-PNG [[ pronounced "ping"] is the [Acronym] for Portable Network Graphics, a new, losslessly compressed bitmapped graphics format. It is approved by the [World Wide Web consortium|W3C] as the successor of the [GIF] format. The latter depends on a compression algorithm called LZW which was patented by [Unisys] long ago. In contrast, PNG relies on the patent free LZSS algorithm for compression and is completely unencumbered with licensing fees. Recent versions of [Mozilla], [Opera], and [Microsoft] InternetExplorer support PNG, although the latter doesn't support alpha channels. ( Rumour has it that the IE engine is too old and out of date to support transparency without lots of hideous hacks. Amusingly, while Microsoft can't make these hideous hacks, [we can|http://redvip .homelinux .net/varios /explorer-png-en .html].)