Choosing next prez Pakistan's internal matter: US

Continuing to steer clear of the political developments in Pakistan, the US on Wednesday said it was for the people of that country to choose their next President. "With regard to the Pakistani presidency, that's really very much an internal Pakistani matter. Pakistani people will have to determine who their next president will be," State Department spokesman Robert Wood said here. The senior official maintained that Washington is in touch with a variety of Pakistani officials through its Embassy in Islamabad. "And the relationship between the United States and Pakistan, as you know, is a very important one. We're engaged in very serious efforts to battle extremism in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. And we look forward to, again, continuing our cooperation with the current government on battling extremism," he added.

Pak: Zardari, Siddiqui, Sayed file nomination papers

The ruling Pakistan People's Party filed nomination papers for its chief Asif Ali Zardari for the September 6 presidential polls saying it had enough support to ensure his victory despite PML-N's decision to pull out of the government and field its own candidate. PML(N) leaders filed nomination papers for Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui. PML-Q candidate Mushahid Hussain Sayed filed the nomination papers accompanied by his party leaders Senior PPP leaders and federal Ministers Sherry Rehman and Khurshid Shah went to the Election Commission with leaders of the Awami National Party and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, both partners in the ruling coalition, and the opposition Muttahida Qaumi Movement and filed nomination papers for Zardari with Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Muhammad Farooq. Information Minister Sherry Rehman Sherry said the PPP has a "comfortable number of votes" to ensure Zardari's victory despite the PML-N's decision to leave the coalition. The PPP had been saddened by the PML-N's move but it would make every effort to take along all political forces to promote the culture of reconciliation, she said. "We believe that Mr Zardari is the right candidate for this office because he truly represents the unity of the federation," said PPP leader and Law Minister Farooq Naek. The presidential polls are going to be a three-way contest, with Zardari being pitted against former Supreme Court Chief Justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui, who is being backed by the PML-N, and opposition PML-Q secretary general Mushahid Hussain Sayed.

Eight sacked Pak judges reinstated

Under pressure to reinstate 60 judges sacked by former President Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan government has "reappointed" eight of them, a move seen as being selective by the influential lawyers' movement as there was no word on restoration of the deposed Chief Justice.
The eight deposed judges of the Sindh High Court took oath in the Governors' house in Karachi, a day after Asif Ali Zardari, presidential nominee of the ruling PPP, adopted a conciliatory tone and apologised to estranged ally PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif while asking his party to rejoin the government.
Sharif pulled out of the ruling coalition on Monday accusing Zardari of reneging on the promise to restore the judges sacked by Musharraf during emergency rule last year.
Anwar Zahir Jamali was appointed the new Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court. An official notification said the deposed judges of the other provincial High Courts would be reinstated soon as well.
However, there was no indication on whether former Chief Justice Iftikhar M Chaudhry would be reinstated. Musharraf axed the judges when it appeared that Chaudhry would rule against his re-election in uniform. The former military ruler resigned last week to avoid impeachment by the ruling coalition.
A Law Ministry ministry official here said the restoration of the eight judges signalled the beginning of the process to reinstate all deposed members of the superior judiciary.
The government decision was dubbed by lawyers as a "political stunt" and a conspiracy to divide the judges and lawyers.

'Out of office, Mush plays tennis and unwinds with Mohd Rafi'

Pervez Musharraf seems to be enjoying himself. One day after he resigned as Pakistan's president to avoid the humiliation of impeachment, he was playing tennis and relaxing with family and friends at his army-guarded residence, a close aide said.

"He was in a good mood, very relaxed," said Tariq Azim, who was among 30 supporters who gathered at the house outside Islamabad on Wednesday. "We used to meet him there in the past, but with no official duties, he was completely different."

He spent time listening to the songs of Mohammed Rafi and mingling with family and friends. The day started with breakfast with his family and Musharraf was relaxed because there was no hurry of going to office on time, the News reported.

He listened to songs by Rafi in the evening, including his favourite "Chal Urr Jaa Rey Panchhi". He called a friend and reportedly told him: "I am here, I will not run away. I am not a panchhi (bird) who will fly away from Pakistan."

"My resignation as president does not not reflect my defeat as I resigned in the interest of Pakistan and its people," he was quoted as saying by Geo News channel. He described as "baseless" the reports that he would move to US after a pilgrimage to Mecca.

As he watched TV, with channels beaming the celebrations by the public on his departure, he smilingly commented that "all these TV- wallahs will be taught great lessons by Zardari and Nawaz Sharif soon".

PPP parliamentarians back Zardari for Pak President's post

Pakistan People's Party parliamentarians on Wednesday backed party chief Asif Ali Zardari for the post of President but he said a decision would be made only after consulting all members of the ruling coalition.

The PPP lawmakers made the suggestion during a dinner hosted for them by Zardari at his residence here Wednesday night, parliamentarian Farzana Raja told reporters. She said all the lawmakers told Zardari that he was the "most suitable candidate" to be the next President.

Zardari was quoted by Raja as saying that a decision on the PPP's presidential candidate would be made after consulting all coalition partners and after the meeting of the party's central executive committee on Friday. During a recent interview, Zardari had ruled himself out for the post of President.

Reacting to the suggestion made by the PPP lawmakers, PML-N spokesman Siddique-ul-Farooq said a final decision would have to be made during a meeting of the coalition's leadership.

He added that PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif had no interest in the President's post. The PML-N wanted "an acceptable person from a smaller province" to be nominated for the position, Farooq said.

Former President Pervez Musharraf resigned from the post on Monday to avoid impeachment by the ruling coalition. Elections to choose a new President will be held by mid-September

I will not leave 'first love' Pakistan: Musharraf

Amid intense speculation about his future after stepping down, former President Pervez Musharraf has denied reports that he would leave his "first love" Pakistan and settle in another country, saying his resignation did not reflect a "defeat".

"My resignation as President does not reflect my defeat as I resigned in the interest of Pakistan and its people," Musharraf was quoted by Geo News channel as saying to several delegations that met him on Tuesday.

