic was higher than desktop, which saw about 79 million visitors on an average monthly basis.

"Consumers are increasingly turning to apps when using their mobile phones, and we are excited about the growth we've seen in app usage, which accelerated to 51% year to year," the company said.

For the third quarter, Yelp expects revenue of $139 million to $142 million, which is below Wall Street estimates of $153 million.

Still, CEO Jeremy Stoppelman offered some optimism during Tuesday's earnings report.

"We believe our rich content married with our highly differentiated local advertising product will position us well to capture a meaningful share of the large local market," he said.

Review - Dmail's self-destructing e-mails

LOS ANGELES - We’ve all done it.

Fired off an e-mail, and then regretted it moments later. Perhaps it was an act of rage, or maybe we spelled something wrong and knew we could do better.

There should be an app for taking back e-mails, right?

Well, there is, and I’ve been playing with it this week. It’s called Dmail, and while I like the concept, I really don’t like the app.

Or put another way, my recipients hate it. They’re upset with me for using Dmail on them.

To use Dmail, you download an extension for Gmail and the Google Chrome browser. It then puts Dmail into your e-mails, and gives you the option of yanking back an e-mail after you’ve sent it. You can also potentially stop folks from forwarding something you’ve sent.

Great--for you. But not for the folks in your address book.

Because in order to work correctly, without offending folks, they too have to have the Dmail extension in their browser and Gmail.

Otherwise, when you write folks, they get a link in an e-mail that they have to open to read your prose.

And let’s face it--how many people do you know who are willing to do that for you?

I wouldn’t.

Once they start screaming at you about making them click a link to read your e-mail, you notice there's an on/off switch in your Gmail window. You can turn off the Dmail feature, and decide to use it sparingly--if at all.

Maybe for sensitive e-mails, like work related stuff. But wouldn't you be using corporate e-mail for that anyway?

Gmail, the world’s most popular e-mail program does have a feature that lets you “undo the send” of an e-mail, but you have to act fast--within 30 seconds.

Dmail lets you do it any time.

I won’t be taking advantage of this feature because. I’ve already deleted it. My correspondents made me do it.

Coney Island: 10 can't-miss attractions

It's the birthplace of the roller coaster and the modern amusement park. While its heyday is long past, Coney Island still has a spunky, gritty charm. New development over the past few years has stemmed the New York landmark's long, sad decline and replaced it with optimism and a renewed sense of vitality. There are some new rides and other recent additions to check out, but mostly it's the tried and true classics that keep visitors returning to the seaside playground. Plan your own pilgrimage to Brooklyn's living piece of Americana and consider sampling some of the best that Coney Island has to offer.

Ride the Cyclone

It is perhaps the most famous roller coaster in the world. Dating back to 1927, it is an official National Historic Landmark and fairly oozes with nostalgia. Recent re-tracking and other restorative work has made the ride a bit less aggressive, but the old-school trains, which do not have modern seat dividers, guarantee that seatmates slam into one another. Fun fact: It may look like a rickety wooden coaster, but the Cyclone's structure is actually made out of steel – the same material your nerves need to be made of to ride it.

Eat a Nathan's hot dog (and fries)

Sure there are franchises all over the place, but the hot dogs somehow don't taste as good as they do at the original Coney Island location. Nathan's has been a fixture at the amusement area since 1916. Tip: The fries might be even better than the hot dogs. The event that kicked off the competitive eating craze, the Hot Dog Eating Contest, is held at Nathan's every Fourth of July.

Swing by the Wonder Wheel

Built in 1920, it's even older than the Cyclone and is as much of a Coney Island icon. The unique ride has cars that swing wildly as the 150-foot-tall wheel rotates. If you're less courageous, there are also stationary cars.

Brave the Spook-A-Rama

Speaking of courage, the especially squeamish may want to steer clear of the Spook-A-Rama. It is one of a handful of classic "dark rides" still operating. Measured against today's graphic horror films, the circa-1955 attraction is really more silly than spooky.

Take a spin on the B&B Carousell

There used to be a bunch of painted ponies going round and round at Coney Island. The B&B, which first started spinning in 1906, is the last of the rides that remains from the early years. It has been restored and moved to a different location next to the Parachute Jump tower (which, by the way, is no longer operational). Alas, the brass ring dispenser was removed when the ride was restored. And no, that's not a typo. For some reason, it's always been identified as the B&BCarousell.

