Microsoft has deemed the hole to be a "critical" security threat, as it gives webmasters the ability to quietly install software on your PC. Last May, Microsoft released an update that made it possible to uninstall the .NET framework. They also released a patch earlier this week that supposedly fixes the problem. The vulnerability can also be exploited on users running any version of Internet Explorer. Needless to say, Firefox and IE users should employ one of those solutions ASAP. [Computer World Image via rootshell.be]

No, it's not Explorer. Originally, Microsoft wanted to order browsers from left to right in order of market share. That meant Explorer was going to go first, then Firefox, then Safari, Opera, and Google's Chrome. The EU objected, so Microsoft complied and offered a very reasonable solution: Alphabetical order.

That puts Apple Safari in the number one position, followed by Google Chrome, Microsoft Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Opera. Looks good enough to me, but Jenny Boriss—a Firefox user experience designer—disagrees:

This ordering is about the worst option possible. Microsoft wrote in their proposal that 'nothing in the design and implementation of the Ballot Screen and the presentation of competing web browsers will express a bias for a Microsoft web browser or any other web browser,' but this is exactly what the current design does. Windows users presented with the current design will tend to make only two choices: IE because they are familiar with it, or Safari because it is the first item.

The disproportionate advantage to Safari is what really makes this design poor," she said, citing several studies that claim first position in a ballot gives an advantage, in part because Western voters scan from upper left to lower right when they read.

She goes on and on and on about this, but her basic message is: If Firefox is not first, this design is BAD. She timidly proposes a random order every time the selection screen opens, but she argues that this is bad because "unfortunately does not provide users with any information about what browsers are preferred" (according to who, Jenny? Maybe user would prefer Safari over Firefox—I know I do. Or maybe they would prefer Chrome if they could try it, as it seems to be a lot faster than Firefox).

Then she shows her true colors, proposing the order according to market share—what Microsoft proposed—but excluding Explorer from that ordering and leaving it to the last position. Wouldn't that be unfairly helping Firefox and putting Safari, Chrome, and Opera in a bad position? And why discriminate Microsoft Explorer too?

Finally, she also proposes probability ordering by market share excluding Internet Explorer, which again gives Firefox the advantage over the rest 50% of the time.

In other words, Microsoft and the EU should help Firefox to become the new monopolistic browser, no matter what. Jenny, please: Stop. Saying. Words. [Boriss' Blog via Computer World]

It was decided that Microsoft's "Hey! We'll just leave all browsers out completely!" would result in headaches for some consumers who would struggle to download any browser without being able to use Internet Explorer to do so. The new approach is to sell Windows PCs with Internet Explorer as the default browser, but to present users with a "ballot screen" which allows them to select and "easily install competing browsers from the Web." That's not all though:

In addition, (computer makers) would be able to install competing Web browsers, set those as default and disable Internet Explorer should they so wish. The Commission welcomes this proposal, and will now investigate its practical effectiveness in terms of ensuring genuine consumer choice.

There's a catch of sorts in that there aren't any specifics on how competing browsers will be selected for the "ballot", so the jury's still out on just how accommodating Microsoft is really being. [CNET]

Indeed, Microsoft has stated before that it would be impossible to remove the browser from Windows 7, due to the fact that "the browser is closely connected with the operating system." However, thanks to EU pressure and a multi-billion dollar fine hanging over its head, Microsoft has miraculously discovered a way to make it so.

As a refresher, the EU demanded that MS remove IE (or include competitor's browsers) in Windows because of its dominant 90% market penetration across the continent. According to an article at Swedish news site e24, the EU has also proposed that Microsoft include competitor's browsers, including those from Opera, Mozilla and Google, as part of a settlement. [e24 (Swedish) - Thanks, Andreas]

And if the whole thing is depicted in a chalk drawing, so be it.

And it was, so here's the details. The chalk drawing was delivered to us fresh from the annual SideWalk Arts Festival, which is held by the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia.

According to the artists, students are given a set of chalk and are assigned a tile on the cement sidewalk surrounding a local park. They can draw whatever comes to mind. In the case of Michael and Ferhan, "whatever comes to mind" meant an epic battle between Firefox and Microsoft's Internet Explorer (Conan served as a reference for the illustration).

It looks like it didn't well for the browser from Redmond. Then again, it rarely does. [Thanks, Michael and Ferhan]

The Virtual Keyboard Interface is a free script to download and adds one of 22 clickable keyboards for the typing of your deepest, darkest secrets. You just double click any text entry box and the keyboard will pop up automagically in IE, Chrome, Safari or Firefox. Enjoy it, you sad, scary people. [userscripts via LifeHacker]

This IE 8 release candidate is said to be feauture complete, which is to say that we should expect anything significant to be added before the final version ships. Most of what we were expecting is still present, and refined: the porn mo—err, InPrivate, a refreshed interface, stronger find functions, full keyboard navigation and adaptive zoom. Not present, however, are significant increases in Javascript rendering speed or CSS compatibility, areas in which even this mature version of IE 8 was handily beaten by current Firefox and Chrome builds.

