Microsoft has just unveiled modern.IE, a new resource for devs to test their apps in the newer versions of Internet Explorer.

Sure, IE is the browser we all love to hate, but Microsoft has really stepped up its game in the browser department. IE9 is — dare we say it? — daggone pretty. And IE10 is waiting in the wings. Meanwhile, Microsoft has taken IE6 out behind the shed where it belongs.

All this adds up to several steps in the right direction, helping IE to gain back a little lost ground in the ongoing browser wars. Which in turn means that developers of web applications and sites need to keep building and testing for IE.

So, back to the topic at hand: web-app testing.

Modern.IE features a code evaluation “wizard,” a set of cross-browser testing tools from BrowserStack, and some handy best practices for web development in these modern times.

As a Microsoft rep wrote to VentureBeat via email:

We’ve talked in the past about some of the experiences we’ve created for the web, with the goal of inspiring innovation on the web. The reality is, though, that there is a delta between where the web is currently, and the potential of where it can go with a modern browser, and a big part of this is time spent making sites work for old browsers.

For developers, testing can take up to 30 to 40 precent of their time — imagine if that time was spent creating new experiences leveraging the tools we’ve provided and not on addressing the past. We’re excited about what’s possible on the web and what developers will be able to create once they have more time to innovate.

Here’s a quick promo clip the modern.IE folks created to tout the service’s benefits:

Top image from the 1971 film adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof, a delightful music about life in a shtetl in Tsarist Russia. The screengrab above is from the number “Miracle of Miracles.” Neither the song nor the musical has anything whatsoever to do with Internet Explorer.

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Apple released the latest test-version of its mobile operating system iOS 6 today, available to developers who will test and report bugs on its newest features.

The majority of the updates seem to be in the map app department. According to MacRumors, these include the ability to control the volume of the GPS navigator voice assistant, and to set the language in which the navigator dictates directions. Should you be in a country using the metric system, you can also change the map to show kilometers as opposed to miles. And developers are reporting more 3D-imaging as well as traffic and construction alerts.

This version is called Build 10A5355d and can be downloaded only if you own a developer account. Those hoping to get a sneak peek will have to wait as Apple is on a tear, taking down websites selling extra developer accounts.

Apple announced iOS 6 and the new maps app at its WWDC developer conference in June. The company says the mobile operating system will be released this fall and has a bunch of shiny, new features such as Siri for iPad, Facebook integration, and FaceTime calls over cellular networks. FaceTime also popped up in this iOS 6 beta, as developers are now seeing “answer” and “decline” buttons for FaceTime calls.

Apple is holding its third quarter earnings call July 24, where we may hear a bit more about what’s to come. Check back for full coverage of the call on VentureBeat.

via MacRumors; Image via VentureBeat

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One major issue constantly plaguing startups is finding willing beta testers that can help get a service or site in shape before a public launch. BetaBait, which launched publicly today, wants to help solve this problem by better connecting startups and eager testers.

One of the company’s co-founders is long-time VentureBeat contributor Cody Barbierri. He said he started the company because he saw a clear opening in the market, with so many startups in Silicon Valley and Silicon Alley, but not enough tools to help get testers lined up. BetaBait members receive a single email every day that lists several beta web, mobile and social applications.

Membership is free for startups and potential beta users. The company plans to make money from advertisers that “sponsor” a daily e-mail. “At the top of the email, there will be a place for a company to spotlight their product or service,” Barbierri said. “We only allow one ad per day per email.”

Barbierri said there are several companies already out there that help startups launch and manage their beta tests, such as LaunchRock or BetaEasy. But BetaBait isn’t competing with them; instead it’s focused on actually bringing users into a beta test. ”If anything, a startup would want to use us all at the same time,” Barbierri said. “We aren’t providing a tool to connect, we are connecting [testers] to the tools.”

The Bridgeport, Conn.-based company is self-funded at present. Barbierri said the company is working on a small scale presently, but it hopes to attract outside funding in the “near future.”

Fishing photo via Shutterstock.

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Facebook

The design is a departure from all previous incarnations of Facebook’s homepage and borrows design elements found on Twitter and Gawker Media blogs.

The top navigation bar, sidebar, footer and ad spots are now stationary portions of the page. The only parts of the page that retain the scrolling movement ability are the news feed and the Happening Now feed that Facebook began testing last week. (See the screenshot embedded below for a visual example of the design changes.)

One big thing to note about the new design is its potential impact on advertising. Ad spots will have a greater impact and leave a longer impression since they now remain visible at all times. More effective advertising could translate into higher revenue for Facebook, which is why I think the new design will end up rolling out to everyone soon.

It’s been well over a year since major design changes were made to the site’s homepage. That could have something to do with the history of backlash from Facebook users whenever drastic changes are made. If Facebook decides to implement this new design, you can expect history to repeat itself.

Image via Inside Facebook

Users may have noticed the new filters in the top bar amongst “Top News” and “Most Recent”. While Facebook has previously offered individual sorting options in past iterations, the new set of filters seek to give you an unprecedented control over your News Feed. Included are filters for “Games”, “Status Updates”, “Photos”, “Links”, “Pages”, and your friend lists.

The new filters attempt to turn Facebook into something more than just a way to keep up with your friends. For example, much as Facebook aggregators Flipboard and PostPost allow you to do, you can filter by Links to see those posted by friends and, in essence, turn Facebook into a Twitter or Digg-like content discovery platform.

Even beyond that, the Pages filter turns Facebook into an RSS feed reader, as Inside Facebook points out, by letting you see posts from companies, organizations and news outlets you follow (most of which, ironically, may be imported and posted automatically using RSS itself.) And with games being a juggernaut on Facebook, the Games filter is by no coincidence first on the list, showing you friends’ achievements on popular games such as Farmville and Poker.

Facebook’s pace of iteration in the past has shown that it isn’t afraid to test rapidly to find what works. While these new filters are currently being experimented with, as ReadWriteWeb’s Marshall Kirkpatrick points out, there’s no guarantee that they will go live site-wide.