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Pasadena Press
MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2014 - AUGUST 24, 2014
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Mandatory “kill-switches” for smartphones to prevent theft? Bill awaits Governor Jerry Brown's signature by jennifer schlueter With our smartphones being worth up to $700, $800 or even more, they have become favorable objects for thieves. Black market resales for stolen phones are lucrative for robbers, especially overseas, where American smartphones are more expensive. According to Consumer Reports, smartphone thefts in the US have almost doubled from 2012 to 2013 making them the leading property crime. Major cities in California are highly affected by this epidemic. In San Francisco and Oakland, cellphones were a target in 65 percent or rather 75 percent of all robberies in 2013, estimates the San Francisco city district attorney’s office. Oakland police data reveals that in the first half of this year over 80 percent of armed robberies involved mobile devices. Los Angeles has seen a 12% increase in cellphone thefts last year, reports NBC. To fight these alarming numbers, State Sen. Mark Leno introduced a bill that would require smartphone manufacturers to install a “kill-switch”
into their new, California-sold devices, which would make them inoperable if they fall into the wrong hands. Rightful owners would be able to lock their phones with antitheft software. According to CNBC, the bill exempts “smartphone models introduced before Jan. 1, 2015, that could not ‘reasonably be re-engineered’ to incorporate the anti-theft technology” and excludes tablets. Should the bill become law, “manufacturers will have until July 1, 2015, to incorporate the theft deterrent, which users would be asked to turn on when they set up their new devices,” CNBC states. “Our goal is to swiftly take the wind out of the sails of thieves who have made the theft of smartphones one of the most prevalent street crimes in California’s biggest cities,” Leno’s statement reads. The CTIA, a trade association representing the wireless telecommunication industry, opposed the bill according to a statement by their vice president of external and state affairs, Jamie Hastings. “We urge the Governor to not sign
The Recording Academy remembers Robin Williams
-Photo by Jennifer Schlueter
this bill, since uniformity in the wireless industry created tremendous benefits for wireless consumers, including lower costs and phenomenal innovation,” said he. “State by state technology mandates, such as this one, stifle those benefits and are detrimental to wireless consumers.” However, the bill’s sponsor San Francisco District At-
Robin Williams, circa 1990, at Santa Barbara’s Biltmore Hotel at a special event honoring his comedic mentor Jonathan Winters. –Photo by Terry Miller
school or college in the Pasadena Area Community College District; possess at least a 2.0 (“C”) cumulative, non-weighted grade point average; be at least 17 years of age by December 31, 2014, and not
Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams apparently took his own life at his Northern California home Monday, law enforcement officials said. Williams was 63. “He has been battling severe depression of late,” publicist Mara Buxbaum told CNN. “This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time.” Coroner investigators suspect “the death to be a suicide due to asphyxia,” according to a statement from the Marin County, California, Sheriff’s office.
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97th Rose Queen® to be announced and crowned on October 23 initial tryout sessions on September 13 or 15. To be eligible, an individual must be an unmarried female resident of the Pasadena Area Community College District; be a senior in high school or enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited
VOLUME 1, NO. 16
By Terry Miller
Applications available online for 2015 Tournament of Roses® Royal Court
Applications for the 20142015 Tournament of Roses Royal Court are now available online at the Tournament’s website. Young women from the Pasadena area who meet the eligibility requirements are encouraged to apply and participate in one of the
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