Google tricked Apple's Safari to track users?: Report

NEW YORK: Google and other online advertisers bypassed the privacy settings of an Apple Web browser on iPhones and computers in order to survey millions of users, stated a report on Friday. The report said the companies used a special code that tricks Apple's Safari software into letting them monitor the browsing habits of many users.

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Mayawati behind FIR against Rahul: Congress

KANPUR: Blaming Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, the Congress on Tuesday said it would approach the high court for quashing a police complaint against party leader Rahul Gandhi for allegedly violating rules during a roadshow here. 


Congress leader Digvijay Singh alleged: "The action was taken on the direction of Mayawati as they are scared of the successful campaign by Rahul Gandhi. We will go to the high court for quashing the FIR registered against him for violating restrictions under Section 144." 
He also denied any violation of the election model code of conduct during Gandhi's road show in Kanpur Monday. 
"We have not received any notice from the Election Commission and as per the rules no permission is required for carrying out mass communication," he told reporters. 
According to the Kanpur district administration, Gandhi was granted permission to undertake his roadshow along a 20-km route against the party's application for covering a 37-km route. Gandhi faced the charge after choosing to undertake a longer road-show than what the district administration had permitted him. 

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Sachin's time is up in ODIs: Kapil

India's former cricket captain Kapil Dev feels Sachin Tendulkar should retire from one-dayers, saying the champion batsman's time is finally up after over two decades at the international level.

"From what we have seen in the last three months, he should have announced his retirement before the World Cup. It's important to know that every cricketer has his time," Kapil told 'Headlines Today'.


"Having served India for 22-23 years, there surely is no greater cricketer than him. But he should have announced his decision to retire from the shorter format soon after the World Cup," he said.


Tendulkar, who is struggling for form in the ongoing ODI tri-series against Australia and Sri Lanka, is still awaiting his 100th international century -- close to a year after he scored the 99th.


Kapil felt players who cannot decide on their own about their future should be told about it no uncertain terms by the selection panel.

"May be his time has come. Every player has his time. Age is not on his side as it was earlier," Kapil said of the 38-year-old right-hander.

"Perhaps Sachin loves cricket more than himself. Azhar feels like playing even now. Sourav (Ganguly) wants to play. It's important what the Board or the selectors feel about the issue," he added.

Asked whether the elusive 100th hundred was affecting Tendulkar's form, Kapil said, "Sachin has played under tremendous pressure all through his career and scored centuries inspite of extreme expectations. He has delivered in such situations in the past."

Justifying the criticism heaped on Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Kapil said some his decision smack of favouritism.

"If you are an Indian captain, you cannot be partial. I was surprised when R P Singh was drafted into the Test side in England...One must find out why all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was not used as a bowler even for a single over in the Australia in Brisbane.

"Dhoni is a mature player. I am perturbed when he picks a player as an all-rounder and doesn't make him bowl at all. If anyone makes such mistakes, he can't survive for long. If Dhoni makes such mistakes repeatedly, he will have to pay the price," he said.

But he defended Dhoni's comment that senior players were slow fielders.

"With too many seniors, it's no denying the fact that there will be drop in fielding standards for they are no longer young. I don't think individual players are bigger than the Indian team. Had they performed, these issues would not have cropped up," he said.

On whether there is a divide within the team given Dhoni's comments, Kapil said, "Don't they want to perform at their best? I don't think they will under-perform (because of any differences)."

Speaking about other senior players such as Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, Kapil said, "I think Dravid and Laxman have played their last Test. They could be given one last Test for a respectable exit, but certainly not at the cost of team's interests."

"There is no denying that the likes of Rahul, Sachin and Laxman have served the nation like few other cricketers. But they are no longer young and if Indian cricket does not move forward from the Big Three, it will risk falling a generation back and struggle like the West Indies and Australian teams have done in the past."

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Apple settles suit over iPhone 4 antenna

Apple settles class-action suit over iPhone 4 antenna problem.

Nearly two years after tech blogs screamed "Antennagate!" over problems with the iPhone 4's reception, owners will be getting a little pocket change for their troubles.

Apple over the weekend settled a class-action lawsuit filed about the issue, promising to pay $15 or give a free case to everyone in the United States who bought one of the wildly popular phones.

Released in June 2010, the slimmer reworking of Apple's smartphone became a huge seller. But soon after it went on sale, some owners began complaining that their phone frequently dropped voice calls.

The culprit, it was ultimately determined, was the antenna, which is wrapped in a band around the phone's edge to help create its slim form. Using what became known as the "death grip," (i.e. holding the phone at a certain spot) caused reception to suffer or cut out entirely.

"This settlement relates to a small number of customers who indicated that they experienced antenna or reception issues with their iPhone 4, and didn't want to take advantage of a free case from Apple when it was being offered in 2010," Apple told in a written statement.

