IE8 BETA 1 Preview

( Image credited to Microsoft.com )

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/ie/ie8/default.mspx

New release IE8 Beta 1 is now available.
Download and try it out now.

IE8 for Vista
Size: about 11mb
Date Published: 06/03/2008

New Features:

ActivitiesChoice of layout engine

Activities are contextual services that provide quick access to external services from any webpage. Activities typically involve one of two types of actions:

• "Look up" information related to data in the current webpage
• "Send" content from the current webpage to another application
  

WebSlices
Web sites can expose portions of their page as a WebSlice that users can subscribe to and bring that content with them on their links bar wherever they are on the web.
Users receive update notifications when the content changes.


Choice of layout engine
Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 will ship in standards mode by default. However, three different rendering modes that may be set using the X-UA-Compatible header:

• Quirks mode which supports Internet Explorer 5 and legacy browsers
• Strict mode which supports Internet Explorer 7 and is accessed through the emulate Internet Explorer 7 button
• Internet Explorer 8 standards mode
• Cascading style sheets 2.1 compliance
  

The Internet Explorer 8 layout engine is built to be cascading style sheets 2.1 compliant, enabling web developers and designers to write their pages once and have them render properly across all cascading style sheets 2.1 compatible browsers.

However, Microsoft is not finished—hence, Microsoft is seeking feedback from developers working with Internet Explorer 8 Developer Beta 1.

HTML improvements
Many cross-browser inconsistencies have been fixed in Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1, including:

• Separate URL handing for attributes
• The get/set/remove attribute implementations are now compatible with those of other browsers
• Default attributes for HTML are supported so that they always exist on elements whether specified in the markup or not
  

Improved namespace support
Internet Explorer 8 simplifies the use of standards-compliant XML-based webpages that support namespace features like scalable vector graphics, XML user interface language, mathematical markup language, and others.

Platform performance improvements

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 improves performance in many Internet Explorer subsystems, such as the HTML parser, cascading style sheets rule processing, markup tree manipulation, the JScript parser, garbage collector runtime, and memory management.
More performance work is planned for later beta releases.


Developer tools

Microsoft has heard your feedback that Internet Explorer needs its own built-in Developer Tools, so the new Developer Toolbar enables developers to quickly debug HTML, cascading style sheets, and JavaScript in a visual development environment that is included with the web browser.

Developers can quickly identify and resolve issues because of the deep insight the tool provides into the Document Object Model. The Developer Toolbar also allows the layout to be changed on the fly so that each rendering scenario can be tested thoroughly.

Compatibility for existing sites
Internet Explorer 8 includes a more standards compatible layout engine by default which allows developers to build a single standards compatible website for multiple browsers.

Internet Explorer 8 Developer Beta uses the Internet Explorer 8 standard mode layout engine by default. However, by clicking on the emulate Internet Explorer 7 button, users can choose when they use the strict mode which supports the Internet Explorer 7 compatible layout engine to retain compatibility with existing sites.


Improved security
Internet Explorer 8 will build upon Microsoft's security and privacy investments to address users' security concerns. In the months ahead, additional new protection, prevention, and privacy services will be added.

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 includes:
Enhanced protection from deceptive websites:

As part of an ongoing commitment to privacy and security, Microsoft is making enhancements to the phishing filter in Internet Explorer 8 to provide additional protection against evolving threats to the consumer.

With the Safety Filter, Internet Explorer 8 will now protect against a broader set of online threats by analyzing the full URL string.
The Safety Filter provides a more granular detection, and these prevention capabilities enable Microsoft to protect against more targeted and sophisticated attacks.

What Is Domain Highlighting?
Domain Highlighting is a technology that highlights the top level domain in the address bar, allowing users to quickly confirm that the website they are visiting is the site they intended to visit.
The domain name is in bold and black font, standing out from other characters in the URL which are gray.

Major Search Engine Url Submission Site

May be the URL below able to give you a hand to make your site appear on major search engine such as Google.com, Live.com, Yahoo.com.

Yet, if you wish your site to have a better ranking. You need to research more about SEO ( search engine optimization ) knowlege.

Here we go:

Yahoo !
http://search.yahoo.com/info/submit.html

Google
http://www.google.com/webmasters/

MSN Live
http://search.live.com/docs/submit.aspx?FORM=WSUT

Open DMOZ Project
http://www.dmoz.org/add.html

Feel free to let me know if you have other major search engine submission site.

Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 with Windows Mobile!

Amazing Sony Ericsson XPERIA (tm) is comming soon!


( image credited to Sony Erricson )

Full animation web showcase
http://www.sonyericsson.com/x1/default.aspx?cc=gb&lc=en

Sony Erricson Site
http://www.sonyericsson.com/cws/products/mobilephones/overview/x1?cc=gb&lc=en

XPERIA is my new DREAM phone !
It lets you enjoy the convergence of communication and entertainment.

