It shocks me as a devoted Firefox user to say this, but Internet Explorer 9 could very well leapfrog the competition in the race of next-generation of web browsers in 2010 thanks to a groundbreaking platform-wide implementation of a hardware-accelerated renderer that I think is quite literally “a free upgrade for the web”.

What makes IE9’s implementation of hardware-acceleration so compelling is that it has major real-world benefits and its completely transparent to both end-user and developers. Using the new capabilities in Direct2D instead of GDI, IE9 is able to rendering all the visual elements of websites much faster and smoother. One example of where this really shines is in the Bing Maps demo where continuously panning the map is just as smooth as navigating a map in a 3D strategy game.

During a meeting with IE general manager Dean Hachamovitch, he explained that this feature hasn’t already been implemented in other mainstream browsers today is because by no means this is an easy feat to accomplish. At least one issue he pointed out was the fact that there may be other components inside a frame that handles its own rendering, like Adobe Flash for example.

Having already overcame the major implementation issues, Dean was able to confirm this feature does not actually introduce any incompatibility issues besides a subtle difference in the layout of text as fonts are rendered by the more advanced DirectWrite engine.

Essentially, this feature coupled with an already improved and continued investment in web standards and overall browser performance until it is released, IE9 is in great shape to become the browser with the best browsing experience in 2010 when one might expect it to ship as a standalone download.

I may very well make the switch back.

In my casual scavenging of trademark applications at the USPTO, a new trademark filed this week has revealed an interesting new project from Microsoft that aims to help people familiarize themselves with the Ribbon user interface with a game inspired by the “Hero” franchise. No, I’m not kidding.

Trademark serial number 77872539 for “Ribbon Hero” is classified as a “computer software for training users to use business application software; and computer game software for use in computer user training”. In detail, it will…

providing online training in the nature of tutorials and “how to” demonstrations in the field of business application software; educational services, providing training and educational materials in the field of business application software; entertainment in the nature of competitions in the field of business application software user skills; and providing recognition and incentives by the way of awards and contests to demonstrate excellence in the field of business application software user skills.

After some more digging around, it turns out this is actually a project by the Office Labs folks whose privacy policy page reveals this will actually be a Facebook game with competitive scoring.

If you use the Ribbon Hero Facebook application, Microsoft stores your Facebook ID and the ID of your primary Facebook network. When you connect to Facebook, you can choose to share your scores with your friends. This will make your Facebook profile picture and overall score appear in your Facebook friends’ Ribbon Wars leaderboard. In addition, your overall score will be counted towards your primary Facebook network’s average score. Your Facebook friends will be able to click on your profile picture in Ribbon Hero, and then see how many points you have on each challenge.

Will this be a bigger hit than Guitar Hero 3 and Farmville? Only time will tell.

Join Ed Bott, Mary Jo Foley, Kip Kniskern, Paul Thurrott, Rafael Rivera, Tom Warren and I in our not-too-technical liveblog commentary below. You can also tune in the live video stream and recording after the event at the PDC website.

Disclosure: I am attending PDC09 as a guest of Microsoft Australia.

Join Ed Bott, Mary Jo Foley, Kip Kniskern, Paul Thurrott, Rafael Rivera, Tom Warren and I in our always-quirky liveblog commentary below. You can also tune in the live video stream and recording after the event at the PDC website.

Disclosure: I am attending PDC09 as a guest of Microsoft Australia.

As the public Microsoft Office 2010 beta approaches, the Office online companion website set to take center stage on Microsoft’s recently acquired Office.com has also undergone a radical redesign.

In my opinion, the Office online site has long been under-appreciated by both novice and power-users alike for its vast library of additional content including but not limited to a great selection of high-resolution stock photographs, most likely due to its complexity and corporate-centric feel.

Although still in beta, the new site is already addressing such problems by prominently featuring “images” and “templates” content in a much cleaner and contemporary design.

In particular, the previously cumbersome image library now also features a much more streamlined interface with a handy hover download button. Furthermore, a surprising “Share your images” link in the sidebar indicates it might even be possible for users to contribute to the library with their own content. User-generated content in a productivity tool? Who would have thought!

In the meantime, keep an eye on the site as it’s also where you’ll find download links to the beta when it is rumored to be officially available next week.

The event of Microsoft events, Professional Developers Conference is being held again next week in Los Angeles and you’re all invited to the virtual house of fun that is the keynote liveblog.

Following the overwhelming response and success of the last year’s (multi-site) group liveblog experiment, the cast and crew is signed up again for season two including Ed Bott, Mary Jo Foley, Kip Kniskern, Paul Thurrott, Rafael Rivera, Tom Warren and yours truly. In addition, we’re also taking aboard the feedback we heard from last year to make this even better.

The two keynotes we will be liveblogging are on Tuesday 17th of November and Wednesday 18th of November, both from 8.30am to 10.30am Pacific Standard Time. Please check back on this blog on the day to find the CoverItLive viewer.

Of course there is considerable doubt this year’s keynotes can match the caliber of last year’s announcements, but it is PDC after all and I don’t think Microsoft can afford to not impress.

