Brand Thunder, the site that allows you to skin your browser, is rolling out a slick new theme creation utility called BT:Engage, which allows anyone to easily build and share interactive browser themes. The entire process is web-based with real-time previews of themes as you build them. It’s a little rough around the edges right now, but the long-term plan is to have a sophisticated suite of tools to create themes that are easy to distribute with “an elegant download page”, and a management tool for monitoring downloads and active users as well as managing live themes and promotions.
BT:Engage is “an evolutionary leap in browser add-ons that help online publishers connect with their communities in an easy-to-use browser theme wizard.” From their about page:
The Internet browser is the most frequently used application on the computer. It should never again be a passive vehicle for seeing the web.
BT:Engage gives you the power to transform the drab, and kind of boring, browser into a beautiful engagement tool for your business or community. In moments, you can build your own custom browser theme with images that you upload and buttons you choose. It’s even easier if select from our vast library of images.
Built on the Lithium PHP framework, with Mongodb and a lot of Javascript, the core functionality of BT:Engage is usable right now. Obviously I have zero theme designing chops, so don’t take my paltry themes above as an indictment of BT:Engage.
The first 99 readers to sign up for an account with the invite code TECHCRUNCH can take it for a spin. You’re asked to provide feedback to help make the site better, so don’t expect a perfect experience right out of the gate.