explorer

Microsoft may self-proclaim IE a 'standard'

"No man is an island, entire of itself," wrote poet John Donne. But Microsoft apparently doesn't like poetry.

The company is currently mulling over whether to get in line with JavaScript standards for Internet Explorer, or whether to go it alone and crown itself a standard.

This is particularly tricky since every browser implements the JavaScript standard in different ways. So, the problem isn't exclusive to Microsoft.

It's more nettlesome with Microsoft, however, given its dominant browser market share. In some ways, it already is a standard unto itself. But I'm not sure the industry is ready for Microsoft to veer from the quasi-beaten path. According to an article posted Thursday on The Register:

Microsoft's browser is renowned as being a basket case on standards compliance, being less compliant than other leading standards in recent years according to the group monitoring this issue--The Web Standards Project (WASP).… Read more

NASA institute to study moon science

NASA said Tuesday that it plans to establish a new lunar science institute, in the hopes of laying the groundwork for future missions to the moon.

Called the NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI), the institute will open March 1, 2008, at NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, but it will draw on work from teams across the country. (Ames similarly runs the distributed Astrobiology Institute.) The goal is to build an interdisciplinary study of the moon, building on other scientific research products funded by NASA.

NASA plans to form four or five teams to research areas including lunar science … Read more

Kill folder clutter with Remove Empty Directories

For many of us, empty directory folders are a cause for little concern. Sure it's annoying when you open a folder, not able to remember its contents, and discover it emptier than your fridge on a midnight munchies run. That annoyance--the empty folders, not the empty fridge--has spurned one programmer to action. Remove Empty Directories is the result, and it's not hard to guess what it does.

IE7 is missing and a sad tale of tech support

Internet Explorer 7 was missing on a brand new Dell Latitude D630 running Windows XP SP2. I tried to find out why, which resulted in the saga below. Consider this a tip for anyone purchasing a new XP based computer and a heads up on how Microsoft and Dell treat their customers.

The machine arrived a few days ago, and one of the first things I dutifully did was run Windows Update from Internet Explorer (Tools -> Windows Update). I was surprised to find the machine came with Internet Explorer 6 considering that IE7 has been available for a … Read more

Authentication gone, but IE still genuine

Microsoft has removed its Windows Genuine Advantage authentication system from the installation process for Internet Explorer 7.

For the average user, this means a quicker installation time. CNET News.com is reporting that Microsoft's decision was because of enhanced security fixes that replace the need for the WGA. However, some have speculated that Redmond's reasoning may have less to do with consumer protection and more with program distribution: Mozilla's Firefox 2 has eaten somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of the browser market, depending on whose metrics you believe, and that has Microsoft's bigwigs deeply concerned. … Read more

Episode 576: One man's burning NanoPants

Call Dr. Web for what ails your browser

Dr. Web helps you minimize contact with unsanitary files before you download them, by scanning them in advance and letting you know before it lands on your desktop if the file has a clean bill of health or if you should put on your biohazard suit before handling the innocuous-looking critter.

Power Downloader finds a better way to manage files

On his main desktop computer at the Power Lair, Power Downloader has huge hard drive volumes filled with old case files, spy photos, and secret documents. Though he's a master of software and navigating the intricacies of Windows to get the files he wants, he has always found that Windows Explorer isn't exactly ideal for some of his more complicated file management tasks. Fortunately there's a better way.… Read more

Working with spiders

Web site owners and SEOs alike often feel at odds with the search engines, but times are changing. This was often the case in the past when the engines made updates and changes to their algorithms that seemed to send Web sites into a SERP tailspin, leaving everyone scrambling to regain their precious page-one positions. The engines were also a lot less forthcoming with information and guidance, perhaps taking the view that giving this information gave too much power to the spammers and phishers.

While this view was understandable on the surface, it didn't float all that well in … Read more

Carnegie Mellon signs up for robot space race

LOS ANGELES--The Google Lunar X Prize, a robotic race to the moon, has drawn its first contestant.

Not even an hour after the prize was announced here Thursday at the Wired NextFest, Carnegie Mellon University robotics pioneer Red Whittaker said he's putting together a team to build a rover that can snag the $20 million prize. To win the $20 million, a robotic rover must land on the moon, travel 500 meters and send data and video back to Earth by 2012. The total prize money is $30 million, including $5 million for second place and another $5 million … Read more