Microsoft Sending a Message with IE 10 Preview!

IE 10 Microsoft has almost always tied up the development of Internet Explorer browser with Windows. Whenever a new version of Windows is shipped out, the IE browser’s version also gets an upgrade.
Windows XP came with IE6, Windows Vista had IE7 and Windows 7 had IE8 pre-installed. The reception to the browser versions also reflected how the OS was received. Just like people are not ready to upgrade from XP to Vista, IE6 users seemed to not bother upgrading to IE7 or even IE8.

Microsoft’s message with IE 10

With IE 9 being released, many felt it was the last chance for Microsoft to save IE browser. With the release being only a month ago, the preview build of IE 10 was a surprise. IE 9 was expected to be shipped as default with the next version (Windows 8?) of Windows.
With IE 10 Microsoft is telling the internet community that they will probably upgrade browser versions without waiting for newer OS to be introduced.

IE 10 Features

• It is really good at making most use of screen space like IE 9 does.
• The graphics support along with CSS rendering is pretty good, as shown by a tests like Fish bowl and Paint Ball.
• IE 9 has a good record when it comes to handling power efficiency. For Laptop users like me, that is a good incentive. I found IE 10 preview not being as light-weight but that might change when IE 10 goes into Beta from Preview version.

What Microsoft needs to do to give IE 10 a boost?

Firstly, IE 10 preview only works with Windows 7. I am not sure if that will happen with IE 10 browser going ahead but if it does, then it would be disappointing. Internet Explorer needs to offer support to Mac OS and Linux-based OS.
This will truly separate IE from Windows as a product and maybe then we might see IE browser building its own independent identity as a browser which does not only revolve around Windows.
I doubt that all this will happen considering how IE finds itself shooting in the foot, what are your view? Do drop in your comments.
Link: IE 10 Preview

Sony hacked twice in one day, this time $1225 was stolen from accounts in Japan

Sony just can’t seem to catch any breaks online. Just when it seems the PlayStation Network is finally back online with the PlayStation Store to follow on May 24, various sources are reporting two new cyber attacks on Sony websites today.
F-Secure Security Lab first discovered that a phishing site was hiding on the Sony Thailand homepage and stored on a Sony server this moring. It seems the malicious site was posing as an Italian credit card company CartaSi to try to collect personal data from unsuspecting users. (For more on phishing, check out the Wikipedia entry.) According to the F-Secure blog, “Basically this means that Sony has been hacked, again. Although in this case the server is probably not very important.”
The second attack unfortunately caused more damage. According to Reuters, So-Net, the Internet provider of Sony Japan, “alerted customers that an intruder broke into its system and stole virtual points from account holders worth $1,225.”
So how should Sony Japan and So-Net customers protect themselves from becoming the next victim?
“What we’ve done is stopped the So-Net points exchanges and told customers to change their passwords,” So-Net said in a statement to customers on its website in Japanese.
Without a doubt, Sony needs to better secure all its online properties (not just the PlayStation Network) quickly because the hackers are making a mockery of its seemingly wafer-thin defense system. This fiasco is quickly spiraling out of control.
[Source: F-Secure Blog via Ars Technica; Reuters via Chicago Tribune]

Microsoft launches first preview build of IE 10

Just like it did a year ago, Microsoft is using its Mix designer/developer show in Las Vegas this week to launch the first preview build of the next version of Internet Explorer (IE).
On April 12, Microsoft made available a developer preview of IE 10. It is available on the IE Test Drive site. Microsoft officials said to expect the company to offer new builds every 12 weeks. (With IE 9, it was every eight weeks.)
IE 10 will build on the HTML5 and accelerated hardware graphics capabilities that Microsoft built into IE 9. It also will include support for additional standards, like CSS3 Gradients on background images and CSS3 Flexible Box Layout, officials said.

(click on the image above to enlarge)
IE 10 is expected by many Microsoft watchers to be the IE build that Microsoft will include in Windows 8 when it ships, most likely in 2012.
It took Microsoft about a year to move from the first developer preview to the final release-to-Web build of IE 9.
One more thing: The Professional Developers Conference will be in Anaheim, Calif., from September 13 to 16, officials said today.

