There are times in life when we simply need to a break from the ordinary. Home might be great, but every now and again, you need to get out and see the world. That is exactly what today’s Showdown is all about. So join us as we look at some of the best apps, services, and online book depositories the world has to offer. We begin our journey in Canada.

App #1: Shopify

Website: http://www.shopify.com/
Developer: JadedPixel Inc.
Country of Origin: Canada
Specialty: Web store construction
First Impression: “Well, it certainly looks interesting…”

App #2: YubNub

Website: http://yubnub.org/
Developer: Jon Aquino
Country of Origin: Canada
Specialty: A “social command line”
First Impression: “I am not familiar with the thing that I am seeing.”

App #3: Zapr

Website: https://www.zapr.com/index.aspx
Developer: Zapr
Country of Origin: Australia
Specialty: Simple file sharing
First Impression: “Neat. Do I have to download something, or is all of this done from their website?”

App #4: Pixenate

Website: http://pixenate.com/
Developer: Sxoop Technologies
Country of Origin: Ireland
Specialty: Image editor
First Impression: “Ooooh … free hand drawing. I can draw a shaky line onto a mountain!”

App #5: Trexy

Website: http://trexy.com/
Developer: Trexy Limited
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Specialty: Um … We’re not exactly sure at the moment…
First Impression: “What is this? Did Rudolph switch to Linux or something?”

App #6: Zlio

Website: http://www.zlio.com/
Developer: Zlio Inc.
Country of Origin: France
Specialty: Web store creator
First Impression: “Wait… You don’t even sell your own products? That’s weird…”

App #7: InternationellaBiblioteket.se

Website: http://www.interbib.se/default.asp?id=13552
Developer: The city of Stockholm, among other governmental agencies
Country of Origin: Sweden
Specialty: social network/library database
First Impression: “So … Want to borrow a book from the Stockholm Public Library system?”
Second Impressions: “It seems as if I can also go to the Diet Library of Japan, get a Swedish driver’s license, or visit the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies. This should definitely be interesting…”

App #8: Telesa.tv

Website: http://telesa.tv/
Developer: Telesa
Country of Origin: Russia
Specialty: Original, professionally produced, web-based television programming … in Russian.
First Impression: “Is there any way to switch the language to English? Also, a cartoon angel may be telling me the weather. I have no idea why.”

App #9: The Power of Politics

Website: http://www.powerofpolitics.com/StartNew.aspx
Developer: TPM Games GmbH
Country of Origin: Austria
App Type: Web-based, politically charged strategy game.
First Impression: “So I play as a politician, right? [Pause] Man … I’m going to lose. I’m going to lose bad. As soon as the other players find out how bad I am, they are going to attack me. ‘She’s terrible at this. Let’s bomb her district for fun!’ “

App #10: Aprex

Website: http://www.aprex.com.br/home.php
Developer: Aprex Solutions
Country of Origin: Brazil
Specialty: Office suite/online storage
First Impression: “Now this could be useful.”

…And we’re back! As you might have noticed, we have been a bit “preoccupied” as of late. Because of this, we have let a few “newer” services fall by the wayside. So obviously, there is only one thing that we can do to rectify the situation: Have a Showdown! So sit back, relax, and enjoy this massive, two-day journey through the new and scary.

App #1: Yahoo Meme

Website: http://meme.yahoo.com/home/
Developer: Yahoo
Type: Web service
Speciality: Microblogging
Why We Consider It to Be New: The service itself was released early last August. The API was released yesterday.
First Impression: “It’s cute. Not as cute as Plurk, but cute nonetheless.”
Potential Roadblock: English language users seem to be in short supply at the moment.

App #2: hi5

Website: http://www.hi5.com/
Developer: hi5 Networks
Type: Web service
Speciality: Social network
Why We Consider It to Be New: Hi5 has undergone what some might call a “gimmick change.” Instead of being a straight social network, hi5 now puts much of its focus on casual gaming. (Note: We here at the Free Line hate the terms “casual games” and “casual gaming.” From this point forward, all games of that nature will be referred to as “fidget games.”)
First Impression: “I love me a good fidget game.”
Potential Roadblock: None at the present moment. The Showdown is still young, however.