Musharraf, who quit on Monday to avert his impeachment by the Pakistan People's Party-led ruling coalition, told the delegations that he did not intend to leave Pakistan as it was his "first love".

He said he would soon issue a white paper on the economy as he had promised in his last address to the nation on Monday. The channel reported that he would meet some politicians today.

Musharraf described as "baseless" the media reports that said he would move to the US, where his son runs a well-established business, after travelling to Saudi Arabia in the near future to perform Umra, a pilgrimage to Mecca.

The delegations met Musharraf at the President's camp office or lodge, the name given to the former army chief's residence in the garrison city of Rawalpindi. Musharraf did not vacate the army chief's residence even after doffing his military uniform late last year.

Observers believe Musharraf's resignation was the result of a deal that assured "safe passage" for him in return for a promise that he would not restore the judges he had deposed during last year's emergency or repeal the National Reconciliation Ordinance, the controversial law that dropped graft charges against slain PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto, her widower Asif Ali Zardari and other leaders of the party.

PML-Q leaders had reportedly advised Musharraf to reinstate the deposed judges and revoke the NRO before resigning but he did not act on their suggestions. However, Law Minister Farooq Naek has said that there was no deal with Musharraf, who had "resigned of his own will".

Meanwhile, the government has decided to provide security in accordance with protocol to Musharraf.

"We have received a request from the former President regarding security and we will provide him the best possible security according to the standard operating procedure," Rehman Malik, who functions as Interior Minister, said.

Malik said Musharraf had demanded that one of his close aides, Colonel Ilyas, should be made in-charge of his security. "The former President will be provided the kind of security he is demanding," he said.

The interior ministry had said last night that Musharrraf would be provided the security cover of a VVIP as he was facing serious threats. It also said there were no restrictions on Musharraf travelling abroad

With Mush gone, it's time for Pak parties to perform

Leaders of Pakistan's coalition government on Tuesday set about seeking a replacement for President Pervez Musharraf and tackling pressing economic and security problems.

Musharraf, former army chief and key ally of the United States in its campaign against terrorism, resigned on Monday to avoid impeachment nearly nine years after taking power in a coup. Musharraf's resignation lifted Pakistan shares on Monday to their biggest one-day rise in eight weeks, and helped the rupee recover slightly. But analysts said the rebound was temporary.

"It's a major victory for the new government but there is still a lot of uncertainty going forward," said Sayem Ali, an economist at Standard Chartered Bank. Mushtaq Khan, a London-based analyst at Citi, said the government could now focus on the economy, taking concrete steps to restore investor confidence shattered by the political turmoil.

These include shrinking the trade deficit by banning imports of non-essential items such as luxury consumer goods, and cutting government spending by abolishing all fuel subsidies, Khan said.

Musharraf's resignation leaves the politicians who pushed out the stalwart US ally to face the Islamic militants and economic problems gnawing at this nuclear-armed nation. "There is a huge challenge ahead," said Shafqat Mahmood, a former government minister and prominent political analyst. "Now this whole Musharraf excuse is behind us. Now people are going to be focusing on their performance."

Musharraf's demise throws up a string of critical questions, including whether the ruling coalition will hold together without its common foe and whether the main parties will maintain Musharraf's close alliance with the US.

Analysts say the coalition must quickly clear two more political hurdles in order to survive: elect a new president and resolve the country's judicial crisis.

Hackers playing games at Olympics

Olympic buffs, beware! Internet hackers are trying their best to steal data from your system and corrupt it.
Hackers send mails related to Olympic events with interesting subject lines and then trap surfers in their net.
Internet users in India have been found more vulnerable as people are overenthusiastic over the prospect of getting two individual medals for the first time in the history of the games.
Hackers are sending mails with “.doc” attachment. The attachment carries the trojan which can corrupt the user’s system. Another spam message on ‘breaking news” is being circulated widely.
These spam e-mails come with the subject line of current affairs and change with daily current news items, which takes the user to malicious websites hosting malicious files such as “adobe_flash.exe ”.
Some of the malicious files have been detected as Nuwar Worm, according information available with the department of information technology (DIT).
Internet security agencies have warned users about a MS Word vulnerability affecting Microsoft Word 2000, 2002, and 2003. It is said to affect even patched versions of the popular word-processing application on certain MS Office versions.
“When exploited, the unspecified remote code-execution vulnerability could allow remote attackers to take complete control of an affected system, or cause the application to crash,” Trend Micro country manager for India & SAARC Niraj Kaushik said. Trend Micro, a software security major, had also issued warnings against the malaware.

The malicious files are using the Olympics to get more users to click on them. The samples are detected as TROJ_MDROPPER.ZT. These files are zero-day exploits under vulnerability summary CVE-2008-2244 under the Common Vulnerabilities & Exposures (CVE) list of the National Cyber Security Division of the US Department of Homeland Security.

Internet frauds have, off late, been banking upon sentimental and popular stories to hook users. Recent fraud incidents included fraud mails being sent in the names of NGOs for helping victims of cyclone Nargis, impending problem of Tibet and China and controversies relating to the hosting of the Olympic games.

Now, it would be wiser to stay clear of unknown e-mails claiming another Olympic medal for India even as offline, the boxers sweat it out in the ring to try their luck at bagging gold

Porn mode comes to IE8

Microsoft is adding a private browsing mode in the next version of its web browser Internet Explorer 8. Popularly called porn browsing mode (as one of the most obvious advantage of the feature is that users browse porn sites without leaving a trace), it will form a part of its IE 8's beta 2 scheduled for release this month.

Porn mode will allow users to erase their online history, cache and personal information entered or shared by users. Also, it will alert users in case they are being tracked.

The feature seems to be a part of Microsoft’s new emphasis on user privacy, a sour point with many IE users. In fact, in a recent blog post, Microsoft said that privacy is one of the major components of the "trustworthy browsing" element of Internet Explorer 8.

