Microsoft talks up the new IE 8 Favorites Bar which, as it turns out, isn't so new:
The Favorites bar, previously known as the Links toolbar, has been
updated with great new functionality that helps you get information
from your favorite websites quickly and easily. The new IE8 Favorites
bar still has your favorite links just one click away, but also allows
you to add WebSlices (new feature debuting in IE8) and feeds to the
Favorites bar, facilitating your navigation experience. The WebSlices
and feeds on the Favorites bar will check for updates to content on
your favorite websites without requiring navigation to those websites.
What is a WebSlice?
As Jane described earlier in her blog post
, the new IE8 WebSlice feature enables you to see when updated content
(such as auction prices or latest headlines) is available from your
favorite websites. A WebSlice is a piece of a webpage (a “slice”) that
you can subscribe to. When you subscribe to a WebSlice, it appears as a
shortcut on the Favorites bar.
Note that WebSlices will only appear on webpages that provide
support for WebSlices. As of today, websites such as Ebay, Facebook and
Stumble Upon have added support for WebSlices. Check out this page to learn how you can add support for WebSlices on your webpages.