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Microsoft issues security patches for Flash vulnerabilities in Windows 8 and Internet Explorer
As promised, Microsoft is issuing a security patch for a Flash vulnerability on Windows 8 in Internet Explorer 10. Though the operating system has yet to see its official public release, researchers testing the RTM version found a bug that could cause Flash to crash and allow for attackers to take control of a user's machine. Additionally, the company is rolling out an update to address a security hole in Internet Explorer versions 7 and 8 on Windows XP -- and IE 9 on Windows 7 and Windows Vista -- which left the door open for hackers to spread malware via a specially designed Flash animation. Both security patches are available via Microsoft's Windows Update service.
Google Chrome claims one-third of global browser share, according to StatCounter
Google's Senior Vice President of Chrome & Apps Sundar Pichai confirmed to the crowd back at D10 that Chrome browser use was soaring -- particularly in the consumer space -- and StatCounter's latest data most definitely backs that up. The newest report, ending July 2012, shows the Chrome creeping up to 33.8 percent worldwide from 32.8 percent in June. Internet Explorer is sitting at 32 percent, while Firefox is seen slipping a bit to 23.7 percent; meanwhile, Apple's Safari picks up the Participation Award with 7.1 percent. As The Next Web points out, it's also worth nothing that Chrome is doing particularly well in Europe, South America and Asia, while IE is still charging in the UK, US and Down Under. Granted, StatCounter is hardly the end-all when it comes to browser usage; that said, it's definitely useful to get a general idea of which browsers are moving in which direction, and it's certainly astonishing to see a piece of software that didn't exist four years ago already claiming such a significant piece of the pie.
OnLive Desktop launches 'Plus' subscriptions, puts IE in your iPad
OnLive has already given Microsoft loving iPad owners a hefty, gratis helping of Windows 7, but that doesn't mean they haven't been building a paywall. What's behind the freshly dried brick and mortar? OnLive Desktop Plus, an optional, subscription based upgrade that touts new features for users who are willing to pay a fee. Five dollars a month buys you a cloud-accelerated web browser (that would be Internet Explorer 9, complete with fully functioning Adobe Flash and Acrobat plug-ins) and priority access to the OnLive Desktop service -- freeloading "standard" subscribers can only access the service on an as-available basis. OnLive says that the cloud powered browser's full Windows experience finally gives the iPad full Flash compatibility, giving you the chance to feed your nostalgic need to watch cartoons check their email. We got an early look at the app, read on for a quick hands-on and OnLive's official press release.
Microsoft confirms IE10 won't run on Vista, millions of IE9 users shrug
If you're part of the dwindling group still using Windows Vista, you'll have to wait until your next upgrade to take IE10 for a spin -- Microsoft has confirmed that the latest version of its browser won't run on its last-gen operating system, either in developer preview form or when the final software ships. While it's tempting to interpret that as an attempt on Microsoft's part to put the widely loathed Vista in its past, there's actually a precedent for this -- remember that Microsoft cut off XP support when it unveiled IE9. As a Microsoft rep told Computerworld, the company would rather not have to develop software for a lowest-common denominator. At least, if you do have to stick with the newly minted IE9, you can be sure you'll be in good company.
IE9 is the most energy-efficient modern browser, according to Microsoft's own testing
Of all the battlefields we've witnessed in the browser wars, this one's never really crossed our minds before: energy efficiency. Yes, the power efficiency of a piece of software, not hardware, is being touted by Microsoft as a differentiating feature for its fresh new Internet Explorer 9. It's thrown together the top five most popular browsers and put them through a cycle of benchmarks -- including Microsoft's own FishIE Tank graphics acceleration test, but not the somewhat popular Adobe Flash -- while measuring how much power they use beyond what the underlying Windows 7 system needs to keep itself going. Shockingly, IE9 was the winner each and every time and there's a tenuous conclusion drawn that if you want good battery life, you'll be going with Internet Explorer. Oh well, whether you consider them a good laugh or really valuable buyer's advice, there's plenty more of these power consumption comparisons at the source link below.
Microsoft confirms Internet Explorer 9 will launch on March 14th
We had a hint that Microsoft would be releasing the final version of Internet Explorer 9 on March 14th, and now the company has finally, officially confirmed it. That launch will coincide with a press event / party at SXSW, and downloads will be available starting at 9PM Pacific time (or midnight Eastern time). Wondering what's in store? Then you can always check out our review of the beta version, or simply download it yourself, of course -- suffice it to say, it's no Internet Explorer 6.
