To test the compatibility of your own web site, you don’t have to install all browser alternatives and versions. Adobe Browser Labs makes your life easier. Just visit https://browserlab.adobe.com/, and click Try BrowserLab to create a free Adobe account.

At the top, click Test and enter the web URL. The website is then loaded in Firefox, Safari and Internet Explorer. To show all versions at once, click View, 2-Up. You can simulate more browsers and versions using the top left button.

https://browserlab.adobe.com/

In the corresponding spam mail, you might read that there is an update patch available regarding the security problems in Internet Explorer 9 and Firefox 3.x. This patch is said to be compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 and would be offered for download via the website microsoft-security.de (closed down in the meantime).

The electronic spam mail also contains a short installation manual. In the first step, recipients should download the mentioned fake “patch”, labeled “patch-web.exe” and launch it by double clicking.

After installing, a system restart is necessary. With friendly regards, the so-called Microsoft Director of Security Assurance, Steve Lipner ends the mail, according to information by the German news portal ‘T-Online’.

Commonly, you should always be alert with such e-mails announcing supposed security updates. You should only download updates from official and serious sources, as security experts recommend.

As the executable is said to be a new trojan, there is currently only rare information about this malicious software available. Experts still need to analyze the malware’s features.

Add-ons for Firefox, IE, Safari and more

Modern browsers like Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari or Chrome are able to do lots of things. They are comfortable, easy to use and fast. As different users have different needs though, browsers are extensible. So-called add-ons extend a browser, adding additional features to it.

Browser add-ons for small wishes

The concept is great: All browsers ship with the most important features that everybody needs. You can go online, open websites, manage bookmarks. Everything is there – and that’s enough for most users. At the beginning, that is. Sometime extra wishes might arise in you, and you will expect more from your browser or want more comfort. Then you simply download the necessary extensions. They are called add-ons or plugins. Such add-ons are small programs that you can download for free. Just for Firefox, there are more than 6,000 of these extensions. For free. For any case to imagine.

Good-looking photo search: Cooliris

If you work much with photos and find the photo galleries in Google Search boring, you can install an extension creating appealing 3D views from them. A good-looking photo canvas, much more comfortable for finding your desired image. This extension is called Cooliris. Sure, that’s something for the eyes only. Other extensions help with hiding advertisements in websites, speeding up your browser – or they make it easier to manage music, videos or photos. In short: It’s worth taking a look at the extensions available.

Simply turn off ads: Adblock Plus

Firefox has the largest add-ons repository; more than 6,000 add-ons are available. The most popular one is Adblock Plus. That’s a really useful ad blocker, hiding most of the advertisements displayed in websites. To install an add-on, just click “Add” — that’s all you need to do.

Dictionary, Maps, …

Internet Explorer is extensible too, especially with features helping to research something. For example, a word in a foreign language. Just select the word and look it up in a Web dictionary. Or an address. Just select it: Internet Explorer displays the address in a Web map. Such useful extensions exist for other browsers too, like for Chrome, Safari and Opera. There are not that many add-ons available for those — yet. But: There are some useful ones among them too. It’s worth the effort.

Browser add-ons not compatible with each other

You ask yourself: Why are there different extensions for the different browsers? Sadly, you cannot swap extensions like you want, the add-ons are not compatible. A Firefox extension cannot run in Internet Explorer — and vice-versa. That is something you cannot change.

Simple to install — and as simple to remove

Important: Trying an extension is free — and mostly risk-less. You decide when you want to get rid of an extension. Each browser has an overview displaying all currently loaded add-ons. You can disable them one by one — and remove if you don’t like or need one anymore. It’s just a matter of one mouse click.

Fun and useful add-ons

Just for fun? Sometimes that’s true. There are even small games available for download, for example a 3D car racing for Chrome. With an extension for Firefox, you can watch TV while surfing. But most extensions are just useful. It is worth browsing the extension galleries and just try the one or other add-on.

