News
in a few
Award • Heather
Carter, a graduate student in recreation
and leisure studies at Cal State Long
Beach, has been recognized as one of
four recipients selected from the United
States and Canada to receive a Lucille
and Derby Dustin Future Scholars Award
from the Society of Parks and Recreation
Educators and the Academy of Leisure
Sciences.
Security • The
California State University Office of
the Chancellor may have experienced unauthorized
access to one of its computers. Approximately
154 names may have been compromised during
a recent virus infection. The names and
Social Security numbers of the individuals
who received financial aid were included
in the files on the computer. The CSU
has notified these 154 individuals by
letter but there is no indication that
any of their personal data was accessed.
Gas • Retail
gasoline prices are poised to jump to
new highs this week as Hurricane Katrina
barreled toward the heart of U.S. oil
production and refining operations in
the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, sending
crude-oil futures briefly above $70 a
barrel for the first time.
Crime • A man in Des Moines, Iowa, test-fitting a
$17,000 artificial leg ran off without paying the bill, police said. The
man visited Spectrum Prosthetics and Orthotics on Aug. 19 to be fitted for
the prosthetic and “was allowed to take it for a couple hours to ensure
that the fit was proper,” a police report said. But the man didn’t
come back, Sgt. David Murillo said.
Technology • A
child-shaped humanoid robot that can
recognize about 10,000 words and work
as a house sitter will go on sale in
Japan in September. The “Wakamaru” robot
can recognize the faces of up to 10 people
and talk to them. When linked to mobile
phones, it can also work as a monitor
to check situations at home, such as
a burglary or someone falling ill, Mitsubishi-Heavy
Industries Ltd. said in a statement Monday.
Politics • A candidate in provincial elections in
southern Austria is urging people to sign up for a lottery with an unusual
prize — a parliament seat. It’s a form of protest, says Gerhard
Hirschmann, who argues the largely powerless upper house of parliament should
be abolished. Hirschmann launched the lottery to give away the five-year
job title and $66,340 annual salary included. |
