As we have established before, we live in a society that is growing increasingly dependent on information. When things work the way that they are “supposed” to work, no one complains. When several major “news sources” come up dry and ultimately bring nothing new to the table, however … things seem to break down fairly quickly. It is at this point that we in the blogging community try to make something — anything — interesting and unique. A few days ago, the major tech sites were all abuzz about the Chrome operating system and the surprising success of Bing. Today, on the other hand, the sites were overflowing with stories about several “minor” Twitter updates and a merger of two companies that, quite frankly, no one has ever heard of. If you got lucky, you just might have “stumbled” upon a discussion about Steve Ballmer or the various health issues facing Steve Jobs. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes or Lenny Briscoe to notice that their just might be a problem here.

The obvious solution to this “problem,” of course, is simply to turn off our monitors, put down the keyboards, and wait for something to happen. Be it right or wrong, life does not exactly work in that way anymore. So we fill the void with various media sources, hoping that it will fill the “dead space” of a slow news day. Some watch Brock Lesnar beat poor Frank Mir until he cries on YouTube for the five hundredth time. Others go to TMZ in order see the “forgotten” footage of Michael Jackson’s hair catching fire. Still others figure out a way to watch the Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court hopeful Sonja Sotomayor. While all of these activities do give us our “media fix,” they are about as productive as watching paint dry. One can only watch a former professional wrestler insult everyone within earshot, burning hair, or politicians yell at each other for so long before going completely insane. So we decide to go back to work on our pet projects, hoping that one day it — and by extension, we — will become successful enough to be covered the likes of Michael Arrington and Henry Blodgett on a slow news day.

And therein lies what makes this moment in time different than the media controlled dystopia of Max Headroom: power. We are ultimately in control of the content given to us, not some cryptic television network run by Charles Rocket and Jeffery Tambor. The New York Times doesn’t decide what news is “fit to print,” we do. While it’s great to scope out The Drudge Report or Mashable for new things to read and/or learn about, it is more important in our society to “create” that next big idea. So we work on our blogs and fiddle with our various web 2.0 applications, all with the hope that our contributions will turn the “information tide” our way. This is our time, and we will make damn sure that we get every last second out of it. Biz Stone did it. Tim Brenners Lee did it. Now it’s our turn.

…And there you have it. On the behalf of everyone at the Free Line, we sincerely hope that you have enjoyed our three-part series about the future, media, and everything in between. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for more of that web 2.0 news you can use. Until then, we bid thee adieu.

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?”

Hulu is now the fourth most popular online video site in the US, according to research firm comScore. The much-talked about site gained a staggering ten million users over the course of the last month, bringing their total viewership to a shocking 37.4 million users. Many within the industry say the sharp rise is due to the site’s creative advertising campaign, which features the likes of Alec Baldwin and Family Guy creator/generally controversial figure Seth MacFarlane as alien invaders. Other rankings of note include YouTube (99.3 million users), Fox Media/MySpace (53.7 million users) and Yahoo (41.6 million users).

In other news, Facebook isn’t the only social networking site of note undergoing a drastic design change. LinkedIn, the network geared towards business people and the folks who love them, have recently unveiled their own set of improvements. The first thing that you will notice is the inbox … or rather, the total lack of one. Instead of it looming large over your front page like it used to, the inbox now only appears when there are actual messages to be read. Once inside, you’ll run into the second major improvement — tabs. These are designed to make both reading and sorting your mail a quick and painless experience. The new inbox is just one of many planned improvemnet aimed at increasing productivity and usability. The mailbox of your dreams is available now for all users.

