IE8 Beta 2 adds standards mode, suggestions, 'Web slices'
Download Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 for Windows Vista from FileForum now.
Validating all indicators since Monday that a revamped beta was ready for public eyes, Microsoft lifted the lid on Beta 2 of Internet Explorer 8 this afternoon, offering the first glance at some very competitive new features.
Haptic game controller patent suit finally draws to a close
Immersion, the corporation which owns patents for haptic technologies used in the automotive, industrial, medical, and entertainment fields, will have to pay Microsoft $20.75 million to finally end litigation that began over six years ago.
In 2002, Immersion sued both Microsoft and Sony for allegedly using its patented technology in game controllers that vibrate in response to on-screen action. Microsoft and Sony took divergent routes in dealing with the suit. Microsoft chose to settle out of court, while Sony defended its controllers.
New Windows Genuine authenticator can blank desktop backgrounds
If in the last week or so you've noticed that your desktop background in Windows XP Professional goes completely black exactly every 60 minutes, don't worry, it's not a virus.
A blackened desktop is the latest indication that the Microsoft Genuine Advantage program has determined your copy of the operating system to be non-authentic, as a service of its latest version rolled out to XP Professional users this week.
Apple iPhone ad pulled in UK over 'misleading' Internet claims
The UK's Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that an ad for the iPhone was misleading, and cannot be aired again as it misrepresents the device's Internet capabilities.
Two consumers complained to the ASA -- Great Britain's principal regulating body for advertising -- that Apple's claim of "all the parts of the internet are on the iPhone" was incorrect. It doesn't support either Java or Flash, which provide the backbone for many Web sites and services, they argued.
Photoshop Mobile Beta to arrive in September
While the main upgrades to Photoshop.com are not expected until October, the public beta for Photoshop.com Mobile will open a month sooner.
Prospective beta testers will be wise not to expect even a fraction of Photoshop's transformative power, but rather the stripped-down functions of the Photoshop Express beta in a dedicated mobile UI.
'Wave 3' of Windows Live Hotmail will offer IM
Microsoft has begun promoting the "Wave 3" Windows Live Hotmail update that promises a UI and functionality upgrade that will make the web-based mail client more like Outlook.
The UI upgrade, according to Microsoft, will be a combination of Hotmail's Classic and Full versions, listing the mailboxes' content to the left of a central "reading pane." In addition, Microsoft is promising more "cool stuff," which includes an increased amount of storage, and integration with other Live services like Calendar and Messenger.
FAA computer glitch briefly snarls flights across US
The Federal Aviation Administration's computer that manages flight plans failed early Tuesday afternoon, causing some airlines to delay departures.
According to spokespersons with the US Federal Aviation Administration, the problem lasted roughly from 1:30 pm to 6:00 pm Eastern time. The issue centered around a communications failure at the agency's Atlanta location.
Time may be running out for a 64-bit Vista-based ZoneAlarm
Download ZoneAlarm Pro Beta 8.0.020.000 for Windows XP and 32-bit Vista from FileForum now.
The difficulty for third-party developers to produce security software for the most feature-rich Vista kernel continues to this day, and a lack of news from ZoneAlarm suggests it could persist well into next year.
Worldwide iPhone 3G problems may lie with the network
Although Apple's iPhone 3G is getting some plaudits in the world press, people are also complaining about wireless connectivity speeds, price, and other issues, depending in part on where they live.
In the US, iPhone 3G users with AT&T have reported average download speeds of about 990 Kbps, the same as for Softbank in Japan and Telia in Sweden. Canadian carrier Rogers Communications did much better with an average download speed of about 1,330 Kbps.
Google drops Bluetooth and GTalk APIs from Android SDK 0.9
In a blog post yesterday, a Google developer advocate detailed just why the latest SDK for the emerging Android phone OS isn't exactly the same as Google first intended -- in other words, why Bluetooth and GTalk are missing.
Why didn't Google's Android SDK version 0.9, released into beta earlier this week, include originally planned APIs for Bluetooth and Google's own P2P-enabled GTalkService? According to Dan Morrill, a Google developer advocate, Google drew the conclusion that neither its Bluetooth API nor the GTalkService would be ready for prime time prior to the final release of the SDK for the first Android phones.
Leaked HTC 'G1' specifications reach critical mass
How long could an "open" system effectively been kept in the dark? The facts are stacking up, and HTC's "Dream" G1 Android phone has all but been completely revealed.
AndroidGuys, a blog dedicated to what else but Google's Android and its related handsets, has published a design drawing and compiled a list of specs for the highly anticipated HTC/T-Mobile/Google handset.
More indications of Apple iPod refresh September 9
The buzz from analysts who have begun to speak out about what they expect to see during an Apple event that for now has only been rumored, lends new credence to the theory that iPods could be revamped as soon as 9/9.
JupiterResearch analyst Mark Mulligan says he would like to see Apple start to offer pre-loaded content, and like many analysts, continued to beat the drum for an iTunes subscription offering.
Microsoft, Andreessen, finance separate mobile video ventures
In separate announcements today, Microsoft and its former nemesis, Netscape founder Marc Andreessen, are said to be making investments of undisclosed amounts into development firms that are active in the mobile video space.
Microsoft is now putting money into Move Networks, an already heavily backed provider of high-definition video that claims an ability to eliminate the need for video buffering. Move's customers so far include the likes of ABC, ESPN, and Disney.
Raskin's next Mozilla experiment: an even smarter address bar
Shouldn't a Web browser eventually be capable of responding to natural-language commands -- not the Web site, but the browser? Today, the son of legendary developer Jef Raskin launches a project to explore that question.
One of the most lauded additions to the latest edition of Firefox is how its new "smart" address bar (called the "awesome bar" in early betas) can resolve some incomplete or indirectly descriptive entries into URLs. Sometimes, it even throws the text over to Google when it can't quite resolve the text into a history entry or a URL that Firefox has seen before.
Google adds suggestion ability to its Web site query line
Google has launched Suggest, a search feature that offers query suggestions as the user types in the search field.
A full year after Yahoo's Search Assist was launched, Google has its own brand for a very similarly behaving predictive text search tool. Granted, the Google Toolbar already had a similar feature, and it has existed in Google Labs for a considerable period of time, but it is now a default feature on Google's main page.
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