If you are using any version of Internet Explorer, you need to apply a security patch immediately.
Microsoft has discovered a previously unknown security flaw in every version of Internet Explorer since 5.01 that will allow hackers to execute remote code on your computer. In every day terms this means that just visiting a web site with malicious code installed could push a malicious program in to your system and take control of your system, steal personal information, use your system to send out spam emails and more.
Here is what Microsoft has to say about the situation from their security bulletin:
This security update also resolves three privately reported vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. These vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user views a specially crafted Web page using Internet Explorer. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
This security update is rated Critical for Internet Explorer 5.01 and Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1, running on supported editions of Microsoft Windows 2000; Critical for Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, and Internet Explorer 8 running on supported editions of Windows XP; Critical for Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 8 running on supported editions of Windows Vista; Moderate for Internet Explorer 6, Internet Explorer 7, and Internet Explorer 8 running on supported editions of Windows Server 2003; and Moderate for Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 8 running on supported editions of Windows Server 2008. For more information, see the subsection, Affected and Non-Affected Software, in this section.
The security update addresses these vulnerabilities by modifying the way that Internet Explorer handles objects in memory and table operations.
Let us stress that this is a CRITICAL UPDATE. Do not waste time, install this update immediately. If you go and look at the chart they provided, you will see that there is no combination of Windows operating system and Internet Explorer since version 5.01 that is not impacted by this flaw. (This seems like a good time to yet again mention, just change to a different browser that is more secure from step 1)
Firefox 3.5 isn’t even out of its diapers yet, but already Mozilla is hard at work on 3.7.
Yes, you read that right, 3.7. It seems that will be the next major change for one of the most used browsers on the Internet. None of this is due to hit until 2010, but it is nice to see Mozilla is treating Firefox like any other major software release from a company and working out far in advance.
Of course Mozilla is looking to improve the software side of things with more personalization features, increased speed and performance tweaks, new navigation and more. It isn’t just the way the program works that they are looking at, but also changing up the physical appearance of the program. Below you’ll find some images from the Mozilla Wiki that gives you some idea of what to expect when you open up your browser come the day in 2010. Read More »
If you’ve already downloaded Firefox 3.5, then you need to make an urgent update.
Firefox 3.5 is less than a month old and 3.5.1 is already out to fix a critical security problem with the new JavaScript engine. The flaw with the new TraceMonkey engine made it possible for malicious coders to run arbitrary code through JavaScript and inject malware into your system. The 3.5.1 update patches the hole and is considered a critical update.
To update do the following:
Click on “Help” in the upper toolbar.
Click on “Check For Updates”.
Follow the prompts.
In some cases your system will download the update automatically and then prompt you to run the patch.
Again, this is a critical update and you should not waste any time in doing it. It doesn’t take much time and will make your web browsing that much safer.
Why won’t Internet Explorer 6 just die and go away?
This was the question engineers at Digg were asking themselves recently as they have to spend a considerable amount of time making sure the site works for the 5% of their traffic that still uses the 8-year-old browser. IE6 has become the thorn in the side of web designers everywhere because it handles coding differently than just about any browser out there, but since no site ever wants to just shut out visitors, every site still has to work towards making sure it works. (Although, oddly, many sites seem to have no issue with making it work only in Internet Explorer, and locking out Firefox users…)
Digg has actually contemplated locking IE6 users out of certain features, but no final decision has been made yet. You almost have to wonder if it wouldn’t be a good thing if major sites started ignoring this blight on the browser landscape. The problem is that as long as it continues to be supported, web design and accessibility will continue to be hindered due to that browsers inability to handle the latest advances in coding.
Just looking at our own numbers here at StarterTech, 3% of our visitors are still using IE6, and while we have written before about the reasons to stop using Internet Explorer 6, those folks are still out there. While obviously some of you can’t change which browser you use, if you do have the option, please, PLEASE change your browser to something a bit more current.
Firefox 3.5 is ready for you to download and improve your web browsing.
It’s been just a little over a year since Firefox 3 was released, but boy was 3.5 ever needed. As much as version 3 made some improvements over 2, it still had some bad memory management problems that needed addressing. I am happy to report that since downloading 3.5 this morning, it appears the amount of system recources Firefox used to hog from my system has been cut by half. Thank goodness! Things had gotten so bad that I was almost ready to stop using it, which would have been unthinkable for me in the past.
Some of the improvements you can look for in the new version are:
Improved Memory Management
Mozilla, the company behind Firefox, says that they have implemented a new memory engine that cleans out unused bits of memory on a regular basis. They also plugged several hundred “memory leaks” in an effort to cut the amount used.
Improved JavaScript Engine
Java powers a lot of the Web, but if the engine isn’t efficent, it can be a nightmare to load. From my limited usage today I can already see some drastic improvement in how fast some Web sites are loading.
Location Aware Browsing
Firefox can now determine where you are geographically by using your IP address or access to cellular towers. Should be a huge help with things like using map applications.
Recently Closed Tabs
Firefox has been able to re-open the last tab you closed for a while now, but now you can go further back in to your history.
These are just some of the highlights from the new and improved browser, so what are you waiting for? Head over to GetFirefox.com and get to downloading!
What is a web browser and what does it do for you exactly?
