Microsoft Windows Internet Explorer 8 is the next version of the world’s most popular browser that has been built from the ground up to be the best browser for the way people really use the Web. Faster, easier and safer than ever before, Internet Explorer 8 optimizes developer and end-user experiences to provide a window to the Web of online services.

Moreover, Internet Explorer 8 offers new features and functionality that enables people to reach beyond the page in a number of faster, easier, and more secure ways. Following are brief descriptions of the new and enhanced features that Microsoft Corp. has introduced in Internet Explorer 8.

Note: Windows 7 Beta already includes a pre-release candidate version of Internet Explorer 8 that is optimized for that release.

View: Fact Sheet
Download: Internet Explorer 8 RTM
View: Microsoft Internet Explorer 8
Source: MSFN

Australia, known for their high levels of censorship, is planning on filtering peer-to-peer (P2P) and Bit Torrent traffic in live pilot tests.

“Technology that filters peer-to-peer and Bit Torrent traffic does exist and it is anticipated that the effectiveness of this will be tested in the live pilot trial,” Senator Conroy said.

The country is making a drastic step to stop piracy, but who assumes that all P2P and Bit Torrent traffic is used only for piracy?

Two legitimate uses are the popular games World of Warcraft and America’s Army: Special Forces. The games use a Bit Torrent system of distribution to update their updates.

With all rash decisions, the idea has obviously stirred up a serious debate Down Under. “I’m aware that this proposal has attracted significant debate and criticism on this blog and at other places in the blogosphere,” Senator Conroy said. A lot of the complaints are about Senator Conroy himself and how he seems to be acting like the “big brother”.

Source: News.com.au

I thought I would let people know, that the final build of µTorrent is officially out now. It comes in as v1.8 build 11758. The first thing I noticed about the new build is a new icon, aqua-ish, whilst a minimal change, it still is nice.

You can download µTorrent over here, and for the people that like change logs, it’s also available here.

Well, that’s all for now, happy µtorrenting. Now remember, stay legal .

I just happened to stumble across this little article and thought I should share it with you, call it a gimmick, or just a neat email address, or both, it still boasts free 2GB of storage.

I’m proud to present that Bink.nu in colaboration with Windows Live Mail provides free 2 Gigabyte mailboxes for its members. I managed to get this very special domain name vista.aero and I’m sharing it with you!

This can also be your primary Windows Live Messenger ID!

View: Sign Up!
Source: Bink.nu

You think your broadband provider is expensive, try US$3,355 per month for a 1.5Mbps DSL connection. Welcome to the internet in Kazakhstan. With DSL prices like these, it’s no wonder Borat left Kazakhstan behind! A new report from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (PDF) paints a grim picture of Internet access in Kazakhstan and shows how difficult life can be for those in poor and authoritarian countries who want to join the worldwide community of Internet users.

Consider the prices for Internet access, for one. Most users (and only four percent of the country even has access) hook up through state-owned Kazakhtelecom, a company not concerned with competitive pricing for its services. An unlimited dial-up plan costs about €82 (US$111) in a country where the average monthly wage is €292 (US$399). As for DSL, an unlimited 1.5Mbps connection costs €2,458 (US$3,355) a month, and doesn’t even included the required ADSL modem. Want a 6Mbps cable connection? It’ll cost you, to the tune of €16,144 (US$22,032) a month. As the OSCE report drily notes, this is more than a thousand times the price of such a connection in Western Europe.

View: Full Story
Source: Ars Technica via Neowin

Also offers the ability to download video content using a custom client which also scans if the user has downloaded copyrighted files.

MediaDefender Inc, the "leading provider of anti-piracy solutions in the emerging Internet-Piracy-Prevention (IPP) industry" has launched a website called "MiiVi" dedicated to busting those who both like to download copyrighted content as well as those who already have.

The site is apparently the latest ploy in the ongoing battle against illegal file-sharing and literally takes the game to new heights. It offers WHOLE DOWNLOADS of movies as well as the ability to download and install a "miraculous" new program that offers "fast and easy downloading all in one great site." There's just one problem: the site's registered to MediaDefender Inc. and it's army of prying eyes are just nipping at the bud to take down those who are unaware.

View: Full Story
Source: ZeroPaid

Brokep over at the Pirate Bay responds to word that TorrentSpy and ISOHunt have caved in to the demands of the MPAA and he's none too happy.

Just a little while ago Brokep over the Pirate Bay Skyped me about a post he made in his blog about recent reports that Justin Bunnel over at TorrentSpy has created a new system called FileRights to automatically remove copyrighted content from the site.

He doesn't pull any punches, in fact starting with the title "PrivacySpy," and closing with "So f—k you filerights.com. Thank god that technology is smarter than some of it's users."

View: Brokep's Blog
View: Full Story
Source: ZeroPaid via Flexbeta

It's the deal you never thought would happen: MySpace acquiring Photobucket, the "parasite" that fed off MySpace traffic and hosted a massive number of MySpace photos. There’s no word on whether the US$300M price tag, which Photobucket was being shopped around for, was met.

View: Full Story
Source: Mashable via Flexbeta

Until now nobody could have an Gmail e-mail address unless he/she got an invitation from another Gmail user. From today anybody can have a @gmail account. After a period of nearly three years, you can apply for an e-mail address without invitation. Since the introduction of Gmail in April 2004 the web mail service became one of the biggest rivals of Microsoft Hotmail. The big advantage of Gmail was the 1Gb of storage space they had over other providers. Now the storage space has increased to 2814,522021 MB and is still increasing every second.

For now the service still has the beta tag, and if they will get rid of that in a short time isn't known for now. It's also possible that Google has to deliver it's Gmail in Europe under another name because of the law suit filled by Daniel Giersch, owner of the company G-mail. German and British users will have a @googlemail.com account instead of a @gmail.com account, and there is a chance that the whole Europe will suffer this fate.

View: Make your own account
Source: MSFN via Tweakers

The music industry opened up a new front in the war on online music piracy yesterday, threatening to sue internet service providers that allow customers to illegally share copyrighted tracks over their networks.

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, or IFPI, said it would take action against internet companies that carry vast amounts of illegally shared files over their networks. It stressed that it would prefer not to pursue such a strategy and is keen to work in partnership with internet providers.

John Kennedy, the chairman of the IFPI, said he had been frustrated by internet companies that have not acted against customers involved in illegal activity. He warned that litigation against ISPs would be instigated “in weeks rather than months”. Barney Wragg, the head of EMI’s digital music division, said the industry had been left “with no other option” but to pursue ISPs in the courts.

The IFPI wants ISPs to disconnect users who refuse to stop exchanging music files illegally. Mr Kennedy said such activity is in breach of a customer’s contract with the ISP and disconnecting offenders the IFPI had identified would significantly reduce illegal file sharing.

Source: The Independent via Neowin