And finally: A slate of classic films have finally received a new lease on life. The folks at Warner Brothers have just put the finishing touches on the “Warner Archive,” a video site that specializes in “forgotten classics.” The Archive features over 150 long out-of-print films made before 1986, such as “Abe Lincoln in Illinois,” the golf-centric silent film “Spring Fever,” and Paul Simon’s “One Trick Pony,” which is more remembered for the song “Late In the Evening” than the actual film. What makes the Archive special is its “on demand” nature. Unlike most DVD-based services of this type, the actual disc is created only after the user orders the film. Not only does this method cut down on labor and storage costs, it makes the concept of “niche entertainment” economically viable. The discs from the Warner Archive start at $20 a pop. Digital versions of the film in question are available for $15.

While the “DVD-on-demand” concept is still considered to be a fairly “recent” idea, it is by no means new. Anyone who has attempted to purchase a high school football retrospective or lesser-known professional wresting DVD in the past ten years have seen the on-demand concept at work. Many smaller video companies, such as Smart Mark Video and Pittsburgh-based Digital Horizons, have built their distribution systems on variations of that very concept. Amazon also utilizes on-demand as a way to sell their severs full of children’s programming from the 1990’s.

Expect to see more on the topic of video creation and distribution on an upcoming episode of the Free Line.

The short battle between Amazon and the Authors Guild over the text-to-speech feature found in the Kindle 2 has finally come to an end. In a statement, the world-famous bookseller announced that control over the feature has been handed over to the publishing houses. By transferring power to an outside source, Amazon not only successfully avoids a lawsuit, but allows both the union and the publishers to have more control over the published work. As we have previously reported, the Authors Guild aren’t exactly fans of the new tool, claiming that it essentially allows users to “steal” the audio book. Many within the tech industry question the union’s position, calling it “petty” and “not thought out.” The National Federation for the Blind has also spoken out against the Guild, saying that their position is “shameful” and “harmful to blind people.”

Elsewhere, it seems as if someone from Microsoft has contracted a bad case of “loose lips.” On Twitter over the weekend, Microsoft search guru Barney Pell casually mentioned that he “played… with Live search upcoming (to be rebranded) launch pre-beta (sic).” Needless to say, this admission caused the industry to stand up and take notice and caused Microsoft to pull some emergency damage control. Aside from deleting the “rogue” Tweet, the folks at Redmond have completely ignored the incident. As of now, there is still no time table for when the change will happen.

In other news, Flock, a former Free Line favorite that attempts to combine social networking and web browsing, is switching allegiances. The company has officially announced that they are dumping the Mozilla code the browser is currently based upon for that of Google Chrome. While the actual reason for the change is unknown, many speculate that it is due to the unwillingness of the Mozilla community to embrace newer protocols and tools. While the switchover to Chrome is coming, don’t expect for it to happen overnight. Due to the nature of browser development, many feel that Flock will be dependent upon at least some of Mozilla’s code for the foreseeable future.

Next: Hulu fans have yet another place to go to get their video fix — Dailymotion. “Dailymotion is delighted to partner with Hulu,” Dailymotion General Manager Joy Marcus said in a statement. “We’re confident that our audience will benefit not only from the addition of such an impressive line-up of content, but also from the premium entertainment experience offered by Dailymotion’s advanced technology.” Those close to the deal are surprised that it even happened at all. The folks at Hulu aren’t exactly making any friends at the moment, and the France-based Dailymotion isn’t necessarily a known entity in the US. That being said, officials are hopeful that the deal will help to both improve a reputation and raise a profile, respectively. As always, the Hulu/Dailymotion partnership is a US-only venture.

And finally: Like most people, we here at the Free Line have a well-known “love/hate” relationship with ZIP files. When it comes to storing pictures or packing programs, the ZIP file type is a godsend. When it comes to loading a printer driver, on the other hand … well, let’s just say that that is when the good tidings end. After all, nothing says “fun” like spending twenty minutes loading a gigantic file when all you need is one or two components. Luckily for us, there’s WobZIP. WobZIP is a handy little web app that actually opens a ZIP file before it ever loads. Once the file is open, the user can pick and choose the pieces that he or she needs. The result is a clean download of files that you actually want. Easy to operate and indispensable in certain situations, WobZIP takes the “hate” out of the love/hate relationship mentioned above.

