If there is one thing that everyone knows about, it’s advertising. No matter where we look, there always seems to be a thirty-second television spot, billboard, or conveniently placed Coke can within eye shot. While that sort of bombardment does have the tendancy to be annoying at points, it could always be worse. We could be living in the media obsessed dystopia of Max Headroom. In the series, advertising is present in three unique, highly diverse ways. On today’s installment of Twenty Minutes into the Future, we will take a look at three techniques and discuss how each are being used in today’s culture.

Technique #1: The Cheviot Method

Championed By: Ben Cheviot (George Coe), founder and president of Network 23.
Thesis: People first, ads second.
Explanation: According to the “Cheviot Method” of advertising, it is imperative to remember that it isn’t robots and/or lemmings watching these ads. It’s people. If “advertiser A” uses their predetermined ad time to insult the viewer, or if they try to do to much, the viewer is less likely to return. If such behavior keeps up over time, the viewer will simply “give up” and simply stop caring about your product or service. By treating people like people, not only do you get the viewer to care about the product, you make hem more willing to investigate other products or services that have your name on it.
In-Show Result: Network 23 is consistently number one in the ratings.
Real-World Example: Anyone who tows the Free Line concept practices this advertising method.

Technique #2: The Grossberg Method

Championed By: Ned Grossberg (the late Charles Rocket), the president of Network 66 and Cheviot’s mortal enemy.
Thesis: People exists to buy things, so they might as well be buying those things from us.
Explanation: When this particular advertising method is employed, the consumer essentially becomes secondary to the items that are being shown on the screen. Although the company involved might see a initial spike in “audience participation,” the numbers will actually be lower overall. To compensate for this, the advertiser/network is forced to employ a variety of gimmicks in order to coerce people into coming back for more. In the show, these gimmicks ranged from ridiculous (”Watch 66 in your sleep! You can do that now!”) to horrifying (one second long “blipverts” that had a nasty habit of making fat people explode) to the downright bizarre (a reality show about the life and times of super genius infants).
In-Show Result: Grossberg is made to look like a fool on a fairly regular basis; network ratings go down sharply.
Real-World Example: Any company labeled as an “evil corporation” has been accused of using this advertising method at least once in their existence.

Technique #3: The Zik Zak Method

Championed By: A fairly mysterious, multi-national corporation called “Zik Zak.” While it is implied that Zik Zak makes everything from furniture to prescription drugs, the company’s main products are soft drinks and fast food.
Thesis: People?! Who cares about people! Buy our stuff and quit complaining!
Explanation: People who employ this kind of advertising structure simply do not care about anyone or anything other than their product. It really doesn’t matter if people get “inconvenienced” or even find themselves in a sticky situation. They still bought the product. The “in-world” example of this tactic is the NeuralStim, a “free bracelet” that caused people to crave cheeseburgers. In the case of our hero, Edison Carter, the bracelet made him nearly die from overspending.
In-Show Result: The “faulty” bracelets cause Zik Zak to nearly go bankrupt.
Real-World Example: In a fictional TV show, it’s called a “NeuralStim.” In the real word, it’s called “malware.”
Special Note: During my research, I ran across three very different organizations that call themselves “Zik Zak.” Please keep in mind that the comments above only apply to the fictional corporation, not to the these real-life entities.

Our Advice: The “Cheviot Method” is the only way to go. As I said a few days ago. These are your people. Never forget that. Your customers (and everyone else, for that matter) will thank you in the long run.

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 we mentioned in yesterday’s post, it seems as if 95% of the tech world has two things on their collective minds: smart phones and Twitter. Since I think we have covered Twitter, Twitter clones, Twitter apps, and that goofy “Twitter apocalypse” thing that didn’t really happen to death, we are going focus on the wonderful world of mobile phones. But as you might have already guessed, I am going to do more than just merely “talk” about these phones. I will actually give one of these lucky mobile devices a thorough going over, making sure to tell you everything that you would ever need to know. Let’s face it: “smart phones” such as these could very possibly be the future of mobile computing. If your business isn’t ready for it, you could find yourself in very, very hot water. It is our duty, nay, our mission to make sure that this does not happen to you. Before we begin however, I do have a few notes:

Note #1: While the iPhone is definitely on my “smart phone” shortlist, we will not be doing a write up about it in this post. The reasoning for this is simple: anyone who is anyone already knows about it. We don’t know about any of you, but none of us here are necessarily fans of regurgitating common knowledge.