Internet Explorer 9 privacy measures to include Tracking Protection
In a nod to future FTC mandates regarding web privacy, Microsoft has announced that among its many charms, Internet Explorer 9 will introduce something called a Tracking Protective List. In essence, the TPL looks at third party elements of whichever page you may be viewing (for instance, when you're at msnbc.com and it contains elements that are hosted by another domain) and allows you to block those which track your movements. This is done by domain, and there is both a whitelist and a blacklist -- ensuring that while elements that are required for full functionality will be allowed, those which are a nuisance will be blocked. Of course, this isn't the answer to all of your security needs, but between this and properly managing your cookies it is a decent first step. IE9 will come around sometime in early 2011 -- in the meantime, check out the video after the break for more info.
How would you change Microsoft's Internet Explorer 9 Beta?
It's not often that a web browser makes into our HWYC lineup, but it's also a rare occurrence for Microsoft to issue an entirely new web browser. Internet Explorer 9 Beta has been in the wild (and thus, on your PC) for a few months now, and seeing that the browser wars are raging harder than ever these days, we felt it prudent to ask how you'd change things in the world of IE. After all, being that this is a beta, there's still plenty of time for Microsoft to actually heed your wisdom and implement changes prior to the full, final, non-beta release. So, have you been pleased with performance? Tab layout? Any tweaks you'd make to the user interface? Compatibility? Go on and get sophisticated down in comments below, won'tcha?
Everything you wanted to know about the Internet Explorer logo but were afraid to ask
Apple may have gotten a bit of attention by radically redesigning the iTunes icon, but it's not the only desktop mainstay that's undergone a change -- Microsoft also revised the Internet Explorer logo once again for its latest release, and it's now taken the opportunity to offer a bit of insight into its design process. As explained on its Internet Explorer blog, the original blue "e" was designed to represent a globe, with the "orbiter" intended to depict speed and exploration. For Internet Explorer 9 both elements were updated, with the "e" getting a slightly more modern treatment, while the orbiter was given a fuller, more continuous connection and the appearance of an even faster orbit. That's just scratching the surface, though -- hit up the source link below for a detailed look at the making of the new logo, and a look back at its evolution over the past 15 years.
Internet Explorer 9 Beta review
(function() { var s = document.createElement('SCRIPT'), s1 = document.getElementsByTagName('SCRIPT')[0]; s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.async = true; s.src = 'http://widgets.digg.com/buttons.js'; s1.parentNode.insertBefore(s, s1); })(); Digg If you're anything like us, as soon as you get a new PC there's a laundry list of things you do: uninstall every piece of crapware, change the desktop wallpaper, and fire up Internet Explorer 8 to download a new browser like Firefox or Chrome. Without fail, we've repeated that last step on every Windows laptop we've reviewed in the last year. Why is it that we almost instantly replace IE with another option? There are lots of reasons, but to name a few... the browser usually comes plastered with toolbars, which makes it painfully slow to load even just a simple news site. And even when those are uninstalled it feels sluggish in comparison to Firefox and Chrome. Also, it's just not as attractive or intuitive as the others. Oh, and then there are the smaller items, like the fact that it lacks a download manager or uses more RAM than the competition. That's no short list of complaints, but you can't say Microsoft hasn't been listening. It's been saying for months that Internet Explorer 9 -- which is now available for download as a public beta -- will mend all those issues and then some. A lot of the improvements come in speed -- Redmond's been talking about hardware acceleration since November of last year -- but there are some other interesting features such as "Pinned Sites" and "One Box" that Microsoft's been less vocal about. So, does IE9 live up to the hype and will it finally give us a preloaded browser that's fast enough to run with the others? Should you run along and download it right now? We've spent the last week using it as our primary browser on a number of different laptops to find out. We'll meet again in our full review after the break. %Gallery-102354%
Internet Explorer 9 Beta sees video demo, hits 95/100 on Acid3 test
Looks as if the Internet Explorer 9 Beta has now leaked on video, and -- surprise, surprise -- it looks exactly like Internet Explorer! If you were out hoping for a major overhaul, it looks as if you'll need to pick a new wish to cross your fingers for. Design wise, the IE9 beta shown in the video past the break is no drastic departure from IE8, though the internals should obviously be revamped quite a bit. The rest of the world is still awaiting that September 15th launch date, but you and your impatient soul can watch an early build peak at 95/100 (so close!) on the Acid3 test with just a couple of clicks. Enjoy! [Thanks, pradeep]
Internet Explorer 9 makes cameo appearance on Microsoft Russia site
Microsoft's gotten a little carried away with its Internet Explorer 9 excitement and posted an early screenshot of the browser up on its Russian site. The post and the image have since been diligently pulled, but not before Mary-Jo Foley managed to snag the pictorial evidence. What's new to see? A resoundingly minimal interface, that's what. The Chrome comparisons should be raining down thick and heavy if this snapshot is anything to go by, as Microsoft has done a fine job of ridding its browser from pesky menus, consolidated its controls into a few icons in the top right, and combined the search and address bars into one. Of course, given the earlier leak of screenshots, those menus could still just be hiding somewhere nearby, ready to spring at us. Another similarity to Chrome (and Firefox and Safari) is the new ability to "tear off" tabs from one window and reposition them independently. We'll see how closely the Beta aligns to what we see here when it debuts for real on September. 15.
