Microsoft has made Internet Explorer 8 available to developers at http://www.microsoft.com/ie/ie8.

If you are an IE user, this means an upgrade is on its way.

The new version will have some cool features. One will be the ability to save work being done on a web site down to your personal computer when an Internet connection goes down.

Another lets you highlight a street address on any web page and, with one click,  see a map of that location. You’ll also be able to highlight product names and click to see if they are available for sale on eBay.

Perhaps the most anticipated feature of this new browser is what it doesn’t do: demand an upgrade of web site designs. Unlike IE7, the new release sees the most standards-compliant version by default when loading a site. Web designers everywhere will be happy to learn that they need not redesign all their codes.

It’s not an altruistic move or even one meant to assuage developers. After the IE7 release, European Union nations launched an antitrust investigation into Microsoft and how Microsoft ensures rival Web browsers are not fully compatible with Internet Explorer.

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Goodness Gracious my French friends. Might I Just take a brief moment to ask, WHAT are you doing? Granted it’s only 1 out of every 5 of you, but still, what are you thinking dropping a cool $1,000 on an unlocked iPhone?!

That’s right, according to new reports, 20% of all French iPhone iFanatics (don’t steal that Apple, I just made it up) are paying around $1000 for the unlocked version of the popular touch-screen mobile phone. Now, I understand that many Europeans are a bit more, well, savvy when it comes to spending More money to get More product, and this is a good example of this. However, and yes I’m starting the sentence with that, what Doesn’t make sense to me, is they Could buy an iPhone on EBay, crack it, and save 2/3 of what they spent. Why, my dear friends, wouldn’t they at least Try to save some bucks Euros.

I do concur with the article that tipped me off on this; if iPhone 2.0 comes out unlocked in these United States, I do declare it will be arguably the largest mobile phone seller Ever. Ever. We’ll see I suppose but for now, the discerning mobile warriors of FranceLand are spending more to get it unlocked. Would you? Would I? Good question.

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Today the Federal Communications Commission announced its decision to go ahead with its plan for the upcoming January auction of some very valuable airwaves

And it will be effecting you and your wireless usage in the near future.

At stake? A huge chunk of prime wireless spectrum known as ‘700 MHz‘. It was bandwidth held in reserve for the television industry, but the technology there won’t need it so it’s being sold off. The entire spectrum is worth $15-20 billion, and will be sold in chunks (at least one of which will be big enough for a new national network.)

What’s so special about it? Well, according to InternetNews; “that spectrum is considered ideal for delivering advanced wireless services, including broadband that meets or exceeds the speeds of DSL or cable modems.”

Normally, this would mean the Big 4 (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint/Nextel) would slice it up amongst themselves..

But an opportunity like this one doesn’t happen every day, and technology veterans and entrepreneurs alike saw the chance to break up the ‘pseudo-monopoly’ of the Big 4.

With Google leading the charge, an FCC filing was made asking that the auction NOT be business as usual and that the FCC adopt 4 ‘Open-Platform’ initiatives that would make the new bandwidth available, like the internet, for anyone to tap into.

Seasoned wireless telephony executives as well as other corporations joined Google - including eBay (who owns ‘Skype’), Amazon, and Yahoo! They published an open letter asking for consumer and corporate support for the open-platform. That, in turn, led to Congressional hearings.

The Big 4 from came out swinging. Their executives and lobbyists said that the Google-group’s plan was unfairly helping smaller, less-heeled concerns not only to compete - but to dictate terms. They also made the point that their own well-funded R&D groups were the ones most poised to take best advantage of the opportunities of this new bandwidth.

“In the U.S., wireless spectrum for mobile phones and data is controlled by a small group of companies, leaving consumers with very few service providers from which to choose,” fired back Chris Sacca, Google’s Head of Special Initiatives.

Google then stepped up and pledged that if FCC adopted their proposed initiatives, then Google would promise to buy $4.6 billion worth for a new network.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin responded with a plan that tried to walk in the middle. Neither side liked it very much and both put in a big final push to influence him more to one side or the other.

As the industry held its breath today, the final decision surprised few and disappointed many. Martin’s plan is the FCC choice.

To simplify; two of the Google ‘Open Platform’ initiatives were adopted:

1) Open applications: consumers should be able to download and utilize any software applications, content, or services they desire. This means you can use Skype or Firefox or whatever else on your phone .

2) Open devices: consumers should be able to utilize their handheld communications device with whatever wireless network they prefer. No more having to buy a Razr phone made JUST for Verizon or having to switch to AT&T for your iPhone.

But the other key two were not:

3) Open services: Google wanted third parties (resellers) to be able to acquire wireless services from a 700 MHz licensee on a wholesale basis, based on reasonably nondiscriminatory commercial terms. It would have spawned small, regional internet and cell-phone companies.

4) Open networks: Google wanted the right for third parties (like Internet service providers) to be able to interconnect at any technically feasible point in a 700 MHz licensee’s wireless network. Always a long-shot request, this would have had the greatest impact in bringing high-speed internet to more people - especially those who can afford it least.

Ultimately, analysts see this decision in favor of the Big 4. But the battle itself has cracked open a previously locked-down industry.

The question now is if Google will bow out, or fight with its wallet come January.

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