Microsoft’s newest internet Browser, Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1, is available for download. Since this is in beta [test], user should take care to use this software on a test system. Sometimes Beta software can cause undesirable problems which could damage you system. With that said, you can try the newest release from the link below. Microsoft states on their web site that IE 8 Beta 1 will include new features like:

Activities

Activities are contextual services to quickly access a service from any webpage. Users typically copy and paste from one webpage to another. Internet Explorer 8 Activities make this common pattern easier to do.

WebSlices

WebSlices is a new feature for websites to connect to their users by subscribing to content directly within a webpage. WebSlices behave just like feeds where clients can subscribe to get updates and notify the user of changes.

Favorites Bar

In Internet Explorer 7, the Links bar provided users with one-click access to their favorite sites. The Links bar has undergone a complete makeover for Internet Explorer 8. It has been renamed the Favorites bar to enable users to associate this bar as a place to put and easily access all their favorite web content such as links, feeds, WebSlices and even Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents.

Automatic Crash Recovery

Automatic Crash Recovery (ACR) is a feature of Windows^®Internet Explorer^® 8 that can help to prevent the loss of work and productivity in the unlikely event of the browser crashing or hanging. The ACR feature takes advantage of the Loosely-Coupled Internet Explorer feature to provide new crash recovery capabilities, such as tab recovery, which will minimize interruptions to users’ browsing sessions.

 

Improved Phishing Filter

Internet Explorer 7 introduced the Phishing Filter, a feature which helps warn users when they visit a Phishing site. Phishing sites spoof a trusted legitimate site, with the goal of stealing the user’s personal or financial information. For Internet Explorer 8, we are building on the success of the Phishing Filter with a more comprehensive feature called the “Safety Filter.”

Give the new browser a try and see what you think.

Commenst welcome.

Download site is here.

Tags: internet explorer 8, download, test, beta software, try,  

MonaRonaDona virus is making its presence known on the Internet and packs a feature that actually wants to sell you fake software. The writers of the software have come up with a message that states:

“Hi, My name is MonaRonaDona. I am a Virus & I am here to Wreck Your PC. If you observe strange behavior with your PC, like program windows disappearing etc, it’s me who is doing all this. I was created as a protest against the Human Right Violation being observed throughout the world & the very purpose of my existence is to remind & stress the world to respect humanity.”

When a unsuspecting users does a search for the virus, they are sent to fake sites that have articles about how to remove the bug, including some fake software that sells for $39. Yes the virus is than removed. But any good anti-virus software will do the same thing.

Over at Kaspersky they have stated:

Researchers at anti-malware software provider Kaspersky Labs theorize that it may be installed when unsuspecting users looking for a bargain install and run a fake utility program called RegistryCleaner 2008.

Bottom line. Be careful out there in cyberspace. The bad guys are always lurking about.

Comments welcome.

Full story is here.

Tags: monaronadona, virus, fake, software, sell, kaspersky, labs, beware, infection

Rumor has it that famed movie producer Steven Spielberg may put together a social network specifically for folks who have experienced paranormal or extraterrestrial experiences. The new web site may also host ghost and UFO stories along with movies and photographs. Though nothing official has been put forth by Spielberg himself, over at TechCrunch they state:

Spielberg has always had a love for ghost and UFO stories. His movies include Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Poltergeist (1982), E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Casper (1995), Men in Black (1997), The Haunting (1999), War of the Worlds (2005) and the upcoming Interstellar (2009). His first movie, at 16, was a 140-minute science fiction adventure called Firelight (which later inspired Close Encounters). Add to those titles a score of other sci-fi movies.

Spielberg has apparently had at least one paranormal experience himself. There are stories of him staying in a hotel called Excelsior House and being so frightened by ghosts that he fled the room and moved 20 miles away. We’ve also heard anecdotes about Spielberg seeing the ghost of a dead relative repeatedly as a child. Whether based in reality or the product of an exceptional imagination, these experiences may have had an impact on his life’s work and this upcoming social network.

Maybe there is still hope  that we can finally find out if Area 51  is really holding the remains of aliens once and for all.

Comments welcome.

Full article is here.

Tags: social, netowrk, spielberg, extraterrestrials, experiences, stories, ghosts,  

Apple continues its focus on customer service and has introduced a tutorial service in which customers can receive one on one training from a Apple guru. Dubbed Creatives by Apple, these teachers can handle any information from iPod usage to creating home videos.

Stepping into an Apple Store is a cross between attending a seminar led by graduate students and hanging out at Starbucks. In addition to the tech tutors, there are staff manning the “Genius Bar,” Apple’s help-desk-by-appointment that provides assistance when things get stuck.

You can also book an hour with a shopping assistant to help pick out the right machine. But if you just want to hang out and listen to music on iPods, or check e-mail on the spotless new MacBook laptops and iMac desktops on display, no one will bother you.

“It’s really becoming the Nordstrom of technology,” said

Cost of the new service is $99 per year which provides one hour a week of personalized service. Apple continues to provide services that keep their client base loyal to Apple, something that other PC manufactures may wish to emulate.

Comments welcome.

Full story is here.

Tags: apple, services, stores, computer, tutorials, guru, help, ipod, movie making,  

Dell’s latest laptop offerings now include a rugged new design that the computer company claims is even better than the competition’s. On its Web site Dell states that the new laptop will offer the following advantages:

Rugged and Ready

The Latitude XFR D630 is Dell’s first fully ruggedized notebook. Designed for outstanding performance in virtually any environment, the XFR meets strict military standards for extreme conditions, MIL-810F.

Die cast magnesium alloy chassis Sealed keyboard and door covers Shock isolated hard drive and display protection Patent pending thermal management system

Innovative Solutions

The Latitude XFR D630 meets environmental challenges by offering a variety of innovative usability options, including:

Industry’s first fully rugged 14.1″ wide-aspect LCD with DirectVue technology Optional touch screen supports finger, gloved or passive stylus inputs Next generation performance with Intel® CoreTM 2 Duo processors

100% Latitude^TM Commonality

Built on the successful Latitude D family, the Latitude XFR D630 laptop maintains commonality with the Latitude D630 series and offers all of the quality, reliability and support offered by an established platform.

Oh yes. This model can still be ordered with the tried and true Windows XP Professional instead of Windows Vista.

Full computer information is here from Dell.

Notebook sales continue to climb as the love affair with the smaller computers continues. Notebook sales have jumped to over 40% during the past year and projections are that these sales will continue to increase. Now that Acer has taken possession of both Gateway and also Packard Bell, this combination of companies has now placed the company in the #2 position for sales, knocking Dell out of the #2 spot.

So what does all of this mean? First it is a good indication that people are buying more laptop systems than the traditional desktop systems. Now that the newer laptops have similar power and performance as a desktop system, it is safe to say that sales for notebook systems will increase.

Second, will Acer be able to maintain their sales lead over Dell? That is a good question which is going to depend on several factors. Can Dell gain back customers who have fled the PC giant when customer support went down hill? Will Dell systems be more competitive now that the systems are available in retail outlets?

I think that 2008 will be a challenging time for Dell and also for Michael Dell himself.

Full details are here.

Tags: dell, acer, laptop, sales, challenges, desktop