Wondering whether to try the just-released beta of Internet Explorer 9? I've put the beta through its paces in a review for Computerworld. Here are five reasons IE9 is worth a try.
It's fast
IE 8 is slow and sluggish --- according SunSpider tests I ran a while back, it took about six times as long to complete SunSpider JavaScript tests as did its next slowest rival, Firefox 3.6.
It's sluggish no longer. Tests I ran on IE9 show that it's now faster than Firefox. It completed the benchmarks in an average time of 432 ms, faster than Firefox 4 beta, which completed them in 535 ms. It was still slower than Safari, Opera, and Chrome, but not by a wide margin: Safari completed them in 387 ms, Opera in 343 ms, and Chrome in 322 ms.
It's better-looking
IE9 features a cleaner-looking, stripped-down interface with tabs at the top. Gone are most buttons, menus, and controls. True, now all the browsers look basically the same, thanks to Chrome's interface innovation. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. And in IE9's case, it's a very good thing.
However, by default, a Bing toolbar is turned on, conflicting with the clean look. If you're not a fan of toolbars in general, or Bing specifically, it's easy enough to turn off.
It warns you about add-ons' performance problems
Add-ons can add a lot of overhead to browser load time and browsing time. Load down your browser with enough of them, and no matter the browser's basic speed, it can become sluggish.
IE9 has a very nice feature that automatically warns you via a pop-up when your add-ons increase load time and browsing time, and let you disable them. (If you want, you can later turn them on.) You can see the new tool in action, below. Other browsers, notably Firefox, would do well to follow suit, and develop tools like this as well.
It integrates with Windows 7
If you're a Windows 7 user, you'll find some useful features designed for that operating system. You can pin a Web site to the taskbar for easy launching, especially important in a world in which Web-based apps are replacing desktop apps.
When you launch a pinned site, IE9 automatically takes on the color of the site for its forward and back buttons, and displays the Web site's icon on the upper left of the browser.
In addition, developers can make use of the Windows 7 Jump List feature for pinned sites. So a news site, for example, could let people immediately navigate to a sports or technology section directly from the taskbar, without first having to launch the browser, and navigate.
It has a double-duty Address Bar
IE9 takes not just its new look from Chrome, but another innovation as well --- having the Address Bar do double-duty as a search box. So you can either type Web addresses or search terms. Microsoft calls it One Box. No matter what you call it, it's useful.
Source: blogs.computerworld.com
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Rogue Antivirus Attack - Warning Microsoft
Microsoft is advising users to be wary of a rogue antivirus program that creates fake warnings that appear to come from the user's browser.
The program, called MSIL/Zeven by Microsoft, detects what browser is being used and then launches a page virtually identical to pages generated by Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox that warn users when they are about to surf to a malicious site.
A key difference is that there will be a place on the page for users to click to download an antivirus program to protect them.
"All the 'updates' point to a copy of MSIL/Zeven that promises to provide 'a new approach to windows detection,'" blogged Daniel Radu of Microsoft Malware Protection Center Dublin. "Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome do not offer such a solution when a Website is blocked. When installed, the product [Win7 AV] looks very genuine: It allows you to scan files, tells you when you're behind on doing your updates, and enables you to tweak your security and privacy settings. ... However, the features don't work; everything is there just to look nice, not to offer any kind of protection."
When another warning appears telling users about malicious files discovered on the machine, users are told the files cannot be deleted until they update. The idea is to get users to pay for the full version of the product, which has the ability to download updates, Radu wrote. However, these files "are totally bogus."
"If you decide to buy the product, this rogue opens an HTML window enabled with 'Safe Browsing Mode' and high strength encryption to 'help' and 'protect' you while completing your purchase," he blogged. "Of course, these features are totally worthless and don't actually do anything in the way of securing your credit card details."
The main page of the fake AV itself is designed to look similar to the Microsoft Security Essentials Web page, Radu noted.
"The people behind it have even copied the awards received by Microsoft Security Essentials and link to the Microsoft Malware Protection Center - pretty sneaky of them," he blogged.
Microsoft couldn't say much about the attack vector the mind or minds behind Zeven are using to infect people in the first place, but told eWEEK users should keep their computers protected with up-to-date antivirus.
Source: securitywatch.eweek.com
Thursday, August 12, 2010
How Browser Addons Affect your PC
Add-ons, also known as ActiveX controls, browser extensions, browser helper objects, or toolbars, can improve your experience on a website by providing multimedia or interactive content, such as animations. However, some add-ons can cause your computer to stop responding or display content that you don't want, such as pop-up ads.
If you suspect that browser add-ons are affecting your computer, you might want to disable all add-ons to see if that solves the problem.
