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This version includes several new features introduced since March's Beta 1 debut, which are claimed to be similar to Firefox 3.0, including an address field that can be used to search for previously visited sites by typing in words or phrases.

Other IE8 Beta 2 additions and enhancements include several advanced privacy tools, which some have tagged as "porn mode in reference to the most obvious use of a private browsing session", according to a report in Computerworld.

In terms of security in the IE8 Beta 2 suite, there is reported to be an antimalware suite and a filter that blocks the most common cross-site scripting attacks.

And unlike the first beta release, this version is aimed at a bigger audience, however, Microsoft would only say its final release will be "sometime before the next release of Windows", according to reports.