Incidentally, IE8 will not be the first browser to offer private browsing, Apple’s Safari browser has this feature since 2005. Also, Mozilla too planned to include this feature in its latest browser Firefox 3, but didn't include it due to some “complex designing” issues. However, Firefox 3 has an option that allows users to delete history and cookies immediately at the end of a session or during every session start up.

Microsoft has released first beta of IE8 in March. Though company officials have declined to say when the final version of IE8 will come, reports indicate that it will be out by the end 2008.

Spectacular opening to Beijing Olympics

Resurgent China opened the Olympics with a burst of fireworks at a spectacular ceremony that celebrated ancient Chinese history and aimed to draw a line under months of political controversy.

Fireworks explode from the stadium roof during the opening Ceremony for the 2008 Summer Olympics at the National Stadium in Beijing, on Friday.

"Today, the Olympic flame lit in Olympia has come to the end of its odyssey and will be kindled to adorn the night sky of Beijing," said Liu Qi, president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 29th Olympic Games (BOCOG), in his speech.

Nawaz Sharif's party to rejoin Pak government

The Pakistan People's Party-led government on Friday received a shot in the arm when its key ally PML-N announced its decision to rejoin it, nearly three months after pulling out of the cabinet over delay in reinstatement of deposed judges. Former Premier Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N said four of its leaders --- Ahsan Iqbal, Sardar Mahtab Abbasi, Rana Tanveer Hussain and Khawaja Saad Rafique -- would rejoin the PPP-led cabinet. The PML-N statement came a day after the two parties agreed to moving an impeachment motion against President Pervez Musharraf and restoring all deposed judges. The four PML-N leaders were among the nine ministers the party had withdrawn from the cabinet on May 11 after the government failed to meet two deadlines to reinstate the judges sacked by Musharraf during the Emergency rule last year. Party leaders said the four leaders were rejoining the cabinet as a token gesture and the remaining PML-N ministers would return after the deposed judges were restored to their former positions. PPP Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, at a joint press conference with Sharif on Thursday, had asked the PML-N to rejoin the cabinet to "express solidarity" with the alliance. The PML-N subsequently decided to return to the cabinet. Abbasi had held the railways portfolio, Iqbal education, Hussain defence production and Rafique culture and youth affairs. Though the PML-N ministers had resigned in May, their resignations were not accepted by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. With the exception of the finance portfolio, which was held by senior PML-N leader Ishaq Dar, their slots too remained vacant. The PPP filled the finance portfolio in order to present the budget.

Mush impeachment: Army to avoid involvement in politics

The powerful Pakistani military establishment gave a guarded response to President Pervez Musharraf's impending impeachment, saying it "would avoid involvement in political matters". Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani chaired a corps commanders conference on Thursday to mainly discussing the prevailing domestic situation and operational issues in the country. The two-day meet of the army's top brass was convened well ahead of the four-month-old coalition's decision on Thursday to move for the impeachment of Musharraf. No official statement on the meeting was issued but the influential Dawn newspaper quoted informed sources saying that it "resolved to continue concentrating on professional issues and avoid involvement in political issues". Pakistan's ruling coalition is expected to move an impeachment motion against President Pervez Musharraf, who had seized power in a coup in 1999, in parliament on August 11. The meeting also discussed political developments, including the ruling coalition's decision to impeach the President, the sources said. The current security situation in Pakistan with special reference to the military operations against militants in Bajaur Agency and the Swat valley of the North West Frontier Province was also discussed in the meeting, sources said. Kayani told the meeting that action against the militants would continue till permanent peace is achieved, sources added. The meeting, which will continue on Friday, was convened mainly to consider the promotion of 650 brigadiers to the rank of major general. Besides the corps commanders, the army's principal staff officers are also participating in the meeting.

Dark Knight sans a video game

It's a puzzle worthy of The Riddler: Why is there no video game based on "The Dark Knight"? For the first time in the film-franchise's history, the caped crusader flew into movie theaters without a video game attached to his utility belt. Despite a plethora of "Dark Knight" action figures, bobbleheads and T-shirts sweeping in Bat-dollars beyond the film's $400 million record-smashing box office, no "Dark Knight" game is following suit. Whatever held things up caused about $100 million in sales to be missed, according to estimates. It's not as if an interactive "Dark Knight" wasn't gearing up before the film's release. Game publisher Electronic Arts had the rights to make a "Dark Knight" title, which EA-owned developer Pandemic Studios was working on, according to an EA manager who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the information is proprietary. Gary Oldman, the actor who plays Gotham City police officer James Gordon, said in a recent interview with cable network G4 that he had seen a "tiny little piece" of "The Dark Knight" game and described a sequence with Batman realistically gliding across rooftops. Oldman also said the game is supposed to feel like it "doesn't stop and start." Beyond that, details about the game have been as concealed as Bruce Wayne in the Batsuit. Representatives for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, EA and Pandemic would not comment for this story.
Speculation about the cause for the disappearing act has included missed deadlines, Heath Ledger's death, questionable quality and poor sales projections. Based on the record-breaking success of the movie, Wedbush Morgan video game industry analyst Michael Pachter believes a "Dark Knight" game released at the same time as the blockbuster film last month could have sold 4 million units and banked $100 million--with $70 million going to the game's publisher and $30 million going to Warner Bros. Sales of movie-based games often parallel their box-office brethren. Last year's "Transformers" games sold 2.6 million copies while the "Spider-Man III" games sold 2.1 million, according to sales data from NPD Group analyst Anita Frazier. Even the "Iron Man" games have sold 697,000 units following their release at the same time as the film in May. To quote Jack Nicholson's Joker: "And where ... is the Batman?" "I think publishers have concluded the only games that work are the surefire $500 million box office kind of games like 'Spider-Man' and 'Shrek,'" Pachter told The Associated Press. "The 'Transformers' game really surprised people how well it did, but the movie was big. I don't think they expected 'The Dark Knight' movie to be this big." Games pegged to comic-book and kiddie flicks have become as financially important to the movie industry as popcorn and candy. Movie-based games provide another revenue stream to movie studios and often give game publishers a fighting chance for consumers' cash, mostly thanks to movie buzz and instantly recognizable characters. Since director Tim Burton first brought "Batman" to the big screen in 1989, games tied to every Batman film-- including "Batman Returns," "Batman & Robin" and "Batman Forever"--have been released for various gaming platforms. EA might have decided to bow out of the Batman business after what happened with the previous movie-based adaptation. In 2005, EA unleashed a "Batman Begins" game alongside director Chris Nolan's moody re-imagination of the Batman franchise. The stealth action game featured the voices of the film's stars, such as Christian Bale, Katie Holmes and Morgan Freeman. But the game received a lukewarm critical reception and only sold 587,000 copies. Ker-plop! If a "Dark Knight" game is still in the works, Batman could take a cue from Superman. Because of delays, the EA console games based on 2006's "Superman Returns" didn't take flight until the DVD release --and only then sold 705,000 copies. However, a "Dark Knight" game isn't on EA's release slate through March 2009, according to the EA manager. That doesn't mean gamers will be without interactive incarnations of Batman, The Joker and Two-Face this year. Warner will release "Lego Batman: The Video Game" in September. The cartoony platform game developed by Traveller's Tales will feature the caped crusader and company solving puzzles and fighting foes in the form of the famous colorful blocks. In November, DC Comics characters such as Batman, The Joker and Catwoman can duel in Midway's fighting game "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe." And later this year, Sony Online Entertainment will shine the Bat-signal on a virtual Gotham City in the new massively multiplayer online role-playing game "DC Universe Online."

