Anyone who lived through the late 1980’s ought to remember Max Headroom, the hyperactive, pseudo-CGI “head in the box” portrayed by actor Matt Frewer. The Max Headroom character was everywhere in those days, from music videos to ads for Coca-Cola and seemingly everything in between. What many people don’t remember, however, is the science fiction program that bared the character’s name. This was not the lovable, wacky Max that called Cinemax and England’s Channel 4 home. This Max exists in a world where the major television networks are in charge. Because of this, such every day items as the off switch and the mute button are deemed to be illegal. Televisions are everywhere, including bathrooms and junk yards. Simply put, no one could ever escape the grip of the mass media, and the people like it that way.

Working within the confines of this odd, “Network-meets-The Matrix” world is Edison Carter (also portrayed by Matt Frewer), ace reporter for the highly-rated Network 23 and the “basis” for Max Headroom. It is his mission to bring his viewers the truth, no matter the situation. In the show’s fourteen episodes, Emerson and company does everything from thwart a sentient supercomputer to blowing the lid off of a dangerous subliminal advertising scheme run by Bill Maher, using nothing more than quick thinking and a heaping helping of brutal honesty. The viewer, both physically in the show and otherwise, are constantly reminded that the world is a better place thanks to people like Emerson Carter and his “computerized” alter ego. As long as there are people fighting for the truth, there really is nothing to worry about.

In many ways, we are approaching this basic existence, only with a different concept serving as our vice. Instead of thriving on a flashing picture, we are addicted to information. I don’t just mean the “TMZ/Perez Hilton” style celebrity gossip columns. I mean anything. Pick your topic — President Obama, professional wrestling, U2 — and I bet there is someone, somewhere talking, tweeting, or blogging about it at this very moment. We need to know about what is going on, and we need to know it now. Take the recent “best of seven” series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic for example. Five years ago, we would have had to wait two to three days to hear former Laker Shaquille O’Neal talk about his former team. Thanks to Twitter, we heard it minutes after the Lakers cliched the NBA title. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that this kind of “instant feedback” can become addictive.

Now despite what some might be thinking, things really aren’t all that dire. Our world isn’t based upon the idea of two-way television sets or networks that can make commercials so compact that they make people’s heads literally explode. We’re simply talking about the delivery of information, not a re-creation of 1984. It’s human nature to want to know what is going on around us. Exploiting that desire, on the other hand, is something else entirely. It all comes down to priorities. Those who put more effort into their advertising than their content are more likely to alienate their audiences than the people who put their “product” front and center. By ignoring the very thing that got you into this very situation to begin with, the writer/blogger/YouTube “star” is actually sending a message that your fan base’s mouse click means more than their physical presence. Who cares if the content is good nor not? You clicked the link. It’s your loss.

While it might seem like a good idea now, turning your audience into a group of mind-numbed automatons randomly clicking things will not help you become a success in the long run. The trick, if you want to call it that, is to adopt what I like to call the “Edison Carter” approach to content creation and maintenance. It all breaks down to three basic principles:

1. Your users are more than just a group of random mice clicking a white box. They’re people. Your people. Always keep that in mind when developing your content.
2. Stay genuine to your cause.
3. Stay open to the needs and concerns of your user base.

Do this, and the world just might become a better place. If you don’t, well … let’s just say living in an “off switch-free world” is not anyone’s idea of a good time. Be sure to come back tomorrow for part two of our three part series. Until then, this is Brad Fallon signing off for Network 23 the Free Line.

As you might have heard, Firefox isn’t the only browser that uses the Gecko rendering engine. On today’s browser-centric edition of the Showdown, we take a look at four of the strangest Gecko-based browsers available today.

Browser #1: Sea Monkey

Website: http://www.seamonkey-project.org/
Programmer: The SeaMonkey Council
Special Talent: Looking and acting as close to the old Netscape browser as humanly possible.
First Impression: “No sir, I don’t like it.”
Positives: The nostalgia factor is high on this one. Those who long for the days of Netscape Communicator 4 will find a lot to love here. Everything is exactly how you remembered it, from the low resolution icons to the built-in IRC client.
Negatives: Not everyone was a fan of Netscape Communicator 4.
Overall (Out of 10): 4
Final Thought: “Long live the 1990’s.”

