Microsoft has put IE8 into its second beta and there are a variety of new features.  The one most interesting from a security perspective is "InPrivate" which let's users mort tightly control what cookies get stored (and how they are used) and the settings to control the browser history.  This is largely seen as a slap to Google and Yahoo where it will allow IE users a built-in way to limit the amount of profiling web advertising companies can do to target their advertisements.  It remains to be seen whether this will be used in an even handed way, but it is a good reminder to people how much data advertising companies such as Google can generate about its users.  Nothing in life is free, and if you aren't paying for those services, Google is getting paid from someone. :)

Some people could care less, others are more stringent about their privacy.  There are equivalents in the Firefox world (AdBlock, etc), but Microsoft seems to be trying to position themselves to be the protectors of privacy in the new web world order.  We'll see how that works out (because MSFT is an advertiser themselves with their own ad network).

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John Bambenek
bambenek /at/ gmail \dot\ com