I've been using the new MSN Explorer 9 browser as part of my MSN Premium membership for a few weeks ago and it's pretty impressive. There's a popup blocker and the dashboard feature is really good for quick info. Most impressive to me is how much better MSN Search is. I'm actually finding good stuff on the first try. :)

One thing to note is that it's somewhat difficult to use this as my main browser on my work machines. I've got it installed, but I find that it gets in the way of some of our internal applications.

The thing that really makes this software for me is the persistent Favorites across multiple machines. Very slick. I told my mom about it and she subscribed as an upgrade to her Hotmail extra storage. She hasn't had time to install the new software yet. I'll be interested to hear what she has to say about it.

Today on the Security Developer Center we're featuring an interesting article by Lars Bergstrom that explains how to use Visual Studio .NET as a non-admin. This article has tons of tricks for accessing tools from different sorts of accounts on your workstation:

Developing Software in Visual Studio .NET with Non-Administrative Privileges

Members of the local Administrators group have privileges to perform any action on a machine. This causes both a risk to the user performing actions in that environment and to the software that they develop. This article explains how to productively develop software while logged on with non-administrative privileges.

Jesper Johansson of Microsoft has a new security management column at TechNet. The first comlumn is entitled:

Security Management - The Fundamental Tradeoffs

and here's my favorite quote:

Information technology is working properly only when users can stop thinking about how or why it works.

Russell Beattie talks about the value he's recieving from his Napster subscription. This caught my eye because I'm also a huge fan of the Adult Alternative channel.

The Web site has a really cool bits page that features some of the promotional Flash pieces they've done.

The ice is building up in the fountains. I may bring skates to work tomorrow. :)

This page at JPL links to the photos taken from Mars. You can drill down to get to medium and high resolution versions of the images.

Somebody should wake the media and let them know about this event.

Update: Packers and^h^h^h beat Seahawks in OT.

Not so much a review, as an opinion piece about a product the writer hasn't even used. (And this from ieee.) Check it out:

A Dog Named SPOT
When Microsoft stops imitating and starts innovating, watch out

I'm going to get one of these in the next few weeks and I'll post my impressions then. I see the service that this device provides as fundamentally different from what a mobile phone can provide.

Many bloggers are watching Mars tonight. Among those that I folow, Steve, Robert, and Beth. It's been quite a night!

I'm watching on the PC (and MSNBC). CNN had it for a while, but I guess they had to get back to an important rerun. :(

We'll be headlining this on the Security Developer Center later this week.It's a pretty important step for Web Services as Matt notes in his blog.

Discover how two parties using Web services can interoperate in a Kerberos environment. Covers securing SOAP messages, including the security tokens, how signatures look on the wire, and how to obtain tokens in this environment. [MSDN Just Published]

Update: I'll try to get that headlined this week. Most of the staff was on vacation last week.