tech : Windows 7 GodMode: Tips, Tricks, Tweakste

Microsoft has strived to develop Windows into an intuitive, user-friendly operating system. For some, though, "user friendly" is just another way of saying "dumbed down" in an attempt to force all users into a limited, cookie-cutter system. Power users and IT administrators need to be able to go behind the curtain of the friendly user interface and get down to the business of tweaking and customizing the operating system to meet their needs. That is where Windows 7's "GodMode" comes in.

A more apropriate name than "GodMode" for an Easter egg feature that gives you ultimate control over the operating system would be hard to come up with. That said, you don't really need GodMode to be the god of your domain--the tweaks available with GodMode already exist independently of it, but these tricks make them far more accessible. Let's take a look at what the Windows 7 GodMode is, how to access it, and what playing god with Windows 7 can do for you.

What Is GodMode?

GodMode is actually a hidden (or, at least it used to be hidden) developer shortcut in Windows 7 that provides more direct access to features and functions of the operating system. To be clear, GodMode doesn't add functionality. But it helps administrators work more efficiently by collecting all these tweaks and controls in one place.

Accessing GodMode in Windows 7

Follow these steps to access GodMode:

• Create a new folder wherever you want the GodMode folder to be. Right-click in Windows Explorer, select New, then click Folder.

• Next, rename the folder. You can name the folder anything you like as long as you add a period followed by this exact text string: {ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

• The folder icon should be replaced by the Control Panel icon, and the folder should now be filled with a variety of tweaks and tools (see figure at lower right).

The GodMode folder provides access to a variety of tools and tweaks. The GodMode folder provides access to a variety of tools and tweaks. (Click for larger image.)

But, wait. There's more! The truth is, there isn't just one "GodMode." Windows 7 has an entire pantheon of GodModes, with a variety of hidden folders you can set up using different, unique text strings, including special folders for biometric settings, printers, credentials and logins, the firewall and security, and many other features and functions of Windows 7.

A post in a Microsoft forum by Auri Rahimzadeh provides a short script that will quickly create the GodMode folders. Copy and paste the following text (immediately below this paragraph) into Notepad. Name the file "godmodes.bat" and save it on your hard drive in the location where you would like the folders to be. Running this script will create a new folder called Special Folders that will contain all of the developer shortcut folders (as shown in the clickable thumbnail figure below). Also, by changing the text where it says "Special Folders" in the first two lines of the script, you could rename the new folder anything you'd like.

mkdir "Special Folders

cd ".\Special Folders

mkdir "God Mode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

mkdir "Location Settings.{00C6D95F-329C-409a-81D7-C46C66EA7F33}

mkdir "Biometric Settings.{0142e4d0-fb7a-11dc-ba4a-000ffe7ab428}

mkdir "Power Settings.{025A5937-A6BE-4686-A844-36FE4BEC8B6D}

mkdir "Icons And Notifications.{05d7b0f4-2121-4eff-bf6b-ed3f69b894d9}

mkdir "Credentials and Logins.{1206F5F1-0569-412C-8FEC-3204630DFB70}

mkdir "Programs and Features.{15eae92e-f17a-4431-9f28-805e482dafd4}

mkdir "Default Programs.{17cd9488-1228-4b2f-88ce-4298e93e0966}

mkdir "All NET Frameworks and COM Libraries.{1D2680C9-0E2A-469d-B787-065558BC7D43}

mkdir "All Networks For Current Connection.{1FA9085F-25A2-489B-85D4-86326EEDCD87}

mkdir "Network.{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}

mkdir "My Computer.{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

mkdir "Printers.{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}

mkdir "Application Connections.{241D7C96-F8BF-4F85-B01F-E2B043341A4B}

mkdir "Firewall and Security.{4026492F-2F69-46B8-B9BF-5654FC07E423}

mkdir "Performance.{78F3955E-3B90-4184-BD14-5397C15F1EFC}

Putting GodMode to Use

The collection of developer shortcut folders created by the Special Folders script.The collection of developer shortcut folders created by the Special Folders script. (Click for larger image.)Okay, so now you have a bunch of folders filled with tools and tweaks that you already had access to. Congratulations. The question to consider is whether or not these GodMode folders serve any purpose. Do they make it easier to work with and configure Windows 7? Do they make your life as an IT administrator easier? Well, let's see.

Let's say you want to defragment a hard drive. You could go through the normal steps of clicking on Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Defrgamenter. However, that is a fair amount of clicking, and it assumes that you remember where the Disk Defragmenter tool is located. Or, you can open the GodMode folder, go to the Administrative Tools section, and click on Defragment your hard drive.

Another example is adjusting the display settings--perhaps to mirror or extend the display landscape onto a second monitor. You can click Start, Control Panel, Display, and then select Change display settings from the panel on the left. Or you can go into the GodMode folder and just click on Change display settings under the Display section.