Charging corporate users to use Twitter might not be as ridiculous as once thought. According to Abrams Research, 39.6% of business owners interviewed would willingly pay a monthly fee in order to use the microblogging service. Many within the industry see the poll as proof of Twitter’s emerging presence in the corporate world and a testament to its staying power. On the other end of the spectrum, 41.1% say that gaming/social networking hybrid site ImInLikeWithYou.com is the most likely to shut down in the next year. Bebo, the United Kingdom’s favorite networking site, comes in at a very distant second with 12.4% of the vote.

Sticking with Twitter for a moment, ESPN personality Dan Le Batard has a few interesting thoughts concerning the service’s popularity with athletes. Appearing as a guest host on Pardon the Interruption, the newspaper columnist/talk show host sees “technological advances” such as microblogging and text messaging as a way of eliminating the need for sports writers. “We’re fast approaching the day where [professional athletes] don’t need the media at all… They’re not going to need the Sports Illustrated cover. They can create their own connections with the fans without our help.” Le Batard’s comments echo the sediments of NBA all-star Chris Bosh, who says he uses Twitter to get everything from driving directions to restaurant suggestions. Fellow all-star and all-around media maven Shaquille O’Neal is also a fan of the service, saying he currently has “about” 93,000 followers.

In other news, MySpace Mobile is getting a much needed overhaul. The new site is created to replicate its full-featured brother as closely as possible, allowing the user to “drift” between interfaces with ease. In addition to the site, the company also announced support for both Nokia handsets and Palm webOS, making MySpace the only social network with a free standing app on every major mobile platform. Those close to the company say the moves could not have come at a better time. Mobile use of networks, especially MySpace, is projected to top 50% within a year or two.

Elsewhere, it seems as if the new, improved TV.com is getting noticed. Hulu, a one-time partner, has pulled all of its content from the site. A few months ago, owner CBS has turned the once innocuous site into a high-tech, online video powerhouse. As such, it was only a matter of time that the proverbial battle lines were drawn. Despite the pull out, TV.com users still have access to content from a variety of networks, including Showtime, Sony, and, of course, CBS. Hulu fans who don’t feel like visiting the main site can still catch its content on the Comcast-sponsored Fancast and Sling.com.

And finally: As you might have noticed, the top three or four links on the average Google search result page are now YouTube videos. The underlying reason for this is due to the company’s “Universal Search” initiative, which allows all Google-owned properties to be searched at any given moment. This tells us three things:

1. When choosing between a finely tuned website and a YouTube video, Google search is much more likely to choose the video — fifty times more likely, says Forrester Research.
2. The old days of the “viral video” are gone. Search engines, particularly Google, are the future.
3. At this stage of the game, videos need YouTube. Without it, your video is much less likely to be picked up by the main search engine.

So what can you do? That’s where the YouTube Secret Weapon comes in. The YouTube Secret Weapon is a brand new project that will not only show you how to optimize your videos, but why optimization works the way it does. The end result is a list of highly ranked, notable videos sitting on top of good ol’ Mount Google. It’s an easy system to follow, completely cost effective, and most importantly, it works. Simply put, the YouTube Secret Weapon will help your video-powered masterpiece top the charts, without making your wallet sob uncontrollably.

On yesterday’s action-packed episode of the Free Line, we reported that Twitter co-founder Biz Stone was contemplating charging corporate users to use his service. Well, it turns out that it was much ado about nothing. According to Stone, who claims he was merely “thinking out loud” when he made those comments, the plan was one of “many” that had been discussed over the past year. “We are still very early in the idea stage,” he writes. “We don’t have anything to share just yet despite a recent surge in speculation. When we do, we’ll be sure to let you know.” He also reiterated that Twitter will remain a free service. Says Stone: “What we’re thinking about is adding value in places where we are already seeing traction, not imposing fees on existing services.”