Note #2: The touchscreen Blackberry that Verizon peddles is all but out of the equation. First of all, it’s a Blackberry. Aside from the touchscreen, there really isn’t much different between the new phones and old “trackball” versions from last year. Secondly, I am not a big fan of Verizon Wireless. While their overall network is a bit better than the competition, it doesn’t justify the bloated, overinflated price that they charge. In short, I can get better equipment at a cheaper price. ‘Nuff said.

…With all of that laid out, here we go…

G1 (Dream)/G2 (Magic)/MyTouch 3G

Manufacturer: Google (OS); HTC (Phone; more phones from other companies will be arriving at some point in the near future)
Cell Network (US): T-Mobile
Open Source?: Yes.
Positives: Having been able to actually use this phone, I have to say that this phone’s biggest asset is the Android operating system. It has more of a feel of a scaled down desktop OS instead one designed for a mobile device. The ability to run a few third-party applications in the background doesn’t hurt things either.
Negatives: there’s something about the physical phone hardware than I just don’t like. It feels “cheap” and really isn’t all that much to look at. If I do decide to go with this phone, I will wait until the myTouch 3G is released in August.

Palm Pre

Manufacturer: Palm
Cell Network: Sprint
Open Source?: Yes
Positives: Palm is finally back. This is the phone that loyal users have been waiting for for quite some time now. While some might be upset at the loss of “classic” Palm OS software library, most will find the available apps to be suitable replacements. (A “classic OS” emulator is available for those who do not.)
Negatives: Not everyone likes the Sprint network.

As you may or may not have noticed, “smart phones” such as the iPhone and the Palm Pre seem to be the one thing that’s on everybody’s mind these days. Talk of these little mobile wonders seem to permeate throughout all forms of mass media, from print to late night talk shows and beyond. Even highly respected blogs such as this one “believes the hype” from time to time. On today’s action packed episode of the Free Line, we will be taking a look at four tools that will attempt to bring of that “3G style” to your web browser … and vice versa.

iphonesender – For Firefox. This little tool does only one thing — sends a customized link from Google Maps to your iPhone — but it does it well. Sometimes the simplest applications are the best.

PinPoints – For Firefox. This handy little addition sends large amounts of map-based information to the mobile phone of your choice. While any modern phone will work, a working GPS module is needed if you want the “full experience.” Unlike the other add-ons mentioned here, PinPoints requires you to sign up for their service. Although the non-existent price tag isn’t a problem, the simple fact that you have to subscribe to yet another service might bother a few people.

iGtalk – For Firefox. Ever wish that you could use the iPhone Gtalk application without having to break out your phone? Now you can, thanks to iGtalk. When activated, a familiar, iPhone-like application appears prominently in the left hand corner of the browser. While it might seem a bit redundant to some (Gtalk is available for all three major OSes), this is a tool that many could find to be useful, especially if that person is already familiar with the mobile interface. All in all, iGtalk is a great way to bring a little bit of that iPhone magic to the desktop, even if its existence tends to defy all logic.

Zhiing – For Firefox. On the surface, Zhiing appears to be yet another add-on designed to get maps from your browser to your iPhone. Look closer, however, and you will find an interesting little service lying underneath. Unlike the other services mentioned here, Zhiing does more than play digital taxi. It actually turns every street address into an interactive link. From there, you can choose from a variety of options, including getting driving directions and finding nearby attractions. Remember: Zhiing is still considered to be in the dreaded “beta stage.” Not everything is going to work the first time out (if at all). If you think that you can deal with these few minor inconveniences, however, it would be in your best interest to give Zhiing a try. You will be glad you did.