Browser #2: Flock

Website: http://flock.com/
Programmer: Flock, Inc.
Special Talent: Social networking
First Impression: “Oooh … Networks!”
Positives: Those who enjoy social media and networking will no doubt love this browser. Links to all of the major social sites, from MySpace and facebook to Flickr and YouTube, have been given its own frame at the side of the screen. Need to update your blog? Send a tweet? Post something new on Digg? Flock allows you to do all of those things and more without even batting an eye.
Negatives: Remove the social media aspect, and all you’re left with is a slightly modded version of Firefox.
Overall (Out of 10): 7
Final Thought: “Flock is the perfect browser for social networking fans.”

Browser #3: Wyzo

Website: http://www.wyzo.com/
Programmer: Radical Software Ltd.
Special Talent: Downloading interactive media of all shapes and sizes.
First Impression: “Are you sure that I just didn’t load Firefox again?”
Positives: Wyzo is designed to make the free exchange of copyrighted intellectual property as painless as possible. Every file — BitTorrent, music files, photographs … the list goes on and on — is downloaded within the confines of the browser instead of in a separate “downloading” box. Not only does this make things a bit easier for the user, it cuts down on the number of open windows. Wyzo also makes good use of CoolIris, a Firefox add-on that specializes in the dissemination of online video. Thanks to CoolIris, getting to sites such as Hulu and Mevio are as easy as pressing a button.
Negatives: Wyzo looks and acts like Firefox a bit too much for our tastes.
Overall (Out of 10): 7
Final Thought: “It’s interesting.”

Browser #4: Kirix Strata

Website: http://www.kirix.com/
Programmer: The Kirix Corporation
Special Talent: Data analysis.
First Impression: “What the heck is this?!”
Positives: Kirix Strata combines the so-called “traditional website experience” with the thrill of spreadsheet creation and cost report analysis. Despite everything, Strata truly is a nice spreadsheet program that many hardcore accountants will no doubt love. It just happens to be attached to a web browser.
Negatives: We seriously doubt that there is a huge market out there for people who wish to read the Drudge Report or CNN and crunch numbers at the same time. Another thing: Unlike the multitude of browsers we’ve reviewed over the past few days, the full version of Kirix Strata costs a mind numbing $249.
Overall (Out of 10): 2
Final Thought: “It costs that much? What were they thinking?”

- Popular online movie rental hub and video streaming service Netflix has decided to enter the burgeoning web app game in a big way. The company has rolled out several gadgets, tools, and extensions, all designed to expand and enhance your renting experience. Several major players in the worlds of tech and entertainment are already making their proverbial presences felt, including Facebook, Twitter, and movie review meta-site Rotten Tomatoes. Like with most sites of this nature, each app is able to be sorted by name, ranking, and overall popularity. While it isn’t exactly major of an upgrade, the Netflix App Gallery does add some much needed interactivity to the otherwise “by-the-numbers” site. The new Netflix App Engine is available now for all subscribers. For those who wish to try their hand at programming for the rental giant, a free to use API is also available.

- When discussing modern technology, it’s easy to overlook Silverlight. Although it can’t exactly be considered a “dud” at this point, it’s not a mainstream powerhouse by any means. Microsoft, however, is attempting to rectify that situation … sort of. In a recent press release, the computer giant claimed that Silverlight has been loaded nearly three hundred million times, surpassing the download rates of the Firefox, Safari, and Chrome web browsers. It’s an interesting tidbit of knowledge, provided that you overlook one tiny, little fact: Silverlight is not a web browser. It’s actually a real time multimedia platform, similar to Adobe Flash. While the actual reasoning behind the cryptically worded hype piece is unknown, many within the industry believe it’s a roundabout way to tout the success of Silverlight’s “brother in arms,”  Internet Explorer. Neither Adobe nor any of the browser developers mentioned above have responded to the release at this time.

