Microsoft seeks community help to make IE8 Standards Mode work out

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If users install their first Internet Explorer 8 updates, and they notice their favorite Web pages look like scrambled egg soup, will they blame the browser? That s the dilemma Microsoft is facing as it cautiously embraces Web standards.

As testers of Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 are already aware, the new default rendering mode for Web pages is one that promises compliance with standards officially set forth by committees such as W3C. But the big problem major Web sites have all experienced guilty as charged is that they must support the somewhat standards-skewed rendering mode of previous versions of IE, up to version 6, in order to accommodate a majority of browser users.

Despite all the outreach to sites, we saw from the telemetry data that IE8 Beta 2 users still have to use Compatibility View a lot, wrote IE8 Program Manager Scott Dickens yesterday on his team s blog . Looking at our instrumentation, there were high-volume sites like facebook.com, myspace.com, bbc.co.uk, and cnn.com with pages that weren t working for end-users with IE s new standards compliant default. We could also see from our instrumentation that not all IE8 visitors to those sites were clicking the Compatibility View button. So, large groups of people were having a less than great experience because they weren t aware of the manual steps required to make certain sites work.

There actually aren t too many manual steps to take conceivably, as few as one ; the problem has apparently been with compelling users to want to take any steps at all.

A recent test of IE8 Beta 2 shows BetaNews itself doesn t look all that hot in standards mode.

To that end, Dickens revealed yesterday, future builds of IE8 -- distributed at first, most likely in the form of update patches and through the first Windows 7 public betas next month -- will maintain an ongoing list of sites that appear to require Compatibility View, in hopes of aiding the browser in making the switch automatically. However, Microsoft doesn t want to be compiling this list alone.

When users install Windows 7 Beta or the next IE8 update, they get a choice about opting-in to a list of sites that should be displayed in Compatibility View, Dickens wrote. Sites are on this list based on feedback from other IE8 customers: Specifically, for what high-volume sites did other users click the Compatibility View button? This list updates automatically, and helps users who aren t Web-savvy have a better experience with Web sites that aren t yet IE8-ready.

Rather than take a cue from Google, this list will not be automatically compiled and shared with some server in the background. Instead, Microsoft will have humans make the determination, based on submissions from beta testers and frequent users. Microsoft will regularly update this list for IE8 users in the background, but only if users opt in to that service, Dickens demonstrated.

Whether developers get around to doing this work or not, the people who use the Web expect that the web will keep working, the program manager concluded. They want the benefits of interoperability and standards. They don t want to deal with compatibility issues.
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Counterfeiters sing the Blue as Microsoft lawyers up

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A 12-nation crackdown on software counterfeiters is keeping Microsoft s lawyers busy this week, with 63 legal actions under way against shady online sellers.

The majority of cases announced on Thursday involve fake versions of XP and XP-related software; no surprise, as popular products at the end of their life cycle are often vulnerable to counterfeiters wiles, as would-be buyers freak out and stock up. What s surprising is the amount of effort the auctioneers put into their marketing schemes -- a trend toward more brazen pirate activity, according to Matt Lundy, a senior attorney with Microsoft s World-Wide Anti-Piracy Team.

One effort, involving the Blue Edition of Office, illustrates the problem nicely. You re not slacking on your Office trivia; there is no Blue Edition. The auctioneers, however, claimed that would-be buyers hadn t heard of it because it was a special, limited release. Buyers who took the bait on Blue Edition auctions -- many of which were conducted on respectable sites such as eBay, Amazon and ouch MSN Shopping -- received, essentially, writable CDs or DVDs with a blue design printed on and a copy of Office burned in. In some cases, the Blue Edition code appeared to have been altered, though Lundy declined to say whether those changes included malware or the like.

Burned buyers turned to Microsoft for help, and that s where the fun began. Over the past several months, the proprietors of hundreds of sketchy auctions were contacted, and Microsoft worked with auction sites to remove questionable listings. We partner with eBay to remove, daily, listings for counterfeit software, says Lundy. All of the sellers who could be located were served with cease-and-desist letters, and those who chose not to comply are being sued.

Action is underway against counterfeiters in the US 16 legal proceedings this week , Germany 12 , France 12 , and the UK 7 , plus cases in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Japan, Mexico and New Zealand. Lundy points out that each country has its own way of handling copyright and trademark issues, so Thursday s efforts were even more complex that you d expect.

