Are you still accessing the internet using the browser that came with your computer? If that browser is Internet Explorer, then you are not getting the best view of the web. In a recent performance test of internet browsers on the website Stumbleupon, Internet Explorer was rated last of five browsers.

Coming in first was the relative newcomer, Google Chrome. I have been testing Chrome for a while now and can testify that it is really fast and easy to use. The only drawback I have found is that certain download sites are not accessible with Chrome, so I have had to fall back on my second choice, Mozilla’s Firefox, to handle those tasks.

Firefox is a very user friendly browser and has the reputation of the most browser compliant, in other words, websites look and work the way they are supposed to with Firefox. This is the browser I usually recommend to most people.

Safari has been the browser of choice for Mac computers for years, but has been losing ground recently to both Firefox and Chrome. I haven’t tested Safari on my PC, but it is very dependable on my Mac.

What about Internet Explorer? There is a reason that it came in last. Computer users have long found it to be non-standards compliant; many people find even the newest version has trouble rendering graphics and animation properly. It had by far the slowest page loading time and used more of the computer’s processing power than any of the other browsers. Why would you keep it when the other options are so much better?

A new browser is easy to install on your computer, and I am sure you will be pleased with the results. All of the following browsers are available for Mac and PC.

To view the performance test page on Stumbleupon, click here.

Here are the download pages for the winning browsers. Simply download them to your desktop, open the file and follow the directions.

Chrome

Firefox

Safari

I received an invitation from a friend last week to try the Google Wave. Because it’s currently in limited production, you need to have an invitation to try it. I looked at it, and then checked the Google documentation for more information. What is the Wave? Google describes it this way:

“1. A wave is equal parts conversation and document. People can communicate and work together with richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more.

2. A wave is shared. Any participant can reply anywhere in the message, edit the content and add participants at any point in the process. Then playback lets anyone rewind the wave to see who said what and when.

3. A wave is live. With live transmission as you type, participants on a wave can have faster conversations, see edits and interact with extensions in real-time.”

Why “Wave”? The Wave is a combination of online resources you may already be using, all in one place: You can use it for organizing events, group projects, photo sharing, meeting notes, office brainstorming, and interactive games. I haven’t decided yet if I will make Google Wave a part of my life. Part of the issue is that I don’t know anyone else using it yet, except the person who invited me. Let me know if you are, and what your experiences are, and we will update this feature as we receive more information.

More news about Google coming up. Screen shot: courtesy of Google.com To request an invitation to tryout Google Wave, click here.

PC Magazine Online recently posted an article about ways to keep your children safe online. Here are some of their suggestions.

For Toddlers: Hoopah Kidview Computer Explorer 6 - automatically adjusts Internet controls as a child grows older. Peanut Butter PC 3.0 - You can use this program to limit your child's access to those you approve. KidZui 5.0 - A social media site for youngsters, KidZui lets youngsters surf the Web, play games and view videos.

For Older Children: K9 Web Protection 4.0and OnlineFamily.Norton Both of these products protect kids from inappropriate websites and also limit the amount of time they can spend on a computer. Net Nanny 6.5 is the PCMag's Editors' Choice for parental control. It includes social networking and game managment tools.

If You Already Have a Problem: Spector Pro 2009 and PC Pandora 6.0 - these two programs report every action on a computer to a supervisor (Mom or Dad!) to enforce good behavior. For more information about these and other programs to keep your kids safe online, Click Here.