- As you might have guessed by the multitude of news stories, celebrity comments and late night comedy sketches, Twitter is the “it” web application in the US right now. In its two years of activity, the service has been used to do everything from report on earthquakes in China to insight an Eastern European revolution. Billionaire Mark Cuban uses it to complain about the NBA. Oprah uses it to keep in touch with her fans. President Barack Obama employed it in his most recent campaign. So who is the latest Twitter sensation? Hint: it’s not Moldovan revolutionaries or President Obama. It’s a cat named Sockington. Sockington uses his small corner of the web to discuss topics that truly matter — eating, sleeping, and running from the attic to the dining room and back again. The animal world’s favorite microblogger currently has over 500,000 followers, which is more than controversial baseball star Alex Rodriguez, Vice President Joe Biden, and Neil Diamond have combined. We at the Free Line congratulate Sockington on the achievement. Your catnip is in the mail … possibly.

The Great Linux Experiment just keeps on keeping on. In today’s post, we will attempt to describe what it’s like to compile a program from scratch. So follow along with us as we try to get the new “Epiphany with WebKit” browser running in Fedora 10.

Before actually installing the browser, Angela has to install the WebKit rendering engine first. While that might seem easy, it’s not. She first has to load a rather large file directly from Terminal (the command line) before even attempting to put it all together. Since unpacking the thing is taking a bit longer than initially expected, we have the following:

The folks at MTV seem to have modern social media on their collective minds. The former music video station/trendsetter is planning to use the likes of Twitter and Facebook to create a “flagship show” in the style of the now defunct Total Request Live. Like with the previously mentioned CNN program Rick Sanchez Direct, the show will be based around host Alexa Chung’s interactions with viewers that inhabit the various services. The fans will also have an opportunity to submit their own videos to the show. Expect the as-yet unnamed program to debut sometime this summer.

Twitter and Facebook aren’t the only Internet sensations that are currently being eyeballed by MTV. The bigwigs at the network are in talks with controversial ex-WWE World Champion/notorious free spirit Jeff Hardy for a reality show based upon his life. According to those close to the situation, the show will actually be a “big budget” version of The Hardy Show, the surprisingly popular web program starring Jeff, his brother Matt, and mutual friend Shannon Moore. (Like Jeff, both Matt and Moore are full time professional wrestlers.) An air date for the program is unknown at this time.

…And we are back! Unfortunately, the file is still unpacking. While we definitely appreciate the “completeness” of the package, we are beginning to wonder if all of these individual bits are truly necessary. We understand why we would need files labeled as “kernel” or “browser.” The “OS X Tiger” files, on the other hand … now that is a real head scratcher. Needless to say, I think we’re in this for the proverbial “long haul.” In the meantime…

As many of you are quite well aware of, piracy is alive and well on the Internet. While there are those out there who are okay with the practice, most within the industry aren’t exactly thrilled that it’s still happening. Independent game programming house The ACE Team have crafted their own special way to deter the practice: engaging the user in polite, civil dialog. Each copy of their new game, Zeno Crush, has a message attached asking the user if they would consider buying the game sometime in the near future. “We cannot do anything to stop piracy of the game (and honestly don’t intend to do so) but if you are downloading because you wish to try before you buy, I would ask that you purchase the game (and support the independent game development scene) if you enjoy it,” writes the programming team. While it is still a bit too early to see if the rambling, yet genuinely heartfelt, note has affected sales, early word seems positive. Many ardent BitTorrent users claim that they are now planning to actually buy the game, thanks solely to the letter. As always, we will have more on this story as it becomes available.

…And we’re back yet again. Before anyone asks, yes. The file is still unpacking itself. Because of this, the planned install will have to be posted tomorrow. Don’t worry; it will be worth it. Until tomorrow, we bid you all a fond adieu from the land of penguins and GNUs.

Microsoft has decided to step up their advertising game in an unique and interesting way. According to those close to the situation, the new marketing blitz involves immersing the client into the world of Microsoft for exactly one day. During that day, the client will have its image broadcast on a wide variety of platforms, including websites, mobile devices, and Xbox Live. Redmond’s first client is the Discovery Channel, who plans to use the service to hype the season premiere of its popular documentary series/reality show/fishing expedition Deadliest Catch. “The Deadliest Catch campaign demonstrates how we are making it easier for customers to buy and integrate multiplatform digital campaigns,” Microsoft Advertising vice president Keith Lorizio told WebProNews. “[A]dvertisers [can now] reach a targetable [sic], premium online audience where they consume digital content most – PC, mobile and TV screens.” The new Deadliest Catch campaign is up and running now on most Microsoft-related entertainment and advertising sites and services.

