InternetExplorer posts

Internet Explorer 8: Best Browser for Your Battery?

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Sep 15th 2009 at 7:32AM

What's The Best Browser for Your Battery?

The War of the Web Browsers mostly takes place on one battlefield: speed. And while Google's Chrome is the clear winner on that front, there are other skirmishes -- like those over add-ons and resource usage -- of which Firefox is the clear victor.

Until now the only victories that Internet Explorer could claim were 'Largest Install Base' and 'Most Vulnerable to Hackers.' But tech blog AnandTech decided to pit the browsers against each other based on how quickly they drain your laptop battery. Surprisingly, IE8 wins with the longest Web surfing time.

Tags: battery life, BatteryLife, browser, browser wars, BrowserWars, chrome, firefox, internet explorer, InternetExplorer, opera, safari, top, web browser, WebBrowser

Web

Web Site Calls for Death of Internet Explorer 6

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Aug 7th 2009 at 7:03AM

It started out as the cause of a small group of disgruntled nerds. But now, the push to rid the world of out-of-date versions of Internet Explorer has blossomed into a full-blown campaign.

According to CNN, a new site called 'IE 6 No More,' along with activity on sites like Twitter and Digg, has helped bring the idea to the masses. Developers of the site claim that Internet Explorer 6, which was released by Microsoft in 2001, is keeping the Web from reaching its full potential. In order to aid the process, the site encourages folks to upgrade to more modern browsers -- like Firefox, IE 8, or Google Chrome -- and offers a code that visitors can install on their own sites to further spread the word. CNN reports that about 15- to 25-percent of people use IE 6 to access the Web. However, Dan Oliver, editor of the UK Web design magazine .net, says this isn't an anti-Microsoft campaign; it's about moving forward. In fact, Microsoft told CNN in a statement that it also wants to see users upgrade from IE 6.

It might not be so easy to kill off the browser with simple upgrades. Certain applications were designed specifically for IE 6, and if businesses can't afford to change the way those run, they'll be left out in the cold. So, maybe extinction isn't the answer here. Like many things in life, there needs to be a compromise -- one that's best for those who must stick with the old, and for those who can upgrade to newer browsers. [From: CNN]

Tags: browser, campaign, internet explorer, internet explorer 6, InternetExplorer, InternetExplorer6, main, microsoft, news, top, web

Web

Firefox Hits One Billion Downloads

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Jul 31st 2009 at 4:30PM

It's time for a cyber celebration, folks. Mozilla's popular Firefox browser, which launched in 2002, reached the 1 billion download mark today, making the browser akin to McDonald's Big Mac in popularity.

According to TechCrunch, Mozilla will mark the occasion by launching a new site, www.onebillionplusyou.com (going live on Monday), that will display photos and information about folks who love and use Firefox for their surfing needs. TechCrunch reports that about 30–percent of all people who access the Internet do so with Firefox while about 54-percent use Internet Explorer. That's a dramatic increase when you see consider that about 90-percent used Internet Explorer only a few years ago.

Tags: browser, download, firefox, internet, internet explorer, InternetExplorer, milestone, mozilla, top, web

Computers, Web

State Department Employee Asks Hillary Clinton for Firefox

by Warren Riddle (RSS feed) — Jul 15th 2009 at 2:36PM

Despite new leadership from a relatively tech-savvy president, some government offices still seem a little slow to adopt popular technology. While the State Department might have promoted and encouraged Iranian Twitter activity, the Department is nevertheless lagging behind in other Web areas.

In a town hall meeting yesterday, a new member of the State Department, which uses Internet Explorer as its Web browser, pleaded with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to "please let the staff use" rival Mozilla Firefox. (Jump to 26:34 on the above video.) Pointing out that Firefox had been "approved for the entire intelligence community," and that it's a "much safer program," the rookie's question was met with a rowdy chorus of cheers and laughter.

Tags: firefox, government, hillary clinton, HillaryClinton, internet explorer, InternetExplorer, politics, state department, StateDepartment, top

Computers, Web

Serious Internet Explorer Flaw Leaves Windows Users Vulnerable

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Jul 7th 2009 at 12:54PM

You know things are bad when Microsoft is trying to draw attention to its latest security flaw. A new vulnerability is affecting Internet Explorer users who are running Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 (do the latter even exist anymore?), allowing hackers to take control of victims' PCs remotely.