`iPhone security not foolproof’

Apple Inc's iPhone 3G is ready to serve business customers as an alternative to the BlackBerry email phone, so long as users are willing to compromise on security and battery life, Gartner Inc said. Software released last month adds support for Microsoft Corp's Exchange corporate email system and offers the ability to erase data if the device is lost, making Apple's handset ‘acceptable’ for business use, analyst Ken Dulaney said in a report released by Gartner, a research firm. Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs began selling the iPhone last year to consumers, seeking to expand beyond the iPod media player and Macintosh computer. The company has added business features to step up competition with Research In Motion Ltd's BlackBerry and Palm Inc's Treo. About a third of Fortune 500 companies are testing the new iPhone software, Apple said. Employees at Kraft Foods Inc, the world's second-largest foodmaker, will be able to use the iPhone to access email and calendars, said Mark Dajani, the company's senior vice president of information systems. “Our employees need easy access to key business applications -- everywhere our consumers live around the globe,'' he said. Kraft, based in Northfield, Illinois, already lets workers access their email from the Treo or Samsung Electronics Co's BlackJack. Genentech Inc and Oracle Corp also are starting to support the iPhone, said Cupertino, California-based Apple.
With the new iPhone 2.0 software, released when Apple began selling a faster version of the phone on July 11, business users have access to a device with the “most readable email” and an excellent Web browser, Dulaney said in Stamford, Connecticut-based Gartner's report. Still, there are inconveniences. The device offers less than a full day of battery use and an insufficient amount of security to run a company's custom programmes, Dulaney said. “Enterprises should approach expanded use of the iPhone slowly,'' he said. The iPhone was the second best selling smartphone in the US in the first quarter, behind the BlackBerry, according to research firm IDC in Framingham, Massachusetts. Smartphones combine Internet and computer functions, letting users access e mail and surf the Web.

Midori to replace Windows?

Microsoft has started a new research project, Midori, to develop a software program that will help uncouple Windows from a single PC. The company has revealed that a decision to develop Midori was taken because Windows is unlikely to be able to cope with the pace of change in future technology, and the way people use it. "If you think about how an operating system is loaded, it's loaded onto a hard disk physically located on that machine. The operating system is tied very tightly to that hardware," the BBC quoted Dave Austin, European director of products at Citrix, as saying. He said that that created all kinds of dependencies that arose out of the collection of hardware in a particular machine, and raised concerns for Microsoft's business in case Windows ends up being less important over time as applications become more OS agnostic A statement issued by Microsoft describes Midori as an ambitious attempt by Microsoft to catch up on the work on virtualisation being undertaken in the wider computer industry. Virtualising generally signifies creating a software copy of a computer complete with operating system and associated programs. It allows a reduction in the numbers of machines one needs to manage, and easy shifting to another machine in case one physical server fails. A virtual machine on a PC also enables very old applications, which existing operating systems would not run, to keep going. Many virtual machines these days are tuned for a particular industry, sector or job. "People take their application, the operating system they want to run it against, package it up along with policy and security they want and use that as a virtual client," said Dan Chu, vice president of emerging products and markets at virtualisation specialist VMWare. In such virtual machines, the core of the operating system can be very small and easy to transfer to different devices. Many believe that the idea behind Midori is to create a lightweight portable operating system that can easily be mated to many different applications. Michael Silver, research vice president at Gartner, said that the development of Midori was a sensible step for Microsoft. "The value of Microsoft Windows, of what that product is today, will diminish as more applications move to the web and Microsoft needs to edge out in front of that. I would be surprised if there was definitive evidence that nothing like this was not kicking around," he said. He further said that the big problem that Microsoft faced in doing away with Windows was how to re-make its business to cope. "Eighty percent of Windows sales are made when a new PC is sold. That's a huge amount of money for them that they do not have to go out and get. If Windows ends up being less important over time as applications become more OS agnostic where will Microsoft make its money?" he said.