Update: Outlook and other calendar application users can download a convenient ICAL schedule here.

Disclosure: I am attending PDC09 as a guest of Microsoft Australia.

[See post to watch Flash video]

It turns out 2019 is getting closer every day. At the moment, Microsoft’s chief research and strategy officer Craig Mundie is doing the rounds at a number of prestigious colleges in the States showing off Microsoft’s vision for technology to solve the world’s biggest problems. Of course, one must use the latest in natural user interfaces for this task.

A feature of this year’s tour appears to be a next-generation computer – one that docks and undocks from a transparent glass display and allows for not only pen and voice input as you’d come to expect from natural user interfaces, but also incorporates touchless gestures and eye-tracking to interact with the information at hand.

Personally I’ve never seen eye-tracking used as an input before, but after seeing this demo, it makes so much sense to skim vasts amounts of information with your eye.

I’ll let these two videos do the rest of the talking.

No doubt with any fancy prototype it’s usually very difficult to distinguish just how much of the demo is real and how much of it is simulated – either by timers or remote-control, but knowing Microsoft Research and what they’re capable of, I’m willing to bet it’s all real.

On a related note, it appears now Microsoft’s new vision is a glass-display on every desk. Time to get in the window cleaning business perhaps?

If you have a reasonably new laptop with an Intel WiFi chipset then I have some good news. A set of new Intel WiFi drivers made available just a couple weeks ago, version 13.0.0.107 if you’re playing along, finally adds the necessary driver-level support for the new native Virtual WiFi technology in Windows 7.

After downloading and installing the drivers (32-bit here, 64-bit here), assuming your WiFi chipset supports the functionality (which I can verify the 5300 can but 3945 cannot), a new “Wireless Network Connection” with the adapter name “Microsoft Virtual WiFi Miniport” will automatically appear in your network connections.

Recently, the internet has been abuzz with a new software called Connectify which interacts with this Windows 7 Virtual WiFi technology, but it appears their intention is to sell this application once its finalized. Personally I find it ludicrous that someone would charge for what is essential a wrapper to some functionality already baked into Windows.

To set up and use Virtual WiFi in Windows 7, without paying a buck, just follow these three simple steps:

• Open an elevated command line with administrative privileges and type
  netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=Test key=password
  replacing the name and password with your own preference.
• Start the adapter by
  netsh wlan start hostednetwork
• Share an existing connection to it by going to the “Properties” of a connection, selecting the “Sharing” tab and enabling ICS and choosing the corresponding Virtual WiFi adapter.

Of course this functionality isn’t that useful day-to-day, but a powerful usage scenario for this internet sharing functionality via Virtual WiFi will be when you’re at an airport or hotel which limits your connection to a single wireless adapter. Not only would this save you playing switcheroo with the hotspot, but it might also save you paying for multiple connections if you’re traveling with somebody else.

Announced today, Microsoft has signed on a third-party, Bsquare, to be the first and currently exclusive distributor for Windows Mobile licenses worldwide.

Until just recently, Microsoft has had full control of Windows Mobile licensing to OEMs like HTC who would purchase them to ship with their mobile phones. Instead, it appears Microsoft has relinquished this right entirely to Bsquare, who will on top of just selling licenses, also provide reference designs, communication stacks, technical support, training, testing and the like to OEMs. Apparently 30 existing Windows Mobile partners have already made the switch as their contracts with Microsoft ended.

Whilst I won’t pretend to have a crystal clear idea of the implications of this, I do see two sides of the coin covered slightly in mud.

On one hand, delegating the responsibility to what could be potentially many license distributors might fuel competition in the ecosystem to develop higher quality devices as testing and certification improves. This would also allow Microsoft to focus solely on the task of developing the operating system and not spend as much time supporting the relationship with each OEM.

On the other hand, adding a third-party between device OEMs and Microsoft might result in even longer delays in the process a new OS is developed and is available on devices as the updates won’t trickle down just one layer but two. In fact, this probably explains why Microsoft has been clamping down on modified ROMs lately – built with newer leaked builds of Windows Mobile – as they no longer hold that right to distribute the code.

I just have a feeling this isn’t going to end well.

Furthering the barrage of Windows 7 promotions on Australia’s television network Nine, the operating system made a special appearance on the Australian wanna-be-version of “The Apprentice” TV show this evening as part of a competition for the contestants to design a television advertisements.

If you’ve missed the thrilling hour of egos and tension, then be glad Microsoft didn’t go with either of the campaigns pitched which to be fair was conceptualized, directed and edited in just a single day.

On a related note, Nine in collaboration with Microsoft is hosting a competition on the show’s website to give away a Windows 7 Sony Vaio X-series laptop and Sony 10mp digital camera.

Unfortunately to enter you will have to put on a thinking cap and come up with your own idea for a Windows 7 ad. It’s stated in the terms and conditions entries will be judged on creativity, humor and originality, so don’t bother with “Windows 7 was my idea”. Entries close Sunday, 29 November.