App #3: CNN Mobile

Website: N/A
Developer: CNN Interactive Group, Inc.
Type: iPhone Application
Speciality: News app
Why We Consider It to Be New: …Because it is. According to the iPhone app store, version 1.0 was released on September 24th. That seems pretty darn new to me…
First Impression: “This … Is (the iPhone-centric, mobile version of) CNN.”
Potential Roadblock: One can only take “so much” of cable news before going completely off of his or her rocker.
Note: I will be judging the app itself, not the reporting that lies therein. The Free Line is roughly 99.995% “politics free,” and I plan on keeping it that way.

App #4: iDrudge

Website: http://www.drudgereport.com (Original site)
Developer: Joseph Nardone
Type: iPhone Application
Speciality: News app
Why We Consider It to Be New: Again, it is. Version 1.2 was released at the beginning of October.
First Impression: “Why did the program close just now?”
Potential Roadblock: The program seems to be a tad “touchy,” as they say.
Note: Remember the disclaimer to the CNN app? The same exact thing applies here. As far as this blog is concerned, the app is everything.

App #5: Photoshop.com Mobile

Website: N/A
Developer: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Type: iPhone Application
Speciality: Photo editor
Why We Consider It to Be New: It’s five-days old.
First Impression: “It’s free?! I wonder what’s wrong with it…”
Potential Roadblock: This isn’t the original “Photoshop” that we’re talking about here. It’s Photoshop.com. Remember our last go around with Photoshop.com? If you do, then you know firsthand why we consider this to be a roadblock.

It’s been teased. It’s been promised. It’s been put off several times. And now, it’s here. After nearly two weeks of hype, we here at the Free Line proudly bring you our review of Lunascape. Since Lunascape is complex, we figured that it would be best to present said review as a numbered list. With that said, here we go…

The Good:

1. I have never seen a browser take the idea of customization so seriously. Don’t like the icons?  Lunascape allows you to design your own. Want to write your own menu? You can do that as well. Perhaps you’re in the mood for some news from your favorite RSS-enabled site. Guess what? Not only is a “headline ticker” available to you, it’s enabled by default.
2. The developers are not afraid to “reinvent the wheel,” as they say. Case in point: Every browser known to man offers a “reload/refresh” button. Lunascape has one of those as well. It also features ten specialized variations of the reload/refresh button that might be useful in a pinch. Now, do I ever see myself the “light reload” feature? No, but it’s nice to know that I have the option available to me.
3. Maneuvering between Trident, Gecko, and WebKit could not be simpler. All you have to do is click on the little icon in the lower left hand corner.
4. Blocking unwanted content is as easy as pressing a button. Nearly everything imaginable can be blocked, including sound files, Javascript, and Active X downloads.
5. Every time I decide to use this browser, I discover something new. While that might be a bother to some, I absolutely love it. In a strange way, it makes using a web browser exciting again.

The Bad/Downright Odd:

1. As I have said before, this not a “web browser” in the most traditional sense of the term. It is a highly advanced, high-powered application designed for browsing the web. As such, it takes a little while to learn.
2. Casual users will hate this browser with a passion undying, provided that the sheer amount of options don’t make their heads explode first.
3. I wish that the extensions were available in English.

Final Verdict: Fantastic, provided that you know what you are doing.

…And there you have it. I hope that you enjoyed The Great Browser Experiment as much as I enjoyed writing about it. Everything will go back to normal on Monday. Until then, I bid thee a fond adieu.

Sometimes, one is just not enough. Yes, it is indeed a horribly worn out cliche, but it does smack of the truth every now and again. Today is definitely one of those times. On the latest edition of The Great Browser Experiment, we will be taking a look the final two browsers on the list, Avant and Orca. As always, I know that you have questions.

