Heatseek: The Porn Browser

You may have already heard about the release of Heatseek, a new web browser designed specifically for the smuthound in you. We would be remiss, however, if we didn't give this baby a test drive before sharing it with our readers. We've spent last 24 hours or so tinkering with this new porn-friendly toy and have a few thoughts about whether you should make a switch. Let's go surfin' now (everybody's learnin' how!) after the jump.

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For starters, Heatseek should probably be re-named Heatsneak, since its primary draw is the ability to keep your web habits hidden not only from the prying eyes of your boss, but anyone who uses your computer. During install, you can select dummy desktop icons and rename program folders to disguise its true nature. It has a password protect feature that must be used every time you start the program, and can be enabled even when minimizing and maximizing windows. There's also a handy kill switch that shuts everything down with the push of a button.

Beyond privacy, Heatseek's biggest and best feature is the ability to bring all the porn on your computer together in one easy interface. You can go from movies to pictures to the web and back simply by clicking tabs (no more separate windows for every file type) and organize slide shows and galleries with relative ease. While on the web, downloading is a snap, and we were impressed with how quickly you can grab an entire image gallery. Its coolest trick may be the ability to bookmark scenes in a video allowing you skip right to your favorite part.

Like any unstable friend, this browser does have issues. It's PC only. It's built on the IE engine, which is the bane of many developers. It doesn't play Quicktime movies. It comes in free and pay versions, which means putting up with sales pitches for the upgrade and living without a few of the features. The website bookmarking leaves much to be desired, and all the favorites you so lovingly curated in Firefox won't help you here.

However, Heatseek's fatal flaw may be its all or nothing treatment of Javascript. It's either on, which means popup and consoles galore, or you turn it completely off, which means even legitimate scripts will not work and many of your favorite sites may become unusable. (Plus, it turns Fleshbot into a barren wasteland of broken ad space. You wouldn't want to hurt us like that, would you?)

Heatseek is billed as a porn web browser, but its online features are actually its biggest weaknesses. If you're looking for a quick and easy way to organize all you filthy files, or need a little extra protection from the family or coworkers, then you might consider giving it a whirl. Otherwise, you're probably better off sticking with a more customizable browser like Firefox, and keep dancing with the one that brung ya.

· Heatseek: "The Ultimate Software for Adult Content" (heatseek.com)

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Previously: AutoGetSublime, Bad Widgets: The Pornhole, Zzaph: Porn Finder, Pornborg.org, The Pornolizer, Open Directory Tool, The CoupleBox