Related Resources • Review - LiveWire! Broadcast v3.6

Elsewhere on the Web • Radio@Netscape

Radio@Netscape is a recently launched joint Internet-based radio offering between the old Spinner.com and Netscape...and it's great. The service is free and the interface is perfect example of beauty and functionality.

After you install Radio@Netscape, a tutorial immediate begins upon loading the program for the first time. It's only two minutes long and if you wish, you can skip it. Personally, I appreciated the forethought of having it included and the length of time is certainly easy to bear. Of course, the tutorial is almost unnecessary because the interface is fairly intuitive.

Radio@Netscape offers 175 stations in both popular and eclectic choices. There are even some channels which features celebrity DJs like Britney Spears, SHeDAISY, P Diddy, Toby Keith and others.

You choose stations from the left side menu and when you wish, can add anything to your "favorites". The controls are simplistic: Play, Stop, and Volume control. The software also offers an EQ button which opens up to a 10 band graphic equalizer. You can tweak each band yourself or use one of any of the 16 presets included (for different types of music styles) if you just want to tweak your stream but don't want to personally adjust each band.

Some very use information is displayed in various areas on the front of the Radio@Netscape interface. When you select a station, a station "highlight box" shows what station is selected and below it, shows 3 related stations. Above this "highlight box", a dynamically updated information bar tells you what songs are coming up on the related stations. All you have to do is run your mouse over any of the related stations in the "highlight box". As a matter of fact, if you place your mouse over any station in the left hand menu bar, you can see what is playing at that particular moment. What a time saver! Instead of having to wait for a new station's stream to establish before knowing what's on, you can continue to listen to your current station and simply "lurk" around any other. This is slick!

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