Weren’t you going to finish Lunascape today? – I was, but something came up. And by “something,” I mean the overwhelming feeling that I wasn’t prepared to write a full-on review as of yet. I want to feel comfortable using the browser before I write my piece. Expect to see part three either Thursday or Friday.

Is it because it sucks? – Oh heavens no! If anything, Lunascape is one of the best browsers that I have ever used. It just a takes a little while to get into. Let me put it in these terms: If Internet Explorer is MS Paint for Windows 95, then Lunascape is Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended Edition. You just can’t go from a fifteen year old version of Paint to the latest version of Photoshop without feeling a little overwhelmed. It’s the same thing here. Just give me a few more days. It will all be worth it. I promise.

Okay then… So why two browsers at once? - Both Ocra and Avant are based around the same idea: Taking a well-known rendering engine and putting a distinct, Opera-like interface on top of it.

Which one is which then? – Orca runs on Gecko (Firefox), while Avant is based upon Trident (Internet Explorer).

Are there any noticable differences between the two? – The only differences lie in the rendering engines themselves. Orca has access to everything that makes Firefox great — extensions, themes, etc — while Avant has all of Internet Explorer’s … um … give me a second here. Internet Explorer must have something unique I can talk about…

Funny. – I thought so. After all, man cannot live on Sleipnir and Chrome insults alone.

Point Taken. So how is it? – Interesting, to say the least. The developers seem to go out of their way to include options that no other browser would even consider, such as a highly advanced pop up blocker, an automatic scroll button, and an “undo closed tab” feature. It’s interesting, to say the least.

What is your favorite “improvement?” – All of the tool bars are completely detachable … including the tab bar. That’s right. I can have the tabs at the bottom of my browser without loading an extension. I really wish that my precious Firefox could do something like that…

How do the Firefox extensions work? – Hit and miss. Download Statusbar worked perfectly, for example, while Fancy Numbered Tabs did not. It’s really nothing to write home about, however.

So here is the big question: Is it worth loading? – It’s worth a try. That said, don’t be expecting a major overhaul ala Lunascape. At most, it feels more like a highly customized theme than a whole new browser.

…And there it is. Be sure to come back tomorrow for even more Lunascape. Until then, we bid thee a fond adieu.

In lieu of a traditional “getting to know you” introduction for the Seamonkey browser, I am going to completely shoot from the hip and write what I am feeling right now. Don’t worry; it will all make sense soon enough.

If there is one classic cartoon that nearly everyone is familiar with, it’s Yogi Bear. Sure, he might not be a global icon like Bugs Bunny or even Fred Flintstone, but he did completely fulfill the “classic cartoon” checklist. Think about it for a moment:

• Was he based on someone famous at the time? – Yes. The Yogi character was based upon legendary Art Carney. The name “Yogi Bear” is also said to be a play on the name of Yankees‘ hall of fame catcher Yogi Berra.
• Did he have a sidekick? – Yes. Boo Boo the bear. He also had a love interest named Cindy.
• A catchphrase? – He had two, in fact: “Smarter than the average bear” and “Hey Boo Boo.”
• An Enemy? - Yes, if you consider the uptight, but otherwise likable Ranger Smith an enemy.
• How about media exposure? – Of course. Yogi Bear has been the focus of several television shows, hour long specials, and theatrical movies, including The Yogi Bear Show, Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear!, and Yogi Bear’s All Star Comedy Christmas Caper.

So as you can plainly see, everything was going well for Yogi and Boo Boo … until the early 1990’s, that is. In a misguided attempt to cash in on the emerging “hip hop culture,” Hanna Barbera and NBC released a television show called Yo Yogi!. Instead of wearing the distinctive green hat/green tie/white collar combination known far and wide, this “new and improved” Yogi wore a purple hat and an ill-fitting, “Michael Jackson” style green-and-yellow leather jacket. Jellystone Park was replaced by the Jellystone Mall. Ranger Smith was now Officer Smith, mall guard. Each episode saw Yogi and Boo Boo hanging out at the mall, meeting “modernized” versions of classic Hanna Barbera characters — Doggy Daddy, Quick Draw McGraw and Magilla Gorilla were now a somewhat crooked shop owner, a country-western variety act, and Vanilla Ice, respectively — and learning valuable life lessons. It was supposed to be a way to speak to kids “in their own language.” What it actually did was coax millions of children into changing the channel to ABC’s Slimer and the Real Ghostbusters or CBS’ Garfield and Friends.

