Microsoft Launches Faster, Safer Internet Explorer, Chrome Is Like Teflon in Browser-Hacking Contest

Microsoft has released a new version of Internet Explorer, adding features meant to speed up common web surfing tasks and bringing the browser’s security measures in line with those of major competitors. The number of browsers has grown to a dizzying array, from Internet Explorer and Mozilla’s Firefox, the two most popular, to Apple’s Safari, Google’s Chrome, the Norwegian entrant Opera and others. Each is using speed, security enhancements and new features to fight for a share of web surfers’ growing time online. Microsoft remains the dominant player, but Firefox’s influence is growing. The Pwn2Own contest at the CanSecWest security conference aims to unearth browser flaws. This year, white-hat hackers at Pwn2Own took down Safari on Mac OS X, IE8 and Firefox. Only Google’s Chrome remained impervious to hacks. Google wants to improve Chrome’s performance further via user feedback to its latest Chrome beta