eBay has launched a beta version of a widget for buyers that's designed to make bidding more fun. Shoppers can select avatars and phrases that display when they outbid other bidders. At the end of the auction, the winning bidder's character is shown gloating "victoriously."

The Countdown feature does not require users to download software to use. The widget displays items in shoppers' Watch list and Bid list. It displays a countdown clock showing time remaining, current bid and shipping cost, and also allows users place a bid. The countdown clock turns red in the last minute to alert bidders.

eBay Countdown is in beta, and the author experienced lost connections several times when testing the feature, so it's best to use with the traditional site loaded as a backup during eBay's testing period.

Shoppers can try out the feature by visiting http://countdown.ebay.com/start.jsp. In signing up for Countdown, users select a character and a phrase, such as "Victory is mine," or "Groovy, baby!"

After an auction ends, an animated video plays in the Countdown widget that can be replayed. eBay depicts bidders with the "Professor" character writing Current Price + My Bid = I WIN on a chalk board. In another version, a Martian cartoon blows up a spaceship of bidders with his ray gun to demonstrate it has won the auction.

eBay has been making many changes to the site in an effort to improve the buying experience, users can visit a page called Sneak Peek to learn more about these changes.

http://www.ebay.com/sneakpeek