In both examples, you don't have to enable the GodMode folder to accomplish the task. The tools exist already, and GodMode is really nothing more than a regrouping of those tools.

But it is a convenient regrouping. IT admins and power users can also make effective use of the Windows Search function to navigate to tools more efficiently. However, that requires knowing up front what tool you are looking for, and making sure you enter the right keyword or phrase for Windows to locate it for you.

What GodMode does--aside from conveniently regrouping common tools that are already available--is list the tools in logical categories based on the types of tasks an IT admin might need to perform. And the tools are named for the way that IT admins think when they want to perform those tasks. For instance, you can get to BitLocker Drive Encryption through the Control Panel, but in the GodMode folder it is listed in the form of a task that makes sense: "Protect your computer by encrypting data on your disk."

There you have it. It is not quite as magical or all-powerful as the name implies. But GodMode--in all of its forms and folders--can be a valuable tool and make your life simpler.

The president of Libya's newly-formed National Council has told Sky News that if Tripoli does not liberate itself then the rebel army will take it by force.

n an interview with Sky News - his first since being elected - Mustafa Abdul-Jalil appealed to the international community for help.

He said: "Tripoli is fighting against oppression and when it falls the regime will follow. Now the support around (Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi) is collapsing.

"What we want is an air embargo to stop Gaddafi bringing in mercenaries."

But mistrust of the international community is still strong. Mr Abdul-Jalil's reaction to the prospect of help from foreign troops was not so welcome.

Read more »

British Contractor Jailed Over Iraq Killings

A British private security contractor and former paratrooper has been jailed for life after an Iraqi court found him guilty of murdering two colleagues.

Danny Fitzsimons was the first westerner to stand trial in Iraq since immunity from prosecution was lifted for security workers in 2009.

The maximum available sentence the Baghdad court could have imposed was the death penalty.

In August 2009, Fitzsimons fatally shot fellow Briton Paul McGuigan and Australian Darren Hoare following a whisky-drinking binge, 36 hours after arriving in the capital.

The prosecution said he had murdered the two men execution-style, firing bullets from his pistol at point-blank range.

Read more »

Tunisia Sets Up Border Camp For Thousands of Migrants Fleeing Libya

Tunisia's military has set up a tent camp on its border with Libya to accommodate thousands of migrant workers who have been stranded after fleeing a deadly Libyan uprising.

Some of the mostly Egyptian migrants have been stuck for days in the Tunisian tent camp opposite the Libyan border town of Ras Ajdir, waiting for their governments to transport them home. A group of Chinese railway workers who crossed the border avoided that fate Sunday, lining up for buses to take them farther inland for flights home.

Many of the Egyptian migrants complained of being ignored by their government as they waited for instructions from Tunisian authorities. Hundreds of other Egyptians were granted temporary shelter in classrooms and a gymnasium in the Tunisian towns of Zarzis and Jerba.

The U.N. refugee agency said Sunday almost 100,000 people have fled Libya into neighboring Tunisia and Egypt in the past week. U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres appealed for quick and generous international assistance for Tunisian and Egyptian authorities, whom he said face a “humanitarian emergency.”

The Mediterranean island of Malta also has become a hub for the massive international effort to evacuate foreigners from Libya. Malta's Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi says 8,000 people have arrived in his nation from Libya by sea and air since the uprising began earlier this month, and he expects that number to rise.

A ferry docked in Malta Sunday with about 1,800 Libya-based Asian workers, including citizens of China, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

British warship HMS Cumberland also continued ferrying evacuees to Malta Sunday, after picking them up from the eastern Libyan port of Banghazi. Britain also used three military transport planes to fly 150 foreigners to Malta from the Libyan desert Sunday, repeating a covert operation that had rescued a similar number of people in Libya the previous day.

Separately, Germany said its air force evacuated 132 Germans and other EU citizens from the Libyan desert in a secret military mission on Saturday. Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Sunday two German military planes flew them to the Greek island of Crete. He said Berlin is trying to evacuate the remaining 100 Germans in Libya as quickly as possible.

Also Sunday, ferries carrying 4,600 evacuees – mostly Chinese nationals – arrived in Crete and the Greek port of Piraeus, near Athens. Another ferry with 2,000 Chinese evacuees is expected to reach Crete late Monday.

China said Monday almost all of the 30,000 Chinese citizens who had been working in Libya have left that nation. The Chinese government has been chartering planes to bring them home from neighboring states in North Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

Thousands of migrants from South Asia and West Africa were less fortunate, remaining stranded inside Libya, some with no passports or cash and little prospect of receiving help from their impoverished governments.

Hundreds Protest Lebanon's Sectarian Government System

A woman shouts slogans as protesters behind her carry a banner condemning Lebanon's current sectarian system of government, Beirut,

Hundreds of people protested in Lebanon Sunday against the country's sectarian political system.