Running around the Caribbean — Literally!

What’s better than being in the Caribbean? Running around it!

In the last couple of years amateur athletes have jumped on the “runcation” trend, combining so-called destination races with vacation time for an active getaway. And in the Caribbean, these events are a fun and challenging means of experiencing an island in an up-close and authentic way that you just can’t from inside a tour bus or taxi.

So if you're currently training for a fall or spring race, consider adding these events to your calendar, and see the sights as you chase a PR along a palm-fringed path, no cold-weather gear required. And if you're new to running, what better motivation to get in shape for your first 5k, 10k, half-marathon or longer race than the breezy byways of the Caribbean? Ready? Set. Run!

September 10-12: Nevis Running Festival

It’s hard to imagine running long distances on an island with just 22 miles of coastline, but organizers have plotted scenic out-and-back 10k, half and marathon courses that maximize views of Nevis Peak, the mist-crowned dormant volcano in the island’s center.

• The Course: Expect rolling hills, village views and coastal vistas on the 10k, half and marathon, which all begin in the capital, Charlestown. The 5k, held on the grounds of the Four Seasons resort, is mostly flat. 
• The Swag: Finishers get a race T-shirt and medal. Winners’ trophies are hand-carved from stone by a local artist.
• How to Get There: American Airlines, Delta and US Airways fly into Nevis’ sister island, St. Kitts (SKB). From there it’s a 40-minute ferry or 7-minute water taxi ride to Nevis. Seaborne Airlines, Tradewind Aviation and Cape Air fly directly into Nevis’ Vance W. Amory International (NEV) from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Winair runs service from St. Maarten.
• Where to Stay: Four Seasons Nevis, Mount Nevis hotel and Oualie Beach Resort are offering runners’ rates. Paradise Beach Villas is a good choice for groups.
• Website: nevismarathon.com

October 4: Martinique Semi-Marathon

Party with around 2,000 other competitors in the Race Village for three nights before the 5k, 10k, and half marathon races, then run off all that rum punch during the 31st edition of this French-Caribbean classic.

• The Course: The out-and-back route is mostly flat, starting from Fort St Louis in the capital, Fort-de-France, and following the coastline. You'll pass City Hall and Aimé Césaire Cultural Park along the way.
• The Swag: Winners take home at total of 3,700 euros in cash; each finisher gets a race T-shirt and medal
• How to Get There: Fly nonstop from Miami into Aimé Césaire International (FDF) on American Airlines or via San Juan with Seabourne Airlines.
• Where to Stay: Check out La Suite Villa (actually a hotel) and La Pagerie in Trois Ilets, the island’s tourist hub.
• Website: semi-martinique.com (Be warned, the site is in French only)

November 29: KLM Curaçao Marathon

Organizers say that runners from more than 20 countries have already registered for this second annual series of races, which includes a 5k and 10k run/walk; a trail 10.5k and 16.65k; half marathon and marathon.

• The Course: The half and marathon courses take runners across the capital’s iconic Queen Emma swimming pontoon bridge. Start your hill training now because the route also includes the Juliana Bridge, one of the highest in the world at 185 feet above sea level.
• The Swag: Finisher’s medal and race T-shirt
• How to Get There: Hop non-stop flights into Curaçao International (CUR) from the U.S. on American Airlines and JetBlue.
• Where to Stay: Hotel partners include Lion’s Dive & Beach Resort, Avila Hotel, Hilton Curaçao and Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort.
• Website: klmcuracaomarathon.com

December 5: Reggae Marathon, Jamaica

Now in its 15th year, this popular Jamaican event kicks off in the pre-dawn hours with tiki torches and Rastafarian drummers at the start line, and features reggae music at every mile.

• The Course: The mostly flat 10k, half marathon and marathon courses run into town and back, ending on Negril’s famous beach with a legendary finish line-party.
• The Swag: A commemorative T-shirt, certificate and medal for all finishers; more than $10,000 total prize money for winners.
• How to Get There: Almost every US carrier offers flights into Sangster International (MBJ). From there it’s about an hour’s drive to Negril.
• Where to Stay: Go all-inclusive at RIU, Couples or Beaches resorts. Rock House, Tensing Pen and Idle Awhile are good boutique hotel options.
• Website: reggaemarathon.com

Six minibar items worth the splurge (and some that don’t require one!)