What makes social networks unsafe

Computer security researchers have warned that online social networking websites are playgrounds for hackers who can easily take advantage of people's trust. Opportunities for mischief abound as users place intimate details of their lives on profile pages and install mini-applications made by strangers that don't always have their privacy at heart. In a trend pioneered with tremendous success by Facebook, social networking websites have opened their operating platforms to let outside developers craft fun, hip, or functional software "widgets" that can be added to profile pages. Malicious code can be hidden in such applications, computer security specialists Nathan Hamiel and Shawn Moyer said at a premier Black Hat conference in Las Vegas. "I can't necessarily attack Facebook or MySpace, but I can attack their users all day long," Moyer said. "Don't put anything on a Facebook account that you don't consider public." People are prone to place faith in social networking widgets and links from friends, said Idea Information Security consultant Nathan Hamiel. "People are going nuts adding applications they don't need," Hamiel added. "Every time they do that they are showing an implicit trust in whoever wrote the application, and most people don't know who that is." Hamiel and Moyer showed peers software capable of plundering profile information, swiping people's "friends," or locking people out of their own MySpace pages. A pair of MySpace engineers who attended the demonstration said that hacks are known risks in today's social platforms and that they had Hamiel's application deleted by the end of the talk.
Fake postings on comment boards advising people to update software are ways to trick social network users into downloading malicious software that can commandeer control of machines, Hamiel said. "Social networks really don't care if you get pawned or not," Hamiel said, using slang referring to a computer user being dominated and humiliated by hackers. "People know if they go on a computer and download a programme they could get a virus. They don't have the same view of how dangerous that can be on a social networking site." Hackers can write seemingly legitimate widgets that "go rogue" after spreading to enough social network members, according to Hamiel. "It is not a problem with a particular site," Hamiel said. "It is a problem with social networking in general." Even if tainted applications are deleted, the odds are that the data from profile pages was already copied onto an outside computer, according to Hamiel and Moyer. "MySpace and Facebook have no control over my servers," Hamiel said. "Once the content is moved from their site they have no control over that." Those thinking that they will stay safe by not having social networking pages may still vulnerable to trouble, according to the security specialists. Another ruse is to create social networking profiles for people using information mined from the Internet and then for the imposters to send out "friends requests." Those that take the bait give open doors to the private data in their profiles. "We think you should make a profile for yourself before somebody else does," Moyer said. "Just don't put anything there that you don't consider public. And trust, but verify when people want to be your friend."

Eye-shaped camera

Borrowing one of nature's best designs, US scientists have built an eye-shaped camera using standard sensor materials and say it could improve the performance of digital cameras and enhance imaging of the human body. The device might even lead to the development of prosthetic devices including a bionic eye, they said. "This is the first time we've demonstrated a camera on a curved surface to really make it look like a human eye," said Yonggang Huang of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, who reported his findings in the journal Nature. Huang, who worked on the project with John Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, developed a relatively simple solution to the long-running problem of transferring microelectronic components onto a curved surface without breaking them. "If you simply bend it, those materials are brittle like a ceramic bowl. They break," Huang said in a telephone interview. To solve this, Huang and Rogers developed a mesh-like material made up of tiny squares that hold the photodetectors and electronic components. The squares are connected by tiny wires that give each component the ability to mold to a curved surface.

"This approach allows us to put electronics in places where we couldn't before," Rogers said in a statement. With funding from the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Energy, Huang and Rogers built a digital camera that has the size, shape and layout of a human eye. Huang said the curved shape greatly improves the field of vision, bringing the whole picture into focus. "Currently when you take photos, the middle part of the picture is very clear but when you go to the edge, it is not so clear," Huang said. "The curved technology will make the entire picture clear." But the applications extend beyond taking better vacation photos. "It really extends to all of the electronics that we use on humans. You want to have a curved surface to fit the human body. That is really the place it can be used," he said. Huang said the device could be used to make better imaging equipment, such as curved sensors to monitor brain activity that follow the contours of the brain. It could even be used in the development of an artificial retina or a bionic eye. "If you want to develop an eye to replace a human eye, certainly you want the shape to look like a human eye," he said. "Right now we've already got a camera working. It works very well with computers. It's just how to connect the camera to the brain. That is the issue to be solved," he said.

Motorola unveils 3 Rokr phones

Motorola has expanded its Rokr line-up with the addition of three music handsets. The Rokr EM30 features the Motorola ModeShift technology, where blue keys highlight phone functions and red keys show music player features. With 2 megapixel camera and 8x zoom, the phone has support for memory card slot, quad-band GPRS/Edge, RDS FM radio and 3.5 mm headset jack. Other features include built-in speakers, 8GB microSD card, landscape display. The handset support Linux operating system. Tri-band GPRS/Edge clamshell, Rokr EM28, has touch-sensitive keys. With 1.3 megapixel camera, the phone comes with RDS FM radio, Bluetooth, 3.5 mm headset jack and up to 2 GB removable memory. Musical features include 11 equalizer presets and 3D sound effects. The third addition is a slider Rokr EM25. Weighing about 90g, the phone comes with up to 2 GB removable memory, 1.3 megapixel camera, RDS FM radio with FMshare, 3.5 mm headset jack and speakerphone. The company is yet to reveal pricing details.

Website selling fake Olympics tickets unearthed

Hundreds of sports fans from around the world appear to have been cheated, giving credit card and passport details, and possibly spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for what they believed were genuine Olympic tickets.

The fraud scheme has reportedly affected Americans, Australians, New Zealanders, Britons and others. Victims are said to include family members of the Australian football team competing at the Olympics.

The beijingticketing.com website was offering tickets for Friday's Olympic opening ceremony for $1,750 and $2,150 Monday, calling the prices "very competitive".

Tickets for prime events such as swimming were also available at the site which claims itself to be "a secure and reliable ticket agent".

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and United States Olympic Committee (USOC) were hoping that a San Francisco judge shuts down the website later because it is believed to be part of a massive ticket fraud operation. The IOC and USOC July 23 had shut down a similar website, beijing-tickets2008.com .

"Our sympathy goes to them. We always told people to buy tickets from the official supplier," said Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates.

PPP may ask Musharraf to seek trust vote: Report

Pakistan's ruling PPP is considering asking President Pervez Musharraf to seek a vote of confidence from parliament as an alternative to impeachment, in an apparent effort to placate its ally PML-N and ensure the continuance of their alliance.