Sometimes, we find the weirdest things sitting in our own attics and/or basements. The same thing goes for us. On today’s episode of Showdown, we take a look at five programs listed in our own wiki. The “selection” process was easy: we just clicked the “random page” button. With that said, here we go…

Service #1: Jimdo

Website: http://www.jimdo.com/
Wiki Link: http://www.freelinereport.com/wiki/Jimdo
Service: Website creation
First Impression:“Wow … that was easy…”
Ease of Use (Out of ten): 10
Positives: Signing up for the service is as easy as humanly possible. All you have to do is request the name you want. After a few minutes and one email later, you have a complete, albeit simple, template waiting for you. From there, the world is truly your oyster. Everything is mapped out, making even the hardest task appear to be simple ones.
Negatives: “Advanced” features such as PHP and Ruby on Rails support cost extra.
Overall (Out of ten): 9; “This is nice … ridiculously nice.”

Service #2: Biographicon

Website: http://www.biographicon.com/
Wiki Link: http://www.freelinereport.com/wiki/Biographicon
Service: Biographical wiki
First Impression: “I get an entire page to describe my boring life. Yay for me!”
Ease of Use: N/A — It’s a wiki. If you have used one, you have used them all.
Positives: Celebrities, politicians, and athletes aren’t the only people who deserve their own wiki page. It’s Wikipedia for “average” people.
Negatives: It’s Wikipedia for “average” people.
Overall: 8; “It’s weird, but in a good way.”

Service #3: Mindomo

Website: http://www.mindomo.com/help/index.htm
Wiki Link: http://www.freelinereport.com/wiki/Mindomo
Service: Mind mapping software
First Impression: “I’m currently staring at a blank screen right now. Why am I on a blank screen?”
Ease of Use: 8
Positives: In many ways, Mindomo is the “Word” of mind mapping software. Everything is neatly organized and designed with the novice user in mind. Unlike most programs of its ilk, Mindomo allows users to add things that aren’t usually found on traditional mind maps such as videos, website links, email attachments, audio files.
Negatives: The true “Mindomo” experience costs money. As it stands, the user can only save seven “private” maps, but create as many “public” maps as they please. While the $6 a month fee won’t exactly break the bank, it’s still more than many other free (read: open source) programs out there.
Overall: 8

Service #4: WorldWide Telescope

Website: http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/Home.aspx
Wiki Link: http://www.freelinereport.com/wiki/Microsoft_World_Wide_Telescope
Service: Interstellar map
First Impression: “I’m looking at Uranus!”
Ease of Use: 8 (If you enjoy astronomy); 6 (for everybody else)
Positives: Simple enough for a bored student in science class to use but sophisticated enough for the most hardcore amateur astromoner, the WorldWide Telescope makes virtual stargazing fun … if you’re a fan of the heavens, that is.
Negatives: A program such as this is definitely not for everybody.
Overall: 7

Service #5: Goosh

Website: http://www.goosh.org/
Wiki Link: http://www.freelinereport.com/wiki/Goosh
Service: Unofficial Google command line
First Impression: “What the heck is this?! Why does Google have a command line?”
Ease of Use: 9 (If you like command lines); 2 (if you don’t)
Positives: Goosh does everything the regular Google search does — straight web earch, Gmail, YouTube, etc. — only from the command line. It’s also much, much faster than the traditional engine.
Negatives: There are those out there who sob uncontrollably at the sight of a command line. If this is you, we highly advise you to stay far, far away from this service.
Overall: 9 (command line lovers); -9 (command line haters)

What do cherries, Microsoft, and the Irving Berlin classic “White Christmas” all have in common? Despite what you might be thinking right now, the answer is not ice cream sundaes, anti-trust suits, or Danny Kaye. It’s Bing. For those unaware, Bing is Microsoft’s new “do it all” search portal that will supposedly change the way we look at search portals. Does it live up to the hype? We are about to find that out.

First Impression: “Why does the welcome picture have little ‘hot spots’ in it?”