It’s been a while since we did a new entry in the “What is…” series, but it seems like it is definitely time for it. It’s easy to forget some days that terms you take for granted our ones that no one else seems to know. Google recently went out on the streets of Times Square and asked people what they thought a “browser” was, and shockingly only 8% of people knew the correct answer.
The basic concept is simple, and Wikipedia does a great job of summing it up in just one sentence.
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web.
The general answers in the video, which we posted below, seem to have most people confusing a search engine with a browser, but a search engine is a Web page and the browser is how you get to that page. So when you click on an icon on your desktop such as Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome, that is the browser.
I know this seems like such a small difference, but knowing your terms is the first step to knowing your way through a computer with as little confusion as possible.
The makers of the Opera Web browser have come up with a new feature called Opera Unite that may save you some time when you want to share files with friends and family.
Opera Unite will be a new feature in Opera 10 that is still in the testing stages, that will essentially turn your Web browser in to a file and media server. The concept is simple that you will open up this new feature, tell it which hard drive, files or folders you wish to share and from there you simply choose if you want to share these items publicly, with password protection or just for your own use. After you are all set up with your registered Opera account you will be issued a unique Web address that will allow people to get to your files easily.
While the majority of the tech bloggers are singing the praises of this feature and how they feel it will revolutionize the Internet, StarterTech is going to be a little bit more realistic about it. We have a few serious concerns about this new product.
Many Internet service providers (ISPs) have strict rules about setting up a server on their systems. While they may not catch on to you sharing a file here or there, if you start streaming media across their network on a regular basis, something Opera is saying this is perfect for, it may be a very good way for you to get a warning from your ISP.
If you should happen to leave this open publicly, you run the risk of your files being potentially indexed by a search engine, and if you have copyrighted material amongst your files, then it may be a good way to get yourself in trouble for copyright infringement.
If you plan on using this in any serious capacity, another thing Opera suggests by saying it’s a good product for Web designers, this means leaving your computer on full time and Opera running it at all times.
You could also see serious slow down in your Internet connection due to people accessing files on your “server”.
In short, yes, it could be a convenient tool for sharing things like photos instead of having to go upload them on sites like Flickr or Photobucket, but in general I find it a potentially dangerous product for the general user that isn’t familiar with security, how portions of the Internet work and what possible ill side effects there might be for your computer and Internet connection. Seeing as Opera is not a serious contender in the current round of the browser wars it is doubtful that it will ever become a widely used product, but it is still something people should give a lot of thought to before starting to use it.
It seems some people just can’t wait for Chrome to get their extension system up and running.
One thing that has stopped many people from switching to Google’s Chrome browser is the lack of support for extensions. Those handy little pieces of code that allow you to get your browser to do things it wasn’t built to do originally have been one of the staples for Firefox and its popularity. Amongst the most popular of the Firefox extensions is one named AdBlock Plus that allows you to browse Web sites without seeing their ads, so once the Chrome extension engine released, it was just assumed that an ad blocker would be one of the first extensions out there door.
Why wait?
AdSweep has come up with a way for you to run their extension in Chrome right now, athough it takes several steps and some work on your part. Even with all of that in consideration, it is an interesting commentary on how much some people really hate online ads that they would go through this much work to block them. Personally they’ve never bothered me, but it seems those that are bothered by them are REALLY bothered by them.
If you’ve got the guts, you can give AdSweep a try, but expect to put in some work.
The Skyfire mobile web browser has finally left Beta testing, and is available as an official 1.0 for you to download.
While most mobile phones come with a built-in web browser, the majority of them are not very friendly to your normal web browsing experience. This browser gives you the ability to use Flash animation and Ajax tools, something that has been lacking for a long time on cell phones. Not even the iPhone has yet to be able to use Flash. (and no, Apple does not allow other browsers to be added to their devices, so you’re stuck with mobile Safari for the time being.)
For now the new browser is only available for Windows Mobile 5 & 6 devices and Symbian Nokia N and E Series phones. BlackBerry devices are said to be getting their own version “shortly”, but no definite release date has been mentioned.
Chrome, the web browser by search engine giant Google, has finally left the Beta stage with its latest release.
Google Chrome has already found a small, but very loyal, following of fans for its stability and general rendering speed. Now it has come out of its Beta stage, and the new version 2.0 feels even faster with its page loading speeds.
If you are surprised to learn that version 2 is out, that is the one place we at StarterTech feel that Chrome falls a little short: No notifications of updates. To learn if there is a new version of the browser, you need to click on the wrench in the top right corner, and then click on “About Google Chrome” to see if there is a ner version for you to download. It’s a bit counter intuitive as opposed to Firefox giving you a pop-up notice everytime there is a new version. The Chrome system isn’t quite as user friendly, but it does work.
This is apparently one of the steps in Google moving all of their products out of Beta at long last so they can be accepted by corporate clients, and it’s about time.
If you are using any version of Internet Explorer, you need to apply a security patch immediately.
Firefox 3.5 isn’t even out of its diapers yet, but already Mozilla is hard at work on 3.7.
What is a web browser and what does it do for you exactly?
The makers of the 
It seems some people just can’t wait for Chrome to get their extension system up and running.
The 