PPP sources said the move is designed to provide a respectable way out for Musharraf and save the coalition from breaking up.

The move will also clear the way for reinstating the judges deposed by Musharraf during last year's emergency by allowing them to be administered a fresh oath by a new democratically elected President, the Dawn newspaper reported today.

The move was reportedly discussed by the top leadership of the PPP at a meeting chaired here on Monday by party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari. It is also expected to be taken up at a meeting on Tuesday between PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and Zardari to decide the future of the coalition.

The reinstatement of the deposed judges has become a divisive issue for the coalition, with the PML-N insisting that they be restored through a parliamentary resolution. However, the PPP has linked the restoration of the judges to a controversial constitutional reforms package.

Musharraf's attorneys, Malik Qayyum and Sharifuddin Pirzada, had given an assurance to the Supreme Court last year that the President would get a fresh vote of confidence from the new parliament after the 2008 general election.

On the basis of this assurance, the apex court had allowed the announcement of the results of last year's presidential election.

The court had earlier withheld the results of the polls, which Musharraf had contested before giving up the post of army chief.

PPP sources said the party's leadership had decided to stick to its stand that the deposed judges would have to take a fresh oath if they wanted to get themselves restored to their positions.

According to the sources, PPP leaders also discussed a line of action to be followed in the event of the PML-N deciding to withdraw support to the coalition and sit in the opposition.

Such a move would also have repercussions in the politically crucial province of Punjab, where the PML-N heads a coalition government that includes the PPP.

For this reason, Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and Prime Minister's Adviser Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, a key leader from the province, were specially invited to yesterday's meeting of the PPP leadership to discuss the likely situation in Punjab in case of withdrawal of PML-N's support, the paper said.

Tips & tricks for the ultimate orgasm revealed!

Is your sex life more of a snooze than sizzle? Well, don't fret it, for a group of experts have come up with an ultimate 'orgasm guide', that is wholesomely dedicated to pleasure of the naughty variety. Tracey Cox, sex author and presenter, Sarah Hedley, editor of 'Scarlett' magazine, Dr Petra Boynton, sex and relationship expert and Katherine Hoyle, owner of 'Sh! Women's Erotic Emporium' share their expert knowledge for achieving the 'Big O'.
"The biggest misconception is that women can have orgasms through intercourse. But 70 percent of women don't, and that's totally normal. Guys don't just lie back hoping to have an orgasm -- they pick a thrusting style to suit them. Women need to do the same and take control," The Sun quoted Tracey, as saying.
"The trick to achieving orgasm is to put pressure on your clitoris by rotating your pelvis during sex."
"Good positions for this are with the woman on top or with the man behind -- and if you tighten your pelvic muscles, your orgasm will be more intense.
"These positions are also great for hitting the G spot, which is around the urethra tissue -- the part you can feel through the vaginal wall. It's not miles in like we all previously thought."
"Another good orgasm tip is to give up on trying to climax simultaneously," Tracey added.
She said: "Much better to take it in turns so you're not distracted by what the other person is doing -- that's why a 69er is always better in fantasy!"
"And stop thinking of sex having a start, middle and end. You could orgasm from an oral sex session or a quickie against the bathroom wall."
"Keep your mind in the moment and feel rather than think -- it will make climaxing much easier. If you want more than one orgasm, my best tip is to use different forms of stimulation, otherwise you get de-sensitised. So orgasm through oral sex, then through your G spot."
"Remember, having sex when you're drunk means your senses are dulled and your orgasm won't be as good."
Sarah Hedley says: "The key to having a great orgasm is to get your mind 'in orgasm mode' way before you take your clothes off."
Dr Petra Boynton said: "All orgasms are great. Thinking of them as brilliant or boring just puts pressure on us. The trick is not to strive for something better -- we all feel orgasms in different ways. My advice is to set aside time to explore orgasms on your own. It's rare to be unable to orgasm through masturbation."
"A lot of women think it's cheating to do it in a relationship, but it's not; it helps you know what you like. Then why not try masturbating in front of your partner? If you feel embarrassed, then ask him to do it first."
Katherine Hoyle says: "Breathing can really affect an orgasm. As you start having sex, your breathing rate increases and we often hold our breath. This means you tense up and climaxing is more difficult. If you're aware of your breathing and try to regulate it, you'll let go quicker and orgasm."

Olympic torch finally heads for Beijing

The Olympic torch made its way to Beijing on Tuesday, allowing China to put the focus back on sport after one of its worst militant attacks days before the Games.

Following its troubled international tour, which became a lightning rod for pro-Tibet protesters, the torch was due in the capital on Tuesday night from the quake-hit zone of Sichuan.

In a tradition introduced before the 1936 Berlin Olympics , the flame is lit from the sun's rays in ancient Olympia, Greece, then carried across the globe by thousands of runners.

"This is the pride of the Chinese people," worker Xu Min said amid wildly cheering crowds watching the flame in Sichuan province's capital Chengdu before it left for Beijing.

The torch will travel past city landmarks before reaching the main Bird's Nest stadium for Friday's opening ceremony.

Music and singing floated into the air overnight from the gleaming, steel-latticed venue as thousands prepared for that extravaganza timed for eight o'clock on the eighth day of the eighth month: the number symbolises fortune in China.

With thousands of athletes now in China and limbering up for the Aug. 8-24 event, local and Olympic authorities hoped global attention would finally turn to sport after a buildup dominated by debate over Beijing's policies at home and abroad.

Desperate to show its modern face to the world but under pressure over human rights, the host nation was shaken on Monday when suspected Muslim separatists killed 16 police in the west.

State media said a taxi-driver and a vegetable-seller had been detained over the bomb attack in the far western region of Xinjiang.

The Communist government and Olympics chiefs shrugged off the attack and assured the 10,500 athletes from 205 countries that security was guaranteed and promising an inspiring Games.