More information

• Cooliris (www.cooliris.com)
• Adblock Plus (addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/1865)
• Firefox Add-ons (addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/)
• Internet Explorer Extensions (ieaddons.com)
• Pimp my Safari (pimpmysafari.com)
• Opera Add-ons (www.opera.com/addons/)
• Chrome extension gallery (chrome.google.com/extensions)

Opera, Firefox, Internet Explorer—everybody may and must decide which program to use for surfing.  Professionals are glad, for newbies this can be messy.  What now, which program to pick?  Let’s talk about the backgrounds—and get some tips.

Many Internet Explorer alternatives

Probably every Windows user is familiar with Internet Explorer, as the Microsoft browser was pre-installed by default on every Windows computer.  Just there.  And that is why most people went online with it.  At least for first.  However, there are so many alternatives: Opera.  Firefox.  Safari.  Chrome.  Just to mention some.  But not every Windows user knows about these alternatives, or hesitates in switching because he doesn’t know how to install them.  There are still such people.

Ballott Screen

That is why the EU Commission has forced Microsoft to leave it up to each and every Windows user in Europe to choose a browser they want to use for surfing the Web.  Now this user choice has come reality: All Windows computers are about to get such a choice.  After updating, you are presented with a selection dialog, called ballott screen, listing the five most popular browsers, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari and Chrome.  The order in which these browsers are displayed is by random—and determined from scratch each time the dialog is displayed.  This is how it looks like:

Exploding download counters

One mouse click is sufficient for installing a different browser and setting it to be your new default application.  You can also install and use multiple browsers in parallel—no problem at all.  Obviously, many users make use of this.  Since days, Firefox and Opera notice exploding download figures—good for competition.  Here in Germany, Firefox is the most-used browser anyways since a while.

Just one mouse click

Important: It has never been that simple to use a different browser on your Windows computer —and you should make use of it.  To install one of the suggested browsers, one mouse click is sufficient—and all the rest happens automatically.  It is also possible to install multiple browsers and use them in parallel.  Here’s a tip:  Only five browsers are displayed—but there are more to choose from.  Simply drag the scroll bar to the right, then more alternatives are shown.

Manual Windows Update

However, only the first five browsers are really interesting, the others are not well-known.  And if you know them, you are able to get them without such an aid, too.  If you want such a choice dialog as well, but you cannot see it on your Windows computer yet: Launch Windows Update from the Control Panel.  You will get a corresponding update that you can download and install to get the comfortable browser choice window.  All newly sold Windows computers get shipped per default with the browser selection.

Browser summary

Some like the new freedom of choice—others are overwhelmed as they do not know which browser to use.  So, here is a short summary what the five most important browsers are like:

Firefox

In Germany the most popular browser.  It is fast, reliable—and customizable.  What I like most: You can easily extend the browser and thus integrate new features.  The optimum for individualists.

Internet Explorer 8

I think Internet Explorer is better than its reputation, at least in the most recent version, and it is relatively fast, too.  However, there are still too many security issues—that are often not removed fast enough.

Opera

Insides like it very much, as it is very fast and innovative.  Opera offers many interesting features.  However, its usage can be thrilling to get used to.  I don’t have to use it—but a good browser without a doubt.

Safari

Apple’s browser used to be much faster than other browsers.  In the meantime though, the others have gained speed—and I don’t know any good reason why to use Safari in Windows.  Unless you are a real Apple fan.

Chrome

That’s Google’s browser.  Extremely fast and very ordered.  Pages display with high speed really.  If you surf much and get impatient quickly, you should take a look at Chrome.  But only if you trust Google.

The good thing is: It has become much simpler to try out other browsers—and to stay with the browser you like most.

More information

• Browser choice (www.browserchoice.eu)
• Firefox (www.firefox.com)
• Internet Explorer 8 (www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/)
• Opera (www.opera.com)
• Safari (www.apple.com/safari)
• Chrome (www.google.com/chrome)

According to an agreement with the European Commission, Microsoft will give all Windows users in Europe the possibility to choose their favorite browser. From 17 March onwards, an update is delivered showing a ballott screen listing a number of browsers. On an exclusively created website, Microsoft presents all browsers installable for European Windows users. Even exotic browsers have managed to get on the list.