In other news, advertising during the Super Bowl has really payed off for Hulu. In the days after the game, overall site view have gone up an amazing 259%. To those within the industry, the popularity of the site is unsurprising. “Hulu is building quite a bit of buzz and brand awareness,” says Nielsen Online’s Brandon Eshman. “The Hulu ad influenced buzz and reinforced its core message: it’s about content AND convenience.” The ad, which features actor Alec Baldwin as an alien who spreads the word about Hulu’s superior “mind softening” qualities, is still receiving airplay on many Fox and NBC/Universal-owned stations.

Elsewhere, scammers and malware peddlers have found a new home for their underhanded dealings — Digg. Several unwanted comments have been appearing in various stories as of late, each proclaiming that they have an “exclusive” video of a celebrity acting stupidly. These links, of course, take the user to the usual array of horrible programs and viruses. Moreover, these links are not coming from what the site would consider to be a new user. Instead, the scammers are hijacking the accounts of respected users in order to create the illusion of trust. As always, if the link looks shady or the description appears to have been written by a hyperactive twelve year old, then it’s probably a good idea to ignore it.

Moving to the oft ignored (by us, anyway) hardware side of things for a moment, it seems as if the Author’s Guild isn’t exactly pleased with Amazon’s new Kindle 2 eReader. The problem stems from the Kindle’s new text-to-speech feature, which can turn the average novel into a ready made audio book. According to union executive director Paul Aiken, those who use the feature instead of buying the audio book are essentially participating in a rudimentary form of piracy. Many with in the industry question Aiken’s claim, saying the Kindle’s text-to-speech system is no different than just reading the work aloud. Amazon has yet to comment on the allegations.

And finally, we are sad to report that the Palm OS is no more. Once considered to be one of the fastest rising stars in mobile computing, the veritable OS had taken a dive in the past few years thanks to the popularity of the Windows Mobile platform, Blackberry devices, and the iPhone. The proverbial death knell came in January, when Palm announced that they will be using their Linux-based Palm webOS on their upcoming “comeback” phone, the Pre. Despite the loss, the little OS that could will always be remembered as the platform that introduced both geeks and business people to the joys of mobile computing. It may be gone now, but the Palm OS will never, ever be forgotten.

There are a few things that one can expect every month: bills, professional wrestling pay-per-views, and the utter dominance of Google/YouTube. The lethal “one-two” combination has raked in 5.9 billion views in December, giving the sites a combined 41.2 % user share. Coming in second is Fox Media, the company responsible for such names as MySpace, MySpace TV, and about one-half of Hulu. The Fox tandem attracted nearly 445 million views, netting the company a 3.1% share. Making their long awaited debut on the countdown is the self-proclaimed “worldwide leader in sports,” ESPN. Propelled by both a new video-centric site and increased availability of their ESPN360 service, the sports giant has taken over the number ten spot with 102.5 million views and a 0.7% share. Other notables on the list include Yahoo (330 million views, a 2.3% share), Viacom (290.5 million views, a 2% share) and Microsoft (248 million views, a 1.7% share).

Sticking with polls for a moment, teenagers, college kids and business people aren’t the only demographics using web 2.0 technologies. According to a new poll by RazorFish, 65% of mothers say they use social networks on a fairly regular basis. Furthermore, 56% and 52% of those surveyed say that they regularly practice the arts of text messaging and online gaming, respectively. Parents with children over twelve are also slightly more likely to try the cutting edge services than newer moms — 40% to 31% for online video and 57% to 51% for gaming. The majority of the moms (31%) say that television coverage played a crucial role in discovering new technologies and products, with social networks and online product reviews serving as “research materials.” Many within the industry see the move as proof that the ultra-modern is slowly drifting into the mainstream.

