You’ve been served
The next time you get a text message on your cell phone, it may contain some bad news. That’s a scenario facing many of South Korea’s mobile phone users as prosecutors of that country will start sending indictments via text message this year. Prosecutors felt that since 75 per cent of South Korea’s population carries a mobile phone, it was time to move away from paper and send these notices electronically. The move is expected to save the country US$158,000. A spokesperson said these text messages are not intended to take people by surprise since legal notices are only sent to someone who has applied for the service. Text messages will also be used for other legal notices such as fines and penalties.
Here’s your chance to save a bureaucrat
For just a small donation, you can save an Ottawa bureaucrat from his unfulfilling office job. At least, that’s what this anonymous man is hoping. The “Save a Bureaucrat” campaign was launched last month in hopes of raising $1 million so the man could retire early. Once he raises $10,000, the bureaucrat will start revealing clues to his identity. He also promises that he will treat every donation with respect and not waste it on lavish items such as a Rolls-Royce car or a 10-bedroom mansion. So far the bureaucrat’s site has raised about $59.26 with donations made by friends and family who are aware of the man’s plan. Fake names of contributors are posted on the Web site to protect the poor bureaucrat’s identity.
The eagle has landed on streaming video
In a remote area of British Columbia, about 30,000 people a day tune in to watch streaming video of a pair of bald eagles nest. Located on Hornby Island in the Gulf Islands area of B.C., the nest has been the eagles’ home for about 19 years and they have produced about two young per year. This year, their first egg was laid on March 21 and the second on March 24. The streaming video was set up by Doug Carrick and the Hancock Wildlife Research Centre in 2004 during a month when the eagles were usually absent and his presence wouldn’t upset future breeding. Vancouver-based Infotec Business Systems is assisting Carrick with the streaming video. To view the eagles’ nest, visit www.infotecbusinesssystems.com/wildlife/default.asp. The eggs are projected to hatch on April 26 and 30.
Gambling on the go comes to Las Vegas
Last month, the Nevada Gaming Commission approved new mobile gaming regulations that will allow gamblers to take their gambling game anywhere they go within a casino. Bingo, poker, blackjack and horse race betting are some of the games that will be available on portable devices. These new regulations make Nevada the first state in the U.S. to approve handheld devices for gambling in any public area of the state’s casinos. However, some casino operators are hesitant about the new regulations and are taking a wait-and-see approach to see how the regulations and technology unfold. One concern is by taking gambling off the casino floor, it would make it easier for minors to gamble. However, manufacturers of gaming mobile devices said biometric fingerprint readers should keep the devices out of the hands of minors.
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