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IE8 B2 is out!! Go get it now!!  From the IE Blog:

We’re excited to release IE8 Beta 2 today for public download. You can find it at http://www.microsoft.com/ie8. Please try it out!

You’ll find versions for 32- and 64-bit editions of Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008. In addition to English, IE8 Beta 2 is available in Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), and German. Additional languages will be available soon.

While Beta 1 was for developers, we think that anyone who browses or works on the web will enjoy IE8 Beta 2. Before the team blogs about our Beta 2 in detail, here’s an overview of what you’ll find in IE8.

We focused our work around three themes: everyday browsing (the things that real people do all the time), safety (the term most people use for what we’ve called ‘trustworthy’ in previous posts), and the platform (the focus of Beta 1, how developers around the world will build the next billion web pages and the next waves of great services).

Go ahead and download it here!

I recently did a review on the iTech Bluetooth keyboard for Neowin… here’s a taste:

For years now I’ve been using the same keyboard at home, a Microsoft Wireless Desktop Elite Keyboard. It’s not a bad board, thought it has seen better days. While looking around for a replacement I came across what appears to be the Keyboard of the Future! Not only is it small, compact and connects via Bluetooth, but it has no physical keys! This “keyboard” is actually a laser projection that will display a “virtual” keyboard on any flat surface.

The “geek” part of me instantly decided this would be the best keyboard ever, but the logical part of me had some hesitations. How well would it work? Would it be able to handle a very fast typing speed with accuracy? Would it be comfortable to use? Well, thanks to our good friends at ThinkGeek, I was able to get a hold of one of these devices to try out and give you all a taste of what it’s like to live in the future of computing.

Click here to read the whole thing, and stay tuned for my next review!!  Oh, and here’s a nice pic of it in action:

Coool!

This week at the Black Hat Security Conference two security researchers will discuss their findings which could completely bring Windows Vista to its knees.

Mark Dowd of IBM Internet Security Systems (ISS) and Alexander Sotirov, of VMware Inc. have discovered a technique that can be used to bypass all memory protection safeguards that Microsoft built into Windows Vista. These new methods have been used to get around Vista’s Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR), Data Execution Prevention (DEP) and other protections by loading malicious content through an active web browser. The researchers were able to load whatever content they wanted into any location they wished on a user’s machine using a variety of scripting languages, such as Java, ActiveX and even .NET objects. This feat was achieved by taking advantage of the way that Internet Explorer (and other browsers) handle active scripting in the Operating System.

While this may seem like any standard security hole, other researchers say that the work is a major breakthrough and there is very little that Microsoft can do to fix the problems. These attacks work differently than other security exploits, as they aren’t based on any new Windows vulnerabilities, but instead take advantage of the way Microsoft chose to guard Vista’s fundamental architecture. According to Dino Dai Zovi, a popular security researcher, “the genius of this is that it’s completely reusable. They have attacks that let them load chosen content to a chosen location with chosen permissions. That’s completely game over.”

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Speaking yesterday at the Black Hat Security Conference in Las Vegas, Microsoft has now introduced a new group of security related programs that share advanced information with partners about upcoming security threats.

As many in the tech industry know, within hours, and sometimes minutes of monthly security patches being released, exploits are already booming for the security holes fixed by these updates. The Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP) will allow security software providers to provide protection to their customers quickly and effectively.

“The introduction of these new programs helps address evolving online threats and provides more practical guidance to assess and manage risk,” said Andrew Cushman, director of security response and outreach at Microsoft. “In the race between exploit and protection, Microsoft is committed to shifting the advantage to the security industry. The Microsoft Active Protections Program gives security software providers the information and resources they need to help better protect customers.”

read more | digg story