People's Liberation Army troops, nevertheless, stepped up protection of Olympic facilities as a result of the bombing.

POLLUTION WORRIES

The Olympics will cost Beijing about $40 billion, by far the most expensive in history. Unlike past debt-ridden hosts such as Montreal in 1976 and Athens in 2005, that sum is small change for China's roaring economy.

"We are about to experience a magnificent Olympic Games," International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge said of a Games attracting as much global attention for its host nation as for its imminent sporting battles.

"The changes that are occurring in China are a microcosm of the changes in the rest of the world," he added.

In the most eagerly-awaited competition, the men's 100 metres for the title of Fastest Man on Earth, world champion Tyson Gay said he would be ready despite a hamstring muscle strain in July.

Authorities have spent a fortune -- around $18 billion -- on cleaning up Beijing. Drastic measures have included taking nearly 2 million cars off the street and shutting factories.

But a pollution-fuelled haze continued to clog the skies on Tuesday. That ruined views of a skyline boasting numerous futuristic new Olympic venues and gleaming towers giving testimony to China's new global economic clout.

Many athletes have delayed arrival to the last minute due to the bad air. Beijing's cloying summer heat also worries some.

On a happier note, Chinese hotels and restaurants were pulling out the stops to welcome visitors, even though visa problems and bad publicity have kept numbers lower than expected.

In Beijing's Quanjude restaurant, whose former customers include Fidel Castro and George Bush Sr., staff extolled the virtues of China's famed national dish, Peking Duck, in song.

"It connects to the world and makes friends globally," they sang of the duck, which obviously shares the Olympic ideals.

NASA finds water on Mars!

In a dramatic new development, laboratory tests aboard National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Phoenix Mars Lander have identified the presence of water in a soil sample collected from the Martian surface.
The lander's robotic arm delivered the sample on July 30 to an instrument that identifies vapours produced by the heating of samples.
Image: Combining more than 400 images taken during the first weeks after the Phoenix arrived on the Red planet's arctic plain gave scientists this view of Mars. This view comprises more than 100 different camera pointings, with images taken through three different filters at each pointing.

We have water," said William Boynton of the University of Arizona, lead scientist for the Thermal and Evolved-Gas Analyzer.
"We've seen evidence for this water ice before in observations by the Mars Odyssey orbiter and in disappearing chunks observed by Phoenix last month, but this is the first time Martian water has been touched and tasted," he added.

Man, your SMS can reveal you!

Boys, watch how you write that SMS, because it might make the all the difference that may turn your girl on or offl. Research says that women judge men by their SMSes, while men fell that women act pricey with their replies! Research says women judge men by their SMSes, and men say that women act pricey with their replies! A recent research says that the way men compose their texts is important to the women they're interested in or in a relationship with. What's more, it says that women even classify men by the kind of text they send. So, here’s looking into what all the celebrities have to say. Do these people agree and do girls like to make guys wait for the replies! Women confess to that with a chuckle, and men sound quite resigned to the phenomenon.

Google to get fewer ad clicks

Goggle declined as much as 3 per cent in Nasdaq trading after a report showed slower growth in the number of people clicking on Internet advertisements in February, the second straight month of disappointing results. Clicks on Google’s sponsored links, four line ads that mostly run next to search results, rose 3 per cent to 515 million in February from a year earlier, researcher ComScore said on Wednesday. In January, Google had no growth, after a 25 per cent increase in the fourth quarter. The slump signals the slowing US economy may cut into sales and hinder Google in meeting projections for the first quarter, analysts at Citigroup and UBS AG said. Google, the world’s most popular internet search engine, got about 99 per cent of its $16.6 billion in sales last year from online ads. “The numbers are soft again,” said Stanford Group's Clayton Moran, who rates the stock ‘hold’. “We think the slowing of growth is due to the economy,” heightening investors’ concern a stumbling housing market and a possible recession may curb online shopping, the Boca Raton, Florida-based analyst said. Lehman Brothers also cut estimates on Google for the period and reduced its price target for the stock to $580 from $644. Google based in Mountain View, California, dropped $12.05 to $446.14 at 9:30 am New York time on the Nasdaq stock market. Earlier the stock fell as low as $444.52. “February data from ComScore suggests that Google’s paid click volumes in the US aren’t getting meaningfully better,” UBS’s Benjamin Schachter said in a report. The New York-based analyst, who advises investors to buy the shares, cautioned that historically, ComScore’s paid clicks haven't ‘correlated accurately’ with his firm’s Google sales estimates. Ad clicks fell 3 per cent in February from the previous month; Reston, Virginia based ComScore said. In January, clicks fell 7.5 per cent to 532 million from the previous month. Google spokesman Brandon McCormick declined to comment. Google has upgraded its systems to eliminate promotions that aren’t relevant to searches, product manager Nick Fox said last month. That makes people more likely to click on ads even though a fewer number are shown on users’ screens, he said in a February 28 interview. ComScore, in a blog posting the following day, said eliminating less-relevant ads will benefit Google. “In the long run, this should increase relevancy and therefore make it an even more efficient ad format, which would raise prices,” Moran said. “In the short term, it looks like it's having a negative impact.” In January, Google reported fourth-quarter profit and revenue that missed analysts’ estimates. The company also said it failed to make as much headway as expected selling ads on social networking sites such as News Corp’s MySpace.

Fake Olympics tickets sold online

Sports fans around the world have been swindled by an international Internet scam which offered thousands of bogus tickets for the Beijing Games, Olympic officials said. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced it was taking action to shut down the fraudsters, but the move came too late to help the victims find replacement seats at the Games. Among those left out of pocket were the families of Olympic athletes in both Australia and New Zealand, with people in the United States, Japan, Norway, China and Britain also reportedly conned by the sophisticated sting. "We cannot accept people paying money for tickets and not getting them," said Gerhard Heiberg, an IOC executive board member. Heiberg said the issue was raised last week, with both the IOC and the United States Olympic Committee filing a lawsuit in a district court in California, accusing at least six websites of selling illegitimate or nonexistent tickets. However, a US lawyer who said he had lost $12,000 in the fraud, accused the IOC of complacency. "They have known about these sites for months and months and did nothing," said Jim Moriarty, the partner of a Houston-based law firm which is looking to represent fellow victims in any subsequent legal actions. "They have dashed the hopes and dreams of thousands of people who have been planning for years to go the Games, and have already paid thousands of dollars for airfare and what they thought were legitimate tickets," he said.

