RockMelt: Netscape's Andreessen Backing Stealth Facebook Browser. Netscape founder Marc Andreessen is backing a new browser dedicated to browsing Facebook, called RockMelt, according to rumors we've heard from reputable sources.
A semi-independent desktop client for Facebook? Doesn't seem far fetched at all. The software isn't publicly available or being discussed yet, but we've gotten our hands on an early build and had a look at the front door after download. Robert John Churchill, who was the principal engineer for Netscape Navigator, is the principle engineer for RockMelt as well. The project is surrounded by a team of engineers from Andreessen's last giant sale, infrastructure company Opsware, and from HP, which bought Opsware for $1.6 billion in 2007. We haven't confirmed Andreessen's involvement in RockMelt, but we hear he's backing it and all signs point to him. RockMelt also has its own URL shortener, me.lt, though mention of the new browser was removed from that page earlier this week. Why does the world need a Facebook browser? The RockMelt Mystery. Is it Just a Facebook Browser, Or Will It Break The Mold? Marc Andreessen is backing a new browser company called RockMelt.
Not much is known about RockMelt other than it is being designed by an all-star team (including software engineer Robert John Churchill from the Netscape days) and that it is tied into Facebook through Facebook Connect. Marshall Kirkpatrick at ReadWriteWeb has a screenshot of the sign-in page and speculates that RockMelt is in fact a Facebook browser. Miguel Helft at the NYT leans in that direction as well. It kind of makes sense since Andreessen is on the board of Facebook, but I suspect it is only half the story. A Facebook browser, however, is a good metaphor for thinking about how browsers, in general, need to change. But the Facebook connection may just be the starting point for a much more ambitious piece of software. Mr. What sorts of things is he talking about? Whether or not RockMelt is tackling this broader challenge, I don’t know.
That’s just off the top of my head. RockMelt Web Browser Faces Uphill Climb. Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen is busy making dozens of small bets on startups in his $300 million venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.
RockMelt may emerge as one of his most intriguing investments, because of both his history as a pioneer in Web browsing and his current ties to social networking behemoth Facebook. The New York Times reported on Friday that the Andreessen-backed startup will somehow incorporate Facebook user names in its browser, so that users could presumably interact with their friends on the social network while they’re surfing around the Web.
Andreessen currently sits on Facebook’s board, but the newspaper reports that Facebook is not explicitly connected to the project. That wouldn’t prevent RockMelt from tapping into the social network’s API, a code that makes Facebook data available to other Web sites and services. What makes Andreessen think the market will support another Web browser? RockMelt 101: A Quick Guide to the Mysterious Browser - PCWorld. Have you met RockMelt?
Neither have most people, it seems -- but the Web is definitely a-buzzin' with word of the mysterious new browser. Thanks to a high-profile story in The New York Times , RockMelt's rapidly becoming the talk of the tech community. So what exactly is RockMelt, and who's behind it? Most of the available info is sketchy at best. If you piece it all together, though, you can get a very rough picture of what the browser might be about. 1. The guys reportedly creating RockMelt are Tim Howe and Eric Vishria, both of whom used to work at networking company Opsware. RockMelt. RockMelt. RockMelt. Rockmelt was created by Rockmelt, Inc., located in Mountain View, California.[6] The final version, 2.2.0, was released on February 9, 2013.
On August 2, 2013, Yahoo! Acquired Rockmelt. Rockmelt’s apps and website were shut down after August 31, 2013. Yahoo! Plans to integrate Rockmelt’s technology throughout various products.[7] History[edit] November 7, 2010 - Rockmelt for PC and Mac launches in private beta. RockMelt. RockMelt (rockmelt)