REDMOND, Wa. -- Microsoft has all but admitted that one of the newest features on its latest version of the Internet Explorer browser, IE8, is designed for porn-surfing on the Web.
IE8, which was made available to the public Thursday, features an "In Private Mode," which tech geeks have nicknamed "Porn Mode".
In the Private Mode, the browser won't store any site information as you surf, even with multiple tabs opened. Cookies, temporary Internet files, browsing history, form information, and user names and passwords are not recorded, according to MS.
Gizmodo posted a portion of Microsoft's current promotional video for the browser update, in which comic actors talk about the privacy settings with a wink-wink, nudge-nudge approach.
"I wonder what that's for?" one asks.
Another says, "Oh, I know why you use it!"
But don't get all giddy yet. Last summer, Dutch website WebWereld.nl reported forensic experts were easily able to retrieve browsing history after testing the In Private function. So the browser update may not be so secure at all.
Thursday, The Seattle Times praised IE8's "In Private Filtering," for preventing websites visited from passing on details about your browsing to other sites; of course, this eliminates targeted ads, something that may not please marketers.
