Webware

Double Vision (download) is the latest tool for people who don't like doing work while at work. This small piece of software lets you casually surf the Web inside of other programs, then hide the window with a simple keyboard shortcut.

The browser itself is just a reworked version of Internet Explorer, although it won't import any bookmarks from there. You can, however, enter in any Web address, or pick from a small selection of sites from Double Vision's content portal.

What makes the software so special is that you can control the transparency of the browser window and continue to interact with whatever application it's partially blocking out. This is useful for keeping an eye on your e-mail inbox or IM window while surfing somewhere else. The makers of Double Vision are pushing it as a simple way to watch how-to software videos while using the software (note: this excuse only works if you have one monitor).

Transparency isn't Double Vision's only forte; it's got a few other tricks. For instance, you can cut out a specific part of a page just to get at the content. This is especially helpful when visiting YouTube since you can pull out the player and move it to a less conspicuous part of your screen while watching. Hitting the "boss" button combination will also cut out any sound from that video when it's not the front-most application.

This reminds me quite a bit of a now-defunct site called Workfriendly.net, which would skin Web sites to look like a Microsoft Word document. With Double Vision, you'd simply be able to keep working in Word while enjoying the very best of ninja cat.

See also: Ghostzilla