Search (Term: “Open Source Browsers”)

Number of Hits
Bing: 57.2 million hits
Google: 62.6 million hits
Yahoo: 35.8 million hits

Search Quality
Bing: Although devoid of both repeating links and blatant advertising, Bing seems to be focused on one thing and one thing only: Chrome. Out of the ten links on the first page, four deal with Google’s controversial browser. Mozilla and Firefox, meanwhile, are left out in the proverbial cold.
Google: Google results seem to be a bit more diverse than that of Bing. Chrome, for example, only appears once, while Mozilla makes its presence felt twice.
Yahoo: Yahoo’s results are a tad more redundant than both Bing and Google, but it’s not anything to really write home about. Mozilla appears only once, while Chrome isn’t mentioned at all.

Video Search (Term: “Photoshop Tutorials”)

Number of Hits
Bing: 34,700
Google (YouTube): 73,600
Yahoo: 6,215

Search Quality
Bing: Every video on the first page actually corresponded with the keywords in question. While the difficulty and intended audience might differ from one clip to another, the overall theme remains steady.
Google (YouTube): Same as Bing, only with less links.
Yahoo: A few of the links seem to go a bit off-topic, but most stay on-point.

Bing On…
News: When you first arrive, you will notice a few videos sitting at the bottom of the screen. Those videos can be turned on by either clicking the link (as per tradition) or running your mouse over the “play” button. While it isn’t suited for watching whole stories, the Bing News mouse over feature makes grabbing a “sneak preview” as painless as possible.
Maps: For the life of us, we just could not get the map feature running properly. Instead of getting a map full of roads, rivers, and landmarks, we received a desolate beige blob full of orange arrows. After a little while, we were able to turn the beige blob in a grid similar to the one found in the science fiction film Tron. The actual turn-by-turn directions, however, are a completely different story. Every set we tried were incredibly detailed and extremely easy to read. We especially appreciate the “if you see ___, then you’ve gone too far” note that appeared at the end of every page. It makes exploring new places a bit less taxing.

Final Thought: While it isn’t exactly perfect, it’s much better than we expected. Microsoft supposedly put a ton of time and effort into this project, and it shows. Yes, it’s still “rough around the edges,” but it isn’t just a rebranded “Live Search” either. In short, Bing just might be the “web portal powerhouse” Redmond has always wanted. Whether it actually lives up to hype, however, remains to be seen.

Anyone who has been on the Internet for more than three minutes are familiar with the information-filled media smorgasbord known as the “portal site.” It seems as if every major Internet firm has one, from Microsoft, Yahoo, and AOL to Comcast, Disney, and NBC Universal. But what about companies that live outside of the United States? They must obviously have something to talk about, right? That’s exactly what we are going to find out. On today’s trek, we make our way up north to Canada, take a pit-stop in Quebec, and spend a few minutes within the heart of Japan. With that said, here we go…

Site #1: Canada Online Explorer (aka CANOE)

Website: http://en.canoe.ca/home.html (English) http://fr.canoe.ca/ (French)
Parent Company: Quebecor Media
Launch Year: 1996
Language: English and French
Subject Matter: CANOE is teeming with news and sport topics that modern Canadians clamor for, from the National Hockey League and the Canadian Football League to the Parliament and the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Special Features: It’s odd in this day and age for a major league web portal such as CANOE to have an entire section dedicated to professional wrestling. Aside from the usual array of show recaps and rumors, the Slam! subsite also features columns by a slew of well-known Canadian wrestling personalities, including Don Callis and former world champion/national hero Bret “The Hitman” Hart. Other “distinctly Canadian” touches include a subsite dedicated to curling, articles about in-country vacationing, and an ever-present currency converter.
Drawbacks: The  overall design of the English-language site looks rather dated compared to its Acadian counterpart.