The protesters in Beirut carried signs and chanted slogans calling for a secular government.

Lebanon's power-sharing system requires that the president be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the parliament speaker a Shi'ite Muslim. Each religious group makes up about one-third of Lebanon's population.

The system is unlike many Arab countries where authoritarian regimes have ruled for decades. But the protest appeared to be inspired by the wave of uprisings across the Middle East. Protesters used the social networking website Facebook to help organize the event.

Sectarian tensions are running high in Lebanon because of a dispute concerning the investigation into the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.

A U.N.-backed tribunal is expected to accuse members of the Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah of involvement in the killing.

Clashes Between Police, Protesters Kill 2 in Oman

Witnesses in the Persian Gulf Sultanate of Oman say security forces killed two demonstrators Sunday after firing rubber bullets into a crowd demanding political reforms.

The clashes Sunday between police and stone-throwing protesters occurred in the town of Sohar, about 200 kilometers northwest of the capital, Muscat.

Oman's state news agency confirmed the clashes and said the police were protecting the people and their property.

Reports from Oman said protesters, numbering in the hundreds, had set fire to a police station and at least one other government building.

Sultan Qaboos shuffled his Cabinet on Saturday, in an apparent bid to head off the type of protests for political change sweeping other countries in the Arab world.

Heavy Police Presence Thwarts Call for Protests in China

China put on a display of force Sunday following an on-line call for anti-government protests across the nation. Several foreign journalists were physically assaulted and detained, including two VOA reporters. Security officials are determined to put down any signs of the kind of unrest that has shaken the Middle East.

Chinese security forces were deployed following the second on-line call in a week urging peaceful protests against Communist Party rule.

Hundreds of uniformed and plain-clothed police officers patrolled expected protest sites in China's two main cities, Beijing and Shanghai.

Police removed five men gathering at a planned protest site in Shanghai.

US, South Korea Begin Military Drill Amid North Korean War Threats

US says the drills are defensive in nature, and that North Korea was notified in advance

South Korea and the United States on Monday began their annual extensive joint military exercises. That has prompted a renewed war threat by North Korea.

More than 12,000 members of the U.S. military are joining 200,000 South Korean service members for the maneuvers.

North Korea warns the drills could lead to war.

South Korean media report that exercise scenarios this year include tracing weapons of mass destruction and coping with a sudden regime change in Pyongyang.

Retired U.S. Army General John Wickham, who commanded American forces here, says it is not surprising that such a contingency has become part of the long-standing joint exercise.

"That's an important thing to be concerned about, given the uncertainty of food problems and the transition of leadership. It would be foolhardy if the South Korean authorities and the Combined Forces authorities weren't planning for the potential of something like that. I'm sure the Chinese are concerned about that, too," said Wickham.

The United States says the drills are defensive in nature and that it informed North Korea in advance about the exercises.

There are two parts to the drill. A command post computer simulation war game called Key Resolve is scheduled to continue until March 10. Air, ground and naval forces are taking part in maneuvers code-named "Foal Eagle". They are expected to run through the end of

April.

Read more »

Latest Nissan Esflow concept – for the eco-friendly sporty type

TECH : Leaked iPhone 5 front panel with 4-inch edge to edge screen

The front panel of what supposedly is the next generation iPhone 5 has been leaked by iDealsChina. As you can see in the image below, the screen size has been increased to four inches with barely any bezel left at all due to this so-called edge to edge screen.

 If this leaked front panel is the real deal and not just a fan’s homemade prototype, then we can be certain that Apple’s intention is to offer a larger-screen device to ensure that smartphone competition stays in their favour (not that they need to). By comparison to the current iPhone 4′s 3.5-inch display, you can see a notable difference in the illustration done by 9 to 5 Mac below.

Read more: Leaked iPhone 5 front panel with 4-inch edge to edge screen | GadgetLite - Latest gadgets and technology news http://www.gadgetlite.com/2011/02/27/leaked-iphone-5-front-panel-4-inch/#ixzz1FEnrT7Zn
Brought to you by GadgetLite.com

Quake Damage May Force Rebuilding of New Zealand City

Grieving New Zealanders are holding church services for victims of Tuesday's devastating earthquake.

Residents in Christchurch, near the epicenter of the quake, as well as New Zealanders across the country said prayers Sunday for the dead and missing.

The death toll from the disaster has risen to 146, with little hope that the more than 200 others listed as missing will be found alive.

On Saturday, Prime Minister John Key said the disaster may prove to be the country's “single most tragic event,” eclipsing a 1931 quake that killed 256.

New Zealand authorities say as much as one-third of the city center of Christchurch may have to be demolished and rebuilt. Numerous buildings crumbled or collapsed during the the 6.3 magnitude quake. Engineers say the central business district could be completely unusable for months while the wreckage is cleared and weakened structures are torn down.

