Earlier today I reviewed a desktop chat client called Skabble, which had potential as a bookmarking and browser-integrated service, but fell short. Shortly after I was introduced to another new chat service, Browzmi, that does all the things Skabble should do. Browzmi doesn't require a long download process and works directly in your browser. You can find friends across Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, and Facebook (AIM and Jabber will be added soon).
There is a bookmarking and rating option, so you can easily save sites you're interested in and immediately recommend them to others. From there, you can also leave comments for a particular page, which can be viewed by other Browzmi users that come across this page as well. This is all experienced in the Browzmi browser tool, which essentially wraps a given website in its service. Given the number of features present in Browzmi, certain aspects are similar to other services that are becoming part of our regular vocabulary, like FriendFeed.
So how does Browzmi stack up against some of the other players in the field, including FriendFeed, Flock and Yoono?
Browsing the Web
There are two sidebars and a top toolbar for navigating the Browzmi service while you're surfing the Web, giving you options to add a particular site to your own account, share it with friends, and further explore content based on other user and Web activity. This is a very dominating way in which to consume the Web, which is similar to Flock (though Flock is dominating because it is the browser itself).
While colorful and easy to use, some may prefer Yoono's less obtrusive sidebar option, though Yoono, Flock and Browzmi all have minimizing and expanding options. FriendFeed doesn't have any of these active browsing tools, but offers a hands-off, automated approach to aggregating your Web activity once you sync accounts with FriendFeed.
Sharing Content with Friends
This is somewhat of a mobile FriendFeed, which is similar to some of the update options that can be broadcast through Yoono as well. Flock can also be used as a broadcast tool, depending on what accounts you have set up, but one thing I've always enjoyed with Flock is the ability to drag'n'drop content across sites and over usernames in order to immediately share individual media items with friends.
Widgets
Browzmi has more than one sidebar option, and each has its own function. The sidebar that appears on the right side of the page contains a handful of widgets that display the update stream for that particular page, showing the comments and ratings others have left. Along with this user feedback, you'll also get related content from Flickr and YouTube.
I got to chat with Browzmi founder Travis Parsons while perusing Browzmi, and he indicated that these sidebar widgets will be expanding in the coming months. Though Browzmi will be releasing the widget updates in the near future, the company will eventually look to third-party developers to help build out some additional widgets later on, as the widgets are built on Browzmi's API.
Yoono has been building on its widget offerings and has indicated that it will be offering more in the future as well. Flock "widgets" could be determined in a different sense, as it's more deeply ingrained in the browsing experience overall, but between addons and native apps that Flock promotes, there's no end to the types of relevant surfing and sharing capabilities that can arise as a result.
Recommendations
Other recommendations come by way of ratings and comments as you browse, which is present in FriendFeed and Flock and Yoono to a certain extent. As these services become more aligned with regular social media activity and collect data, we'll be seeing more integration for direct recommendation systems, as well as better search and filtering options for any archived content that may be relevant to us.