New Microsoft Browser

In any other case, this headline “New Microsoft Browser” would elicit a big yawn from me. But this perked my attention:

Latest Microsoft browser challenges Google

It’s from the Financial Times, and they make you pay to read the article. So I did some hunting around, and found this, skewed differently.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 browser a threat to online ads

Microsoft’s latest version of its dominant Internet Explorer web browser could threaten the rise of online targeted-advertising because it allows users to access websites in private.

Internet Explorer 8, which was launched by the software giant yesterday, contains a feature called “InPrivate” which allows users to essentially hide their personal details by automatically erasing so-called “cookies”, and also hides the browsing history from other people using the same computer.

The new feature potentially threatens the business model of companies such as Google, which uses cookies to collect information from users as they visit websites, and then uses it to target adverts at them.

Well, I am ALL for browsing in private! But of course, a lot of guys are touting this as a way to access pornography without the missus knowing. :-p (P.S. Guys, your women already know you do it, by your behavior).

Anyway, Microsoft is still trying to elbow it’s place in the rat race with Google. If that’s all we have, Microsoft or Google, I think the Internet is doomed, lol. I doubt I’ll download the new Internet Explorer 8 until I am forced to so with a Windows Update. I much prefer Opera and Firefox. But it is very interesting to see the trend these companies are going.