The WOW! Thing here is , it comes with Windows Mobile® !!
I can deploy my mobile application which able me to work more efficiently with my phone and enjoy customizing it my way !


Besides touch panel, there is QWERTY keyboard which make input more convenient.


What's Cool here!
Arc slider design, 3-inch Wide VGA display and premium metal body.
Really a great and distinctive design ! Cool right?


The 14 Reason to get one!
1. Panel interface ( Configurable and navigate with tips of your finger )
2. Arc slider design ( Slide the screen upwards )
3. Video call ( Two camera )
4. Intergrated camera ( I love Sony Camera quality especially viewfinder )
5. RSS feeds ( easy to feed webs or blogs content )
6. Web wherever ( mobile internet browsing and emailing )
7. Bluetooth ( sync, share and send )
8. Multiple navigation ( Touch, QWERTY, 4-way key, Optical joystick )
9. 3G ( video streaming, net surfing... )
10. Push email ( instant email )
11. Capture the action ( Great video shooting )
12. Handwriting Recognition ( input via stylus on touchscreen to write )
13. Blog your life ( easy picture blogging and publishing )
14. Wi-Fi Alternative ( Wi-Fi enabled!! Get the cheap connection at favourite starbucks)




Specification ( visit Sony Erricson website X1 Summary to get further info )

Size	110.0 x 17.0 x 53.0 mm / 4.3 x 0.7 x 2.1 inches
Weight	145.0 g / 5.1 oz
Available colours	Solid Black
Screen	800 X 480 65,536-colour TFT
Memory	Up to 400 MB Phone Memory MicroSD support Actual free memory may vary due to phone pre-configuration
Networks	GSM 850 GSM 900 GSM 1800 GSM 1900 EDGE HSDPA HSUPA UMTS 850 UMTS 900 UMTS 1700 UMTS 1900 UMTS 2100
Performance GSM 850 GSM 900 GSM 1800 GSM 1900 EDGE HSDPA HSUPA UMTS 850 UMTS 900 UMTS 1700 UMTS 1900 UMTS 2100	Talk time (up to) - - - - - - - - - - - -	Standby time (up to) - - - - - - - - - - - -	Video call (up to) - - - - - - - - - - - -

Camera Video record Photo light Digital zoom - 3x Camera - 3.2 megapixel Auto focus	Music Bluetooth™ stereo (A2DP) Windows Media® Player Mobile PlayNow™ Music tones Media Player	Internet Internet Explorer® Mobile RSS feeds
Entertainment 3D games Video Clip Video streaming Java Radio - FM radio RDS	Connectivity aGPS WLAN USB support USB mass storage Synchronisation PC Modem Bluetooth™ technology	Messaging Exchange ActiveSync® SMS long (Text Messaging) Predictive text input MMS (Multimedia Messaging) Email
Communication Video call Vibrating Alert Speakerphone Polyphonic ringtones	Design XPERIA™ panels Optical joystick navigation Picture wallpaper Navigation key	Organiser Touch-screen Tasks Phone book Notes Handwriting recognition Flight mode Document readers Document editors Calendar Calculator Alarm clock

Mega Bass™, Memory Stick Duo™, Memory Stick PRO Duo™, Memory Stick Micro™ and M2™ are trademarks of Sony Corporation.

Hope when this phone release, I got extra money to get one :P who want to trade-in my IPAQ RW 6828 ha ha ha....

PointUI

This week onwards, I will try to introduce you all my PDA's software.

Introducing PointUI from my favourite ppc free software site:
http://www.freewarepocketpc.net/


(image credited for freewarepocketpc.net)

Click To Download!





I feel this software is excellence for me, especially the non-stylus features.

I like the idea of finger friendly controls and arrangement of the navigation.

It just good enough to replace windows mobile default navigation way.
I can launch my applications with my finger easily.

It provide several cool features such as the IPhone-like scrolling gesture, phone lock gesture, and so on.

You can easily lock your phone at the top left corner. After locking, the phone will go back to your today wallpaper.
To unlock, just press on any spot on the screen, it will brings you to unlock screen, just slight from top to down to unlock it ( just like the IPhone-like gesture )

Besides, I like the today's 'BIG' icons and menu.
At the middle, you can get your digital or analog clock being displayed.
Just scroll your finger from left to right, the middle clock display will goes to next items.
To edit or launch the application, just press on the big icon. e.g: the calendar or clock.
It will launch the default WM program accordingly.

Middle display items included:
a. clock
b. calendar
c. tasks
d. appointment
e. weather ( I am not able to connect it :S )


PointUI has a BIG icons at the bottom of the screen.
Just press on the icons and it will launch your program accordingly.

Try it out, and welcome to share your experience with me by posting a new comment.

