“One of the most interesting feature that didn’t quite make it into the final release of Firefox 3 is ‘Private Browsing,’ a.k.a. porn mode. The only other browser with this feature built-in today is Safari (another reason to try it in case you haven’t), however, Microsoft may also be building a similar feature into Internet Explorer 8 if two trademark filings are any indications,” Long Zheng reports for istartedsomething.
MacDailyNews Note: Version 2.0 of Safari, released on April 29, 2005, first offered “Private Browsing.”
Zheng continues: On July 30th, Microsoft filed two trademarks for:
CLEARTRACKS
IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: computer programs for accessing and using the Internet and the world wide web; and computer programs for deleting search history after accessing websites.
INPRIVATE
IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: computer programs for accessing and using the Internet and the world wide web; computer programs for disabling the history and file caching features of a web browser; and computer software for notifying a user of a web browser when others are tracking web use and for controlling the information others can access about such use.
Zheng speculates that Microsoft may be rolling out “Private Browsing” in Internet Explorer 8 here.
MacDailyNews Note: In what’s sure to be thrilling news for tech illiterate Web surfers the world over, according to various reports, Internet Explorer 8 is supposedly due this November. Better than usual, Microsoft: you’re only three years and seven months behind Apple on this one.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Price Check” for the IE 8 release date info.]
I am so excited I could barf
Hey, it doesn’t have to be “porn mode.” What about wanting to shop for something but not alerting your spouse to it? Or using a public computer in a place like Kinko’s or the library and wanting to not have to remember to clear the cache?
Some people just have their minds in the gutter!
The sad part is that Windows users will tout this as a new feature and think that it doesn’t already exist. Micro$oft knows this and that is why they blatantly copy without any fear of negative feedback.
Something I would like in Safari is a preference that would refresh a page every 1, 5, or 10 minutes, similar to Mail’s check new mail every 1, 5, 15, or 1 hour preference.
It would work well for Yahoo finance realtime stock symbol page. It blows away Apple’s widget for speed that is 15 minutes behind.
If Yahoo can do this on their site, then why can’t Apple’s little widget? Ugh! I have written them about this several times. 15 minutes is an eternity!
@Orange Juice
If you’re running Leopard, you could make your own widget of Yahoo’s realtime stocky symbol page. Web-clip can be quite handy sometimes.
Those are horrible names.
But to pick on the writing, if private browsing didn’t make it into Firefox 3, how can Safari be the only other browser with private browsing built in?
@Passerby
Because the article states that IE8 is getting Private Browsing, thus it being the second browser to have it. That makes Safari the “other” one.
“Some people just have their minds in the gutter!”
And they all love private browsing lol.
I’m private browsing your mom right now.
If you turn on Private browsing on your client computer does it leave footprints on the server of which web-sites you have been visiting?
– B
Private Browsing really comes in handy when visiting Microsoft sites.
Orange Juice
Try Google
http://finance.google.com/finance
I think the general populace are getting wise to Microsoft’s “hey, look at this ‘new’ feature!” act.
Sure, the usual MS shills will pretend it’s an amazing new invention nobody’s ever thought of before, but they’re becoming increasingly irrelevant – fewer people are taking them seriously anymore, thanks to Microsoft’s nosediving reputation and clear bankruptcy when it comes to original ideas.
I’m just waiting for the inevitable lawsuit when some poor doofus gets their identity stolen due to IE’s poor security, claiming false advertising in Microsoft’s part – “How could they have stolen my identity? I was using IE’s Privacy mode!”
Content Barrier by Intego has the best pr0n filter for recovering addicts. Give the password to a loved one and you’re good to go.
“What about wanting to shop for something but not alerting your spouse to it?”
Like a new vibrator.
“Or using a public computer in a place like Kinko’s . . . “
So you can make copies of pictures of your naked wife to give to your friends and coworkers.
They should call it Privates Browsing.
“Or using a public computer in a place like Kinko’s . . . “
Why did you put the L in public?
“Or using a public computer in a place like Kinko’s . . . “
“Why did you put the L in public?”
I thought those were Dell laptops.
November, my @$$!!!
Good luck with that, M$.
Don’t you have to loathe Microsoft.
I’m always going back and forth between web sites with Safari, so I seldom use private browsing, still it’s a nice feature to have if you choose to use it. I’m glad to see IE getting it for our Windows friends. Has that been available for the Windows version of Safari?
“Better than usual, Microsoft: you’re only three years and seven months behind Apple on this one.”
You’d think a company that rich could afford faster copiers.
Why aren’t people mocking Apple for creating a phone with a touchscreen? There were plenty of those out before the iPhone. Or how about their photo management software? Aperture came out way after dozens of other programs. Or what their word processor or spreadsheet? Done many times before. Or how about any one of a thousand things done by others first?
Apple copies and tries to improve on ideas just like virtually every company out there.
Here’s how it works.
Person: Windows doesn’t have (feature), but Mac does! Mac rules!
…
Person: Windows has (same feature) now! Microsoft sucks! They copied Apple!
Copy, or stay inferior. Or you could make your own ideas, a counter-argument to my example.
Yeah but even on Safari you have to turn it on each session. What a pain. Why can’t you just turn it on and leave it on???
I just use my Guest account when I want to privately browse.