In the US, civil cases were filed in district court in western Washington against defendants from 12 states. Other countries make violations a matter for law enforcement; there were police raids on suspected vendors in Brazil and Canada. An investigation in Japan found one seller funneling shoppers from a legitimate e-commerce site to his own, where he sold the fakeware. And some cases make you wonder what else the accused parties were up to -- in Colombia, cases in Bogota and Medellin netted suspects who are also believed to be engaged in tax evasion and fraud, neither of which charge is anything to sniff at.

A savvy observer might wonder why China s not on the list, especially since at least some of the actual warez came from there. China has, notes Lundy, been on the receiving end of Microsoft s anti-piracy efforts before; this week s group just doesn t happen to involve any China-based sellers. Likewise, busts like these happen year-round -- though Microsoft acknowledges that the timing, near the top of the holiday shopping season, has a certain consumer-education aspect.
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Word Key

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Word Key 8.5 build 3066 is a Password Recovery product from lostpassword.com, get 4 Stars SoftSea Rating, This software finds passwords for MS Word document files DOC . Whenever an important document becomes inaccessible or uneditable because of a lost password, this software offers a solution. It works with all versions of MS Word and provides recovery for all types of passwords, including instant recovery of form and document protection passwords. The software supports multiple languages and automatically saves the password search state and can resume it after a stop or a crash. The software has online help and installation support. The license of this antivirus security software is Free Trial Software, the price is 45.00, you can free download and get a free trial before you buy. If you want to get a full or nolimited version of Word Key, you can buy this antivirus security software.
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Quicken Key

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Quicken Key 8.5 build 3066 is a Password Recovery product from lostpassword.com, get 4 Stars SoftSea Rating, This software recovers passwords for Quicken QDF and QDB files. All you need to do to recover a password is just to drag and drop your file to the software window. The software processes the file and shows you the password. It features a state-of-the-art password recovery engine and supports Quicken 95 through Quicken 2000. It has online help and installation support.
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Full install uninstall support The license of this antivirus security software is Free Trial Software, the price is 45.00, you can free download and get a free trial before you buy. If you want to get a full or nolimited version of Quicken Key, you can buy this antivirus security software.
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Ciaopeople interviews Viviane Reding

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On the occasion of Safer Internet Forum, that took place last September, Ciaopeople interviews Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Information and Media Society, to talk about children s and teenagers on-line safety.

Safer Internet Forum, organized every year by European Commission since 2004, provides an European platform through which industries of this field, legal authorities and politicians can face issues regarding on-line safety. So Ciaopeople, as representative of Italian social networks, decided to interview Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Information and Media Society.

Viviane Reding has underlined her interest in social networks, specifying that this phenomenon is changing remarkably the way we get in touch, the way we search for information, the way we have fun. But, it has also given innovative tools for the management of human resources, customer service and advertising. These networking sites have transformed people in active users of technology, but we must not forget that these changes involve new challenges too. Their great popularity among teenagers creates serious problems, concerning on-line data and privacy protection .

Moreover, the European Commissioner explained that she is well-disposed to self-regulation: As a member of the Social Christian Party of Luxembourg, I obviously stand up for an efficient self-regulation of industry compared to the creation of a new legislation. But and as the issue of SMS roaming has confirmed self-regulation of industry can be considered as an option, if interested stakeholders accept it and when it is actually implemented. I think it s important that 17 social networks, operating in Europe for example MySpace, FaceBook, YouTube, Bebo, Hyves, StudiVZ and Skyrock have decided to talk about a common set of guide-lines to assure on-line safety, in particular for children, and to improve the transparency of their utilities .

Ciaopeople is a rather large social network that has reached about 500.000 members, mostly teenagers. From the start, Ciaopeople has tried to make a safe virtual platform for its users and now, as a large chat, it underlines the importance of internet safety. Indeed, this firm wants to provide a safe on-line space for its users, in which those who surf the net will be able to find only the best aspects of the net, such as entertainment, socializing and interaction.

As a representative of Italian social networking, Ciaopeople wants to understand Italy s role in these changes: for this reason, European Commissioner mentioned two important Italian projects, financed by European Safer Internet Plus program, EASY http: www.easy4.it and STOP-IT http: www.stop-it.org managed by Save the children Italy Organization, in partnership with Adiconsum, consumers association.

In addition, the Commissioner asked social networks to agree to the European Social Networking Task Force, which is working to make a code of conduct , that will be ready in 2009. It operates under the supervision of the European Commission.
Internet Safety is a moral obligation for social networking firms, legal authorities, politicians and people in general. So www.ciaopeople.com will agree to the guide-lines of this new code of conduct.

