Flock
I recently stumbled across the browser Flock. They call it the “social browser” and it really is. Built upon the Firefox framework, it integrates your entire social internet life right into your browser. Want to check up on your friends’ latest status updates from Facebook? Pull up the “People” sidebar and you will see the latest updates from not only Facebook but Myspace, Youtube, Twitter, and Flickr all as you browse the web. You can update your status and even drag-and-drop photos to upload to the web right from the sidebar.
If you’ve ever or still use Firefox 3, you’ll be right at home with the basic features such as one-click bookmarking and re-opening accidentally closed tabs (again, it was built on the Firefox framework). Most Firefox add-ons will even work with Flock. But most of all it is the new features that integrate your social life into the browser that really sets this browser apart.
It’s a great convenience. I don’t have to visit my regular sites like Facebook just to check if I have anything new or see what my friends are up to. I can see my email and even post to this blog straight from the browser. And even though it requires a bit of a learning curve because of the amount of new features, a good amount of button-clicking will help you solve most of that and figure out what all you can do.
Despite the new features Flock brings to the table, for me it couldn’t replace Firefox. This is solely because I use Firefox for a lot of development work and the lack of extra buttons and clean toolbar keeps my browsing simple and to the point. Instead I use the browsers together. I might chat with friends in Flock and play games on FlashStuf in Firefox. However, for anyone who is a regular Facebook, Myspace, Youtube, etc. user, Flock may be the only browser you’ll ever need.