Hide all To disable all add-ons temporarily
- Click the Start button , click All Programs, click Accessories, click System Tools, and then click Internet Explorer (No Add-ons).
- If disabling all add-ons solves the problem, you might want to use Manage Add-ons to disable all add-ons permanently and then turn on add-ons only as you need them. To disable an add-on, follow the steps below.
To disable add-ons by using Manage Add-ons
- Open Internet Explorer by clicking the Start button , and then clicking Internet Explorer.
- Do one of the following:
- Do one of the following:
- Click the add-on you want to disable, and then do one of the following:
- Repeat step 4 for every add-on you want to disable. When you are finished, click Close in Internet Explorer 8, or click OK in Internet Explorer 7.
•In Internet Explorer 8, click the Tools button, and then click Manage Add-ons.
•In Internet Explorer 7, click the Tools button, point to Manage Add-ons, and then click Enable or Disable Add-ons.>
•In Internet Explorer 8, under Show, click All Add-ons.
•In Internet Explorer 7, in the Show list, click Add-ons currently loaded in Internet Explorer.
•In Internet Explorer 8, click Disable.
•In Internet Explorer 7, under Settings, click Disable.
Source: windows.microsoft.com
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Free Dell Web Browser Tool Protects Desktop from Malware
Dell, through its Kace unit, is making available free Web browser security software that works by creating a protective "sandbox" on the desktop to isolate the user's desktop from malware or other harmful actions that might be encountered browsing the Web.
"Browsers, we all know, are a big target," says Bob Meinhardt, president of Dell Kace, the systems management vendor acquired by Dell earlier this year.
[ Learn how to secure your systems with Roger Grimes' Security Adviser blog and Security Central newsletter, both from InfoWorld. ]
The top 10 "most wanted" spam-spewing botnets
Calling it simply Secure Browser, Dell Kace executives acknowledge the free browser security software works somewhat along the lines of that seen with browser sandboxing technology from GreenBorder Technologies, which was acquired by Google in 2007, and integrated into the Google Chrome product. Bob Kelly, senior product manager of Dell Kace, says Kace derives its technology, which it likes to call "application virtualization," from its acquisition of the company Computers in Motion two years ago.
The Dell Kace Secure Browser tool is said to use a kind of re-direction so that browser activity is shifted to an alternate area of the computer to isolate and contain harmful code. The 10MB security software, available for download from Dell's Kace site, is based on the current Firefox browser and Adobe Flash and Reader Plug-Ins.
The security tool also lets the user create what are called whitelists and blacklists of Web sites allowed to be visited. In a managed environment, the Dell Kace browser security software can be included as a managed application with the Dell Kace K1000 v5.1 Management Appliance, typically used in mid- to large enterprises.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Microsoft offers web browser choice to IE users
Millions of European Internet Explorer (IE) users will have the option to choose an alternative browser from 1 March, Microsoft has announced.
It follows a legal agreement between Microsoft and Europe's Competition Commission in December 2009.
Microsoft committed to letting Windows PC users across Europe install the web browser of their choice, rather than having Microsoft IE as a default.
Figures suggest that over half the world's internet users have IE.
Testing for the update is already underway in the UK, Belgium and France.
The software update choice will arrive automatically for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 customers, according to a blog post by Dave Heiner, Microsoft's vice president and deputy general counsel.
The blog also contains screen grabs of the message as it will appear.
"Users who get the choice screen will be free to choose any browser or stick with the browser they have, as they prefer," wrote Mr Heiner.
Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Opera are among the alternative browsers that people will be offered.
"Millions of people who have never really thought about which browser to use will now be forced to make a choice," said BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones on his blog.
"That presents Microsoft's rivals with a unique marketing opportunity."
Mozilla Foundation chair Mitchell Baker described the news as "an important milestone towards helping people take control of their online lives."
It follows a legal agreement between Microsoft and Europe's Competition Commission in December 2009.
Microsoft committed to letting Windows PC users across Europe install the web browser of their choice, rather than having Microsoft IE as a default.
Figures suggest that over half the world's internet users have IE.
Testing for the update is already underway in the UK, Belgium and France.
The software update choice will arrive automatically for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 customers, according to a blog post by Dave Heiner, Microsoft's vice president and deputy general counsel.
The blog also contains screen grabs of the message as it will appear.
"Users who get the choice screen will be free to choose any browser or stick with the browser they have, as they prefer," wrote Mr Heiner.
Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Opera are among the alternative browsers that people will be offered.
"Millions of people who have never really thought about which browser to use will now be forced to make a choice," said BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones on his blog.
"That presents Microsoft's rivals with a unique marketing opportunity."
Mozilla Foundation chair Mitchell Baker described the news as "an important milestone towards helping people take control of their online lives."
