The latest release beta release of IE7 that coincided with MIX06 has, according to Markus Mielke over at IEBlog, now reached ‘layout complete’ stage. What this means as, Markus goes on to state, is that we can now start developing websites to be compliant with Microsoft’s much improved browser. Though still not perfect, Microsoft has increased the support for CSS and many of the work arounds previously needed for layout have been fixed. Its still not perfect though and there have been some reports of major websites breaking with this new browser.
BitTorrent is the best distribution protocol available at the moment and deserves the positive credit it receives. Many distributions of Linux are available using BitTorrent along with other open source software and media such as video and podcasts. Valve the video game producer also hired Bram Cohen, the creator of BitTorrent to help distribute patches and content for games. Many other companies are using the the system legitimately for distribution of their content in one form or another. Unfortunately due to its success it is perhaps now the number 1 protocol for illegal file sharing, and rightly or wrongly also receives a fair share of bad press.
I have blogged briefly about Cocomment before, the excellent comment and conversation tracking service. As a way to track those blog conversations that develop from time to time this genius and if you haven’t signed up you should. With more and more blogging solutions being integrated into this service (now including Flickr and Digg), it has and will continue to become for many, an essential tool. With the majority of comments coming from bloggers is it not already now a major disadvantage for you blog not to be compatible?
I have now have seven email accounts operating from Thunderbird – the excellent, free email client from Mozilla. As you can imagine sometimes recalling what email was from a particular account can become quite tiresome. As good as Thunderbird is as a client, the search facility is ancient and the indexing of Google’s Desktop Search offers exactly what I want (privacy issues aside), instantly . I am not a fan of the sidebar that comes with the Google desktop, it reminds me too much of the Office sidebar they inflicted on us a few years ago, and floating deskbar just gets in the way. While the deskbar is more possibility it is still intrusive, what I really need is an extension to integrate my Google desktop search directly into Thunderbird. There is implementations of this available for Outlook and even Outlook Express but an extension could be done so much better and seamlessly integrate into this great app at the same time. Is there anything out there?
It would appear that multi-national giant Dell Computers is suing a small web designer by the name of Paul Dell for damages. Claiming he is engaging in "parasitism and unfair competition" Paul has been summoned to appear in Paris because of the name of his company and website www.dellwebsites.com. Paul, a Brit based in Menorca (a small island off the coast of Spain), is currently hoping, with the help of his friends, to raise the funds needed and fight the case. Donations can be made or CSS templates bought to help fund this ‘David and Goliath’ case.