In other news, Qik is about to enter the mobile phone service provider business … in a way. The popular online streaming service is teaming up with Irish telecommunications firm Cubic Telecom to release QikRoam, a specially made SIM card designed for use across the globe. For those of you out there who are unfamiliar with the world of mobile devices, a SIM card is a specialized device inserted into phones and other devices that contains the users “vitals,” — mobile carrier, phone service and data plan. By replacing their normal cards with QikRoam, users are now free to literally “film the world” without having to worry about the excessive roaming charges that international travel tends to bring. Access to local cell networks are also included in the service, making calls to home a much less painful proposition. While it isn’t exactly “free,” QikRoam is the perfect travel companion for any world traveler. It also shows what a small little startup can do when they dare to think outside of the proverbial box. QikRoam is available now for all phones that support SIM card technology.

And finally, it seems as if the NBA and the Italian Football Union aren’t the only major sporting organizations to question the use of social media. In our latest go-around, the NCAA has threatened the North Carolina State University athletics programs with sanctions if they do not force a student to remove his Facebook group dedicated to recruiting a highly-ranked high school basketball player. According to the NCAA, the “John Wall PLEASE Come to NC State” Facebook group could be misconstrued by Wall and his family as a school-sponsored plea for his services. Such pleas are considered to be recruiting violations by the NCAA and are strictly prohibited. The student in question maintains that the page was more about school spirit than about underhanded recruiting, and is quick to point out that Wall-based groups are rather common. Neither Facebook nor John Wall have yet to comment publicly on the situation.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been fined $25,000 by the NBA after using Twitter to complain about league officiating. “Just found out [that I] got fined $25K by [the] NBA,” the always opinionated Cuban wrote/Tweeted Monday. “Nice … [We] can’t say that no one makes money from Twitter now. The NBA does.”

As many sports fans are aware, this isn’t the first time that he has used modern technology to question the competency of the league. During the January 13th meeting between the Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets, he reportedly saw Nuggets shooting guard J.R. Smith elbow opposing small forward Antoine Wright in the head. Feeling that the refs blew the call, the ever present Cuban took it upon himself to personally confront Smith about the incident. He then wrote a sarcastic letter of apology to the player, which was then immediately posted on his blog. The incident earned the Mavericks’ owner a $25,000 fine and a personal condemnation from NBA commissioner David Stern, a noted critic of Cuban’s off-the-court antics.

Needless to say, the situation has gotten people talking. Interestingly, the conversations have more to do with the nature of microblogging and social networking than the so-called “wacky antics” of Mark Cuban. According to some, such as Denver Post columnist and ESPN personality Woody Paige, using modern technology to vent your frustrations is no different than using a telephone to tell a friend about an annoying coworker. “[Social media applications such as Twitter and Facebook] don’t count,” said Paige on the ESPN program Around the Horn. “You’re just trying to have a conversation with somebody. It just doesn’t count.” CNET columnist Chris Matyszczyk tends to agree with Paige, saying that Cuban was merely doing what he does best — speaking his mind to those who will listen. As far as he is concerned, the NBA is trying to “censor him” in order to hide the fact that he is “more intelligent than most of its members.”

Not everyone shares that point of view, however. Many writers, including featured AOL Fanhouse columnist and fellow ESPN personality Jay Mariotti, feel that Cuban has crossed the proverbial line yet again. “It was for public consumption,” said Mariotti. “You can assume that he really didn’t mean it or that he wasn’t sending it to the NBA. But once it’s on Twitter, it’s out there for the masses [to read]. He deserved to be fined.” These sentiments echo those of noted sportscaster Tony Kornheiser, who believes that using social media applications such as Twitter and MySpace to “vent” are essentially no different than writing an op-ed column in a traditional newspaper. According to Kornheiser, the writer is using an established forum to air his or her views. If the writer says something controversial, then he or she should be held responsible. The “newness” of that forum should not be taken into account, as it still a public forum.