The risk of infection and hijacking is very serious since a user simply has to visit a Web site to fall prey to it. Criminals have been exploiting the security hole for about a week, primarily through links included in spam. Microsoft is working on the problem, but since the flaw was just recently discovered it may be a little while before it figures out how to plug the hole without breaking other features. Of course, we know from experience that Microsoft likes to take its sweet time with these things.

The flaw lies in how Internet Explorer and its notorious ActiveX controls handle video playback. Microsoft is encouraging users to disable the vulnerable ActiveX controls -- even in versions of Windows not known to be affected by the security problem -- until it can release an emergency patch later this month.

Tags: active x, ActiveX, internet explorer, InternetExplorer, microsoft, security, top, vulnerability, windows

Web

Dean Cain Stars in Awkward Internet Explorer Ads

by Leila Brillson (RSS feed) — Jun 26th 2009 at 1:18PM

Somewhere in the land between 'uncomfortably funny' and 'trying too hard' sits Microsoft's new commercials promoting Internet Explorer 8. Choosing Dean Cain, the ex-football player who made his acting debut in 'Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,' to play a William Shatner-like straight man is an odd choice, especially given Apple's adorably nerdy spokesman Justin Long.

But the video's style, which feels distinctly viral, along with Cain's over-pronounced, tight-lipped delivery is comedically awkward (see the G.R.I.P.E.S version to watch Cain magically emerge from behind a chair). Playing a late night lawyer type who flips through books absentmindedly, Cain's ungainly turtlenecks steal the limelight.

Tags: dean cain, DeanCain, internet explorer, internet explorer 8, InternetExplorer, InternetExplorer8, microsoft, viral, Web

Windows Software

Microsoft Declares IE8 Fastest Browser, World Laughs

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Mar 13th 2009 at 9:04AM

Microsoft Declares IE8 Fastest, World Laughs

Oh Microsoft, sometimes you're so unintentionally hilarious that we just can't handle it. Apparently the folks in Redmond are tired of watching Internet Explorer (IE) get beat up in the press and decided to release their own report showing that IE8 is the fastest Web browser out there, despite all other benchmarks putting it firmly behind every modern browser except IE7.

In the words of Lee Mathews at Download Squad, "IE8 is a dog... A very slow, old dog." In our own completely unscientific testing -- that we then exaggerated for the sake of being jerks -- we were able to draw Web sites by hand faster than IE8 could load any complex pages. Sure IE8 blazed through the Google search page, but we've been able to choke it pretty easily by opening MLB.com.

You can read the entire report here if you're in need of a good laugh. If you're looking for a speedy browser though check out the Safari 4 Beta, Google Chrome, or our recommendation Firefox 3.1 Beta. [From: Download Squad]

Related Links:

Tags: browser, browsers, ie, ie8, internet explorer, internet explorer 8, InternetExplorer, InternetExplorer8, microsoft, web browser, WebBrowser

Computers, Windows Software, Downloads

Malware Finds Point of Entry in Internet Explorer 7 Bug

by Lee Bains (RSS feed) — Feb 18th 2009 at 3:01PM

A new strain of malware has been attacking users of Internet Explorer 7 (IE7), according to TrendMicro.com.

Apparently, the virus takes its first steps by exploiting a bug in IE7 that occurs when the program tries to "access deleted objects." Entering the system as a .doc file, and after performing a series of hidden downloads and installations, the malware turns the infected computer into a zombie, taking screen shots of the computer and sending them to the bad guys' server.

Apparently, up-to-date Smart Protection Network users are safe from the threat, but IE7 users should probably go ahead and patch their systems. In the meantime, Trend Micro promises to update the story as more comes to light. [From: TrendMicro]

Next >> '14 Sneakiest Computer Viruses'

Computers

'Clickjacking' Threat Hits Firefox and Chrome

by Tim Stevens (RSS feed) — Jan 29th 2009 at 3:06PM

Another day, another security risk, and while it pains us to bring you all this dire news so frequently, we figure someone has to keep you in the loop. Today's warning has to do with a new type of subversive Internet attack called clickjacking, in which you're tricked into clicking on links or buttons you can't see, possibly granting others access to your personal information. Two of the web's most popular browsers, Firefox and Chrome, have been found to be vulnerable.

