Next Big Thing – social browsing

Another browser? No thanks
You don’t know what it is yet. This isn’t just another contender going up against the likes of Microsoft, Mozilla and Google – RockMelt is the first browser to have Facebook built in.

Except Flock, of course
Okay, it’s the second. But they’re claiming it’s the first social browser and it channels your Facebook and Twitter accounts with dedicated panels showing your friends’ updates and letting you share stuff you find on your travels through web land.

It sounds invasive
RockMelt’s creators think people who mostly go online to chat, update social media and check their email are crying out for a browser like this. It’s invite-only at the moment, but early testers seem to like it. Whether that’s enough to give it the momentum to compete in a crowded market remains to be seen. Here’s a taster...