Strategy and Architecture Council : IE8

Writing a simple Internet Explorer Accelerator

dpeuswr — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:48:20 GMT

With the release of Internet Explorer 8 (IE8), there is some new functionality that enables a developer to extend the browser pretty easily. One of my particular favorites is the ability to create accelerators. Accelerators allow a user to invoke a service from another site based on the text selected in the current page. Some examples of accelerators that are available by default include:

Take what ever text is selected and search on Bing
Select an address and see the map inline with Bing Maps
Select text in a foreign language and translate it on the fly (below is an on the fly translation from the Al Jazeera site)

Read the full post on Joe Shirey’s blog at http://www.joeshirey.com/2009/09/04/WritingASimpleInternetExplorerAccelerator.aspx

Web Activities in Windows Live

dpeuswr — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:00:28 GMT

One of the brand new features in the new release of Windows Live is the ability to aggregate data from other non-Microsoft websites into your “What’s New” feed – this feature is called “web activities”. If you want people in your Windows Live network to know what stories you are Digging, what you are writing on Twitter, or what you’ve written on your (none Windows Spaces) blog? If so then you will really like web activities.

Read the full article on John Stame’s blog at http://jcstame.wordpress.com/2009/06/17/web-activities-in-windows-live/

Digg Accelerator for Internet Explorer 8

dpeuswr — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:51:08 GMT

I have blogged a bit about Internet Explorer 8 (previous posts are here) and some of the really cool features that it comes, making your web discovery and usability experience really great. Specifically, accelerators and web slices bring a whole new set of IE tools to some great web services. You can find some accelerator and web slices from popular web services like Bing, LinkedIn, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and many more here.

Read the full article on John Stame’s blog at http://jcstame.wordpress.com/2009/06/16/digg-accelerator-for-internet-explorer-8/

Microsoft at the 2009 CMA Music Festival

dpeuswr — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 08:48:35 GMT

Microsoft and the Country Music Association are partnering on bridging the cultural divide between the country music world and the world of technology, this week at the 2009 Country Music Association (CMA) Music Festival. Microsoft will be showcasing cutting edge technology few outside the tech industry have seen – including Silverlight with DeepZoom technology and Microsoft Tag.

This is one of the places where Microsoft Tag is being used in a large scale application of digitally “enhanced reality” where the physical world in tied to online assets in meaningful and significant ways. For more information on Tag, see my previous blog post - http://blogs.msdn.com/dachou/archive/2009/01/08/microsoft-tag-interactive-mobile-bar-codes.aspx.

At the festival in Nashville:

“Cell Journalists” using Windows Mobile - Attendees can participate in the event by acting as cell journalists. Using Windows mobile or other cell phone cameras, pictures taken from the event are automatically uploaded to a shared server hosted by ASP.NET and displayed throughout the event – including the Jumbotron. Windows Mobile users will have a customized, high-end experience
“Where am I” using Microsoft Tag and Virtual Earth - Attendees will be able to scan signs located throughout the venues to learn more about the physical environment and what’s happening around them. Their location will also be mapped via Virtual Earth (Bing Maps) making the task of navigating the enormous number of venues easy and convenient for festival attendees
“Tag Hunter” using Microsoft Tag - an event wide contest which will be distributed event wide by a legion CMA “Fun Squad” members. Attendees can scan these Tag Hunter cards and find out immediately if have a winning tag!
“Technology Booths” showcasing Microsoft Surface, Xbox 360, and IE8 – Attendees can drop by Microsoft booths available onsite at the festival, to check email, browse the web, and to check the festival schedule and venue information, etc. In addition, to test drive two Surface tables with a jukebox application, and in-person visits by performing artists. And of course, play the Xbox 360 RockBand Country Track Pack from MTV!

And online:

“Be This Close” using Silverlight DeepZoom - interactive search game (available on 6/11)
“Cell Journalists” ASP.NET photo sharing website

Links:

Main Site: http://cmafest.com/2009/
IE 8 Web slice : http://ieaddons.com/en/details/music/CMA_Music_Festival_2009/
“Be This Close” interactive Silverlight game - http://www.cmafest.com/2009/videophotos/games/bethisclose/
Microsoft page on CMA Site: http://www.cmafest.com/2009/microsoft

Tags and Metadata:

Twitter Tag: #MSCMA09
Twitter: @MsftAtCMA
Blog Tags: CMA Music Fest 2009, Microsoft at CMA 2009

ebaY sidebar for Internet Explorer 8

dpeuswr — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:14:39 GMT

eBay has just launched a new sidebar offering in beta. I have been collaborating with eBay on this wonderful Internet Explorer 8 sidebar. What is unique is that they are the first Internet Explorer sidebar that utilizes Silverlight™ as part of the presentation layer opening up specific UI features to make the application standard out.

Read the full article on Raj Ramabadran’s blog at http://rajramabadran.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/ebay-sidebar-for-internet-explorer-8/

Yahoo! optimized IE8 Web Slice

dpeuswr — Fri, 15 May 2009 18:45:55 GMT

If you are a Yahoo! Mail user and your currently using IE8 you will love the feature called the Mail Web slice that is available as part of Internet Explorer 8 optimized for Yahoo!. The Web slice gives signed-in users quick previews of their Mail right from a drop-down page within browser, so no matter where you are on the Web, your Yahoo! Mail is right there with you. To use this feature – after downloading the Yahoo! optimized IE8 – make sure you’re signed into Yahoo!, then just click on the Y! Mail slice on the favorites bar whenever you want a preview of your Inbox.

Read the full article on Raj Ramabadran’s blog at http://rajramabadran.wordpress.com/2009/05/14/yahoo-optimized-ie8-web-slice/

Internet Explore 8 Optimized for eBay

dpeuswr — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 11:05:26 GMT

Following the launch of IE8 at MIX09 eBay has their Accelerator, Visual Search and Web Slice available at eBay. If you haven’t yet given it a try, as Tim Sneath has very nicely captured the eight good reasons that might persuade you to check out IE8.

Read the full article on Raj Ramabadran’s blog at http://rajramabadran.wordpress.com/2009/03/25/internet-explore-8-optimized-for-ebay/

Yahoo! Internet Explorer 8 Accelerators

dpeuswr — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 05:19:02 GMT

Yahoo! recently built and deployed to the IE 8 Gallery two very useful Accelerators! Now with the Yahoo! Map accelerator you can at any web page while browsing plot an address or location using interactive Yahoo Maps and with Yahoo! Search accelerator you can get text search suggestions.

Read the full blog post on Raj Ramabadran’s blog at http://rajramabadran.wordpress.com/2008/12/10/yahoo-internet-explorer-8-accelerators/