Considering the crazy high prices that many hotels slap onto their minibars, it's no surprise that most guests tend to avoid them. In response, three big chains -- Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt -- have cleaned out the mini-fridges and called it quits; their rooms in hotels around the world no longer have them. But let’s not throw out the Baby Ruth with the Fiji water! Plenty of hotels still provide in-room snacks, drinks and treats, and we promise -- some are worth the splurge. Here are six minibar features we've seen that we can totally get behind.

Local goods

Seeing the same can of Coke and the same Hershey’s bar time and time again can be a snooze. That’s why we salute the minibars that bring in local foods. The Wythe Hotel firmly declares its Brooklyn pride with a bin of Mast Brothers chocolates and North Fork chips. This proves a hotel can earn coolness points with just its snack drawer.

Treats for all, even pets

The first rule in snacking: All snacks taste better when shared with a friend -- especially your best friend, aka your dog. At The Benjamin, pets aren't just welcome, they're treated like any other guest and are given their own provisions. The hotel's goodDog program includes pet treats in the minibars of all guests with pooches, a detail that's sure to leave a lot of tails wagging.

Saucy additions

Why let the minibar sundries end with edibles when there are so many other types of treats hotels can offer? A few bold hotels, like the Delano Hotel in Miami and Gild Hall in New York City, have caught on and offer minibar amenities for seduction: condoms, lubricant and towelettes. In our opinion, it makes perfect sense to park these next to the Champagne.

Minibars stocked with free goodies

Say goodbye to overpriced snacks -- some hotels actually offer minibars stocked with gratis goodies! While this is particularly common at all-inclusive resorts, like Jamaica's Secrets Wild Orchid, some boutique properties have the same friendly approach; one of our faves is Hotel Topazz in Vienna.

A signature snack

A range of snacks is always welcome, but something a little out of the ordinary can be particularly enticing. The Algonquin Hotel's minibar includes three types of Grey Goose and a cocktail shaker. And Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago is perfect for dealing with the morning hangover, offering no less than four different kinds of water.

Street-priced snacks

Virgin Hotels made headline news with their minibar announcement: All their goodies would be “street-priced.” Seeing cans of Red Bull and M&Ms at the same price as the corner store is the next best thing to free: Good-bye sticker shock and hello snack attacks!

Hawaii Volcanoes: Lava flows put on good shows

Spectacular even by the standards of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, the ongoing eruption at Kilauea has shattered records and drawn big crowds this spring.

In late April, the lava lake at the summit of Kilauea rose to unprecedented levels. Visitors have been treated to fiery nighttime displays of fumes and molten rock.

"It is really, really amazing," says Jessica Ferracane, public affairs specialist for the park. "It's been making international headlines. Our visitation has soared."

"It's pretty spectacular and amazing. It's nice to see that (the Hawaiian volcano goddess) Pele is definitely home and putting on such a big show," Ferracane says.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park encompasses ecological zones ranging from ocean coastline to alpine wilderness. More than 150 miles of hiking trails wind through these regions, ranging from sea level to 13,667 feet in elevation.

"One of my favorite places is not somewhere that a lot of people go," says Elizabeth Fien, executive director of the nonprofit Friends of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. "It's where the 1974 flow is. There are 10- and 15-foot lava trees near Keanakakoi Crater. To me, its one of the most incredible places in the park."

Lava trees are rock formations created when fast-flowing lava engulfs a tree. Some lava cools and hardens around the trunk, while the rest flows away. "To me, it's likeStonehenge," Fien says.

Her group's volunteers have helped remove invasive plant species from park forests since 1997. They also raise money to help the critically endangered nene — or Hawaiian goose — and honuea, or hawksbill sea turtle.

"It is so diverse. There's ocean. There's rainforest. There's the Kau Desert. There's lava. I mean, there's not many places in the world quite like our park," Fien says.

WestJet's international expansion is risky business

Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet is known for its no-frills business model and comedic flight attendants, but it’s hoping to become a whole lot more. Last month the airline announced its first transatlantic route to London Gatwick starting next summer, and CEO Gregg Saretsky told the Wall Street Journal it will be one of many:

“We aspire to be a credible alternative to the existing international flight carrier from Canada. That means that all those geographies ultimately are within reason. Why not China? Why not India? Why not South America? Why not Europe? They’re large markets…that could be better served.”