IE9 FAQ: how to install, uninstall, and tweak the final release

Microsoft released the final version of Internet Explorer 9 four weeks ago. Since then, I’ve been using it steadily, and I’ve also been fielding a steady stream of questions from readers. Here are the answers to the questions I hear most often.
Which Windows versions does IE9 work with?
Internet Explorer 9 runs on Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2.
I’m running Windows XP. Can I install IE9?
No. XP is officially out of the mainstream support phase and is not eligible for updates like this. Plus, many of the features are specifically tied to Windows features found only in later versions. IE boss Dean Hachamovich laid out the official explanation in his keynote address at MIX11: “Building a new browser for a 10-year-old OS doesn’t make sense. Building for the future of the web does make sense.”
Is IE9 really being “pushed” via Windows Update?
Not exactly. As I noted earlier this week, Microsoft has a consistent, well-defined policy for handling the release of a new Internet Explorer version. Two weeks after the final code is released to the web (RTW), it first appears on Windows Update. This is a staged rollout that goes first to Internet Explorer users who previously installed a pre-release version. Over the course of the next few weeks, it’s rolled out to a larger number of Windows users, and it should be generally available within two or three months of that RTW date.
Even then, though, the new browser is not automatically installed without your explicit consent. Although it is listed as an Important update, it is not selected for download. You have to visit Windows Update manually and click a check box to download it and start the installation process manually and accept a license agreement. That’s a far cry from Microsoft “pushing” IE9 onto your PC.
Where can I download the final IE9 version?
You can get it from Microsoft’s official download site. Choose your language, specify which Windows version you’re running (32-bit or 64-bit), and click Download.
I’m confused about the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit Internet Explorer. Which one do I need?
If you’re confused, join the club. Here’s the short explanation:
You should choose the installer that matches your version of Windows. For all Windows versions, regardless of whether they’re 32-bit or 64-bit, the setup program installs a 32-bit version of IE9 and makes that the default choice when you launch Internet Explorer. If you’re running 64-bit Windows, use the 64-bit installer. It installs the 32-bit IE code and also installs a 64-bit browser.
Even on 64-bit Windows, the 32-bit version of Internet Explorer is the default. For most users, that’s the correct configuration. Using the 32-bit browser is preferable, primarily because most add-ins aren’t available in 64-bit versions yet. (Adobe’s Flash Player, for example, is available as a beta release, code-named “Square.” It has not been updated since last November, whereas the shipping 32-bit version was updated in March 2011 to address critical security issues.)
Can I install over the IE9 beta or Release Candidate?
Yes, that is a fully supported installation scenario. You don’t have to uninstall pre-release builds. If you were running any interim builds, however, I strongly recommend uninstalling those builds first.
I’m running IE9, but I’m not sure whether it’s the Release Candidate or the final version. How can I tell the difference?
To check the version, click the Tools button (the “gear” icon) in the top right of the browser window, and then click About Internet Explorer.
The final version should say RTM.

How do I uninstall IE9? It’s not in the list of installed programs.
That’s because it’s considered an update to Windows, not a program. To find the uninstall link, open Control Panel, go to Programs and Features, and click View Installed Updates. (You can also type Installed Updates in the Start menu search box to find a direct link.) Scroll down to the Microsoft Windows section to locate the update. Or, to skip the scrolling, click in the search box and type Internet; that should filter the list to show the Windows Internet Explorer 9 link. Click that link and then click Uninstall. You’ll need to restart your system to complete the uninstall process, after which your previous version of Internet Explorer (IE8, if you use Windows 7) will be available.

Why won't Internet Explorer 10 run on Windows Vista?

It might seem impossible to believe, but Windows Vista is drawing to the end of its short, unhappy life. Under Microsoft’s official product lifecycle, the mainstream support phase for Windows Vista will end in less than one year, on April 10, 2012—five years, two months, and 16 days after it became generally available on January 25, 2007. (For business editions, there’s an extended support period that lasts another five years, guaranteeing security updates until 2017.)
I don’t expect there to be any great outcry when Vista fades away. But knowing that end-of-life date helps answer one mystery that puzzled some Microsoft watchers this week. Why does the platform preview of Internet Explorer 10 throw up an error message if you try to run it on Windows Vista? Maybe it’s because, if the newly announced browser follows the same development schedule as IE9, its scheduled ship date will be a year from now—after Windows Vista is retired.
Decoding Microsoft’s cryptic product support lifecycle isn’t easy. Even experienced Microsoft watchers sometimes get tripped up by the many conditions that apply. Service packs and browsers complicate the issue even more.  Here’s why.
As the Microsoft Support Lifecycle blog helpfully explained in a 2009 post, Internet Explorer is a “component.” That distinction is important in terms of support dates:

Under the Support Lifecycle policy, we support components with the product or service pack that it shipped for. … Internet Explorer is considered as a component of the operating system (OS) for which it was released. The support timelines for IE are inherited from the OS and its associated service packs. Basically, this means that the versions of Internet Explorer that shipped for a specific OS or service pack will be supported with the support lifecycle of the OS or service pack.

As per the policy, we will not end support [for] previous versions of Internet Explorer on supported operating system versions.

