Fun with Internet Explorer

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No, really! Well, not a crazy amount of fun, but still…

IE6ify

If you've been wondering what all the "death to Internet Explorer 6" fuss has been about, you can get some sense of why web designers have been so unhappy with IE6 using the IE6ify! bookmarklet. Just add the bookmarklet to your bookmarks, then visit any website and click IE6ify! to see how that site would look it IE6. Any questions?

IE versions 1 through 9

Remember the guy who upgraded from Windows 1.0 to Windows 7? Well, now he's done the same thing with Internet Explorer. And he's made another video so we can see it too.

This presentation is a bit more technical, as it demonstrates how well the various IE versions did on the Acid1, Acid2 and Acid3 tests that check how a browser performs against web standards. Even if you're not well-versed in the technical details, the video – which you can see after the jump – is still worth a look.

Quick Hit: IE9 users get a free month of Hulu Plus

This week, Download Squad reported that Internet Explorer 9 users will get a free month of Hulu Plus if they pin Hulu.com to the Windows taskbar. The offer begins March 28, 2011.

HuluPlus offers more episodes, more shows and more movies than standard Hulu, and is available on more devices like iPhones and iPads, gaming consoles, TVs and Blu-Ray players. HuluPlus costs $7.99/month.

Sounds pretty cool. Will you check it out?

Quick Hit: IE9 to be pushed via Windows Update starting March 21

Microsoft confirmed via Twitter that they will begin pushing Internet Explorer 9 via Windows Update on Monday, March 21st. It will be offered as an important update to Windows Vista and 7 users.

If you want to prevent IE9 upgrade notifications, you can use the Internet Explorer 9 Blocker Toolkit to permanently deactivate automatic IE9 delivery. When you're ready for it, use the IE9 Blocker Toolkit to re-activate IE9 delivery.

Note: The Blocker Toolkit only blocks automatic delivery. It won't stop a user from installing IE9 if they've downloaded it or selected it as an optional update.

Opera 11.10 beta released

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Not one to be left out of the browser updating frenzy, today Opera Software released the beta of Opera 11.10, codenamed "Barracuda."

The new beta is available for Windows, Mac and Linux, and has increased speed, support for even more web standards, a plugin installation wizard, and more.

Opera's Speed Dial is now more customizable with new layout options, support for live thumbnails, and no limit on the number of dials you can have.

See a video of the new Speed Dial in action after the jump.

Firefox 4 to be released March 22

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A week ago, Mozilla released the Firefox 4 Release Candidate, and now they've confirmed that the RC will become the final release version.

Firefox 3.6.x and 3.5.x users will be able to get the upgrade next Tuesday by clicking on the Firefox Help menu and selecting "Check for updates...".

Keep in mind that some add-ons may not work with Firefox 4 yet. However, it looks like the Add-on Compatibility Report is still being updated, so you can check there to see if your favorites are ready for the upgrade.