YouTube porn shakes Nepal

Porn images of Nepali girls on YouTube have created ripples in Nepal, with authorities finding themselves helpless in curbing the menace in the presence of a toothless Cyber Law. Under the Cyber law, which deals with pornography, cyber-stalking, cyber-scams, online fraud, software piracy and other related matters, a government is fully authorized to punish criminals, both individual as well as institution. "Though a Cyber Law was introduced by Nepal government a couple of years ago, it hasn't been effective and has failed to address many issues," Shreedhar Gautam, director general of the Department of Communication, said. The country has seen many cases where porn videos and pictures were uploaded from webcams, mobile phones and video cameras and made available to viewers. Few years back nude and semi-nude scenes of noted actresses including Melina Manandhar were circulated through an Internet site. But later, the site was found to be using trick photographs by cropping faces of renowned actresses and fitting them on the naked body of unknown girls. Recently, a school teacher from Banke district in western Nepal molested an eighth grade girl, took her photographs in bed with him by using his cell phone and then tried to blackmail her into continued dating. Later the teacher was arrested as the girl complained to the police.

Mush bats for ISI, calls it Pak's first line of defence

Amid pressure from India and the US to rein in ISI, President Pervez Musharraf has come to its rescue saying any attempt to target the spy agency will weaken Pakistan as it is "the first line of defence" and lashed out at his detractors for calling him an "American stooge". Musharraf, who was addressing businessmen in Karachi on Sunday night, said the recent allegations levelled against the ISI are a "conspiracy" against Pakistan. The former military strongman described the intelligence agency as "the first defence line of Pakistan", saying weakening the ISI would weaken Pakistan and its armed forces as well as the war against terror." Conspiracies against the ISI are aimed at defaming Pakistan and the spy agency is a patriotic institution working for the stability of the country, he said. Musharraf's comments came against the backdrop of India and Afghanistan accusing the ISI of being behind the attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul that killed nearly 60 people. He hit back at his detractors, saying: "The nation will have to decide as to which kind of Islam it wants. The world says that Pakistan is extremist. We will have to prove that we are not so. When I say this, I'm dubbed as an American stooge." "We have to decide whether we want a liberal and moderate Pakistan or a terrorist or extremist Pakistan," he added. It is widely believed that Musharraf and the armed forces played a key role in pressuring the government to go back on a notification issued last month to place the notorious spy agency under the complete control of the interior ministry. Musharraf also said he was ready to talk to the Jamaat-e-Islami and the PML-N, which are demanding his impeachment. The President said a dangerous situation is brewing as the economic situation of the country was very fragile and it has become difficult for Pakistan to survive with such a weak economy.

Pak may still manage to rein in ISI

The Pakistan government has not shelved its plan to bring the controversial Inter-Services Intelligence agency under civilian control as a notification to place its internal security wing under the interior ministry is likely to be issued soon. A source close to ruling PPP chairman Asif Ali Zardari told the Daily Times newspaper that a new notification would be issued soon to "explain" the previous notification that placed the ISI under the complete control of the interior ministry but was reversed following pressure from the powerful army and President Pervez Musharraf. The ISI is currently at the centre of a controversy following allegations by India and Afghanistan that it was behind a suicide attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul. Initially, Pakistan angrily denied the charges though PM Yousaf Raza Gilani subsequently offered to probe them. Gilani made the offer during a meeting with Indian PM Manmohan Singh in Colombo. The Pakistan government had issued a notification on July 26 to place the ISI under the "administrative, financial and operational" control of the interior ministry. However, within hours a clarification was issued by the government that the ISI would continue to report to the prime minister. While the first notification has not yet been cancelled, a source in the government said that it would remain effective until a new superseding notification is issued. "The clarification issued by the government does not rescind any government notification," the source told the Daily Times. Another source close to Zardari too confirmed that a new notification would be issued "to explain the spirit behind this move and it is expected that the internal security wing of the ISI will be placed under the interior ministry".

Get ISI to work towards tackling terror: US tells Pak

In a virtual indictment of ISI's involvement in the bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul, the US on Sunday asked Pakistan to get its intelligence network to work towards tackling terrorism that is affecting its neighbourhood. "Pakistan needs to get everybody lined up in the same direction if they are really going to tackle the terrorist problem," US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher, who is here as an Observer at the SAARC Summit, told reporters. His statement came after US officials vindicated Indian claim of Pakistan's ISI's role in the suicide bombing on the Indian Embassy in Kabul last month. Boucher, who met Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the SAARC Summit, welcomed his assurance to India to probe the Kabul attack. "Our view is that it is important to have a good intelligence service in Pakistan, but it is also important for that intelligence service to work single-mindedly with other institutions to tackle the terrorist issue that affects so many people in Pakistan and its neighbourhood," he said.

New iPhone by December-end?

Wondering what's next in iPhone? Seems Apple is taking cue from its hugely popular next-generation iPod, iPod nano. According to Daily Mail, Apple is set to launch a 'nano' version of its popular iPhone. Not surprisingly, the phone is said to ape iPod Nano in its design and features. The new version of the iPhone is expected to hit the market sometime during Christmas. Quoting an industry source, the report says that the product will be launched in the UK at £150 for pay-as-you-go customers. The report, however, is quite on if and when the phone will be launched in other parts of the world. The report also suggests that the nano iPhone would have a touch wheel on the back and display on the front so that numbers can be dialled from behind.