Microsoft released the final version of the Internet Explorer 8 today.

Internet Explorer 8 is the latest version of the familiar web browser you are most comfortable using, helping you get everything you want from the web faster, easier, more privately and securely than ever before.

• Faster Internet Explorer 8 is more responsive with new pages and tabs, opening up fast and reliably. You can now get to the information you care about most, in fewer steps; one click access to your webmail, favorite news sites or other online services.
• Easier Reduce the steps to accomplish many common tasks, and automate your access to real time information updates. You can keep track of your favorite sports team, news, weather with a single click.
• More Private Helps protect your privacy and confidential information where ever you go on the web.
• More Secure Helps protect and stop malicious software from reaching your PC, and makes it easier to detect when a website is an imposter.

Benefits
Through the online provider, the Sign-in Assistant helps a Windows 7 application running on one computer identify and communicate with other computers that are associated with the same Windows Live ID. Just by linking your Windows Live ID to the user account on each Windows 7 computer you own, you enable those computers to identify each other and work together more easily than has been possible in the past. Applications can take advantage of this capability to support scenarios as in the following example:

On his homegroup, Bob wants to share certain documents with his wife but not with his kids. Simply by specifying his wife’s Windows Live ID user name, Bob can give his wife exclusive permission to access documents on his computer.

Microsoft released the official Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate two days ago.

Internet Explorer 8 is the latest version of the familiar web browser you are most comfortable using, helping you get everything you want from the web faster, easier, more privately and securely than ever before.

• Faster Internet Explorer 8 is more responsive with new pages and tabs, opening up fast and reliably. You can now get to the information you care about most, in fewer steps; one click access to your webmail, favorite news sites or other online services.
• Easier Reduce the steps to accomplish many common tasks, and automate your access to real time information updates. You can keep track of your favorite sports team, news, weather with a single click.
• More Private Helps protect your privacy and confidential information where ever you go on the web.
• More Secure Helps protect and stop malicious software from reaching your PC, and makes it easier to detect when a website is an imposter.

The final version of the Internet Explorer 8 has been released on the 19th March 2009. Please read this post for more information and download links.

Microsoft updated the December Partner Build (RC1) of the Internet Explorer 8. This build contains the fix to MSRC MS08-078. Please read the IEBlog for more information. All Internet Explorer users should read the article above to ensure that they are safe.

Just as with the IE8 December Partner Build, this build represents a preview of Microsofts progress and is best used to verify issues fixed since releasing Beta 2. While the IE Team believes it to be of adequate quality for you to use, is not as extensively tested as a milestone build, so it is not meant for the general public but only for testing purposes.

The buildtag of this version is 8.00.6001.18344 (longhorn_ie8_rc1(wmbla).081211-1138).

The Official Release Candidate 1 of the Internet Explorer 8 has been released on the 26th January 2009. Please read this post for more information and download links.

The next milestone of the Internet Explorer 8 (RC1, “December Partner Build”) has been released to the Technical beta testers. This build represents a preview of Microsofts progress and is best used to verify issues fixed since releasing Beta 2. While Microsoft believes it to be of adequate quality for you to use, is not as extensively tested as a milestone build, so it is not meant for the general public but only for testing purposes.

The Release Candidate 1 of the Internet Explorer 8 has been updated on the 17th December. Please read this post for more information and download links.

If you are a participant of the Beta Program on Microsoft Connect you can download them there. Microsoft will ship the media only to those who ask them within the next two weeks.

Additional, Microsoft released a new version of the EBS Preparation and Planning Wizards which can be downloaded here.

RC1 Loc Participation Survey: http://connect.microsoft.com/centro/Survey/Survey.aspx?SurveyID=6941

In addition, Microsoft also released a CTP of Service Pack 3 (SP3) for Windows XP Embedded. This is a rollup of hot fixes and security updates Microsoft has released since the RTM of Service Pack 2. SP3 also includes select out-of-band features and enhancements. SP3 provides a new baseline for customers deploying Windows XP Embedded.

Sign up for the Windows Embedded CTP here: https://connect.microsoft.com/windowsembedded

Whats new?

• Active Storage Platform: Enables the Windows platform to restrict access to portable devices (such as a USB Flash Device) via a certificate or password authentication based on the IEEE 1667 standard specification.
• Image Mastering API update for Blu-Ray media: This feature enables the Windows platform to do master style optical burning on Blu-Ray media.
• Smart Card Driver: This provides support for new form factors, such as ICCD/CCID.

You can join the beta on Microsoft Connect via this link:
https://connect.microsoft.com/site/sitehome.aspx?SiteID=434