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Microsoft has released the Beta 1 of Internet Explorer 8 and put up a dedicated page for Internet Explorer 8 Beta.

The IE 8 Beta 1 page lists out the new features which will be available in Internet Explorer 8 along with download links to Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1.

The new features in Internet Explorer 8 are :

1. Activities
2. WebSlices
3. Favorites Bar
4. Automatic Crash Recovery
5. Improved Phishing Filter

That’s it. No more new features. Sadly, I don’t find any feature above exciting enough for me to be waiting for Internet Explorer 8. Neither do I find any new UI for Internet Explorer 8 from the screenhots on the page.

Hopefully MS will add more features on the way and also give a new UI to Internet Explorer 8. If not Mozilla Firefox 3 will be THE browser for me. Anywayz it is even now.

Internet Explorer 8 New Features

Download Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 

Download Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 for Window XP SP2

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 Download Page

Update : Mozilla Links has put up a review of Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 and compared it to the Firefox 3 Beta which is under development now. A post worth reading….

So you use Remote Desktop to connect to a remote Windows system ? Remote Desktop Connection can come in pretty useful when you need to connect to a remote system be it for work, for some files which are in your home PC or just for solving some technical problem you friend is facing.

Once connected, Remote Desktop gives you mouse and keyboard control over your computer while showing you everything that’s happening on the screen. With Remote Desktop, you can leave your computer at the office without losing access to your files, applications, and e-mail.

What Remote Desktop basically allows you to do is work on a remote desktop system as if you are sitting in front of it. So here are two tips which can help you utilize Remote Desktop for Microsoft Windows even better.

1. Transfer files between local system and remote system

Using Remote Desktop for Windows, you can easily transfer files to and fro between your local system and remote system. All you need to do is turn on a simple setting in Remote Desktop.

Open Remote Desktop and go to Options. Then click on “Local Resources” tab and tick the checkbox “Disk Drives” under Local Devices. Now you will be able to transfer files between the local and remote system.

2. Shutdown Remote System using Remote Desktop

By default, Remote Desktop does not give you an option to shutdown the Remote System. Instead you get a “Disconnect” option. But you can still shutdown the system. Here is how. When you finish working on the Remote System, open a command prompt and type shutdown -s.

The remote system will be shutdown after 60 seconds and then you will be disconnected.

That’s it. Do you use Remote Desktop ? What do you like about it ?

The rumours have been settled. Microsoft has formally announced its intentions of acquiring Yahoo! . Leaving aside the complexity of the financial offer, one simple thing is Microsoft is offering $31 per share, a whopping 62% premium on the present share price of Yahoo!.

An excerpt from Microsoft’s press release …

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) today announced that it has made a proposal to the Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO) Board of Directors to acquire all the outstanding shares of Yahoo! common stock for per share consideration of $31 representing a total equity value of approximately $44.6 billion. Microsoft’s proposal would allow the Yahoo! shareholders to elect to receive cash or a fixed number of shares of Microsoft common stock, with the total consideration payable to Yahoo! shareholders consisting of one-half cash and one-half Microsoft common stock. The offer represents a 62 percent premium above the closing price of Yahoo! common stock on Jan. 31, 2008.

But what does this mean for me ?

A bigger competitor for Google but no idea how effective the acquisition will be if at all it happens.

Whatever will happen to Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Messenger and Flickr, three services I use almost all the time.

What do you think of this acquistion ? Does Microsoft buying Yahoo! make sense ?

Microsoft Press Release

The TechCrunch post

Linux is for geeks. That is the worst cliche I have ever heard. In fact I think that Ubuntu Linux is far more easier to work on compared to Windows Vista.

Now that I have ditched Windows Vista in favor of Ubuntu Linux, I though I would write a post on why Ubuntu Linux is better than Windows Vista.

5 reasons why you should be using Ubuntu Linux instead of Windows Vista

1. Rock solid stability and better responsiveness

I don’t remember a day when Windows Vista had not crashed on my laptop. Running a Bit-torrent client (any one) will show a BSOD every time on my system. On the contrary I do not remember a day when Ubuntu had stopped responding or crashed.

2.Third-party software just a click away

No more clicking through endless UAC dialogs and Next screens to install the software. In Ubuntu Linux just go to Synaptic Package Manager, search for the software you want to install and click the small checkbox next to it. Then click on Apply. Your software will automatically be downloaded and  installed.

3. The wow is here

If you though Vista’s animations and effects were good, you must try Compiz fusion. It is bundled by default in Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon. Provided you have a decent grahics card, you just need to turn on the effects in System —> Preferences —> Appearance —> Effects.

4. Tune thy Ubuntu

There is absolutely nothing about Ubuntu Linux that you cannot change. Do not like the theme, the icons etc. , just download a new theme  from Gnome Look and drag-drop it on the Appearances dialog box. Your new theme is installed.

5. No antivirus, anti-spyware, firewall required

Damn Windows Security Center and anti-virus software. If Vista is not slow enough for you, then install some anti-virus. Cut to Ubuntu, no such thing needed.

That’s it. So when are you going to try Ubuntu Linux.

P.S. – Reason #5 is there just because I wanted to round off things.