You can view the displayed browsers from now on via the Microsoft website browserchoice.eu. In total, users can choose from 12 different browsers. Each browser entry has a small description and two buttons leading to the direct download and the company website. On the first page, the following 5 browsers are offered prominently:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Apple Safari
• Opera Browser
• Windows Internet Explorer 8

The order how the browsers are shown changes on each page reload, sorted by random. This is how Microsoft meets a requirement by the European Commission stating that all browsers presented to users must be shown in a random order. Using a horizontal scroll bar, you can show the remaining 7 browsers. There are also exotic browsers among them, like:

• Sleipnir
• K-Meleon
• GreenBrowser
• Avant Browser
• Maxthon
• FlashPeak
• Flock

This secondary list of 7 browsers is also sorted by random each time you reload the page.

Therefore, a project has been started whose goal it is to develop some recognizable icons summarizing a site’s Privacy Policy at one glance.  Nearly every website has such a policy, but most users simply cannot understand the complicated text.

The icons should give an answer to simple questions, like:

• Are my data handed out to third parties?
• Are my data stored longer than necessary?
• Are my data encrypted?
• Can the site identify me via collected data?

Multiple colors inform the website’s viewpoint of the corresponding questions.

Of course, website owners have to cooperate for the icons to reach their goal.  They have to inform how they protect the visitors’ privacy.  Mozilla Foundation hopes that they have found convincing arguments due to the widespread usage of Firefox.

Corresponding changes affect the open-source browser Firefox, the default program for browsing the Web in Ubuntu, Rick Spencer, Canonical Development Lead for Ubuntu Desktop, stated.

The browser start page as well as the search box will be modified accordingly.  However, users can revert the changes to Google search easily.  Settings for the search box and the home page will then be changed back automatically.

The change is being introduced with Ubuntu 10.04, code named Lucid Lynx.  Its final build will get published in April.  Yahoo is sharing search revenue with Canonical.  The money will contribute to the further development of Ubuntu.

Entry points for hackers

Internet Explorer.  Outlook.  Outlook Express.  Windows Mail.  Windows Live Mail.  Microsoft Help System and the Microsoft Sidebar.  There are a half dozen of commonly important programs and features in Microsoft Windows that have become attackable.  That is very dangerous, which is why everybody is concerned about it.  Even several governments, like the German Federal Office for Security in Information Technics (BSI), have intensely warned about the security holes.  The “easy” solution:  Don’t use Internet Explorer—or at least use it in the so-called Safe Mode, so the danger can be reduced.

Alarm Level Red

The malicious thing about the current security hole: It is sufficient to navigate to a modified website—and the hole can be abused.  You won’t notice anything, you cannot see it on the site, maybe not even the site owner knows that their site is being abused for such purposes.  A nightmare concerning security.  Absolutely.

Quick Reaction by Microsoft

But gladly Microsoft reacted quite fast this time.  Within few days, the developers have removed the security holes.  Now the patches only have to find their way on your computer.  You have to install an update.  Some computers do that automatically, but I wouldn’t rely on that.  Luckily it is not very complicated to install the security update.

How to Fix the Hole

And this is how you can fix the security hole on your Windows computer: In the Start menu, call the “Windows Update” feature.  There is also a menu entry in Internet Explorer.  The computer then searches for current updates and important patches that you can download with one mouse click.  It will only take some minutes.  If you are advanced and want to learn more details: On its homepage, Microsoft explains all changes detailed and informs which holes have been closed.  After the update, your Windows computer is safe again—and you can continue to surf with Internet Explorer.

By the way: Not every security hole gets as prominent as the latest.  Nevertheless, there are lots of them.  That’s why you should run Windows Update on a regular basis, perhaps once per week.  It won’t take long—but you will be safe.

Using Alternative Browsers

With or without a known security hole: It can’t hurt to play around with other browsers as well.  Whether Firefox, Opera, Safari or Google Chrome: There are lots of possible alternatives.  If you test a different browser when it is calm and have it already installed, then you don’t have to waste lots of time looking around for an alternative when you mustn’t use Internet Explorer for a while.