In many ways, the Seamonkey web browser is to the old Netscape browser what Yo Yogi! is to the original Yogi Bear shorts. Despite the best intentions of the creators, the new version of “idea/concept X” almost always ends up killing the idea that they were trying to save in the first place. Let’s call a spade a spade here: No one, be them young or be them old, wanted to see Yogi, Boo Boo, and Cindy warning them about the dangers of peer pressure, all the while talking like they were exiled members of the Beastie Boys. They wanted to see the same thing they have seen a million times before — Yogi and the gang stealing picnic baskets and driving Ranger Smith to either the mental ward or the onto the UPMC heart transplant list. The same exact thing can be said about Seamonkey. Having tabs and AdBlock Plus built in is nice and all, but it’s just not the same. I don’t want “now.” I want the 1996 nostalgia fantasy that I was living yesterday. So what if it’s outdated? Firefox is chock full of that “modern Mozilla” magic that we all have grown to, at the very least, tolerate. Seamonkey should be stuck in time as far as I’m concerned. Instead, it is being forced to live out its days in a pool of disdainful mediocrity … just like Yo Yogi.

…And there you have it. Expect to see a small, one-day “detour” to the real Netscape before we head off to our next adventure: the social networking powerhouse known as Flock. Until then, we bid thee adieu.

One Final Thought About Opera: To say that I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. I am extremely pleased to report that the days of paying $40 for a subpar browser that is crawling with oddball “browser windows” and obnoxious advertising is long gone. Today’s Opera is solidly built, extremely fast, and has enough options to keep an “experienced user” like me busy for weeks. While I do wish that I had access to Firefox-esque extensions, the loss truly wasn’t that big of a deal. I quickly realized that I simply wanted them, instead of “needing” them like I did in Internet Explorer. Besides, Opera allowed me to rekindle my life-long love affair with Pipe Dream. What other browser can make that claim? All in all, Opera 10 is definitely worth the old “once over.” Even if you don’t like it, you won’t regret trying it. I can guarantee it.

All of this praise, of course, leads us to one major question: Is it better than Firefox? The answer is a sad, but completely matter of fact, no. It comes close, but at the end of the day, I still find myself longing for my Mozilla-based friend. After all, I spent tons of time — years, actually — modifying and tweaking the browser to get it just the way that I like it. I’m not going to throw that effort away on a whim. I will, however, be keeping Opera installed. It’s always nice to have a “backup” browser that isn’t Internet Explorer and besides, there are still several options that I have yet to try.

…So where do we go next, you ask? Easy: We are going to try Chrome again. As fans of the Free Line are already well aware of, we have a rather tenuous “love-hate” relationship with Google’s so-called “browser of the future” — it loves us, but we hate it. The bizarre, one-sided love affair that many of my colleagues in the tech world  seem to have with both the browser itself and its developers doesn’t help the situation. That said, I plan on going at things with as open of a mind as humanly possible. Unfortunately, it is already proving to be “difficult” at best.

First Thoughts About Chrome: Let’s get at it from the top.

• It’s fast. I’ll give it that much.
• After installation, Chrome asked if I wanted to import my saved passwords from Firefox. I said yes. Sadly, it didn’t work right. All of my saved information was either wrong or corrupted.
• I don’t care what the press says — the Omnibox is a horribly bad idea. Yes, combining the search bar with the URL bar is a good idea in theory. In practice, however … well … it only leads to a tension headache.
• Having the tabs sit in the title bar instead inside the browser window is actually a good idea.
• The options screen is sad. I’m talking “Internet Explorer” sad here.
• Several of the hidden menus — namely about:network, about:ipc, and about:objects — are not coming up for me. I honestly have no idea why.
• In the span of ninety minutes, I had to “force close” Chrome twice.
• I miss the status bar. The “pop-up” box that appears in the bottom-left corner of my screen simply does not cut it.
• I can apparently readjust every text box that I run into. That’s nice … I think.