Site #2: livedoor

Website: http://www.livedoor.com
Parent Company: livedoor
Launch Year: 2004
Language: Japanese
Subject Matter: Livedoor is designed to be the “final word” in Japanese media and culture. Want to blog? They have their own blogging platform. Want to work on a wiki? They have one of those as well. Need to get to Gmail or YouTube? Thanks to a deal with Google, both services have links displayed prominently on the main site.
Special Features: Japanese businesses, especially large ones such as livedoor and Yahoo, try their best to do a bit of everything. Because of this, livedoor has features and services that normal portal sites usually lack. Think about it: how many other sites own a ticket service, a baseball team (called, appropriately enough, livedoor baseball), ISP, and have been involved with two independent puroresu wrestling promotions?
Other Notes: Livedoor found itself in the middle of an Enron-level accounting scandal in 2006. In the past three years, several major board members have either been sued, are awaiting jail time, or have committed suicide. Despite enduring popularity of livedoor, the company is still in second place behind the online behemoth known as Yahoo Japan.

…And we’re back! On today’s “one day late” edition of the Showdown, we take a look at four “mainstream” web browsers that are trying to take the digital world by storm. After much discussion, we have decided to forgo Firefox at this time. The reason for this is simple: it’s our browser of choice. Expect a full, unbiased Firefox review in a few weeks. What that said, here we go:

Browser #1: Internet Explorer 8

Website: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/Internet-explorer/default.aspx
Programmer: Microsoft
Rendering Engine: Trident
First Impression: “Is this really IE 8? It looks like IE 7.”
Positives: The overhauled “I’m not a toolbar” style toolbar adds some much needed screen real estate. The “safety” menu is now found inside of this toolbar, making it easy for users to change their settings on the fly. On the feature end, there’s the much hyped “Web Slice” option. For those unaware, the Web Slice tool bookmarks specific sections of a website, allowing users to revisit that particular piece of information instead of the entire site. While it might seem a bit odd, the Web Slice option is perfect for sites that are frequently updated, such as stock quotes or auction prices.
Negatives: It’s Internet Explorer. If you didn’t like the previous editions, there is a good chance that you will not be a fan of the new one.
Overall (Out of 10): 7
Final Thought: “It’s gotten better.”

Browser #2: Safari

Website: http://www.apple.com/safari/
Programmer: Apple
Rendering Engine: WebKit
First Impression: “Apple says that Safari is the fastest browser available. That’s great. Do I believe them? I don’t know yet.”
Positives: It’s a solid as a rock, which is unsurprising considering the source.
Negatives: Despite the interesting graphical enhancements and oddball “most visited” sites list, Safari doesn’t really feel like anything special. Now we’re not saying that it’s a bad browser or anything. It just comes off as rather “uninspired” and boring.
Overall (Out of 10): 7
Final Thought: “The Mac version is probably better.”

Browser #3: Opera

Website: http://www.opera.com/browser/
Programmer: Opera
Rendering Engine: Presto
First Impression: “What will I ever do with all of this extra browser space?”
Positives: Opera’s positives can be summed up in one word: widgets. These handy little pieces of programming bliss make Opera less of a web browser and more of an “application platform.” Want to play a little Tetris, both circular and traditional? Opera can make it happen. Want to use a modified version of MS Paint or a Spirograph? That’s available as well. Need a word processor? A calculator? A ten-gallon fish tank complete with digital fish? It’s all here. The browser is great and everything, but let’s be honest here — we’re not running Opera just so we can look at sites. We want the widgets.
Negatives: Not everyone is a fan of widgets.
Overall (Out of 10): 8
Final Thought: “We apologize for being redundant, but this must be said yet again: widgets!”

Browser #4: Chrome

Website: http://www.google.com/chrome
Programmer: Google
Rendering Engine: Gecko and WebKit
First Impression: “Why is it showing me thumbnails? And where did the bookmarks go?”
Positives: Ladies and gentlemen, may we present to you the single most controversial statement ever uttered in a Free Line, whether it be written or spoken: This browser has nothing really good going for it. Sure, it “tries” hard, but it ultimately falls flat on its proverbial face.
Negatives: To say that we were thrown off is an understatement. Everything that one would “expect” in a browser is either hidden, in some foreign menu, or missing completely. As we mentioned above, the programmers are trying so hard to be revolutionary that they essentially “forgot” how to make a usable piece of software. Although the overall experience might improve over time, Chrome botched the “first impression” stage completely.
Overall (Out of 10): 4
Final Thought: “Thanks again for playing. Try again next year.”