Prime Minster Key said there was “still a glimmer of hope” that survivors might be found. But he acknowledged that relatives of the missing fear the worst.

He said the government on Monday would announce a financial assistance plan for the estimated 50,000 people who will be out of work because of the quake.

While hundreds of police, soldiers and other continue to comb the wreckage, survival stories are now being recounted as well.

A 64-year-old climbing enthusiast, who was trapped in one of the office buildings, said he helped 14 people escape by lowering them down the face of the building. Mountaineer John Haynes said that as aftershocks rocked the building, he used emergency ropes he found stored in the remains of the building to help them descend.

U.N. Council Imposes Sanctions on Libyan Leaders

The United Nations Security Council has voted unanimously to impose sanctions against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, his immediate family and his top associates in connection with the regime's deadly response to anti-government protests, and to refer the matter to a war crimes tribunal.

The resolution, passed Saturday evening, freezes the assets of Mr. Gadhafi, his four sons, a daughter and 10 members of his inner circle. It also imposes a travel ban on all 16. Council members also agreed to refer the regime's crackdown to a permanent war crimes tribunal for an investigation of possible crimes against humanity.

The council also again demanded an immediate end to attacks on Libyan civilians by Mr. Gadhafi's supporters.

The United Nations says more than 1,000 anti-government protesters have been killed in Libya.

In Washington, U.S. President Barack Obama says Mr. Gadhafi has “lost the legitimacy to rule” and should step down immediately.

The White House said that Mr. Obama made the remarks in a telephone conversation Saturday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The statement adds that the U.S. and German leaders shared “deep concerns” about the ongoing violent crackdown against protesters in Libya, and discussed “appropriate and effective ways” for the international community to respond.

Also Saturday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. was taking steps to hold Mr. Gadhafi's government “accountable for its violation of human rights.” She said the State Department has revoked the U.S. visas held by Libyan leaders and members of their immediate family.

Mr. Obama Friday signed an executive order imposing unilateral sanctions on Libya, saying continued unrest and violence there posed an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security and foreign policy. The same day, the European Union agreed to impose an arms embargo on Libya, along with a travel ban and assets freeze.

Italy's prime minister — formerly an ally of Mr. Gadhafi — says it appears the Libyan leader is no longer in control of the country. Silvio Berlusconi said Saturday if the international community pulls together, it can stop the “bloodbath and support the Libyan people.”

The U.N. said Mr. Ban phoned Mr. Berlusconi Saturday to discuss Libya and ask for Italy's support in the international effort to handle the crisis. The U.N. said Mr. Ban also reached out to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, underscoring Saudi Arabia's key religious and political role in the region.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, says there are reports of mass killings in Libya that should spur the international community to step in to end the violence. She called for an independent investigation of the reports that thousands of Libyans have been killed or wounded by Libyan security forces.

Ireland’s Opposition Parties Set to Form Coalition

Ireland's main opposition parties looked set to form a coalition Saturday after voters angered by a financial collapse and a hugely unpopular bailout crushed the ruling party that had dragged the country to the edge of bankruptcy.

Early results suggest the ruling Fianna Fail party of Prime Minister Brian Cowen was facing its worst defeat in 80 years, while the opposition Fine Gael party was on course to win.

National broadcaster RTE said Saturday that Fine Gael won 37 percent of the vote, but that is not thought to be enough to win a majority in the lower house of parliament. Likely Fine Gael coalition partner, the Labor Party, had about 20 percent support, and Fianna Fail received only 15 percent of the vote — its worst showing ever.

The leader of Fine Gael and Ireland's likely next prime minister, Enda Kenny, vowed to renegotiate the terms of the $115 billion bailout from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund that Dublin accepted in November.

The make-up of a new parliament will not be confirmed until manual counting finishes on Sunday.

Obama: Gadhafi Should Leave Immediately

U.S. President Barack Obama says Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has “lost the legitimacy to rule” and should step down immediately.

The White House said that Mr. Obama made the remarks in a telephone conversation Saturday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The statement adds that the U.S. and German leaders shared “deep concerns” about the ongoing violent crackdown against protesters in Libya, and discussed “appropriate and effective ways” for the international community to respond.

Also Saturday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. was taking steps to hold Mr. Gadhafi's government “accountable for its violation of human rights.” She said the State Department has revoked the U.S. visas held by Libyan leaders and members of their immediate family.

Mr. Obama Friday signed an executive order imposing unilateral sanctions on Libya, saying continued unrest and violence there posed an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security and foreign policy. The same day, the European Union agreed to impose an arms embargo on Libya, along with a travel ban and assets freeze.

The U.N. Security Council, in its second day of emergency talks on Libya Saturday, is also considering possible sanctions. It is set to vote Satruday evening.

And the 15-member body is considering a draft resolution that lays the groundwork for referring the reports of the government's crackdown to the International Criminal Court. The judicial body would investigate whether possible war crimes or crimes against humanity have taken place during the uprising.