…And there you have it. Be sure to tune in tomorrow, when I continue to fight endlessly with experiment with the enigma called Chrome. Until then, we bid thee adieu.

Despite what your friends might be telling you, not everything worth using is a mainstream attention grabber made by Google. Sometimes, the best programs and webapps are the ones that sit just below the surface. That is about to change. On this action packed, two-day edition of the Showdown, we will be giving (yes, ten) of these semi-obscure marvels the patented “Free Line once over”  that you have come to expect. With that said, on with the introductions!

App #1: Evernote

Website: http://www.evernote.com/
Company: Evernote Corporation
Specialty: Note taking
Program Types: While Evernote is primarily a webapp, a separate download version is available for many of the major platforms, including Windows, the iPhone, and the Palm Pre.
Competes With: Namely Microsoft OneNote.

App #2: TurboCASH

Website: http://www.turbocash.net/
Company: Pink Software
Specialty: Finance
Program Type: Windows download
Competes With: All of the major players in the accounting market — Peachtree, Quickbooks/Quicken, DAC Easy, GNUCash, etc.

App #3: Lavabit

Website: http://lavabit.com/
Company: Lavabit LLC
Specialty: Email
Bold Claim Ripped Directly From the Site Itself: “…A system so secure that even our administrators can’t read your e-mail.”
Program Type: Web service
Competes With: Gmail, AOL, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.

App #4: First Page 2006

Website: http://www.evrsoft.com
Company: Evrsoft
Specialty: Web development
Program Type: Windows download
Competes With: Adobe Dreamweaver

App #5: Adventure Game Studio

Website: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/
Developer: Chris Jones
Specialty: Programming, with a special focus
Program Type: Windows download
Full Disclosure: Angela the product tester is a huge fan of this program.
Competes With: N/A

App #6: Runecats Explorer

Website: http://www.runecats.com/
Company: Runecats
Specialty: Web browser
Program Type: Windows download
Rendering Engine: Trident (Internet Explorer)
Competes With: Other web browsers — IE, Firefox, Opera, etc.

App #7 Theora

Website: http://theora.org/
Company: Xiph.org
…You Might Remember Them From Such Codecs As: OGG Vorbis
Specialty: Video
Program Type: Open source video codec
Fun Fact: The codec in question is named after Theora Jones, Edison Carter’s highly talented “partner in crime” on the short-lived Max Headroom television series. Hmm …  Max Headroom … That name sounds familiar, but I’m not sure why…
Competes With: Divx, XViD, H.264 (The kind of files you would find on iTunes), etc.

App #8: aTunes

Website: http://www.atunes.org/
Company: The aTunes Team
Specialty: Media player
Program Type: Multi-platform download
Competes With: Mainly iTunes and Songbird.

App #9: Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware

Website: http://www.malwarebytes.org/
Company: Malwarebytes Corporation
Specialty: Malware removal
Program Type: Windows download
Competes With: Anti-virus programs of all shapes and sizes.

App #10: QQ

Website: http://www.imqq.com/
Company: Tencent
Specialty: Instant messaging
Program Type: Instant messaging service
Fun Fact: QQ is easily the most popular instant messaging client in mainland China, with roughly 318 million citizens subscribing to the service.
Note: The official QQ client is considered by some to be low-level adware. Because of this, we will be accessing the network using the Pidgin third-party app. If we have a last second change of heart, or if we find that the nasty “ad problem” has been fixed, we will definitely let you know.
Competes With: AOL Instant Messenger, Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, ICQ, etc.

