Rockmelt

A new internet browser that requires a Facebook log-in has been launched today.
RockMelt has been set up the founder of Netscape Marc Andreessen, and is aimed squarely at social networking users.
Based on Google’s Chromium software, Rockmelt is designed to let users share everything they do with the friends on Facebook and Twitter.

Down the side of each web page visited is a selection of each user’s most-used Facebook Friends and Twitter contacts.
The hype behind the project over the past few months has mean that an early version was launched today by invitation-only so its servers were not instantly overloaded.
A statement on the firm’s blog read: 'With RockMelt we’ve re-thought the user experience because a browser can and should be about more than simply navigating Web pages.
'Today, the browser connects you to your world. Why not build your world right into your browser?’
The browser makes it particularly easy to share links with friends by dragging pictures, URLS or videos onto one of the small photos, known as ‘edges’ that line the browser’s window.
Because users have to sign in before they can use Rockmelt, all of your favourite sites, blogs and friends are listed when you log in.
The browser alerts you when a new story, video of post appears on the sites you visit the most without you having to leave the webpage you are currently on.
However the fact that your entire web search history, your friends and what sites you visit are known by RockMelt will alarm some still wary of handing over personal information to tech firms with a poor record of data protection.
The firm claims that this browsing information will not be sold to advertisers fro targeted ad campaigns based on a user’s interests.