Internet Explorer 9 Beta launching September 15th, might enter a beauty pageant
Once again, the whispers were true. Microsoft has proudly announced on this fine day that September 15th will mark the official launch of the Internet Explorer 9 Beta, but details beyond that are scant. We do know that the Big M will hold a gala in San Francisco to celebrate "The Beauty of the Web," and once it hits the tubes, you'll need either Vista or Windows 7 to use it (sorry, XP loyalists). 'Course, it remains to be seen if IE can catch up to Chrome and Firefox in the technical department, but at least you can start preparing your existing squeeze for somewhat of a letdown next month. Let 'em down easy, okay?
Internet Explorer 9 Beta expected in September, screenshots leak now
If for whatever reason the holy trifecta of Chrome, Firefox and Safari just can't satisfy your browsing needs, you'll be relieved to hear that Microsoft is on track to release a public Beta version of its latest browser as soon as a month from now. A great many hopes and enhancements are folded into this next Internet Explorer, but for the moment all we've got are pictures of its download manager and a familiar "most popular sites" starting page. You won't find many shocks in either, they're pretty much par for the modern browser course, with the former allowing you to search your download library and the latter sorting your favorite web addresses by the number of times you've visited them. Microsoft's clearly keeping up with the Chromeses here, but what we really want to see is some more innovation and adventure in its designs -- let's hope the Beta lets us play with more fresh stuff than just an ever so slightly different IE icon (don't worry, it's still cornflower blue).
Mozilla bundles WebM support into nightly Firefox builds
Google's new web video standard seems to be gathering a bit of momentum, as today Firefox is following in the ultrafast steps of Chrome by offering built-in support for WebM video. Bugs are still being worked out, but the fundamentals are there, and we'll hopefully see all kinks ironed out in time for the release of Firefox 4 Beta, which is expected to land later this month. This is now the third big browser to announce compatibility, with Microsoft already promising it for IE 9, provided users download the necessary VP8 codec first. The HTML5-obsessed Apple hasn't yet decided which way it's going with the standard while Opera is presumably busy figuring out how to parody the whole thing in video form.
Programmer adds IE 9 graphics acceleration to Firefox
Not so fast, Internet Explorer! We know that you have great things in the works for IE 9 -- including Direct2D GPU acceleration, the 2D / vector graphics API that we first laid eyes on in Windows 7. And believe us, that got our attention -- as well as the attention of Mozilla programmer Bas Schouten. It seems that over the weekend, the young man successfully loaded Direct2D support into an alpha build of Firefox 3.7 -- just days after you announced its inclusion in the next version of your web browser. "Things are looking very promising for Direct2D" and Firefox, said Schouten, although "older PCs with pre-D3D10 graphics cards and WDDM 1.0 drivers will not show significant improvements." And we thought that accelerometer support was wild!
Internet Explorer 9 to sport GPU acceleration and HTML5 support
Even if you don't have a favored fighter in the browser wars, you have to admit Microsoft's Internet Explorer has been looking mighty unfit over the last few years. Younger and fitter contenders like Mozilla's Firefox and Google's Chrome have arguably overtaken the old stalwart, and now Microsoft is making some much-needed noise about fighting back. The software giant has been giving developers and curious journalists a very early peek into its IE 9 progress at PDC, with its stated ambitions including faster Javascript (see table above), HTML5 support, and hardware acceleration for web content. By harnessing DirectX and your graphics processor, the new browser will offer improvements in text readability and video performance, as well as taking some of the load off the CPU. Development has only just got under way, mind you, so there's still plenty of time to screw it all up. Or make it awesome.