Libya's ambassador to the U.N. voiced support for the provision. In a letter to the council, Ambassador Abdurrahman Shalgham said the Libyan delegation backed the U.N.'s efforts to hold those responsible for armed attacks on civilians accountable for their actions. Shalgham defected from Mr. Gadhafi's government on Friday.

The draft text was written by Britain, France, the U.S. and Germany. Ahead of Saturday's session, German U.N. Ambassador Peter Wittig told reporters he believes the full Council is in agreement on the measure and will want “swift and quick action.”

However, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday he opposed sanctions. He said the restrictions would harm the Libyan people instead of the government.

Italy's prime minister — formerly an ally of Mr. Gadhafi — says it appears the Libyan leader is no longer in control of the country. Silvio Berlusconi said Saturday if the international community pulls together, it can stop the “bloodbath and support the Libyan people.”

The U.N. said Mr. Ban phoned Mr. Berlusconi Saturday to discuss Libya and ask for Italy's support in the international effort to handle the crisis. The U.N. said Mr. Ban also reached out to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, underscoring Saudi Arabia's key religious and political role in the region.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, says there are reports of mass killings in Libya that should spur the international community to step in to end the violence. She called for an independent investigation of the reports that thousands of Libyans have been killed or wounded by Libyan security forces.

UN: 100,000 People Have Fled Libya into Neighboring States

in this photo released by Britain's Ministry of Defense, civilians disembark from one of two Royal Air Force C130 Hercules that evacuated more than 150 civilians from desert locations south of Benghazi, at Malta's international airport, February 27, 2011

The U.N. refugee agency says almost 100,000 people have fled Libya into neighboring Egypt and Tunisia in the past week to escape a deadly anti-government uprising.

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres appealed Sunday to the international community to provide quick and generous assistance to Egypt and Tunisia to cope with what he calls a "humanitarian emergency."

The U.N. agency says Tunisia has reported the entry of 40,000 people from Libya since February 20, and Egypt has recorded 55,000 people crossing the Libyan border since February 19.

The UNHCR says most of those fleeing to the neighboring states are Egyptians and Tunisians, while the remainder include other foreigners, mainly Asian migrant workers, and several thousand Libyans. It says U.N. emergency teams are working with Egyptian and Tunisian authorities to support the evacuees.

Elsewhere, Mediterranean ports are overflowing with thousands of other foreigners escaping Libya's unrest.

A Greek ship that picked up 2,900 Chinese citizens in Benghazi arrived in Crete Saturday, while two other Greek vessels left the Libyan port carrying another 4,200 Chinese bound for the Greek island. Another Chinese-chartered vessel arrived in Malta carrying 2,200 Chinese evacuees.

China also was chartering Chinese and foreign planes to fly Chinese citizens out of the Libyan capital, Tripoli and to bring them home from other destinations in north Africa and Europe.

In another development, British military transport planes evacuated foreign oil workers from the Libyan desert in a secretive operation Saturday. British Defense Secretary Liam Fox says two C-130 Hercules planes picked up about 150 civilians - including Britons and other foreigners - from desert sites and brought them to the Mediterranean island nation of Malta.

British media described the evacuation as a daring and covert operation conducted by British special forces. The British government has faced criticism at home for being too slow to help hundreds of British oil workers stuck in desert facilities with dwindling supplies of food and water.

Britain also temporarily shut its embassy in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, after evacuating diplomatic personnel from the city. Canada and France did the same.

The United States closed its Tripoli embassy on Friday.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

VIDEO : Anti-Gaddafi Protesters Control Key Town

Anti-government protesters were in control of a key town just 30 miles from the capital Tripoli as international pressure grows on Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

Lisa Holland, in Zawiyah

Anti-government protesters were in control of a key town just 30 miles from the capital Tripoli as international pressure grows on Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

:: Follow the developing story live on Sky News and at www.skynews.com/liveplus

The fall of Zawiyah to its people comes after the UN agreed to impose sanctions on Libya and Britain withdrew the leader's diplomatic immunity.

Sky News has seen the flag of the anti-Gaddafi movement flying over Zawiyah - the centre of the most bitter fighting in recent days.

Under the supervision of the Libyan government, Sky News has been allowed access into Tripoli.

We have been invited by Colonel Gaddafi along with a group of other international journalists to see, we were told, that he was still in control.

Military forces escorted us out of the capital and we were driven west to Zawiyah, which we were told had not fallen to protesters.

Anti-Gaddafi Protesters Control Key Town

*

*

*

o Share

* Comments (1)

2:41pm UK, Sunday February 27, 2011

Lisa Holland, in Zawiyah

Anti-government protesters were in control of a key town just 30 miles from the capital Tripoli as international pressure grows on Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

Read more »

Bahrain's King Reshuffles Cabinet as Opposition Protests Continue

Bahraini King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa has reshuffled his Cabinet in an apparent gesture to opposition activists holding daily protests demanding democratic reforms.

