ON THE WEB: RAT ON A SUBWAY

CYBERSPACE (AP) — You’ve probably seen “Snakes on a Plane.” But what about “Rat On the Subway?” It isn’t a Hollywood movie — but a video clip shot in the gritty tunnels of New York’s subway system. A regulation-sized rat scampers through a moving subway car, causing riders to jump on their seats, clutching their briefcases, backpacks and purses to avoid contact with the critter. The screams roll through the car as the rodent scurries to and fro.

IN THE NEWS: STOPPING THE “HEARTBLEEDING”

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — It’s called “Heartbleed” — and since it’s been uncovered, it’s causing heartburn for computer users and those responsible for trying to make them secure for business, shopping, communication and other online dealings. Web sites have been scrambling to fix the problem, which was revealed just this week — but has been around for more than two years. It involves the encryption technology that is supposed to scramble sensitive information as it’s being sent from one computer to another. The security hole would make it easy for hackers to pick off personal info, while users assume they are surfing safely. Experts still can’t figure out whether the system has been exploited all this time — or whether hackers were unaware of the possibility of mining all that information. And that means Web users are left to decide whether they should follow advice to change their passwords to keep their personal information from being compromised.

IN THE NEWS: ELECTRIC GRID INFO LEAK PROBED

WASHINGTON (AP) — Information on the nation’s electric grid is supposed to be among the most sensitive bits of data out there. But a government investigator says that information was bandied about among people in uncontrolled settings. The document in question was created by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. And it was shows specific locations where the network of power plants that keep the juice flowing nationwide could be vulnerable to physical attacks. But a government investigator says the information was shared with federal and power industry officials — and in one cases, leaked to the news media. A report in The Wall Street Journal said it would take attacks on just nine strategically placed power substations to plunge the nation into darkness for weeks — or perhaps months.

IN STORES: CARDIFF S1 SKATES

CARDIFF, California (AP) — Some of us are old enough to remember roller-skating with metal skates that you clamped onto your sneakers with a skate key. Then there are those who grew up only using inline roller blades. Now, there’s a product that bridges the gap between the two — and makes skating a little easier along the way. The Cardiff Skate Company of California has two models — the S1 and S2 — and they are a hybrid of the old-school four-wheeled roller skates and the inline variety. Think of them as a tricycle that you skate on. They have a wheel in the front and two side by side in the rear — and a brake wheel behind that. And don’t worry about sizing — they are designed to be worn with your own shoes. Simply step onto the skate and it will adjust to your foot size. That’s a big help if you want to skate somewhere — without having to worry about toting around another pair of footwear to change into.