RockMelt Browser Bringing Social Networking Act to iPhone

RockMelt, the new browser happening the block, has only been publically of import for a short time, merely it's already self-possessed to break mobile with an iPhone app. This comes as no tangible surprise, considering RockMelt prides itself on providing people with a "modern" way to surf the Net — and moreover modern than mobile applications?

RockMelt went into world just a month ago, only it has been in and out of the spotlight since August 2009, and debuted in noncomprehensive beta in Nov 2020. Based on Google's open germ Chromium, RockMelt is similar to otherwise browsers but with an supererogatory feature: it has built-in social group networking. In fact, to even use the web browser you must sign over in with your Facebook news report (or create a Facebook account, if you don't have one).

RockMelt ties in with other social group networks, and features "edges" — areas where you sack place apps and websites as bookmarks. The App Edge is rather a dynamic bookmarks toolbar — IT keeps track of when the bookmarks arranged there are updated, so you don't have to keep checking on your possess.

Accordant to VentureBeat, this is what RockMelt's app will be: non a boring browser, such as Safari or Opera, but a mobile interlingual rendition of RockMelt's App Edge. The RockMelt app will show a list of your preferred websites, determine which ones have been updated, and "jump in to read the in vogue news or blog post."

RockMelt's mobile browser, like RockMelt's App Edge, wish also include Chirrup and Facebook status updates, and will include the new browser feature article of "saving" a page to read later. The mobile browser will also synchronise with the desktop browser, which is a nice touch.

RockMelt's principal executive, Eric Vishria, told VentureBeat that "when you'Re waiting eligible for a cup of coffee, you don't want to whip come out of the closet your phone and type in a long web site address," and that you're "more likely to check the latest updates on Facebook OR Twitter."

Now, I'm not precisely the biggest buff of RockMelt, primarily because it takes away the one thing that I really like about social networks: the time-wasting potential. I may be uncomparable, but I use my iPhone nigh oft to play games or browse the Web, not check Facebook or Twitter (I get sufficiency of that when I'm sitting at my desk). But if I in truth do want to cheque Facebook Oregon Twitter, I can forever candid the Facebook or Twitter app on my iPhone.

VentureBeat says that the Facebook and Twitter features of RockMelt's mobile app seem "particularly full-featured," and Vishria says that since he started testing RockMelt he's suddenly found that he doesn't need other apps anymore (and yeah, atomic number 2's not biased the least bit).

Well, RockMelt is putting everything — social networks, RSS feed-like updates, Web browsing — into one app, and that's non really my thing. But if you'd ilk a conveniently efficient app, RockMelt should be in the app store by the end of this workweek (pending approval from Orchard apple tree, of row).

An Android version of the app is seemingly in the works, as well.

Follow Sarah on Twitter (@geeklil) or on Facebook