King Hamad named on Saturday new ministers of cabinet affairs, energy, health and housing. All had previously held senior government positions. Bahrain's Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, the king's uncle, also retained the post he has held for four decades.

Bahrain's Shi'ite-led opposition has been demanding the resignation of the whole government, which is dominated by the minority Sunni al-Khalifa family.

Read more »

8 Die in Afghan Explosion

Officials in Afghanistan say two bomb blasts in the southern part of the country have killed at least eight people watching a dog fight.

Authorities say Sunday's explosions went off in the Arghandab district, on the outskirts of Kandahar city.

Police say five of their officers were wounded in the explosions.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack, although the Taliban considers dogfighting un-Islamic.

Dogfighting is popular in southern Afghanistan.

An ISAF service member also died Sunday in a bomb blast in southern Afghanistan.

VIDEO : World Looks To Isolate Libya's Gaddafi

Britain has revoked the diplomatic immunity of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi after the UN agreed to a range of sanctions against Libya amid the growing unrest.

Britain has revoked the diplomatic immunity of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi after the UN agreed to a range of sanctions against Libya amid the growing unrest.

Mr Hague's comments come as Royal Navy's HMS Cumberland made her way back to Benghazi to pick up any British citizens still stranded in the port city.

The Foreign Office estimates between 200 and 380 Britons are still inside Libya.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg told Sky's Dermot Murnaghan: "Our information is that the vast, vast majority of people, of British people in Libya, either in the desert or elsewhere, who wanted to leave, have left.

"It was meticulously planned and extremely well executed, obviously in an environment of great uncertainty in Libya itself."

Dozens of oil workers rescued from the Libyan desert by two RAF Hercules are also expected to leave Malta for the UK later today.

Overnight, the UN resolution also called for the immediate referral of the crackdown against anti-government demonstrators in Libya to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

It wants an investigation and possible prosecution of anyone responsible for killing civilians.

The Security Council all agreed to freeze the assets of Colonel Gaddafi, his four sons and only daughter.

The council also voted to ban the family, plus 10 close associates, from international travel.

Libya's deputy UN ambassador, Ibrahim Dabbashi, one of the first Libyan diplomats to denounce Col Gaddafi and defect, said the council's move would provide "moral support for our people who are resisting".

It "will help put an end to this fascist regime which is still in existence in Tripoli", he added.

All 15 nations on the council ultimately approved referring the case to the permanent war crimes tribunal.

Council members did not consider imposing a no-fly zone over Libya, and no UN-sanctioned military action was planned. Nato has also ruled out any intervention in Libya.

Much of Libya Outside of Government Control

Latest Information

The Libya's top envoy to the United States on Saturday said the international community should support the interim government taking shape in Libya.

It was not immediately clear if Ambassador Ali Aujali was talking about the caretaker government formed this week by former Justice Minister Mustafa Abdel-Jalil. A U.S. State Department spokesman said he had no immediate comment on Jalil's government.


Scattered protests continued in Libya Saturday, amid reports of further defections by former top officials to the side of the insurgents. Popular protests also continued in Yemen and several other Arab countries, as well.

A large crowd of mostly young protesters chanted "Libya is free, Libya is free, Gadhafi get lost," in the Western town of Misrata on a video posted on Facebook. Misrata was the scene of bloody clashes several days ago between forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and residents of the city.

An eyewitness told Al-Jazeera TV that several neighborhoods in the Libyan capital Tripoli were under insurgent control, following skirmishes with Gadhafi loyalists. He added that security forces loyal to Colonel Gadhafi's government however are still present and patrolling most neighborhoods.

The colonel’s son and heir-apparent Saif al-Islam on Friday complained to reporters that news reports in the foreign press of heavy casualties during recent violence were not true. He urged the European Union to send a fact-finding mission to investigate.

"Here in Libya, we are laughing about those reports about hundreds and thousands of casualties. Soon, you will discover that what you have heard in Libya was just a big joke," he said.

Despite the official denial, both Al-Arabiya TV and Al-Jazeera TV showed videos of dozens of young people and other insurgents killed during recent fighting. In one Youtube video, Gadhafi loyalists were seen shooting two young protesters and driving away with their bodies.

Saif al-Islam also echoed recent accusations by his father that al-Qaida was supporting the insurgent movement, calling the insurgents "terrorists".

"If we are talking about al-Qaida, it's not a secret. Al-Qaida issued a statement yesterday supporting those groups in Libya and they said 'this is part of our global war against...' I don't know. So, go to the internet, and search there, and you will see the statement, official statement from al-Qaida issued yesterday, supporting those terrorist people," he said.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi declared Saturday that it appeared that Mr. Gadhafi "no longer controls the situation in Libya." The statement came as more former top government officials defected to the insurgent movement.