- The world of Top-Level Domains has yet another superstar name on its hands — .ME Originally designed for the Eastern European country of Montenegro to signify its independence from Serbia, the fledgling TLD has become a hit with users who wish to give their sites a “personal touch.” According to industry site WebProNews, the relatively new .ME domain has been registered roughly 250,000 times since the initial “sunrise period” last year, and is only continuing to grow in popularity. The .ME TLD is available now through several registrars, including GoDaddy, Afilias, and the Montenegro-based Me.net.

- Despite rumors to the contrary, advertising will not be coming to a Twitter account near you anytime soon. In a post on the official Twitter blog, co-founder Biz Stone says that running banner ads “have always been low on our list of interesting ways to generate revenue.” Still, he’s not quite ready to close the door on ads just yet. Writes Stone: “We say traditional web banner advertising isn’t interesting to us which is true. However, to say we are philosophically opposed to any and all advertising is incorrect… [F]acilitating connections between businesses and individuals in meaningful and relevant ways is compelling. We’re going to leave the door open for exploration in this area.”

- The search engine known as Kumo might be making a public appearence sooner than anyone has ever expected. According to those close to the situation, Microsoft is planning to unveil the much anticipated replacement for Live Search as early as next week. In addition to the new name, Kumo is expected to bring a few much needed “enhancements and innovations” to the table, including the ability to group search results by category. The folks at Redmond reportedly have high hopes for the new engine, which could conceivably put them in the same elite category as Google and Yahoo. Microsoft is currently third in the “search engine arms race” with a disappointing 8.2% adoption rate.

- Cable network ESPN has struck a content deal with YouTube. According to the terms of the agreement, the sports giant will provide the online video megastar/Google subsidiary with original, ad-sponsored material designed to “compliment” the network’s programming. All of the videos in question will be available on the base YouTube site, but will feature a video player designed especially for ESPN. No live games or programming events are currently planned, but many believe that content from the broadband network ESPN 360 will be added in due time. A solid launch date is as of yet unknown.

- Popular music service Pandora has received a major upgrade. Called Pandora One, the new strategy is designed to “reward” paying customers while not “punishing” those who prefer the free-to-use player. Aside from the total annihilation of both banner and audio advertising from the site, the “pay service” has one major thing going for it — a desktop application powered by the Adobe AIR runtime environment. Thanks to the app, users can now stream their music at a higher bitrate (192 kbps), fill that space left by the advertising with fully customizable backgrounds, and more. Critics  point out that while the program does improve the overall desktop experience, Pandora’s penchant for repitition makes long-term use difficult. Others say that the app’s price ($36) might be a bit too steep for many users. Still, there is one thing that almost everyone can agree on: despite its faults, Pandora One is a nice little antidote to the predicable, sanitized nature of most FM broadcasts. Pandora One is available now for all paying customers.

On today’s special edition of the Showdown, we take a look at four web browsers that are a bit more “specialized” than the average install of Internet Explorer or Firefox. Before we do, however, we should take a look at the muscles behind the browser — the rendering engine. For those unaware, a rendering engine is the program that physically displays a website on a screen. Major engines include:

• Trident – Designed by Microsoft exclusively for Internet Explorer.
• Gecko - Designed by the Mozilla Corporation for Firefox. Several major browsers also employ this engine, including Chrome, Mozilla SeaMonkey, and later versions of Netscape.
• KHTML – Designed by the KDE Team, Apple, Nokia, and Google for use in the Linux-based Konqueror browser. The engine was eventually forked into two separate projects. Project number one kept the KHTML name, while project number two became…
• Webkit – A modified version of the KHTML engine used in Safari. Chrome and Free Line favorite Epiphany also use WebKit, though not nearly to the extent of Safari.
• Presto - Designed by Opera Software ASA for the Opera browser. Unlike the other engines listed, Presto is not usually ported to other web browsers. Instead, developers simply modify Opera itself to suit their own needs. To date, modified versions of Opera can be found in a variety of different hardware and software platforms, including Adobe products, mobile phones, and on various Nintendo gaming consoles.