Clickjacking is tricking a Web user into clicking on something they didn't want to, possibly on something they can't even see. It's possible to create a hidden overlay over a Web page and, within that hidden page, load up something like the login screen to MySpace. To the user the Web page might appear to be showing a game or the like that requires you to click on various objects, but in reality the user might be clicking on options in MySpace to make his or her information public or, disconcertingly, to change their password. Firefox and Chrome currently have no mechanism for preventing this kind of attack, but, surprisingly, Internet Explorer, a browser many consider to be less secure than the competition, is not susceptible to the attack.

Google has pledged to release a fix in short order, and we presume Firefox will be patched quickly as well. But, the best news is that nobody is actually aware of this sort of exploit being used in the wilds of the Internets so, for now at least, we wouldn't lose any sleep over this one. [From: CNET News]

Related Links:

Tags: browsing, chrome, clickjacking, firefox, hack, hacking, internet, internet explorer, InternetExplorer, safety, security, top, vulnerability, web, web security, WebSecurity

Computers, Windows Software

Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 Now Available, Still Not Quite Finished

by Tim Stevens (RSS feed) — Jan 27th 2009 at 10:39AM

Microsofts Internet Explorer 8 Now Available, Still Not Quite Finished

A few months ago Microsoft released its second beta (pre-release) version of Internet Explorer 8, and while we liked what we saw, it was still a little early to think about installing for real. Now Microsoft has delivered an updated version, and while it's still not quite fully polished and ready to roll, it may be time to think about upgrading.

Microsoft is calling this the first release candidate, meaning this could turn into the official release of Internet Explorer 8 whenever it ships. But, the company hasn't quite finished doing all the testing and pre-release work it needs prior to release, meaning there still could be some bugs in there. In other words, if you like to take things slow and steady there's no reason to upgrade at this point. But, if you're sick of IE7 or are looking for an alternative to the always popular Firefox and decreasingly popular Chrome, this may be a good choice for you. [From: IEBlog]

Related Links:

Tags: downloads, ie, ie8, internet explorer, internet explorer 8, InternetExplorer, InternetExplorer8, microsoft, microsoft ie8, MicrosoftIe8

Audio/Video, Computers, CES 2009

Is Microsoft Dumping Vista?

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Jan 8th 2009 at 1:36PM

Ballmer Reveals Major Updates to Microsoft Products

Steve Ballmer took the stage to give the pre-CES keynote yesterday and unveiled a long list of updates and features coming to Windows 7, Internet Explorer 8, the Windows Live family of products, and Xbox. For the sake of simplicity, we've boiled them down into a series bullet points of what to look out for from Microsoft in the coming year. The long and the short of it is that Ballmer barely even mentioned Microsoft's troubled Vista operating system!

Windows 7

Faster boot time and performance.
An improved task bar that is a little reminiscent of the OS X dock at the bottom of the desktop screen.
Jumplists -- which reveal recently opened documents, Web pages, and common tasks when you right click on an app in the task bar.
Improved networking, which will make setting up streaming media between devices simpler. It will also let you tell one computer to stream media from another computer to a third device like an Xbox or a Roku
Windows 7 will also get a public beta, starting January 9, so consumers will be able to try out the new operating system. This a first for any Microsoft OS.

Window Live Services

Partnership with Facebook that will sync LiveSpaces accounts with Facebook accounts, making Microsoft's social networking site more relevant!
Useful search side bar in Live Hotmail that minimizes the need for switching tabs.
Live Messenger is adding dynamic buddy icons that update according to the emoticons you use.

Tags: breaking news, BreakingNews, ces-2009-top, ie, internet explorer, InternetExplorer, keynote, microsoft, windows, windows 7, windows live, Windows7, WindowsLive, xbox

Computers

Internet Explorer Continues to Tumble in Market Share

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Jan 2nd 2009 at 4:21PM

Ok, maybe it's a bit early to start playing 'Taps' over the corpse of Microsoft, but there is reason to believe that a little thing called "the Internet" is slowly hacking away at the computing giant.

Stats for November show browser behemoth Internet Explorer taking another hit in browser market share, dipping below 70-percent, while Firefox held on to more that 20-percent of global market share for the first time ever. A 50-percent market share gap may seem like an unquestionable dominance, but consider that only five years ago Microsoft's browser accounted for 90-percent of global Internet traffic.