Read more »

Obama Calls for Gadhafi's Immediate Departure

President Obama is calling for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to step down immediately. The call came in a statement issued by the White House detailing a private phone conversation Mr. Obama had with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

In his phone call with Chancellor Merkel, according to the White House statement, President Obama shared "deep concerns" about the Libyan government's continued violation of human rights and brutalization of its people.

He told Ms. Merkel that when a leader's only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule, and "needs to do what is right for his country by "leaving now."

It's the first time since the Libyan crisis began that President Obama has directly called for Gadhafi's departure, and its significance is magnified by the fact that it was issued in connection with a conversation with another major world leader.

Saturday's White House Statement also said President Obama and Chancellor Merkel discussed what it called appropriate and effective ways for the international community to respond.

They also reaffirmed their support for the Libyan people's demand for universal rights and a government that is responsive to their aspirations - and agreed that the Gadhafi government must be held accountable.

In a statement also issued Saturday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. is moving quickly on a series of steps to hold the Libyan government accountable and mobilize a strong international response.

Clinton said an order she signed revokes U.S. visas held by senior Gadhafi government officials, others responsible for human rights violations in Libya, and their immediate family members.

President Obama has already ordered unilateral sanctions against the Gadhafi government. In an Executive Order on Friday, the president froze assets of and imposed financial sanctions on members of the Libyan regime responsible for abuses, and suspended limited defense trade with Libya.

In her Saturday statement, Secretary Clinton said Gadhafi had lost the legitimacy to rule and the confidence of his people, Clinton also called for the Libyan leader to leave "without further bloodshed and violence".

Clinton, who will travel to Geneva for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council, said the U.S. is working with friends and partners on a strong and unified response, adding she has continued close consultations with European allies.

In other developments, British Prime Minister David Cameron chaired an urgent government meeting in London on Saturday about Libya, and also spoke with Chancellor Merkel, as well as the leaders of Italy and Turkey.

A spokesman for Cameron said he and his counterparts agreed on the need for "urgent action" through the European Union and United Nations, including a tough package of sanctions.

Libyan leader Gadhafi told his supporters in Tripoli that he would fight what he called "foreign aggression" and vowed to fight those trying to oust his government.

Egyptian Military Apologizes for Using Force on Protesters

The Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces, currently in charge of the Egyptian government, has issued an apology after members of the military police beat some protesters in Cairo early Saturday.

The council issued a statement saying the violence was "unintentional," and promised to make sure it does not happen again.

Demonstrators had camped overnight in Cairo's Tahrir (Liberation) Square, demanding that the military move faster to enact change in the government.

Witnesses said the military moved in after a curfew went into effect at midnight. They said soldiers beat some protesters who refused to move.

Meanwhile, a judicial committee appointed by the interim government has recommended presidential term limits. The panel on Saturday proposed limiting the presidency to two, four-year terms. The panel's recommendation is expected to be put to a national referendum.

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was serving his fifth, six-year term when he resigned this month.

On Friday, thousands of demonstrators rallied in Tahrir Square, as they have promised to do each week until their demands are met by the military.

They called on the military to rid the Cabinet of members loyal to ousted president Hosni Mubarak and replace them with fresh faces. They also want measures to eliminate government corruption, and are demanding political prisoners be freed.

The army is expected to remove a 30-year state of emergency at some point, but has not said when. For now, it is urging people to abandon their protests and get back to work.

Egyptian officials say they will decide Sunday when to reopen the nation's stock market, which was closed during the anti-government unrest that started in January.

Gary Mitchell, Sky News Online

Embattled dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi has made a surprise appearance before supporters in Libyan capital Tripoli, telling people: "Prepare to defend Libya." 

He warned crowds gathered in Green Square that he would "burn all of Libya" if he was not supported by his people.

"We will defeat any outside attempt to overturn our country," he said.

Col Gaddafi urged his followers to"keep dancing, keep chanting", adding: "Libyan people love me."

It is not clear if the speech aired on state TV was live or pre-recorded.

The tirade follows days of anti-government protests which have left hundreds dead. Earlier, security forces reportedly opened fire on protesters in Tripoli, killing at least five.

The clashes broke out in the Janzour district of the city as demonstrators increased the pressure in Col Gaddafi's stronghold. Shots were also heard in the Fashloom area of Tripoli.

In his fourth address this week, Col Gaddafi vowed to triumph over his enemies and called on people to guard the country and its oil reserves.

He also appeared to promise to open weapons arsenals "when necessary" and arm supporters against "the enemy".

The leader, who alternated between blowing kisses and shaking his fist during the tirade, said: "Muammar Gaddafi is among you. I stand among the people and we will fight and we will kill them if they want."

Meanwhile, the US is said to be considering closing its embassy in Tripoli.

But he appears to be increasingly isolated, with some areas of the city coming under the control of opponents.