Read the complete interview to Viviane Reding
en.ciaoblog.net

Press Office www.ciaopeople.com
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Research reveals HR leaders are looking to bring training in...

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An independent research report released today by eLearning and advanced content solutions provider IMC UK Learning Ltd reveals nearly four out of five 78 HR leaders believe it is important to reduce costs such as those incurred on external training courses, while over half 57 want to minimise the time staff spend out of the office on such courses.

The survey, Staff training during an economic downturn opportunities and threats , polled 150 UK HR professionals on their training needs, practices and expectations during an economic slowdown. It found that a flexible and cost-effective training solution is vital during an economic slowdown with 79 of respondents stating the importance of being able to produce in-house training content quickly and cost-effectively.

A staggering nine out of ten 89 of respondents cited the ability to tailor training to an organisation s changing needs quickly and cost-effectively as the attribute they want most from staff training, with an overwhelming 98 of respondents from large organisations 5000 employees believing it is important.

Commenting on the research, Dr Dirk Thissen, managing director, IMC UK Learning Ltd, says: Large or small, public or private, this report indicates that regardless of the size or makeup of the organisation, cost-effective, flexible training content, that can be produced quickly and effectively, is extremely important to HR professionals during an economic downturn. With the wealth of learning management systems and rapid authoring programs on the market, HR leaders now have a wide range of products, services and options available to fit their specific training and budget needs.

In addition, 78 of those surveyed believe it is important to execute a training programme that offers flexible training times for employees. This is particularly true in very large 90 and very small 82 of organisations.

Thissen continues: Now, more than ever, it is imperative to have a fully trained and knowledgeable workforce on hand to see you through these tough times but not at the expense of productivity. eLearning solutions such as virtual classrooms, web based training and mobile learning not only minimise the time employees spend out of the office, but they also allow employees to carry out training at flexible times, thereby reducing impact on their day-to-day work.

For a copy of the Staff training during an economic downturn opportunities and threats report please email emily.young portfoliocomms.com or call 02072406959

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PDC 2008: Look out for the delighters in Windows 7

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Color, a Microsoft design team discovered with the aid of a focus group, is quintessential to a positive user experience. In advising developers to add delight to their apps, a team leader made a revelation about Windows 7 s mission.

LOS ANGELES - During a mid-day session on best practices for designing applications to take advantage of Windows 7, Microsoft s principal design manager Samuel Moreau told attendees that his team was charged with the task of building new visual elements into the new user interface specifically to make users feel better about the operating system.

The term chosen for the goal his team would strive to achieve is delight. And to that end, the design team came up with, in effect, a concept for devices whose entire purpose is to invoke some sense of fun and happiness.

That may seem like a really strange thing; I realize now, I m the design guy on stage at PDC, and I m talking to a bunch of developers about delight, said Moreau at one point. What delight looks like...is pleasure, enjoyment, and love. How do you actually get somebody to enjoy the experience of using their PC? It s a really odd thing.

Moreau then proceeded to demonstrate what he introduced as an API for delight, including a slide showing sample code...which he then conceded to have been entirely in jest. Then instead, he showed an example video of a participant in a Microsoft focus group who spent several unprompted minutes playing with hovering the mouse pointer over the icons in a prototype of the Windows 7 taskbar, just to notice that each icon was lighting up with a different color.

For the new taskbar, we actually set out -- and maybe we re crazy, but we set out -- to actually design in what we call delighters, said Moreau. Now, our characterization of what a delighter is, is literally something that puts a smile on someone s face. But how do you achieve that? We had all kinds of ways the team got together, we had brainstorms, and different ideas.

One of those ideas culminated in a system where the underlying application gets to choose the color of its own halo, rather than a traditional Control Panel setting.

As Moreau explained, We knew that, as a UI function, we needed to show some user feedback when the mouse enters the region that is a launched application icon -- that s a UI thing we had to achieve. Now, what we could ve done is made it the Windows System color. That s great. But we had this sort of thing in the back of our mind -- we wanted to put smiles on people s faces. So through the course of a number of different brainstorms and explorations, the idea popped up, What if we let the application shine through? What if we let the application color shine through to the experience, and let it be about the application? Let s not be about Windows here.

So every time you hover over a launched application, you re going to get a color that s unique to that application. Now, what s going to happen is, the more you use your Windows 7 taskbar, the more applications you launch, the more windows you have running, the more color variants you re going to have along the bottom, the more beautiful your experience is going to be.

Moreau did not take questions after his session, so we didn t get a chance to ask whether his team would be task with applying similar beautification to User Account Control.
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