But not everyone is on board with this new strategy, and West Jet is straying from its bare-bones mentality. The airline’s shares tumbled earlier this week, and analysts say the cost of flying new wide-body planes, and long-haul services like meals and a complimentary first checked bag are bound to eat up revenue (just ask jetBlue).

Even one of the company’s founding execs, Tim Morgan, is hesitant, telling WSJ:

“Going international isn’t something I would have done. If [flying to London] is the best way that WestJet think they can get better yields and the best bang for their buck, all the power to them.”

WestJet faces a host of other problems on the horizon: pilots who are looking to unionize, a sluggish national economy and rumors that a new ultra-low-cost carrier could be launched in Canada before the end of this year.

Taking on international bigwigs like Lufthansa and British Airways at London Gatwick won’t be easy, and WestJet’s arch nemesis AirCanada is also bringing heat. Days after WestJet announced its new flight, the flag carrier’s low-cost airline, Rouge, said it would also service Gatwick starting next summer.

WestJet public relations manager Robert Palmer told Road Warrior Voices in an email statement:

We have recorded 41 consecutive quarters of profitability, five consecutive quarters of record profits, and 12 consecutive quarters exceeding our target on ROIC. All of this has occurred while we continued to evolve and grow as an airline, adding new destinations and routes, launching a new regional carrier and adding a second fleet type, evolving our value proposition to attract more business travellers … In short, the very activities being questioned are the very same activities that have, in part, led to our success.

Only 20 years ago, WestJet was a small outfit of three planes and five routes on the Canadian prairies. Thanks to code-sharing agreements, it now reaches more than 150 destinations in North America and Europe. But it remains to be seen if the airline’s riskiest endeavor will really take flight.

Brady, Patriots & NFL come out on top: Column

It may seem unlikely today, but when all is said and done with Deflategate and Tom Brady returns to the field, the Patriots, the NFL and even Brady all stand to emerge as winners in business over the long-term.

To be sure, the Deflategate crisis has been fraught with controversial questions. Was the “more probable than not” evidence cited in the Wells Report strong enough to convict Tom Brady? If so, what is a reasonable punishment?  How serious of an offense is deflating footballs? How should Brady’s cooperation (or alleged lack thereof) in the investigation, including the recent revelation of his destroyed cell phone, factor into the punishment and appeal process?  Fans and the media have been deliberating these and other issues with the same fervor as ranking the greatest quarterbacks of all-time (which, naturally, has been complicated by the allegations against Brady).

But when you examine this controversy from a business standpoint, the long-term brand and revenue implications (based on what we know now) could be minimal. Imagine the scene at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, October 18, 2015. TheNew England Patriots will visit the Indianapolis Colts for the game of the week on Sunday Night Football. If Brady serves his four-game suspension, he will be back under center that night for the first time in the 2015 regular season, playing against the same team that first reported the charges that are dominating this year’s NFL offseason.

This made-for-television storyline will likely generate pregame hype nearing Super Bowl proportions and come close to (if not surpass) a record regular season rating.  It’s tough to accurately predict who will win the game, but the safest best is that October 18th will be yet another banner night for the National Football League.

Indeed, all key parties in the Deflategate controversy (the Patriots, NFL, and Brady) have an opportunity to move on from this situation and strengthen their position over the long-term. Here’s why:

The Patriots have built and maintained a loyal fan base that is standing by the team through good times and bad.  From a business perspective, it matters little that they are the most disliked team in America right now.  As long as the team’s target audience — Patriots fans — remains fully in support of the team, the brand will stay healthy. And if the #FreeBrady movement online and offline is any indication, fan loyalty to the defending Super Bowl champions has never been stronger. If anything, Deflategate has emboldened Patriots Nation, creating an us-against-the-world mentality, and, by extension, strengthened the Patriots brand overall.

TV debates warp political process: Opposing view

Political wonks and junkies breathlessly await the first televised “debate” of the primary season. But sensible voters will do something more productive on debate night. Taking a walk or going to a ballgame will be better than watching 10 overprepared GOP candidates try to upstage each other with verbal brickbats and one-liners.

Political debates have become nothing more than media events that do little to promote reasoned, in-depth discussion. Cable news channels stand in line to program them to promote their brand, get a ratings boost, showcase their talent, and insert themselves into a political brawl. Their producers make the events look like a cross between the Super Bowl and Dancing With the Stars, hardly a venue for thoughtful political dialogue.

