function browserDetect() {
	var version = 0;
	if (navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE") != -1) {
		var temp = navigator.appVersion.split("MSIE")
		version = parseFloat(temp[1])
		if (version >= 5.5) //NON IE browser will return 0
			return 'ie';
	}
	else if(navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Firefox") != -1) {
		var versionindex = navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Firefox") + 8;
		if (parseInt(navigator.userAgent.charAt(versionindex)) >= 1)
			return 'firefox';
	}
	else if (navigator.appName == "Netscape" && parseFloat(navigator.appVersion) >= 4.7) //detect Netscape 4.7+
		return 'netscape';
	else if(navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Opera") != -1){
		var versionindex = navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Opera") + 6
		if (parseInt(navigator.userAgent.charAt(versionindex)) >= 8)
			return 'opera';
	}
	else {
		return 'unknown';
	}
}

function doOpacity(id, opacStart, opacEnd, millisec) {
    //speed for each frame
    var speed = Math.round(millisec / 100);
    var timer = 0;

    //determine the direction for the blending, if start and end are the same nothing happens
    if(opacStart > opacEnd) {
        for(i = opacStart; i >= opacEnd; i--) {
            setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
            timer++;
        }
    } else if(opacStart < opacEnd) {
        for(i = opacStart; i <= opacEnd; i++)
            {
            setTimeout("changeOpac(" + i + ",'" + id + "')",(timer * speed));
            timer++;
        }
    }
}

function changeOpac(opacity, id) {
    var object = document.getElementById(id).style;
    object.opacity = (opacity / 100);
    object.MozOpacity = (opacity / 100);
    object.KhtmlOpacity = (opacity / 100);
    object.filter = "alpha(opacity=" + opacity + ")";
}

function shiftOpacity(id, millisec) {
    if(document.getElementById(id).style.opacity == 0)
        doOpacity(id, 0, 100, millisec);
    else
        doOpacity(id, 100, 0, millisec);
}