However, Ira Rothken, a lead attorney in the case, said more than 21 million iPhone 4 owners were eligible for the payout.

The free case offer lasted for three months. Apple had initially ignored the complaints, then dismissed them, then called a rare press conference at which then-CEO Steve Jobs announced the offer, while claiming the problem was just as bad on other companies' phones.

A bumper or other protective case on the phone eliminates, or at least greatly reduces, the problem. Apple's new iPhone 4S, released in October, has not shown a similar problem.

"We believe that the Apple iPhone 4 settlement is fair, adequate, and reasonable," Rothken told . "We believe that it allows members of the class to choose, and they can get $15 of cash or a bumper, so we believe that type of choice is proportional to the circumstances."

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Multiple lawsuits had been merged into one in the case. Plaintiffs claimed that Apple had been misleading in its communication with customers about the problem.

Rothken first noted "preliminary approval" of the settlement late Friday on Twitter.

Under the settlement, eligible customers should get an e-mail from Apple some time in April. They'll then have 120 days to apply for the $15. A website, iPhone4Settlement.com, has been set up but had not yet been activated as of Monday morning.

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Japan posts record trade deficit

Japan posts record trade deficit as energy costs climb.

Japan -- battered by a strong yen, slowing global demand and increased oil and gas imports due to last year's Fukushima nuclear disaster -- posted a record trade deficit of $18.7 billion in January, according to official figures released Monday.

The record fall was stoked by greater energy imports of gas and oil following the March 11earthquake, tsunami and resulting nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, which forced the closure of most of Japan's atomic power plants.

"The sharp increase of oil price could be the main reason of the sharp deterioration of trade balance," said Takahide Kiuchi, chief economist for Nomura Securities in Tokyo.

Currently, only five reactors out of 54 in the country are in operation after officials allowed most to fall idle in the wake of the Fukushima disaster.

By April, if more reactors are not brought online the country will have no nuclear plants in operation, placing more pressure on its energy suppliers. Liquid natural gas imports alone climbed 28.2% year on year, according to the ministry's preliminary report.

Last month, U.N. nuclear experts gave a thumbs-up to Japan's planned "stress tests" for its remaining nuclear power plants to test whether they could withstand another emergency. The team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommended Japanese regulators improve communication with the residents around the plants and address plans for dealing with severe accidents more comprehensively in the wake of the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.

Monday's record deficit comes after Japan posted in 2011 its first annual trade deficit in 31 years, and underlines the difficulties facing the export-driven nation as it looks to rebuild.

But the world's third largest economy faces difficult headwinds with a currency that reached record-high levels in the past year, cutting profits returning home from multinational companies and slowing demand from major trading partners such as the European Union and China.

Exports fell 9.3% year-on-year, according to figures released by the country's Ministry of Finance Monday. The biggest drop was with China, which fell 20.1%. Exports to Europe fell 7.7%, while trade with the U.S. was up 0.6%.

January was the fourth straight month where imports outpaced exports.

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Nearly 300 elephants slain in Cameroon

Poachers in search of ivory in northern Cameroon have slaughtered nearly 300 elephants for their tusks since mid-January, according to the country's minister of forestry and wildlife.

Minister Ngole Philip Ngwese backed up a claim by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) that an armed gang of Sudanese poachers had killed the free-roaming elephants in the Bouba Ndjida National Park, on Cameroon's border with Chad.

Park officials say many orphaned elephant calves have been spotted, and concerns are high the babies may soon die of hunger and thirst.

One park official, Bouba Jadi, told CNN the deaths are worsening the situation for Cameroon's already threatened elephant populations. According to official estimates, there are between 1,000 and 5,000 elephants in Cameroon.

Officials on a tour Monday saw at least 100 elephant carcasses. More carcasses are expected to be found in unexplored regions of the national park. A massive crackdown on poachers has been launched, according to officials in the west Central African nation.

"It was common for armed gangs of poachers to cross from Sudan during the dry season to kill elephants for their ivory. But this latest massacre is massive and has no comparison to those of the preceding years," IFAW official Celine Sissler Bienvenu told a local newspaper, The Voice.

She added that the ivory is smuggled out of West and Central Africa for markets in Asia and Europe, and money from ivory sales funds arms purchases for use in regional conflicts, particularly ongoing unrest in Sudan and in the Central African Republic.

Cameroon shares a porous border with Chad. Armed insurgents from Sudan and the Central African Republic seeking elephants frequently travel through Chad.

Observers in Cameroon have been blaming the raids on poorly trained and ill-equipped park guards, who are pitted against professional gangs of poachers.