And where does Mark Cuban stand on all of this? He blames the media. In a post on his blog, Cuban questions the legality of the original ESPN report, suggesting that the sports giant broke international copyright law by reprinting his Tweets without permission. “I Tweeted to the people who follow me. While I never asked that they not distribute it to other tweeters, I did not give anyone permission to republish my Tweets in a commercial newspaper, magazine or website.” He goes on to ponder the legal ramifications of the “stolen” Tweets and whether or not he should have expected them to remain private in the first place.

All in all, the entire Cuban/Twitter incident clearly illustrates the complexities of web 2.0-based communication. In many ways, these concerns mirror those brought about by the so-called “Napster fiasco” of ten years ago. As with Twitter and MySpace now, Napster was delivering an intellectual product in a way never before seen. When musicians such as Metallica and Dr. Dre questioned the new system, pundits initially focused more on the concept of “intellectual property rights” than on the fact that several million people were pirating copyrighted music. Although it might seem pointless now, it was a conversation that simply had to happen. After all, it was impossible to go after a person for violating “intellectual property rights” when no one knew exactly what those “rights” truly were. We are going through the same exact scenario now, only with hipper, more modern terminology. Once everything is straightened out, stories such as this will be nothing but a blip on the radar screen. In the meantime, however, we here at the Free Line suggest that you watch what you say online. The last thing any of us need to deal with is a $25,000 fine from David Stern.

Coupons are coming to a Google AdWords spread near you. According to AdWords tech Christian Yee, the new templates allow the team to “bring the messages from our customers’ offline circulars, to the online world, at scale with Google’s content network.” Each ad template will attempt to replicate the overall look and fell of the traditional coupons, complete with the familiar “cut here” pattern and the oddly large bolded font. At the bottom of the ads lies a coupon code, which the user can redeem at the virtual establishment in question. Alternatively, the ads can also be printed out and used at a variety offline locations. The two new ad templates are available now for all AdWords users.

In other advertising news, Microsoft has made a few changes to the way AdCenter calculates conversion rates. Instead of the “one size fits all” approach the system used to cling to, you now have three wildly different options to choose from: one conversion per click, one conversion per unique URL, and the ominously named “count all.” As with most things of this nature, each option has its own unique set of challenges to the proverbial table. Option one, for example, is the easiest to implement, but is by far the most simplistic. Option two, on the other hand, will give you more of a realistic, complex readout, but setting it up is comparable to exploritory brain surgery. The new conversion methods are available now, but be warned: you have to edit more than a few lines of Javascript. If the prospect of this makes you nervous, it’s probably best that you just stick with what you have.

Elsewhere, the folks at Sony believe they know what it takes to compete Amazon’s surprisingly popular Kindle eReader, and it involves Google. In a statement, Sony announced that all future versions of their “Portable Reader System” line of eReaders will now feature support for all Google Books titles. The deal adds roughly 600,000 books from the public domain to the struggling eReader — over twice as many than currently available for the Kindle. While those within the industry are applauding Sony for fighting fire with fire, many question if the deal really is as important as it might seem on the surface. In the mind of many avid readers, the words “public domain” are synonymous with “old, outdated, and factually inaccurate.” That being said, any content is good content at this stage of the game, even if said content is old enough to be our grandparents.

Moving to the world of social networking for a moment, it seems as if Facebook users aren’t exactly thrilled with the new redesigned site. According to a new survey, roughly 94% say that they dislike the changes and wish that they could go back to the way things used to be. Many of the problems stem from the mass amount of features that were supposedly removed from the service during the update process. Those in charge of Facebook have yet to comment publicly on the matter.

And to finish out the week: Samsung has announced that they will be joining the world of digital movie downloads. The popular mobile phone and electronics manufacturer is teaming up with online retailer Acetrax for the new service, tentatively titled Samsung Movies. There are said to be over 500 movies available for either purchase or rental, including such heavy hitters as “No Country For Old Men,” “The Matrix,” and “The Dark Knight.” Although it is only available at the moment to cell phone users in the UK, Samsung hopes to have the service up and running on a variety of different platforms (and in a variety of different regions) soon.

The one main disadvantage, if you want to call it that, to our hiatus last week was missing frightful fun of Friday the 13th. Well today, we are going to rectify that little problem with something we like to call “News of the Odd.” So sit back, relax and enjoy your Friday the 13th… five days late, of course.