Hello and welcome to the exciting finale of Fun With Moral Dilemmas. We’ve laid out the situation as it was known on Sunday, and also provided a few possible outcomes. Now before we get to the heart of the matter, we here at the Free Line would like to share how we would have handled the situation.

What We Would Have Done: It’s hard to deny Kurt Angle’s place within Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. That said, the last thing that fans wanted to see was Kurt Angle wrestle a match that night. For some, it was because of the crimes he was alleged to have committed. For others, it was simply due to his “questionable” physical condition. (The phrases “hit by a bus” and “hasn’t slept for a week” were used frequently.) Due to this, we would have “downgraded” his appearance from “main event wrestler” to “interested bystander.” As said bystander, Angle could still be a part of the pay per view event without actually having to be shoved into the spotlight. Sure, our “wait and see” attitude would have bothered those who wanted Angle stripped of the title then fired, but that is neither here nor there. Gaining our star employee’s trust would be priority one, plain and simple.

What Dixie Carter Did: Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The show went on as planned, and all questions regarding the issue were met with a stern, but friendly “no comment.” Kurt, despite looking like the a extra from a George Romero film, worked his match and retained his title. He also worked the company’s television tapings Monday and Tuesday night.

Fan Reaction: The word “merciless” comes to mind. According to some fans, Ms. Carter was actually “rewarding” Kurt’s bad behavior by letting him retain the title that night. Others even went as far as saying that she is no better than the likes of Bernie Madoff and the folks at AIG Insurance in the sense that she put “profit” before “human decency.” Even those who were able to look past the “corporate greed” rhetoric questioned the move, citing the problems that an incarcerated champion could bring to an emerging company like TNA.

Final Thought: On the whole, we agree with the way Dixie Carter, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and Panda Energy (TNA’s parent company) showed their support for Kurt Angle. We just wish that they would have handled it with a bit more grace and tact. Here’s to hoping that they have learned their lesson for the future.

…So it’s been a few days since we asked you to think about the “Kurt Angle situation.” In our continuing effort to make an already impossible situation even more difficult, we here at Free Line would like to present you with a partial list of options that Dixie Carter was faced with last Sunday.

Option #1: Fire Kurt Angle

Pros: It sends a stern message to the locker room, the press, and the fans that acts such as this will not be tolerated.
Cons: A move like that would also…

1. …Kill locker room morale. Why should that young guy trust anything the company says, if he is going to be fired at the first sign of trouble?
2. …Damage the company in ways unimaginable. Terminating one of your biggest and most successful talents has the tendency to do that to an organization.
3. …Put their “latest project,” the Hard Justice pay-per-view event, in serious jeopardy. The entire show is based upon Kurt Angle defending “his” world title against two challengers: a relative newcomer by the name of  Matt Morgan and a man called Sting (aka Steve Borden). Angle was the clear selling point. Remove him, and the main event (as well as your pay-per-view buy rates) is/are dead on arrival
4. …Put the writing staff in a bind. Not only would they have to rework the ending of the show, but also months worth of storyline. That’s not an easy thing to do in three hours time.

Option #2: Suspend Kurt Angle Immediately, Pending an Investigation

Pros: The same as number one, only not as harsh.
Cons: You are still left with a giant, gaping hole where an extremely talented performer once stood.

Option #3: Have Kurt Drop the Title at the Pay-Per-View, Then Quietly Suspend Him the Next Day

Pros: This option at least attempts to salvage the live show by having Kurt work his scheduled match. Say what you will about Kurt Angle the person, but Kurt Angle the performer has always given 110% at work. Every business has at least one person like this. Wrestling is no different.
Cons: Again, getting rid of one of your biggest and most successful talents has the tendency irreparably harm an otherwise growing business. Just ask the folks at Affliction. It also puts the creative staff in a really awkward spot in terms of the title situation.