When Windows Vista shifts into its extended support phase next year, that also means the end of the line for any version of Internet Explorer that was released for it. Because the extended support phase lasts another five years, you don’t have to worry about security updates for Windows Vista and its supported browsers—even Internet Explorer 7. But you won’t get anything new.
It’s possible, of course, that Microsoft will allow the final version of IE 10 to install on Windows Vista. But it’s also reasonable for them to push web developers to test its platform previews on the latest and greatest Windows, which will be around until January, 2015.
I’m assuming (reasonably, I think) that Windows 8 will still be several months away from its official release when April 2012 rolls around, If that’s true, it means that Microsoft will, at least briefly, have only one version of Windows that it’s actively supporting.

Windows 8: Beta collectors waiting with bated breath for a leak

While there have been various minor Windows 8 leaks claimed and reported by various sites, Microsoft has kept a tight lid on its next version of Windows to date.
But in the past few days, rumors of a possible leak of one of the newer Windows 8 internal builds have been gaining steam. Some known beta-leaking sites have been posting new screen shots of what they are claiming to be leaked Windows 8 builds. These builds may be from one or more select OEMs, who supposedly are finally starting to get private test builds of Windows 8 from Microsoft.
There have been all kinds of claims as to how and why Microsoft has managed to keep Windows 8 leaks to a minimum. There’s a forbidding warning (beyond the milder “sssh. let’s not leak our hard work”) on the alleged Windows 8 screen shots. It reads:

“Unauthorized use or disclosure in any manner may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment (in the case of employees), termination of an assignment or contract (in the case of contingent staff), and potential civil and criminal liability.”

There also have been claims that Microsoft has coded identifying information into Windows 8 downloads to help the company track leakers. (One of my sources said that there are some builds of Windows 8 that are “Red Pill,” which means they only can be downloaded by certain individuals when they are on the Microsoft campus.)
The latest alleged Windows 8 screen shots don’t sport the new Windows 8 user interface(s), as the interface typically is one of the last pieces that Microsoft adds to Windows test builds. (I am using interface in the plural here because we Microsoft watchers have heard there will likely be at least two different interfaces for Windows 8 client when it ships, with one being a tile-based touch-centric one, known as MoSH, for Modern Shell.)
On March 30, a bunch of new alleged Windows 8 screen shots, posted by CNBeta.com, make mention of a possible new Windows 8 feature known as “History Vault.” The WinRumors.com site described History Vault as Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s Time Machine. History Vault, from what little can be gleaned from the new screen shots, looks to be an update to Microsoft’s Shadow Copy feature that has been in Windows since Vista.
Other recent alleged Windows 8 screen shots have shown the “System Reset” capability that Microsoft told OEMs in April 2010 that it planned to add to the coming version of Windows. Some sites also claim that there are mentions of Internet Explorer 10 in some recent Windows 8 builds. In April 2010, Microsoft was telling OEMs that IE 9 would be the version of IE that would be included in Windows 8. My deduction: The IE team has decided to get the lead out, and is on a faster turn-around schedule than expected just a year ago.
Microsoft developers are working on M3, or Milestone 3, of Windows 8 at this point in time. Once M3 is done, which should/could be this summer, Microsoft is expected to make test builds of Windows 8 somewhat more widely available. I’ve heard from a couple of my contacts that Microsoft could show off Windows 8 to its partners at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in July in Los Angeles, if not before. And last I heard, the Softies are still planning to hold a Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in September (most likely in Redmond), and plan to make available around that time either a Community Test Preview or possibly a beta of Windows 8.
Apologies for all the “allegeds” and “supposeds” in this post. Microsoft officials still are not talking about Windows 8, and — believe it or not — still not confirming officially that the next version of Windows will be “Windows 8.”

Sony trots out RF865RK wireless headset, NC13 noise-cancelling earbuds

Sony has introduced a pair of new sleek and rather high-end headsets. The RF865RK drops the wires and the NC13 cancels out external noise.
Starting with the RF865RK headphones, this ear-padded headset sports rechargeable batteries that can get extra juice from a specially-designed docking station. These headphones take approximately 3.5 hours to charge but then deliver up to 25 hours of audio playback.
As for the audio quality, the RF865RK headphones host 40mm driver units and a 10-22,000Hz frequency response time with the intention of delivering a deeper and clearer bass sound.
Then we have the petite NC13 in-earphones, which cancel out ambient noise by up to 87.4%. To take advantage of this function, the unit requires one AAA battery. That should guarantee up to 100 hours of playback time. With the same frequency response time as the RF865RK, the NC13 uses a 13.5mm driver.
Pricing and availability for the RF865RK headphones have not been announced yet. The NC13 earbuds, however, will start shipping tomorrow and cost $69.99.