In other Google news, it seems as if the company is going through a little case of “buyer’s remorse.” The search giant has asked Time Warner to essentially void their minority share of subsidiary AOL, which in theory would “force” the media conglomerate to repay them their investment fee. Google had purchased one billion dollars of AOL stock — roughly five percent of the company — in 2006, hoping that the then-popular online portal would raise their overall profile. Needless to say, that did not really happen. AOL has taken a dive in recent months, and doesn’t appear to be getting any better. While Google is hoping that AOL/Time Warner takes them up on the offer, many within the industry say they should not be getting their hopes up. “There’s zero chance that Time Warner tries to float its struggling Web business as a standalone public company, so the first way to read Google’s request is that it’s asking for cash,” says Peter Kafka of All Things Digital. “If it did get a check, it’d be worth $250 million.” The folks at Google are denying the rumor, saying that AOL is a “valued member of the team” and has no interest in selling at this time. Time Warner has yet to comment on the matter.

Elsewhere, CinaNotes isn’t the only tool designed to help users collect and store notes. The fine folks at Yahoo have unveiled Search Pad, a handy little service that lets you keep your notes all in one place. Like the aforementioned freeware program, Search Pad lets you store, organize, and edit all of your notes without getting those messy word processors involved. The key difference, aside from the Yahoo ID tie-in, is its intended purpose. While CinaNotes is perfect for shorter quotes and little blurbs, Search Pad is designed for lengthier pieces, such as whole articles or websites. Search Pad, like CinaNotes, is available now for all users and is completely free.

Finally, Facebook is celebrating their five-year anniversary. Originally started by Harvard sophomore Mark Zuckerberg as a way to keep track of his classmates, the social networking mega-site has grown to several countries and over 150 million users. To celebrate this momentous occasion, the team has worked up a special “thank you” gift, designed to help users “give thanks to your friends, colleagues and family members with whom you are connected on Facebook.” Users can also browse the “Facebook time line,” which tracks the site from its early Ivy League days to today. Interesting and fun, Facebook’s five year fest is one birthday that we can all get excited about.

The folks at Yahoo have finally chosen a new CEO, and she is not from, involved with, or connected to Microsoft in any way. Instead of going the Redmond route, the board has picked Carol Bartz to lead their struggling company. A veteran of the tech industry, Ms. Bartz has logged in time with such heavy hitters as 3M and Sun Microsystems, and is on the board of directors of both Intel and Cisco Systems. Despite her credentials, many felt that she was a longshot due to her lack of familiarity with the worlds of search and advertising. Ms. Bartz will be replacing Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang, who vacated the position last November.

As to be expected, the thoughts on Carol Bartz are mixed, to say the least. The Wall Street Journal, the outlet responsible for first breaking the news, paints Ms. Bartz as a blunt, take-charge type of person who is not afraid to share her opinions with anyone who is listening. TechCrunch, on the other hand, questions her ability to run such a firm, noting her strong ties with the aformentioned Jerry Yang. Perhaps the worst “review” thus far has come from the stock market. Shares of Yahoo stock dropped nearly $.80 in the hour after the announcement was made, a nearly 2% percent decline. As always, we will deliver more news on this developing story as soon as we receive it.

Elsewhere, the proverbial “kung-fu grip” that MySpace has on the American market appears to be weakening. According to a new poll conducted by Compete, both MySpace and Facebook each had roughly sixty million users in the month of December. This report has even prompted some within the media to declare that Facebook is now the undisputed kings of the social networking industry. Still, not everyone is that optomistic. Hitwise still says that MySpace is firmly in thelead with little signs of slipping and comScore, the pollster of record in such matters, has yet to release their December data. That is not to say that Facebook is stuck being the permanent number two, however. “At current growth rates Facebook will overtake MySpace in January 2010, a year from now,” writes TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington. “Will this prediction be correct? Probably not, but it’s the best guess given today’s data.”