Browsers like Safari, Firefox, and even upstart Chrome spank IE when it comes to speed, features, and standards compliance, but the real reason users are defecting from IE probably has to do with its terrible record on security. Years of advice from security experts, blogs (like this one), and geeky nephews have prompted more and more people to start using other browsers at home and in the workplace.

The battle is far from over, but it seems pretty clear to us that Firefox, and companies like Google, are leading us into a post-Microsoft world. [From: Silicon Alley Insider]

Tags: firefox, IE, internet, internet explorer, InternetExplorer, microsoft, top, web

Computers

Microsoft Finally Patches Serious IE Flaw

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Dec 18th 2008 at 9:50AM

Break out the marching band.

After tons of media coverage, and suggestions from plenty of security experts, bloggers, and random people on the street that users switch to Firefox from Internet Explorer, Microsoft has released a patch to fix the latest zero-day exploit in the infamously insecure browser.

The update is available for IE 5, 6, and 7. Beta testers of IE 8 should install build 8.0.6001.18344 from Microsoft Connect. These updates change the way IE handles data and an error that hackers were able to use to hijack a user's PC. The fix should prevent IE from executing code that would allow an attacker to take control of your PC and steal sensitive data just by pointing you to a Web site.

We're glad to see the fix before the official monthly patching day, but you're still not off the hook, Microsoft. [From: Ars Technica]

Tags: IE, internet explorer, InternetExplorer, microsoft, security, top

Computers

Re: Microsoft's Latest Internet Explorer Security Flaw

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Dec 16th 2008 at 1:58PM

An open letter to Microsoft:

Dear Microsoft,

We understand that no software is 100-percent secure, and that your market dominance makes your products bigger targets for hackers, but we're seriously running out of excuses for you. Your record on security is simply becoming a deal breaker.

It took you eight years to plug a hole in your file sharing platform and flaws that would allow hackers to take complete control of a user's PC are found almost every other month. You even released an update that disabled anti-virus programs, leaving consumers vulnerable to even more attacks. And customers aren't the only ones fed up with the mess that is Microsoft. Your founder, Bill Gates himself, has complained (quite vehemently) about the confusing disaster that is Windows and its accompanying software.

Tags: IE, internet explorer, InternetExplorer, microsoft, security

Computers

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 Released to Public (Hands-On)

by Tim Stevens (RSS feed) — Aug 29th 2008 at 4:10PM

Internet Explorer Beta 2 Released to Public

Have you been itching to get your hands on the latest flavor of Internet Explorer? Yeah, we can't say we really have been either, but just the same, Microsoft has released the second beta version of Internet Explorer 8 for public consumption, and you can download it now and check it out if you like.

The first beta was only for developers, but after a number of updates and fixes, Microsoft is opening this new version to anyone. To save you the trouble, we threw caution to the wind and installed it. So far it's looking quite good; stable and noticeably faster in many tasks than IE7, which is looking more than a little dated compared to the recently released Firefox 3.0. At first glance, IE8 doesn't look that much different, but does include a number of tweaks and updates, including:

Private Browsing - Curious about the darker sides of the 'Net? Don't worry, most of us are, and IE8 is the first browser to realize this, giving you a mode called "InPrivate" that doesn't track where you go in your history, doesn't keep cookies, and doesn't store auto-complete information.
Accelerators - Highlight a word, and IE8 will display a button that will let you define it through Encarta. Highlight a street address, and you'll see an option to display the address on a map. Highlight words in a foreign language, and you can see a quick translation. There are lots of little context options like this, called accelerators, because they speed up the process of copying a line of text, opening a new browser window, and pasting it in somewhere to look it up.
Visual Search - This is another area where sites will be able to insert themselves into your browser. Here you can define visual searches for things like eBay, enabling you to start typing your search into the IE8 search box and immediately get results and pictures from listings right through the browser. You can then click directly on what you want. There are visual searches available for other sites like Wikipedia, YouTube, and naturally, Google.

There are dozens of other updates, including stability and compatibility, which should make IE8 an excellent choice for someone looking for an alternative to Firefox. So far, we've found the browser to be very stable, so we'd rate this low on the danger meter, but as always, install betas at your own risk! [Source: IEBlog]

Tags: downloads, firefox, ie8, internet explorer, InternetExplorer, microsoft, web browser, WebBrowser

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'Black Friday' Deals to Watch For

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Black Friday' Deals to Watch For

Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.

Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.

Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.

Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.

HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.

HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.

HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.

GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.

Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.

Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.

Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.

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