Friday, May 21, 2010
Internet will run out of IP addresses in just 500 days
Computer experts have expressed the opinion that in around 500 days, the internet will run out of IP addresses. IP addresses are widely used to differentiate one computer from another and that getting running out may crate many problems in the computing world.
The unique numbers, which are known as Internet protocol addresses, help identify the world’s networked devices. An IP address generally has four numbers from 0 to 255 which is mainly used to distinguish one computer from another. It has been observed that about four billion combinations can be made out of it. But the proliferation of networked devices means soon that will no longer be enough.
In a way, IP addresses are like phone numbers, which need to be entered correctly if a right connection is to be made. So the ability to uniquely identify everything in the computer world is essential. IP addresses are like phone numbers in another way, too.
“Unlike the telephone system, it’s not easy to just add more digits,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted chief scientist at the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre, Geoff Huston, as saying.
Although every telephone number in Australia was successfully altered, the phones themselves didn’t change. Humans simply dialed an extra number and get connected to the person.
Source: dailynews365.com
The unique numbers, which are known as Internet protocol addresses, help identify the world’s networked devices. An IP address generally has four numbers from 0 to 255 which is mainly used to distinguish one computer from another. It has been observed that about four billion combinations can be made out of it. But the proliferation of networked devices means soon that will no longer be enough.
In a way, IP addresses are like phone numbers, which need to be entered correctly if a right connection is to be made. So the ability to uniquely identify everything in the computer world is essential. IP addresses are like phone numbers in another way, too.
“Unlike the telephone system, it’s not easy to just add more digits,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted chief scientist at the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre, Geoff Huston, as saying.
Although every telephone number in Australia was successfully altered, the phones themselves didn’t change. Humans simply dialed an extra number and get connected to the person.
Source: dailynews365.com
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Web Users Tracking without Cookies
If you're interested in protecting your online privacy, you've probably taken steps like deleting browser cookies or turning on the private browsing features of Safari and Google Chrome.
That's supposed to prevent Web sites from tracking you across repeat visits. But a forthcoming paper prepared by an Electronic Frontier Foundation technologist shows that they're not really effective at all.
The reason is simple, but counterintuitive: Modern browsers have been designed to send Web sites a torrent of information thought to be innocuous, including detailed version numbers, operating system information, screen size, what fonts are installed, and sometimes even in what order the fonts were installed. Firefox, for instance, sends every Web site a version number such as "Intel Mac OS X 10/Gecko/20100315 Firefox/3.5.9."
Once this collection of facts--which are individually anonymous--is combined together and compared against other users' web browsers, the data can become personally identifiable. (It's like being able to find someone's name if you know their birth date, ZIP code, and gender, which is not that difficult a task.)
Peter Eckersley the Australian computer scientist working at EFF who wrote the report, calls the technique "browser fingerprinting." Eckersley's paper will be presented at a privacy symposium in Berlin in July.
"There are implications both for privacy policy and technical design," concludes Eckersley, who believes that the law should treat browser fingerprints as personally identifiable information, which can be subject to greater restrictions. He also recommends that browsers be changed so they send less information about their configuration settings to Web sites.
If a Web browser has Flash and Java activated, Eckersley says, the odds of its fingerprint being unique are about 1 in 450,000. He collected data from hundreds of thousands of people who connected to EFF's "Panopticlick" Web site.
Source: news.cnet.com
That's supposed to prevent Web sites from tracking you across repeat visits. But a forthcoming paper prepared by an Electronic Frontier Foundation technologist shows that they're not really effective at all.
The reason is simple, but counterintuitive: Modern browsers have been designed to send Web sites a torrent of information thought to be innocuous, including detailed version numbers, operating system information, screen size, what fonts are installed, and sometimes even in what order the fonts were installed. Firefox, for instance, sends every Web site a version number such as "Intel Mac OS X 10/Gecko/20100315 Firefox/3.5.9."
Once this collection of facts--which are individually anonymous--is combined together and compared against other users' web browsers, the data can become personally identifiable. (It's like being able to find someone's name if you know their birth date, ZIP code, and gender, which is not that difficult a task.)
Peter Eckersley the Australian computer scientist working at EFF who wrote the report, calls the technique "browser fingerprinting." Eckersley's paper will be presented at a privacy symposium in Berlin in July.
"There are implications both for privacy policy and technical design," concludes Eckersley, who believes that the law should treat browser fingerprints as personally identifiable information, which can be subject to greater restrictions. He also recommends that browsers be changed so they send less information about their configuration settings to Web sites.
If a Web browser has Flash and Java activated, Eckersley says, the odds of its fingerprint being unique are about 1 in 450,000. He collected data from hundreds of thousands of people who connected to EFF's "Panopticlick" Web site.
Source: news.cnet.com