"Some areas are under opponents' control - other areas, mainly those around the Bab al-Azizia area (where Gaddafi lives), are under Gaddafi's supporters' and army's control," one resident said.

Campaigners outside the Libyan embassy in central London told Sky News that friends and relatives in the country had spoken of "blood on the streets", with many residents in Tripoli afraid to leave their homes.

Protesters have reported further gains, having already taken over in Libya's second city Benghazi, and they are said to be in charge of key Libyan oil and product terminals east of the capital.

Opponents have seized the eastern oil terminal town of Brega, where soldiers defected to help protesters.

Three towns in the Western Mountains region south-west of Tripoli have also escaped central control.

Some of the worst bloodshed has been in Zawiya, 30 miles west of the capital, where troops opened fire with automatic weapons on a mosque where residents had been holding a sit-in.

The mosque's minaret was blasted with an anti-aircraft gun. A doctor said he saw 10 dead bodies and around 150 wounded but another estimate put the death toll at 23.

Zawiya, a key city close to an oil port and refineries, is the nearest population centre to Tripoli to fall into the hands of the anti-Gaddafi rebellion.

Across the country, rebels have celebrated seizing power by showing off the tanks, armoured vehicles and weapons they had taken from security forces.

n the eastern coastal city of Tobruk, tanks lay abandoned on the street after soldiers defected. One told Sky News: "Gaddafi is finished."

Newest version of Chrome might feature background apps

Read more: GadgetLite - Latest gadgets and technology news http://www.gadgetlite.com/#ixzz1F3SrCwzU Brought to you by GadgetLite.com

Folks from Google are working hard on their Chrome browser, and according to the latest news, it seems that Google will add a new feature to its popular web browser.

So what is this new feature that Google will add? Well, according to the latest news, it seems that the newest version of Chrome will allow apps and extensions to run in background, even if your Chrome browser isn’t running. This new feature sounds great if you want to get Gmail alerts for example, but background apps can open a new way for hackers to exploit them. For example, hackers can use these apps to track or monitor your processes, and compromise your security that way. Of course, we don’t doubt that Google will do its best to prevent such misuse.

VIDOE : Woman Found Alive 24 Hours After Earthquake

VIDEO : On The Road Through 'Free Libya'

VIDEO : Dramatic Footage Of Quake Emerges

The web weighs in on Apple's new MacBook Pros, Thunderbolt technology

On February 24 Apple showed off an updated MacBook Pro family with high-speed Thunderbolt data transfer technology, next generation Intel Sandy Bridge Core i5 and i7 processors and FaceTime HD cameras and tech blogs and websites are offering their assessments.

Rumors suggested that Apple's new MacBook Pro line might feature slimmer bodies similar to the recently announced MacBook Air range, but the majority of updates have been made on the inside of the new MacBook Pro line.

"These new models aren't exactly revolutionary with the same basic unibody casing, layout, and batteries," says CrunchGear's Matt Burns. "The updates are evolutionary in nature, just steps towards the next generation of MacBook Pros."

Initial benchmark tests, however, show the new MacBook Pros to be much more powerful than their predecessors.

"Some of the very earliest benchmark tests of Apple's new MacBook Pros have shown them fast enough to outperform some Mac Pro workstations," says electronista. "The new MacBook Pros are some of the first quad-core portables to keep a thin profile and long battery life, and their performance relative to much larger and more expensive workstations may be part of a rare closing of the gap between desktop and mobile."

The MacBook Pro range is the first to integrate Intel's "groundbreaking Thunderbolt I/O technology - "a new wired connection technology that combines data transfer and video output capabilities," explained Gigaom.

The technology touts bi-directional transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps, or as TechCrunch calls it, "screaming-fast data transfers" that will "transfer a Blu-ray disk in less than 30 seconds." Thunderbolt aims to one day replace USB and Firewire connectivity.

"The class of Mac owner that stands to gain the most from Thunderbolt in the short term is the media professional," says Gigaom.

In an article titled "Why the new MacBook Pros aren't for most people," Gizmodo's Jesus Diaz says most consumers shouldn't opt for Apple's new MacBook Pros unless they are planning on using the laptop to edit "high definition video in Final Cut Pro, print-resolution images in Photoshop or 3D animation in Maya."

Instead, he advises regular users to invest in "[a] fast-enough machine with the lightest weight possible, ultra-thin, with a ridiculously long battery life," such as the MacBook Air.

Diaz adds that "my biggest disappointment about the 2011 MacBook Pros is that they are not the MacBooks of the future that I imagined."

But as Matt Burns chips in, "[w]ith prices set at the same levels as the previous models, there's no reason to hate on the latest. They're just more computing bang for your credit card buck."

The new range of MacBook Pros are available now starting from $1199 for the base model 13", $1799 for the 15" and $2499 for the 17".