Norelco's latest product hits hard at one of the traditional advantages of its blade rivals: it's waterproof. This means you can use it in the shower and run it under the sink, so it's easier to clean than standard models. Also, it dispenses Nivea for Men shaving lotion as it goes, so you no longer get a dry irritating contact if you have to make several passes. The battery, which is supposed to deliver 40 minutes of shave time, recharges in just an hour.

Blurring the lines still more, Gillette comes out of the gate with an electric system, powered by a AAA battery. M3 Power ($15) puts the popular Mach 3 blade into a vibrating case. This vibration makes it easier for the blade to capture hairs without making you drag it across your face many times.

When faced with the burden of unraveling the many subtle characteristics of these two shaving methods, I did what any self-respecting journalist would do: I shaved one half of my face with the Norelco Cool Skin, and the other half with the M3 Power. The result? The two shaves, which took the same amount of time, are practically identical.

Under my neck — where the shaving debate really counts — the M3 Power (with Edge Pro Gel accompaniment) made a slightly closer overall shave, while the Norelco appears to have gotten extra close in some places, but left a few areas with a little too much. It's a difference nobody would notice, but in the interest of science, I felt compelled to divulge it. The Norelco also made my neck a bit red (as earlier Norelco models had a tendency to do), but the redness was gone in 15 minutes with no lasting discomfort.

Both shavers, having been rinsed out in the sink as I shaved, sit together, clean and ready for another go. But with razor technology finally reaching detente, new frontiers need to be explored. Come on, people — wouldn't a laser beam give me an even cleaner, closer shave?