Switching gears for a moment, CBS‘ dream of turning TV.com into a Hulu-esque media juggernaut is one step closer to becoming a reality. The media giant has announced that several major studios, including Sony and PBS, will be joining the project. It was also announced that the service’s tome of television listings and episode guides will remain a prominent feature, giving the site more of a social flair. While the selection might be getting better, many feel that the videos are a bit too difficult to access. Some have also stated the social aspects might be a bit too important, forcing the actual videos to take an undeserved back seat. Minor complaints aside, most feel that the service has all of the tools to become a major player in the world of online video.

Finally, we have GlobalPost. GlobalPost is based around the idea that the trusted “foreign correspondent” position doesn’t have to disappear just because newspapers are on the downward slide. Instead of relying on someone that may or may not be overseas, the reader is treated to a consistent, reliable voice providing the world’s news. The organization also features a syndication service, allowing newspapers to broaden their horizons, as they say. Interesting and surprisingly original, Globalpost allows even the most stationary of people to have a taste of the world at large.

Google, spurred by the runaway train that is YouTube, is still the number one online video provider in the US. The lumbering behemoth had 5.1 billion views in the month of December, netting a 40.3% market share. As with last month, roughly 98% of those views had the “YouTube” brand name attached. Coming in a very, very distant second is MySpace parent Fox Interactive Media, which saw 439 million views and a 3.5% share of the market. Other video services of note include Yahoo (304 million views, 2.4% share), Microsoft/Windows Live (296 million views, 2.3% views), and Hulu (227 million views, 1.8% share).

Elsewhere: Even loyal Twitter users have to deal with the looming threat of hackers. Several noted celebrities, newscasters, and political figures were victims of an attack Monday, including president-elect Barack Obama, talk show host Bill O’Reilly, comedian/tech fan Stephen Fry, and Brittney Spears. The culprit is a rogue link that “informs” users that they need to log in for security reasons. The link actually takes the user to a distinct “Twitter-like” site that, at first glance, looks exactly like the real thing. The only dead giveaway is the address, which usually comes up as “twitter-access-login.com.” As always, be careful at what you click on and agree to. If you happened to be a victim of this scam, the folks at Twitter suggest that you change your password immediately.

In other news, Flash is coming to a television near you. According to Flash developer Adobe, the insanely popular programming and multimedia platform is in the midst of being ported to work with the new Intel Media Processor CE line. The processors will then be used in a variety of multimedia devices, including high-definition television sets and Blu-Ray players. “The Intel Media Processor CE 3100 is a highly integrated solution that provides a powerful, yet flexible technology foundation,” says Intel general manager William O. Leszinske Jr. “Our effort with Adobe is poised to accelerate a rich, yet relevant Internet experience on the TV that will provide consumers with access to a growing number of Flash based applications.” In addition to Flash, Adobe has also announced that an Intel-centric version of the Adobe AIR platform is currently under development.

Staying in the world of programming platforms for a moment, we have VixML. VixML is based around the idea that you don’t have to be a programming genius in order to make a usable iPhone application. Instead of throwing you headlong into an environment that you might not exactly be comfortable with, VixML provides you with a variety of keywords and a distinct “what you see is what you get” (or “WYSIWYG“) interface to get the ball rolling. A 3D graphics engine is also provided, giving you the ability to add a few custom pictures to your new program. While it isn’t exactly “code free,” VixML is perfect iPhone programming environment for anyone who just can’t get their collective heads around the complex wonders of Objective-C.

And finally: Picasa, the popular photo editor from Google, has finally arrived on the Mac. The big news is not the features of the new program, but the simple fact that it was brought to the Mac platform at all. Unlike Windows and Linux users, Mac users already have a world-class photo editor at their beckon call — iPhoto. For its part, Picasa does its best to play nicely with the OS X editor of record. Before any iPhoto-branded files are edited, for example, Picasa copies the file to a new folder. Although it isn’t an “iPhoto killer” by any means, the Picasa does provide Mac users with a choice. And as we all know, the ability to choose is always a good thing.