Option #4: Business as Usual

Pros: Nothing changes as far as the pay-per-view goes. It also tells the locker room that the company is willing to stick by your side during difficult times.
Cons: Oh boy. Where to begin…

1. If Kurt is found guilty, the company’s long-term credibility is gone for good.
2. It makes the company look like they support drug use.
3. Both fans and the press will show absolutely no mercy.
4. The buy rates and television ratings could take a major hit.

…And there you have it. Be sure to come back Friday to find out how Dixie Carter handled the situation, and what we would do if we found ourselves in a situation such as that. Until then, we bid thee adieu.

Okay gang. As promised, here is the exciting conclusion of Leavin’ On a Jet Plane. Enjoy!

Tool #1: MotionX GPS

Why We Checked It Out: To many, a good GPS system is a must. The problem is that we don’t necessarily have one. The closest thing we have is an unlocked Nokia smart phone that contains full maps for Finland and Germany. While that would be great if we wanted to drive from Helsinki to Dusseldorf, it makes driving from Atlanta to, say, Pittsburgh neigh impossible.
Our Thoughts Then: I honestly have no idea what I am doing here. There is a compass, a scrolling banner and several intimidating looking buttons, all of which are doing something completely foreign. This is definitely going to be interesting…
Our Thoughts Now: …We still have absolutely no idea what we were doing. All we did was press buttons until we either:

1. Found the compass utility.
2. Found that nifty overhead shot of our destination.
3. Got a gigantic headache and switched back to Google Maps.

To be fair, our lack of knowledge is partially our fault, seeing as how we eschewed the provided reading material in favor of the “hunt and peck” method. Still, we really don’t think that you can blame us here. The last thing we felt like doing was reading though an online manual the size of a Dungeons and Dragons rulebook in order figure out which way was north. If you have the patience for such things, great. We didn’t, obviously.
Overall: 8.5 (For people who “get” how true GPS systems function); 2 (For people who would much rather bring up/print directions from Google Maps than stare blankly at an odd looking compass for hours on end.)

Tool #2: Gas Buddy

Why We Checked It Out: Finding a place to get cheap gas is always a good thing.
Our ThoughtsThen: The website is absolutely perfect for the rookie traveler, telling us everything that we could possibly need to know in a straightforward, timely matter. The iPhone app, however, left us scratching our heads in confusion. Still, the trip (and the Showdown) is still young.
Our Thoughts Now: Despite our initial trepidations, the Gas Buddy worked as advertised. We were able to get gas, and we got it as cheap as humanly possible.
Overall: 8

Tool #3: TripIt

Why We Checked It Out: It’s always a good idea to keep track of your travel plans. Hey … It beats writing everything down on paper, right?
Our Thoughts Then: The site, while a tad cryptic, looks to be rather promising. We will have much more on this intriguing looking social service in a few days.
Our Thoughts Now: A service like this is great if your trip includes buying plane tickets and a hotel room. If it involves driving long distances in a car that you own, however … that’s a different story. Now that is not to say that TripIt isn’t a fantastic service. It just did not mesh with “our kind” of trip.
Overall: N/A — It simply does not make sense to assign a score right now. Check back with us in a few months.

Tool #4: Traffic

Why We Checked It Out: Just because we know the lyrics to “The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” and “Feelin’ Alright” by heart doesn’t necessarily make us experts on “Traffic.”
Our Thoughts Then: The reviews on the app store were the very definition of the word “mediocre.” Here’s to hoping that our experiences buck the current trend.
Our Thoughts Now: Those reviews lied. Traffic wasn’t “mediocre,” it was downright abysmal and embarrassing. What’s the use of having a “traffic guide” if the program just does not work? Case in point: Traffic claimed that the “Pittsburgh stretch” of I-79 would be clear sailing through calm seas. It wasn’t. We were actually stuck in a rather large jam up due to some “impromptu” road work. Later on, it told us to be ready for “significant delays” around the borders of West Virginia and Virginia Prime. We still have no idea what they were talking about.
Overall: -8. It would be in your best interest to avoid this app like the cliche of your choosing (the plague, a bitter relative, the “rival” political party, etc).