Firefox

Largest competition for Internet Explorer: without a doubt Firefox.  Version 3.6, even faster, has only been published yesterday.  You should simply take a look at this browser.  Just download it for free and check it out, then it will be available anytime.  But other browsers like Safari, Chrome or Opera are interesting as well and have many fans.

Security Holes in Other Programs As Well

To stay fair: Over the past year, it was not Internet Explorer being the software with the most newly found important security holes, but a different software—Adobe Reader.  Nearly everybody has it installed, because it serves for viewing PDF documents.  Thus, it has become a favorite target for hacker attacks.  Many people just don’t think about that.  My tip: Keep important default programs, like Adobe Reader, up-to-date as well.  Just call the update feature within the software…

Up to now, it was not common to integrate new features into Firefox with security updates.  These updates were only meant to close security holes, and sometimes they optimized the browser’s stability.  That is going to change: Changes in the browser’s internals will be distributed as well by means of security updates, Mozilla’s Director for Firefox Mike Beltzner told the magazine Computerworld.com.

While security updates ship every four to six weeks on average, new Firefox major releases only take place once or twice per year.  That’s why new features cannot get integrated into the browser as fast as you would like to.  The Firefox creators want to change this now, mainly avoiding time-consuming Beta versions.

Electrolysis Likely to Ship With a Security Update

Beltzner talked about one example: the project Electrolysis, which is going to spread browser components to separate processes for a higher stability.  If a browser tab crashes due to a website, the other opened tabs can still be used without problems.  A similar technics is used in Microsoft Internet Explorer and Google Chrome.

Electrolysis will also move plug-ins to their own processes.  This way, the browser would continue to run when a plug-in crashes.  According to Beltzner’s statement, Adobe Flash is the plug-in that crashes Firefox most.  Such internal engine changes can be done with Firefox security updates, as nothing changes for neither plug-in developers nor for site owners.  On the user’s side, the changelog does not get too big.

Firefox 3.7 Not Planned Anymore

Along with the changed update strategy, the work on Firefox 3.7 is frozen and will be discontinued.  Mozilla’s planning is to get a new major Firefox version done by late 2010 or early 2011.  It is undetermined which version number it will have.

On Monday, the second Release Candidate for Firefox 3.6 has been released.  The final update will be published tomorrow, on 21 January 2010.  Betzner has recorded a video summarizing the most important changes in Firefox 3.6.

Changes in Firefox 3.6 include native video playback according to the HTML5 specification.  Personas, Mozilla’s new easy theming engine, has been integrated into the Firefox Core as well.

Millions of European consumers will benefit from this decision by having a free choice about which web browser they use.  Such choice will not only serve to improve people’s experience of the internet now but also act as an incentive for web browser companies to innovate and offer people better browsers in the future.

Over the period of five years, Microsoft is now required to offer a Ballot Screen through Windows Update in Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7, enabling users to download and install a different browser besides or substituting Internet Explorer.  OEM companies will also be given the ability to directly and automatically distribute an alternative to Internet Explorer, as part of their OEM installations.  An initial offer by Microsoft to list existing web browsers alphabetically had recently raised opposition by competitors.  The window will now show the five most-used browsers: Safari, Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer, and Google Chrome, sorted randomly in a neutral Ballot Screen.

Microsoft Senior Vice President Brian Smith commented:

We believe it represents the most comprehensive commitment to the promotion of interoperability in the history of the software industry. Under this undertaking, Microsoft will ensure that developers throughout the industry, including in the open source community, will have access to technical documentation to assist them in building products that work well with Microsoft products.

The cartel proceeding started after Opera raised its complaint.  After an analysis, the EU Commission agreed on the fact that Microsoft is deforming the competition by distributing Internet Explorer to its Windows OS with a market-share of 90 percent.  Innovations would suffer and web developers would be forced to develop their programs mainly for Internet Explorer.

1. Open the Windows Live account center at https://account.live.com/ChangePassword.aspx.
2. If prompted, sign in using your Windows Live ID (e-mail address) and your existing password.
3. Make especially sure that you are seeing the Extended Validation certificate information (the name “Microsoft Corporation (US)”) in your browser address bar, as well as that the address starts with “https://login.live.com/”.

