Microsoft has unveiled the first public beta version of its new browser, Internet Explorer 9 (www.microsoft.com/ie9), and it’s packed with impressive features. With IE9, Microsoft hopes to win back some of the surfers who have abandoned the browser in favor of rivals such as Firefox and Chrome. Back in August 2008, IE was used by almost 70 per cent of surfers. Statistics published in August revealed that this figure had shrunk to 51 per cent.
Part of the reason for IE9’s fall in popularity was the introduction in March this year of an EU requirement that forced Microsoft to let Windows users choose which browser they use, rather than simply bundling IE onto all new Windows PCs. So the success of IE9, which isn’t compatible with XP (see box top right), is crucial to Microsoft if it wants to hold onto its dominance of the browser market.
Microsoft has high hopes for IE9, claiming it will make the web “a more beautiful place” by using the new HTML5 web standard. Here’s Web User’s guide to the new tools it has to offer.
Redesigned user interface
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Posted by VaL under
Internet
Site pinning and jumplists
Once a site is opened, content from that page can be ‘pinned’ to the Windows 7 Taskbar. You can drag the whole tab down to the Taskbar or just the site’s favicon. Once a site is pinned to the Taskbar, each icon creates a ‘jumplist’ – a menu relevant to that site. Hovering over an icon will bring up a menu with tasks, tools and options relevant to that site. For example, if you pin Hotmail, the jumplist will bring up individual links to each of your mail folders.
Some sites have partnered with IE9 so that notifications appear on the Taskbar. For example, if you have Facebook open and someone writes on your wall, a notification message will show up on that icon on the Taskbar. Similarly, on compatible sites, these icon thumbnails can have preview controls making it possible to play, rewind and pause entertainment from the Taskbar rather than having to view the content in a tab.
Speed
Microsoft claims that because IE9 links to both Windows 7 and the hardware of the PC, the browser – and surfing in general – becomes faster. Accessing sites from the Windows 7 Taskbar automatically cuts down the time it takes to get online when compared to opening the browser, waiting for it to load, searching for a site and surfing. Jumplists make this faster still by sending you to specific pages within sites and bypassing homepages and navigation bars.
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Posted by VaL under
Internet
Apple has given the tech savvy persons a device that they could not only use but enjoy with utmost ease. Starting from only 500 applications, Apple’s iPhone has matured in the recent years, and now one can find a whopping 225,000 applications since it was introduced in 2008. iPhone’s growth at this speed has certainly made it the most popular device among users and no wonder, credit goes to the number of interesting applications.
Some of the best iPhone apps make it a worth buying gadget for people of all ages. Applications are available at Apps Store and they can be downloaded as well (some for free).
One of the personal favorite applications of the iPhone is Angry Birds. It is a game which has been ranked in top charts on the paid list for pretty long time. A bunch of angry birds wants to wage war against green pigs that have taken control over their eggs. A small skill of physics is required, and one can hit the minute pigs by sling shooting angry birds at the right position. Vector knowledge is mandatory but one can score high with practice, and it would not take much time to master this addictive yet interesting game. Rated by Time magazine, this game is at the top of best iPhone apps list.
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Posted by VaL under
Gadget