Still, the browser looks to be a solid step forward, and despite the one-step-behind spec sheet, aging code base, and TGDaily's convincing assertion that IE 8 won't be able to slow the erosion of Microsoft's browser market share, will provide welcome improvements for that giant, stubborn chunk of the population that just uses whatever their eMachine shipped with. [TGDaily]

Back when Microsoft snuck up behind Netscape and stole its crown, hardly anyone knew that there was even a playing field, let alone a game. Following all that anti-trust business, Microsoft's only major competitor was the product of a non-profit organization. Firefox is popular, it's what I'm using now, but it doesn't have what it takes to be a superpower in a browser war.

What does it take? Cash money. Many of you know that Google is the reason Firefox did so well in the first place: As far back as 2005, Google was paying major dollars to those who referred Firefox downloads that included the Google Toolbar. But Firefox never seems to have had the cash to buy its way to the PC makers' desktops. The kind of payola that puts heinous crapware on Dells, HPs and other PCs will soon be put to work in the new browser war, one where Microsoft will for the first time have a serious threat on its home turf.

As Electronista puts it, though Microsoft was long ago forced to allow other default browsers...

...these have typically been limited to Firefox and the now-defunct Netscape but will now potentially have a more commercially supported alternative that also emphasizes universal web standards, the historical weaknesses of Microsoft's browser.

TechCrunch adds:

The Google’s open source browser has a number of eager customers, including OEMs who can’t offer the browser until it is in full release.

Rules is rules, so you can see why, at least in this one Google product, the beta label is a major hindrance. To recap:

Browser gold status + web standards + sick payola = hot Chrome takeover strategy

All the plan lacks is a Mac-friendly version to impress all those ivory-tower newsmedia people (and MacBook totin' bloggers), and that's due sometime very soon. Stay tuned for one fierce freakin' browser war, is all I'm saying. [TechCrunch via Electronista]

As you can see on the left, page rendering still isn't quite at Mobile Safari or Opera levels, but it's a massive improvement over IE5. Inertial scrolling is solid, and the (limited) flash support is a pleasant surprise. Text wrap and zooming haven't been fully sorted out yet, so pulling out on a page often leaves paragraphs wrapped for a higher zoom level.

If these problems are addressed — and I fully expect them to be — Microsoft could have a winner on its hands. Even as is, it's a colossal step forward for Mobile IE, and one that will at minimum bring it into the same generation as its competitors. [MSDN via Slashphone]

* Improved fidelity (support for full fidelity desktop rendering)
* Layout fixes to accommodate a mobile screen (text wrap)
* Enhanced Script and AJAX support (Jscript v5.7 from Internet Explorer 8)
* Improved multimedia experience (Adobe Flash Lite 3.1 for Adobe Flash content)
* Deeper integration with search
* Enhanced cursor navigation model
* Touch and gesture support – pan support
* Multiple zoom levels
* Easy switching between mobile / desktop versions of sites by specifying UA strings.

To be completely honest with you guys, I did kind of download Firefox twice when I was installing it. I threw the extra .dmg file right in the trash, which obviously means they are still on 499,999,999 downloads. What the heck, what's one download between friends, apart from a heap of rice goodness? Jump in and let the Mozilla team know how much you appreciate not having to choose between IE or Safari. [Spreadfirefox]

Today in class [name] had a program launched called Foxfire.exe. I had told [name] to close the program and to resume work but he told me that is was just a different browser and that he was doing his work. I had given him two warnings but he insisted that it was just a "better" browser and he wasn't doing anything wrong. I had then issued his detention.

It's OK, faceless teenager. High school is tougher for the smart kids, if only because it's the last chance the world has to kick you in the balls before you take it over. [image via digg]

UPDATE: This was a prank. From the school's website:

Recently, a file was uploaded to the Internet purporting to be a copy of a letter from Big Spring High School to a student regarding a two hour detention. The uploaded letter was an altered version of a detention letter sent to a student. Unfortunately, privacy concerns prevent the School District from giving a full explanation of the nature and source of the letter's alteration at this time. The Big Spring School District does have confirmation that the discipline letter was altered.

The reports, blogs and other sources on the Internet indicating that a Big Spring student was assigned detention for using the Firefox internet browser instead of Internet Explorer are untrue and were based on the fake letter. Detention is assigned in our schools after appropriate warnings are given, if students continue to engage in non-academic activities or fail to follow a teacher's directive during class time discipline can and will be assigned.

Sincerely yours,

John C. Scudder

High School Principal

In summary, IE just picked up some tabs, a search bar, and improved security...a short list in 2007 that Firefox 2.0 matches and exceeds, even before it's official release. FF adds spellcheking, a feature to recover your pages and tabs if the browser crashes, and lightning bolts it shoots out of its tail.

The only thing IE has that Walt likes is Quick Tabs, a way to see thumbnails of all tabs in one shot. Pretty cool, but like Apple's Zoom-Zoom Expose window feature.

Like most of the time, I agree with most of Walt says. This time, he leaves out the most notable and powerful feature of Firefox, and that is it's extensibility by open source hoodrats.

IE, nice. I still use Firefox 1.5 because new software is something to be feared. –Brian Lam

Walt Digs Firefox 2 over IE 7 [WSJ]

Product Page [ExporerDestroyer via TheInquirer]