Stay updated on the latest tech with Surf, Flipboard’s new app that combines social media feeds into one place.
Flipboard’s CEO, Mike McCue, is a big believer in the future of the “social web,” a decentralized and open network that connects various social platforms.
To push this vision forward, McCue and his team have been working on a new app called Surf. This app aims to be the “world’s first browser for the social web.”
Surf is designed to help users explore and discover feeds from decentralized platforms like Mastodon, Bluesky, and RSS.
Instead of visiting individual websites, users can search for feeds based on topics, creators, or publishers. The app allows you to combine multiple feeds, creating a custom stream of content that can include everything from social media posts to podcasts and videos.
The app is in public beta, and while it’s still evolving, it offers a unique way to interact with content.
You can filter feeds by type of content, like videos or podcasts, making it easier to consume the media you enjoy. Surf aims to be more than just a social network or a news app—it combines all kinds of media into one seamless experience.
However, Surf is not perfect yet. It still has some issues with search and social interaction, especially for users outside Mastodon. But McCue believes that Surf will eventually unite different online communities, much like old platforms like Yahoo did in the past.
With big ideas for the future, Surf is positioned to become a key player in the social web’s evolution. McCue’s vision is clear: the internet of the future will be about feeds, not websites.