Anyone who has seen a television news program in the past two years are familiar with the idea of “phishing.” Unlike most underhanded schemers, phishers have an uncanny knack of staying one step ahead of the curve when it comes to fake content. When one “opportunity” dries up, they just simply head to the next “big thing” and hope that people fall for it. Their latest target? Your love of local news. Like most nefarious plans of this nature, the scheme begins with an innocent looking email. In the letter, a panicky (yet unnamed) confidant asks you if you’re safe. At the bottom of the email sits a link to what appears to be a Reuters news story about a nuclear bomb going off near your hometown. What the site actually does is download and install the Waldec virus to your computer. The virus immediately picks up on your IP address, which is why your actual hometown appears in the phony article. While the virus is fairly harmless — if you can call spying and automatic duplication harmless, that is — many feel that the worst is yet to come. When dealing with a situation such as this, we here at the Free Line suggest you do the following three things:

1. Watch what you click. You have no idea what these idiots will attempt next.
2. Make sure that your anti-virus program is running at full vigor.
3. Take a moment out of your day to laugh at the criminals who thought that this was a good idea. Think about it. If a nuclear device really did go off in your hometown, chances are that you wouldn’t need a Reuters article to tell you all about it.

In other news, a criminal in England has found a new way to use Google Earth. According to a report by the London Telegraph, petty thief Dave Berge used the highly controversial mapping service to survey his next targets. Once the proper domicile was found, he would take what he felt was rightfully his — their roofing shingles. Unbeknownst to the owners of the homes, the shingles contain more than their fair share of lead. While the lead isn’t harmful to anyone, it does fetch a tidy sum on the open market. Berge is set to serve a variety of punishments for his crime, including eight months of jail time and a mandatory curfew.

And finally: Security guards for the Philadelpia Eagles aren’t the only people to get into hot water for what they say on Facebook. University of Calgary student Keith Pridgen was sentenced to two years of academic probation after using the social network to bash a rather unpopular teacher. The post, which celebrated the fact that the professor did not receive full-time employment, was seen as “inappropriate” by the university. Pridgen claims that he was merely “exercising his right to free speech” and should not be punished for his statements. Much of the U of C staff sees things a bit differently, however. “We have a culture now where websites are evolving that allow anybody to say anything,” computer science professor Tom Keenan told the CBC. As far as he is concerned, posting such comments on a public forum is not any different to writing them on notebook paper and hanging them throughout the campus. “You know people would tear [the notes] down, but it would still impugn somebody’s reputation, and you can still get sued.” U of C faculty will be meeting with students next week to discuss the controversy and brief them on the school’s Internet policy.

Due to the series of unforeseen circumstances, we’re cutting the proceedings a bit short today. Things will be back to normal tomorrow. In the mean time:

Should employees be punished for openly criticizing their employers on social networking sites? That is the question of the day … in Philadelphia, at least. Last week, the Phildelphia Eagles football franchise fired seasonal worker Dan Leone after team officials discovered that he was complaining about the team on his Facebook page. In the now-infamous post, Leone — a game-day security guard — said that letting star safety Brian Dawkins test the free agent market was downright “retarded.” The team maintains that decision to fire Leone was due to the “mildly inappropriate language” he used in the post, not because of the post itself. Needless to say, not everyone agrees with the decision. “The person who fired [Leone] should go,” says sports writer and ESPN personality Michael Wilbon. “It’s Facebook… It’s about as harmless as [lifestyle magazine] Redbook. You don’t fire some guy who guards a gate for putting something on Facebook.” Wilbon’s on-air partner Tony Kornheiser, on the other hand, supports the so-called “drastic measures” taken by the team. According to Kornheiser, Leone essentially criticized his employer in a public, albeit fairly obscure, forum. As such, the Eagles should be able to take whatever action they deem to be appropriate. The Eagles have yet to officially respond to the controversy.

