Microsoft accidentally leaks IE9 details

IE9

The Russian arm of Microsoft has accidentally leaked a screen shot of Internet Explorer 9.

The browser, which is expected to be unveiled next month, appeared on Microsoft Russia's press site until the mistake had been realised and the image (see below) was pulled.

IE9

Of course, it is hard to garner what functionality the new service will offer from the shot, but it is clear a unified address bar has been incorporated into the stripped-down design.

A tear-off tabs feature has also been included in the package, according to reports, which will let users "snap" browser tabs to either side of the screen, thereby enabling side-by-side website comparison.

Menu items, meanwhile, have been consolidated into one button, leaving the interface uncluttered.

The first beta of IE9 is expected to appear at a San Francisco event in September.

We got a look at the latest preview release of IE9 earlier this month. Read on to see if it really is faster and more standards-compliant than other web browsers.

Tom Brewster

Tom Brewster is currently an associate editor at Forbes and an award-winning journalist who covers cyber security, surveillance, and privacy. Starting his career at ITPro as a staff writer and working up to a senior staff writer role, Tom has been covering the tech industry for more than ten years and is considered one of the leading journalists in his specialism.

He is a proud alum of the University of Sheffield where he secured an undergraduate degree in English Literature before undertaking a certification from General Assembly in web development.