Flock (web browser)

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Flock
Flock icon
Flock v2 screenshot
Flock 2.0 running on Microsoft Windows XP displaying the Wikipedia main page.
Developed by Flock, Inc.
Stable release 2.0.3  (2008-12-24; 100 days ago) [+/−]
Preview release none  (n/a) [+/−]
Written in C++, XUL, XBL, JavaScript
Operating system Windows, Mac OS X, Linux
Available in Catalan, Chinese(both Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese), English (US, Australian, British, Canadian), Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Japanese, Italian, Polish, Russian, Slovak, Spanish (Latin American and Spain)
Development status Active
Type Web browser
License GPL, some components also LGPL+MPL
Website http://flock.com

Flock is a web browser built on Mozilla’s Firefox codebase that tends to specialize in providing social networking and Web 2.0 facilities built into its user interface. [1] Flock v2 was officially released on October 14, 2008.[2]

The Flock browser is available as a free download, and supports Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux platforms.

Contents

[edit] History

Flock is the successor to Round Two who raised money from Bessemer Venture Partners, Catamount Ventures, Shasta Ventures, and other angel investors. Bart Decrem and Geoffrey Arone cofounded the company.[3] Flock raised $15 million in a fourth round of funding led by Fidelity Ventures on May 22, 2008. The company's previous investors, Bessemer Venture Partners, Catamount Ventures, and Shasta Ventures, also participated in the round. The company plans to use the funds to expand its research and development, marketing, and global expansion efforts. To date, the company has raised an estimated $30 million.[4]

[edit] Version 2.0

"Flock 2" was released in October, 2008. The current version is Flock 2.0.3.

[edit] Future developments

[edit] Version 2.1

[edit] Future features

[edit] Release history

[edit] Features

Flock 2.0 integrates social networking and media services including MySpace,[2] Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, Blogger, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, etc.[5] Notably, when logging into any of the supported social services, Flock can track updates from friends: profiles, uploaded photos, and more.

Other features include:

  • native sharing of text, links, photos and videos;[6]
  • a "Media Bar" showing preview of online videos and photos as well as subscription to photo and video feeds;[7]
  • a feed reader supporting Atom, RSS and Media RSS[2] feeds;[8]
  • a blog editor and reader, allowing direct posting into any designated blog;[9]
  • a webkit-mail component allowing users to check supported web-based email off site, compose new messages, and drag-and-drop pictures and videos from the "Media Bar" or webclipboard into a new email message;[10]
  • support for third-party add-ons, including a number of Firefox extensions.[11]

[edit] Standards

[edit] Security

[edit] System and hardware requirements

[edit] Market adoption

[edit] Reception

In December 2007, Flock won the Mashable Open Web Awards for Applications and Widgets[15] and in March 2008, Flock won the South By Southwest[16] Web Award for Community.[17]

CNET gave the Mac OS X version of Flock 1.0 the title of "Best Mac Software of 2007."[18] PC World's Harry McCracken reviewed Flock as his "New Favorite Web Browser."[19]

In February 2008, AOL announced that it would discontinue support for the Netscape browser, and recommended Flock and Firefox as alternative browsers to its userbase of Netscape 9 users.[20] For the Netscape 8 userbase, AOL recommended only the Flock browser to its users.[21] In March 2008, Flock announced that they had seen "nearly 3 million downloads" and a 135% percent increase in active users in the first two months of 2008. They also announced "more than 70 percent of Flock users making it their default browser of choice."[22]

In May 2008, Flock won the Social Networking category of the Webby Awards.[23][24] Flock was nominated for this award along with Facebook, Bebo and Ning. On July 22, 2008 Linux distributor PC/OS [25] announced that the Flock browser would replace Firefox as its primary browser on its workstation releases.

[edit] Performance

[edit] Vulnerability statistics

[edit] Awards

Upon exiting beta Flock has won a number of awards:[12]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Flock Browser - Built on Mozilla's Firefox
  2. ^ a b c Official release announcement on Shawn Harding's blog
  3. ^ Flock Browser - Company Info
  4. ^ "Flock draws $15 million for social browsing". CNET. http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9950303-7.html?dlbk. Retrieved on 2008-05-23. 
  5. ^ "Activate Services and Unite Your Social Networks in the People Sidebar". User guides. Flock. http://www.flock.com/user-guide/2.0/advpeop.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-22. 
  6. ^ "Share Pictures, Text, Audio and Video". User guides. Flock. http://www.flock.com/user-guide/2.0/advshar.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-22. 
  7. ^ "View and Share Media through the Media Bar". User guides. Flock. http://www.flock.com/user-guide/2.0/advmdia.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-22. 
  8. ^ "Track Feeds". User guides. Flock. http://www.flock.com/user-guide/2.0/advfeed.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-22. 
  9. ^ "Activate and Manage Blogs". User guides. Flock. http://www.flock.com/user-guide/2.0/advblog.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-22. 
  10. ^ "Review: Strong, innovative Web browsers emerge". The Associated Press. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jrTJ2xmceQU6D6HK9R35lzNyBbhAD91HAHT02. Retrieved on 2008-06-26. 
  11. ^ "Get or Build Add-ons for Flock". User guides. Flock. http://www.flock.com/user-guide/2.0/advextd.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-22. 
  12. ^ a b c d "Flock's press". http://flock.com/press. 
  13. ^ a b c "Flock Named As One of PC World's "100 Best Products of 2008"". http://flock.com/node/62277. Retrieved on 2008-06-17. 
  14. ^ "The 100 Best Products of 2008". PC World. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,146161-page,12-c,electronics/article.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-17. 
  15. ^ Open Web Awards Winners
  16. ^ Web Awards
  17. ^ Oh wait! SXSWi had Web Awards, too
  18. ^ Best Mac Software of 2007
  19. ^ I Have A New Favorite Web Browser: Flock
  20. ^ Netscape 9 Users: Time to Flock or Firefox
  21. ^ Netscape 8 Update Forthcoming: You Can Flock Too!
  22. ^ Flock Browser Use Growing Dramatically
  23. ^ 2008 Webby Award Winners
  24. ^ Flock Wins a Webby Award for Best in Social Networking
  25. ^ PC/OS

[edit] External links

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