In other news, not every major broadcaster looks down upon BitTorrent. Norwegian public broadcasting corporation NRK has launched their own tracking protocol, making it easy for users to download and share official, DRM-free content with ease. While the idea of opening up content might be new for many, it’s old hat for the folks in Norway. In the past two years, Norwegian officials have done everything from sue Apple for “forcing” users to purchase DRM-laden iTunes files to release specialized podcasts the feature the complete Beatles library, all in the name of data openness. The high-quality programming from the NRK archives are available now to all users, provided that they are fluent in Norwegian, of course.

And finally: Finding a little bit of extra money for your dream project has just become a bit easier. Angelsoft, an organization that prides itself on bringing venture capitalists and the folks who could really, really use their money closer together, has officially entered the search engine business. The new engine is “pre loaded” with over a thousand active venture capitalist firms and organizations, complete with funding preferences and contact information. You can also narrow down the results by category, average response time, and more. Simple to navigate and use, the new Angelsoft search engine takes the pain out of finding interested investors.

Facebook is getting a bit of a face-lift, the social network announced Thursday. The big news this time around involves the “news feed” system of profile updates. Instead of having to wait for an “activity stream” to update the profile list, users will now be able to see both site and status changes as they happen. Users will also be able to update the streams to suit their personal tastes. The new update system is the latest in a series of changes designed to give the company an edge in a rather competitive marketplace. The new changes are expected to go live March 11th.

In other social networking news, MySpace fans now have a credit card to call their own. The specially branded Visa card is the latest in a line of incentive-based card, designed to give users “points” for every dollar they spend. Said points could then be redeemed for a variety of rewards, from movie tickets to music downloads. Not everyone is thrilled with the move, however. Many within the financial sector question the logic of marketing a high-APR credit card to college students, many of whom are already dealing with student loans and other collegiate-related debt. Those in the tech industry also have their doubts, saying that the network officials should be focusing more on containing the runaway freight train that is Facebook than giving a twenty year old a line of credit that he or she may not need. The new MySpace Visa is available now.

Elsewhere, many Twitter users believe that they have found the culprits behind the service’s latest crash … and it’s not who you think it is. As far as these users are concerned, the latest round of problems can be blamed upon two distinct entities — respected journalist and talk show host Barbara Walters and Skittles manufacturer M&M/Mars. The story goes like this: Last Monday, Ms. Walters mentioned Twitter by name on her popular daytime program The View. At the same time, M&M/Mars decided that it would be a good idea to replace Skittles web page with a link to a Twitter Search results page for the keyword “Skittles.” According to the conspiracy theorists, the usage spike caused by fan of both The View and the fruit-flavored candy essentially overloaded the servers, causing them to literally cave under the pressure. Unfortunately, the real-life answer is a bit more mundane. In an email sent to tech site ArsTechnica, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone says the outage was nothing more than a routine server error. “Casual on-air mentions do not affect the site nearly as much as [major global events],” he writes. “[The two incidents had] nothing to do with the site degradation experienced earlier this week.”

Next: It seems as if the so-called “green” movement is trying to get a top-level domain of their very own. Spearheaded by Al Gore and a company called “Dot Eco LLC,” the proposed “.eco” TLD would be billed as the premiere domain for all environmentalists, global warming activists, and everyone else who claims to be Mother Nature’s biggest fan. All proceeds generated from the new TLD would go to a bevy of environmentally-friendly and socially conscious charities. Still, not everyone is on board with the idea of creating the world’s greenest suffix. “I’m [writing off] this .eco top level domain right now,” writes TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington. “Not because it’s global warming/eco related… I just don’t think the world needs another top level domain.”

And finally: Every great scribe has a bout with writer’s block every now and again. Each one of us has had his or her own way of dealing with it, usually with mixed results. (My method entails pacing around nervously, scaring the cats.) If you’re in the mood for a modern, distinctly “web 2.0″ solution to your problem, we here at the Free Line suggest giving Plinky a once over. Plinky is a new social network that gives you a list of helpful little “conversation starters,” all designed to get your mind up and running on all cylinders. After you finally have your stroke of genius, you can post it directly on their site, sharing your new idea with the world. The service is also compatible with all of the major blogging platforms, making it simple to get that extra dose of inspiration without ever breaking your concentration. Easy to use and extremely helpful, Plinky is an excellent way to get past what ails you. Your readers — and, if you’re like me, your cats — will thank you.