With all of that said, here we go:

Browser #1: Maxthon

Website: http://www.maxthon.com/
Programmer: Maxthon International Limited
Rendering Engine: Trident
First Impression: “It looks like Lotus Symphony … and the name sounds like a line of bug sprays.”
Originality (Out of 5): 5
Special Features: A Facebook sidebar plugin and an XMarks-style bookmark synchronization service is included in the installation.
Positives: Maxthon is probably one of the most unique browsers we have ever come across. It employs several cutting edge features, including mouse gestures, a built-in feed reader, and a completely customizable interface. It’s also very social media friendly, which could potentially make status updates a breeze.
Negatives: Maxthon likes to refer to itself as “Internet Explorer” a bit too often. While it might be small, it is bound to throw more than a few people off.
Overall (Out of 10): 7;
Final Thought: “It’s a very well put together browser, which is nice. You don’t see that much anymore.”

Browser #2: K-Meleon

Website: http://kmeleon.sourceforge.net/
Programmer: Christophe Thibault
Rendering Engine: Gecko
First Impression: “These tools are interesting.”
Originality: 5
Special Features: Instead of utilizing the “standard” XUL interface, K-Meleon relies on the Windows API. The intended result is an experience closer to Safari in OS X and Konqueror in Linux than the everyday installation of Firefox. Like Maxthon, everything from the tab bar to the menus is customizable. There are also some innovative mouse options, including a tool that modifies the scroll wheel. Users also have the option of “saving” sessions for later use.
Positives: K-Meleon makes Firefox look like Internet Explorer. The browser practically begs the user to fool around with it. Users also have the option to activate Opera’s patented Hotlist technology, which adds an entirely new level of usability to the browser.
Negatives: It’s a tad intimidating at first.
Overall: 9
Final Thought: “If I felt like switching browsers right now, it would be to this one.”

Browser #3: Sleipnir

Website: http://www.fenrir-inc.com/us/
Programmer: Fenrir Inc.
Rendering Engines: Trident and Gecko
First Impression: “This is neat … I wish I could get it working right.”
Originality: 4
Special Features: Before starting the browser, the user is asked if they want to use either the Trident or Gecko rendering engine. Although we really have no desire to use Trident, it’s nice to have the option available. Sleipnir also has the ability to run extensions from both Internet Explorer and Firefox in addition to its own proprietary add-ons.
Positives: It’s fast … really, really fast. The native Sleipnir plugins seem to be a bit odd at first, but are extremely useful and powerful.
Negatives: It claims to be “for advanced users only.”  We suggest that you heed that warning.
Overall: 7
Final Thought: “Make sure that you read all of the instructions first.”

Browser #4: Lunascape

Website: http://www.lunascape.tv/
Programmer: Lunascape Co., Ltd
Rendering Engines: Trident, Gecko, and Webkit
First Impression: “Now I know where Sleipnir got its look from.”
Originality: 4
Special Features: Think “Sleipnir,” but with added Webkit support. It makes a bigger difference than one might think. The browser “skin” can be switched out at a moment’s notice — a nifty feature for anyone who can’t decide on the “perfect look” for their browser. Your favorite RSS feed can also be turned into a “news ticker,” which runs parallel to your tabs.
Positives: The rendering engine can be changed on the fly, similar to the IE/Safari Tab extension in Firefox. The actual viewing window can display several web pages at once, making it easy to compare different sites or products.
Negatives: For some reason, all of the proprietary extensions are in Japanese. Like Sleipnir, it ca be a tad intimidating to those unfamiliar with alternative web browsers.
Overall: 6.5
Final Thought: “It has a lot of potential, but still has a way to go.”