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Microsoft redesigns Windows logo

Microsoft Friday announced that it was redesigning the logo of Windows software, making a fundamental change to the iconic four-colour Windows logo users have been used to for 20 years. Meshing with the Metro design of Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8, the new logo is a slightly-angled blue block with a thin white cross in the middle, making it look like a window instead of the four-colour wavy flag in the past, reported Xinhua. "The Windows logo is a strong and widely recognized mark but when we stepped back and analyzed it, we realized an evolution of our logo would better reflect our Metro style design principles and we also felt there was an opportunity to reconnect with some of the powerful characteristics of previous incarnations," said Microsoft in a blog post. "We did less of a re-design and more to return it to its original meaning and bringing Windows back to its roots -- reimagining the Windows logo as just that -- a window," the company said. The new logo is designed by Paula Scher from the Pentagram Design Agency, whose notable works include the Citibank logo. The first Windows logo debuted in November 1985. Since then, the logo has gone through several redesigns, which were all based on the design of a four-color wavy flag.

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My one-day career over - Ponting

Ricky Ponting concentrates on Tests after one-day axe.

Ricky Ponting admits he does not expect to play international one-day cricket again after being axed from the Australian limited overs set-up.

However, the 37-year-old, who stopped short of announcing his retirement in the shorter format, wants to continue to play Test cricket.

"I don't expect to play one-day cricket for Australia anymore," said Ponting.

"I've only got Test cricket left now and I still have what it takes to be a dominant player."

Ponting, who quit as Australia captain after the World Cup quarter-final loss to India in March, was dropped on Monday after scoring just 18 runs in five innings in the tri-series against India and Sri Lanka.

The Tasmanian's omission from the squad comes after he stepped in to lead the side to one victory and one defeat in their previous two games in the absence of injured skipper Michael Clarke.

Ponting has played in 375 one-day internationals and won three World Cups, captaining Australia to victory in 2003 and 2007. He scored 13,704 runs at an average of 42, second only to India's Sachin Tendulkar.

But he added: "I have been dropped, which is disappointing but I accept that. My performances over the last five games haven't warranted me being there.

"John [Inverarity, national selector] has been pretty clear on the reasons why and the direction they are heading with the one-day team and I am not part of their plans.

"This has all happened a bit quickly for me and caught me a bit unexpected.

"It's a bit hard to say I've retired given I've been dropped but I don't expect to play one-day international cricket any more and I'm sure the selectors don't expect to pick me either.

"I think I've proved this summer that I can still play great cricket for Australia and deserve to be out there."

Ponting, whose immediate focus is on earning a place in the Test team for the tour of the West Indies in April, has always maintained one of his remaining goals is to play in the 2013 Ashes series in England.

And, despite scoring 643 runs at an average of 80.38 in recent victories against New Zealand and India, he believes he has nothing to prove to his critics who believe he should bow out at the top.

"It's not about defying anybody," he said. "It's about being the best that I can be and winning games of cricket for Australia.

"I think criticism is always going to come your way as an international player, everyone understands that and accepts that.

"I've never been too big for criticism and I guess over the last few years I've copped a little bit but I've always copped it on the chin and tried to make myself a lot better as a result."

And Australian great Mark Waugh believes his former team-mate still has a lot to offer to the five-day team.

"He's just come off a great Test series against India so his form is pretty good," Waugh told Fox Sports."He's got to keep himself ready and keep himself fit but I don't think that's a problem - he looks the fittest he's been in his career.

"He's always been a great competitor and very hungry. He's always been very talented from a young age and been a great team man and talented with the bat and in the field, as good as anybody."

Despite deciding Ponting did not fit into Australia's one-day plans for the future, national selector Inverarity paid tribute to the player.

"Ricky's record speaks for itself," said Inverarity. "He is one of the truly great performers in the history of Australian ODI cricket, with his reputation enhanced further by him captaining Australia to two World Cup victories.

"Ricky's contribution goes far beyond his batting statistics and his brilliant fielding. The example he sets in every respect and his extraordinarily positive influence in the dressing room is acknowledged by all.

"He is held in the highest possible regard by his team-mates and there is no higher accolade than this."

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Vitamin C 'boosts tumour death in cancer patients'

WASHINGTON: Researchers claim to have found evidence that vitamin C can boost tumour death in brain cancer patients, a finding which could pave the way for an effective treatment for the disease. An international team, led by University of Otago, says its research has revealed that high doses of vitamin C makes it easier for radiation therapy to kill brain tumour cells in cancer patients. In their study, the researchers actually analysed how combining high dose vitamin C with radiation affected survival of cancer cells isolated from glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain tumours and compared this with survival of normal cells. The findings revealed that high dose vitamin C by itself caused DNA damage and cell death which was more pronounced when high dose vitamin C was given just prior to radiation, the 'Free Radical Biology and Medicine' journal reported. Lead author Dr Patries Herst said that GBM patients have a poor prognosis because the aggressive GBM tumours are very resistant to radiation therapy. "We found that high dose vitamin C makes it easier to kill these GBM cells by radiation therapy," she said in a university release.

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