   

4. After sign-in, you should see the following page:

   

5. Before typing your new password, again make sure that the connection is encrypted properly. If you are using Internet Explorer, the address bar should look like this:

   

6. Enter your current password once, and your desired new password twice. While you type, watch the password strength indicator. The greener it is, the safer is your password. Wondering how to create a strong password? I will talk about this topic in an upcoming post.
7. To get reminded every 72 days to change your password, check the corresponding check box.
8. Finally, click Save, and don’t forget to sign out properly so nobody can take over your account.

InPrivate, Privater Modus, Inkognito

Fast alle modernen Browser helfen dir, deine Identität unterwegs zu schützen: Sie haben einen privaten Modus eingebaut, der einfach einzuschalten ist und der keinen Browserverlauf oder Cookies speichert, nachdem du die Sitzung beendet hast.

1. Öffne deinen Lieblingsbrowser, oder den Browser, den du auf dem fremden Computer nutzt.
2. Schalte den privaten Modus ein, wie unten beschrieben.
3. Surfe.
4. Schließe das Browserfenster, wenn du fertig bist. Das ist wichtig!
5. Deine Cookies und Sitzungsdaten werden dann gelöscht, einschließlich noch gespeicherter Windows Live Anmelde-Informationen, falls du dich in deiner privaten Surfsitzung bei Windows Live angemeldet hattest. Keine Angst mehr!

Und so schaltest du den privaten Modus für Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome und Safari ein:

Internet Explorer

Klicke auf Sicherheit, InPrivate Browsen.

Mozilla Firefox

Klicke auf Extras, Privaten Modus starten.

Google Chrome

Klicke auf Tools, Neues Inkognito-Fenster.

Apple Safari

Klicke auf Tools, Privates Surfen.

InPrivate, Private Browsing, Incognito

Almost all modern browsers help you to protect your identity abroad: They have private modes integrated that are easy to enable and that don’t store any browsing history nor cookies on the computer after you close your session.

1. Open your favorite browser, or the one that you are using on the foreign computer.
2. Enable the private mode, as described below.
3. Surf.
4. Close the browser window when you are done. This is important!
5. Your cookies and session data are then deleted, including your Windows Live ID login information, if you have signed in to Windows Live in your private browsing session.
   No fear anymore!

Here is how to enable the private mode in Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari:

Internet Explorer

Click Safety, InPrivate Browsing.

Mozilla Firefox

Click Tools, Start Private Browsing.

Google Chrome

Click Tools, New incognito window.

Apple Safari

Click Tools, Private surfing.

Questo è quello che ho visto sul mio schermo quando ho aperto Windows Live Calendar con Google Chrome. L’avviso mi dice di usare Internet Explorer 6 maggiori, Safari 3 o maggiore, oppure Firefox 2 o maggiore, in questo ordine.

Le domande che sorgono sono:

• Dove sono Opera e Chrome?
• Perché i browser sono ordinati in questo modo?
• Perché l’avviso chiede di utilizzare un browser differente?
• Calendar partecipa alla guerra dei browser in Unione Europea?

Il bello con questo avviso è che, quando clicco il link “continuare senza eseguire l’aggiornamento,” tutto funziona correttamente.
E allora?

Disable compatibility mode for Visual themes

1. Click Start, (My) Computer.
2. Browse to the folder C:\Program Files\Windows Live\Messenger.
3. Right-click the file msnmsgr.exe, and choose Properties.
4. Switch to the Compatibility tab.
5. Uncheck the checkbox at “Disable visual themes”.
6. Click OK.
7. Retry to sign in to Messenger.

Disable Internet Explorer Offline mode

1. Open Internet Explorer (even if Firefox or a different browser is your default browser).
2. Click File, and uncheck the option “Offline mode”.
3. Close Internet Explorer.
4. Retry to sign in to Messenger.

(i) These tips did not resolve your issue? Consider contacting the Windows Live Support.

Source: http://messengermaximal.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!40F43EC9BA81D814!7381.entry