Configure MSSQL Mix Mode Authentication

Some times we installed the wrong authentication mode for Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and 2005.
It would be quite troublesom to configure web application connection string or way to connect the
windows authentication database server.

Hope the solution as below help!
You can re configure SQL Server with windows authentication mode to mixed mode authentication.


For MSSQL Server 2000
======================
1. Launch Enterprise Manage for SQL Server 2000.
2. Right click current active database server (Usually named local) 's "PROPERTY".
3. Click on the "SECURITY" tab, and change:
Authentication
- Tick "SQL SERVER AND WINDOWS radio button

Audit Level
- Tick "None"

Ownership Chaining
- Uncheck

4. Startup service account
- Tick "System account"

5. Restart server


For SQL 2005 Express Edition
============================
No GUI tool available to configure the server it to MIX MODE!
You need to go it manually. The first step is to change the login-mode.

1. Press Window Key + R ( Run ) and key in regedit to launch Registery Editor.

2. Go to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQLServer in the tree on the left.

3. On the right, look for an entry named LoginMode.

The default value would be 1.
Now change it to 2 ( HEX )

4. Restart the SQL Service.

Type services.msc in the RUN to launch your Service Manager (Start -> Run -> Type services.msc)
and look for a service named MSSQL Server (SQLEXPRESS).
Right Click and Restart the service.


In this stage, if you already have an exisiting SA user, make sure you enable the SA user.


Configure a valid SA User properties:
1. Open SQL Management Studio

2. Connect via windows authentication ( use windows authentication to change the SA user property to be valid )

3. Under current SQL Server > Security > Logins > Double Click on SA user.
a. Change the password
b. Uncheck "Enforce password policy" if not needed
c. Default database set to "master"
d. Default language set to "english"

4. Property of Server Roles, Check on "public" and "sysadmin"

5. Property of User Mapping, Map databases with User (dbo) and Default Schema (dbo) value.

6. Property of Status,
a. Permission to connect to databse engine, set to "Grant"
b. Login, set to "Enabled"

or you can use command prompt way:

To add a user with administrative priviledges so that the database can be accessed from ASP.Net.

On the command prompt, login to SQL Server command prompt using the osql utility.
SQL Server 2005 Express Edition is installed with the instance name SQLEXPRESS.

Use the following command to login:
=============================
osql -E -S .\SQLEXPRESS
=============================

One the SQL-command prompt, execute the following?

1> exec sp_addlogin 'username', 'password'
2> go
1> exec sp_addsrvroleadmin 'username', 'sysadmin'
2> go
1> quit

Replace the username and password but not forget the quotes. To verify, try login using the following on the command prompt:
=================================
osql -S .\SQLExpress -U username
=================================
Provide the password when asked.

ASP Clasic System Locale Setting With Session.LCID

LCID stands for Locale Identifier

Example of usage:
If you using ASP Classic Functions such as MonthName(xxx), Date(xxx) and etc, your web application will converting the month's name base on your server regional / locale settings.

Let say your server locale is Chinese (PRC ) settings, you may get a chinese charater of month being shown at the website.

Suggested solution for this would be:
reset the locale identifier at the page initialize stage

Example as below:
Session.lcid = 1033 ' English US
Session.lcid = 3081 ' English Australia

LCID might affected other formats such as the format of date time and currency value.

Example:
For 1033, date format would be mm/dd/yyyy and 3081 would be dd/mm/yyyy

List of LCID
http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/reference/lcid-all.mspx
http://www.science.co.il/Language/Locale-Codes.asp?s=decimal

Tips To Validate Online Banking Fake or Phishing Site

Phishing site would be a site which created very similar to the original website to trap user.
If you didn't take note of several security validation, you might probably entering your user id and password to the phishing site, and the owner of the phishing site will get all your login information and able to access your real account then.

You can always call to those online banking site if you suspect the site is a fake or phishing site.

Here by would be some tips to validate our local Maybank2u site:

1. URL
You have to always be careful and notice the Url of your site.
Take note of
a. URL Protocol : e.g: always be https:// ( for secure online banking system )
b. Domain Name: always be a valid or related domain name and not those xxyyzz.aa
c. Query String: always be a valid query string but not those weired one.

Below figure is Maybank2u site which always reporting latest fake or phishing site.
Take note if you found your current Maybank2u site URL are listed at the red circle in the figure.






2. Always check for security certificate of site owner.
How to check ?
a. Always note on the right bottom site would show a LOCK icon whenever it is a https secure site.
b. Right Click the page > Property of the page > Click on the Certificate button
You will get to know this certificate is issued to which owner.
In this case would be www.maybank2u.com.my
and is issued by www.verisign.com.
Besides, you will get validity period from when to when.

Go for the certificate path tabs and check for the certificate status whether it is ok or not.

3. Be advised that not to open pages via email links or IM links
Those unknown source of links might have hidden query string and will divert the page to a phishing site.