Rumors are flying that the forthcoming version of Internet Explorer, the ninth incarnation, will include strong support of HTML5.

This would be a dramatic change from Internet Explorer 8, which is not known for its HTML5 compliance for a reason. Thar reason? It has nearly none. This is hardly surprising, Microsoft browsers have for time immemorial lagged behind the market on adoption of the current standards of the internet.

Even worse, given the pervasive use of Internet Explorer 6 (a browser so old it does not support tabbed browsing), Internet Explorer users are often stuck in 2001, when the browser came out. Microsoft seems to be out to finally catch up with the rest of the world’s browsers, and perhaps run past them in certain areas.

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Apple announced the iPad tablet device, featuring a 9.7-inch, 1024 x 768 display and 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB capacities. Carrying a custom 1 GHz "Apple A4" chip, the iPad weighs in at 1.5 pounds and is .5-inch thin.

In terms of standard connectivity, the iPad offers Wi-Fi (802.11n) and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, with 3G models also offering cellular data connectivity. All iPad models have an accelerometer, compass, speakers, a microphone, and a 30-pin dock connector. The iPad also offers a claimed 10 hours of battery life for viewing video, with 1 month of standby battery life.

Models with 3G will be unlocked and will be able to use GSM micro SIMs. In the U.S., AT&T will offer two data plan options $14.99 for up to 250 MB per month and $29.99 per month for unlimited data. No contract is required for either option, and free access to AT&T's Wi-Fi hot spots is included. Data packages for iPad users outside of the U.S. will by in place by June.

Multiple demos showed unmodified iPhone apps working on the iPad at original resolution and scaled up to take advantage of the iPad's increased screen real estate. According to Scott Forstall during his time on stage, the iPad can run "virtually every" app without modification, with an on-screen button to scale an app's resolution up and down as desired. iPhone users will not need to re-purchase apps to load them onto an iPad.

In light of the recent attacks on Google China and Microsoft's revelation that an Internet Explorer security flaw served as an impetus in the assault, Germany's Federal Office for Information Security has released a warning to its population: avoid IE. Specifically, the report calls out the latest three versions 6, 7, and 8 but let's face it, those older versions should be avoided on grounds of usability alone. Boy, bet the Bonn-based agency is happy about that Windows 7 web browser ballot screen, eh?

Apple has announced a mayor event on January 27 2010. The rumor is the long awaited Tablet Mac or iSlate or whatever name Apple will use.

Sources in a position to know tell me Apple (AAPL) is indeed planning a media event later this month at which it will announce a major new product. The gathering is to be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, a space Apple often uses for media events like these. According to other sources, it will occur on Wednesday Jan. 27, not Tuesday Jan. 26, as had been rumored.

I will be posting updates to my spanish Mac related website www.macnotas.com.

As anticipated, Google has finally released an official beta version of its Chrome browser for Mac. The initial beta version, termed Build 4.0.249.30, requires Mac OS X Leopard or Snow Leopard, and is only compatible with Intel-based Macs. In addition to the Mac release, Chrome for Linux has also been promoted to a beta version.

Chrome for Windows launched as a beta version in September 2008, with Google co-founder Sergey Brin admitting only days later that the lack of a Mac version at the time was "embarrassing". At the time, he hoped that a Mac version would be available in only a "matter of months", and the company announced in January that it was targeting a Mac release for the first half of 2009.