Television is a medium of emotion, and as such, warps the process of selecting who is best suited to lead the nation. Candidates are advised by slick handlers to stick to simplistic catchphrases, and toss in a few zingers along the way. Television forces candidates to worry more about their on-screen image than about how to explain their policy for improving the economy. Any candidate who seriously tries to make debating points and explain the nuances of a complex matter will come off as boring and calculating.

Afterward, the media will immediately start declaring who “won,” as if winning a debate 15 months before Election Day will help the electorate decide who’s best suited to confront Islamic State terrorists. There is little transferability of television debating skill into international diplomacy, working with Congress, or any other presidential duty that matters.

The candidate who can make the most noise on debate night will be viewed as having advanced his candidacy, and the less showy but more sensible candidate will be dismissed. Remember, many pundits thought Newt Gingrich won the early GOP debates in 2012.

John Kennedy warned in 1959 that television would force politics into the realm of public relations and “gimmickry.” Televised debates are all of that. These concocted events will not be the stuff of Lincoln-Douglas. Our nation’s political process suffers as a result.

GOP debates will be noisy but useful: Our view

Ready or not, here they come. The Republican presidential debates are almost upon us. And, suffice it to say, they are causing considerable consternation.

Party insiders fret that real estate mogul Donald Trump, or some other candidate, might hog the limelight and harm the GOP cause. Many outsiders dismiss the debates as useless political theater. And just about everyone has something bad to say about how the television networks plan to exclude candidates who don’t reach a certain threshold in polling averages.

Apart from a candidate forum on C-SPAN that hasn't attracted widespread interest, thefirst debate is set for Cleveland next Thursday. It has already set off what amounts to a race for 10th place. That’s because the sponsoring network, Fox News, says it will take only the top 10 in polling averages for its prime-time debate. Candidates who don't make the cut will be relegated to a B-team event starting at 5 p.m. ET. .

Critics point out that the difference between someone polling at, say, 2.4% and someone at 2.2% is statistically insignificant. Nor is it lost on anyone that a recent uptick in juvenile name-calling and beyond-the-pale provocations would appear to be partly driven by some candidates’ desperate desire to get attention and boost their poll numbers.

For these and other reasons, it might be tempting to dismiss the debates as pointless exercises that won’t provide much information for voters. That would be a mistake. While debates have never been a good gauge of a potential president's strategic decision-making or management experience, they are useful in exposing flaws and demonstrating communication skills.

Think back to the much-derided debates among contenders for the 2012 Republican nomination.

Then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry showed himself in a November 2011 debate as not ready for prime time, and perhaps for the presidency, when he proclaimed that he would shut down three Cabinet departments and then — "oops" — couldn’t name them.

This came a month after former pizza chain executive Herman Cain had his woefully impractical “9-9-9" tax plan ripped apart by fellow Republicans. As Michele Bachmannaptly quipped: “When you take the 9-9-9 plan and you turn it upside down, I think the devil’s in the details.”

The debates also showed general election voters just how far the party had swung to the right. They saw Bachmann strenuously arguing against childhood vaccinationprograms and the entire field refusing to raise taxes even if paired with a plan to cut spending by 10 times as much.

Iran nuclear deal bigger than partisan politics: Your Say

The Obama administration defended the Iran deal before the House Foreign Affairs Committee this week. Letter to the editor:

One of the most disconcerting consequences of the disagreement regarding the Iran nuclear accord is highlighted by President Obama’s statement that he would veto any legislation blocking the deal.

As a sign of potential cooperation between the legislative and executive branches, Americans would have appreciated a statement suggesting Obama would welcome input on the terms of the deal. This would not negate the option of ultimately responding with a veto after the healthy exchange of contrasting viewpoints. Congress has not always been cooperative, but if the president were “willing to unclench” his fist, maybe it would “extend a hand.”

Brian Mai; Laurel Springs, N.J.

Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

This agreement at best kicks the can down the road a decade, while Iran not only regains frozen assets but profits from economic interaction.

— Michael Golden

The problem here is not trying to get American voters on board so the polling looks better, but to get Congress to understand that this deal is bigger than placating Israel and Iran having nuclear technology. Future political ramifications and potential conflicts are what’s at stake.

— David Hoeltje

War is used to change the attitude of the enemy when negotiations break down. Soldiers are trained to kill and destroy. There are better ways to do things than mongering war. Mongering peace can work if given a chance. War is costly.