Rabb.it: Difference between revisions
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After a rough [[beta release]] in 2013<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/this-startup-thinks-that-its-solved-a-major-problem-with-video-chatting-2014-8|title=A Startup Named 'Rabbit' Thinks That It Solved A Major Problem With Video-Chatting|last=Jacobs|first=Harrison|website=Business Insider|access-date=2019-08-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://xconomy.com/new-york/2014/08/25/video-chatting-and-watching-gets-a-social-makeover-from-rabbit/|title=Xconomy: Video Chatting and Watching Gets a Social Makeover from Rabbit|date=2014-08-25|website=Xconomy|language=en|access-date=2019-08-06}}</ref> which offered limited [[MacOS|Mac]]-only functionality, the company redesigned Rabbit as a [[Web application|web app]] in the summer of 2014. The service took off, adding 400,000 users by the end of the year.<ref name="fastcompany">{{Cite web |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3041667/the-worlds-top-10-most-innovative-companies-of-2015-in-video |title=The World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies of 2015 in Video |last=Staff |first=Fast Company |date=2015-02-09 |website=Fast Company |language=en-US |access-date=2019-04-14}}</ref> With around 3.6 million monthly active users,<ref name="linkedin" /> Rabbit users viewed content using the service for an average of 12.5 hours a month, with the most active users doing so for 28.5 hours a month.<ref name="venturebeat-20181108" /> The company had 30 employees worldwide as of May 2019.<ref name="venturebeat-20181108" /> |
After a rough [[beta release]] in 2013<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/this-startup-thinks-that-its-solved-a-major-problem-with-video-chatting-2014-8|title=A Startup Named 'Rabbit' Thinks That It Solved A Major Problem With Video-Chatting|last=Jacobs|first=Harrison|website=Business Insider|access-date=2019-08-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://xconomy.com/new-york/2014/08/25/video-chatting-and-watching-gets-a-social-makeover-from-rabbit/|title=Xconomy: Video Chatting and Watching Gets a Social Makeover from Rabbit|date=2014-08-25|website=Xconomy|language=en|access-date=2019-08-06}}</ref> which offered limited [[MacOS|Mac]]-only functionality, the company redesigned Rabbit as a [[Web application|web app]] in the summer of 2014. The service took off, adding 400,000 users by the end of the year.<ref name="fastcompany">{{Cite web |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3041667/the-worlds-top-10-most-innovative-companies-of-2015-in-video |title=The World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies of 2015 in Video |last=Staff |first=Fast Company |date=2015-02-09 |website=Fast Company |language=en-US |access-date=2019-04-14}}</ref> With around 3.6 million monthly active users,<ref name="linkedin" /> Rabbit users viewed content using the service for an average of 12.5 hours a month, with the most active users doing so for 28.5 hours a month.<ref name="venturebeat-20181108" /> The company had 30 employees worldwide as of May 2019.<ref name="venturebeat-20181108" /> |
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In July 2019, Rabbit CEO Amanda Richardson announced that the site was soon to cease operations; a round of [[Venture capital|VC]] funding had failed in May, and Richardson was forced to |
In July 2019, Rabbit CEO Amanda Richardson announced that the site was soon to cease operations; a round of [[Venture capital|VC]] funding had failed in May, and Richardson was forced to lay off staff and begin shutting Rabbit down immediately.<ref name="linkedin">{{Cite web |url=https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hitting-wall-amanda-richardson |title=Hitting The Wall |last=Richardson |first=Amanda |website=www.linkedin.com |language=en |access-date=2019-12-24}}</ref> Despite announcements that all staff members had been let go, the site remained semi-functional until July 31, 2019 when the servers were shut down.<ref name="venturebeat-20190731" /> |
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On July 31, 2019, it was announced that its remaining assets—intellectual property, software stack, and several patents—had been acquired by fellow streaming service Kast.<ref name="venturebeat-20190731">{{Cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2019/07/31/kast-acquires-remnants-of-group-watch-company-rabbit/ |title=Kast acquires remnants of group-watch company Rabbit |date=2019-07-31 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US |access-date=2019-08-06}}</ref> |
On July 31, 2019, it was announced that its remaining assets—intellectual property, software stack, and several patents—had been acquired by fellow streaming service Kast.<ref name="venturebeat-20190731">{{Cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2019/07/31/kast-acquires-remnants-of-group-watch-company-rabbit/ |title=Kast acquires remnants of group-watch company Rabbit |date=2019-07-31 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US |access-date=2019-08-06}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 01:36, 12 April 2020
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Type of site | Content-sharing |
|---|---|
| URL | www |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | Optional |
| Launched | 2013 |
| Current status | Defunct as of July 31, 2019 |
Rabbit, also known as Rabb.it, was a video streaming website and mobile application. Launched in 2014, and based in California, United States, the service enabled multiple people to remotely browse and watch the same content in real-time.[1]
A host could create a room, invite others to it (or, alternatively, set it to public so the room appeared on the site's homepage for anyone to join), and share content using a virtual computer called a "Rabbitcast," or using the Google Chrome extension "Share on Rabbit." Whatever content the host opened was displayed to the other users in the room[1] along with audio and video. Rabbit offered text and video chat alongside this functionality.[2]
Unlike other popular streaming websites such as YouTube and Netflix, Rabbit did not host the content viewed on it. Instead, Rabbit streamed a virtual computer (Rabbitcast) with a browser, which could then be used to navigate to other websites and content. A Rabbitcast was a Rabbit-hosted, shared Firefox browser that could be viewed and controlled by anyone within the room.[3][4] The built-in web browser had an ad-blocker pre-installed.[5]
History
After a rough beta release in 2013[6][7] which offered limited Mac-only functionality, the company redesigned Rabbit as a web app in the summer of 2014. The service took off, adding 400,000 users by the end of the year.[3] With around 3.6 million monthly active users,[8] Rabbit users viewed content using the service for an average of 12.5 hours a month, with the most active users doing so for 28.5 hours a month.[1] The company had 30 employees worldwide as of May 2019.[1]
In July 2019, Rabbit CEO Amanda Richardson announced that the site was soon to cease operations; a round of VC funding had failed in May, and Richardson was forced to lay off staff and begin shutting Rabbit down immediately.[8] Despite announcements that all staff members had been let go, the site remained semi-functional until July 31, 2019 when the servers were shut down.[9]
On July 31, 2019, it was announced that its remaining assets—intellectual property, software stack, and several patents—had been acquired by fellow streaming service Kast.[9]
References
- ^ a b c d "Rabbit lets you remotely watch online videos with your friends". VentureBeat. 2018-11-08. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
- ^ Rosman, Katherine (2015-02-13). "Love in the Time of Binge-Watching". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
- ^ a b Staff, Fast Company (2015-02-09). "The World's Top 10 Most Innovative Companies of 2015 in Video". Fast Company. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
- ^ "How to deal with a long-distance relationship? Try this tech". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-08-06.
- ^ Ravenscraft, Eric (1 August 2015). "Rabbit Lets You Watch Netflix, YouTube, Browse the Web with Friends". Lifehacker. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
- ^ Jacobs, Harrison. "A Startup Named 'Rabbit' Thinks That It Solved A Major Problem With Video-Chatting". Business Insider. Retrieved 2019-08-06.
- ^ "Xconomy: Video Chatting and Watching Gets a Social Makeover from Rabbit". Xconomy. 2014-08-25. Retrieved 2019-08-06.
- ^ a b Richardson, Amanda. "Hitting The Wall". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2019-12-24.
- ^ a b "Kast acquires remnants of group-watch company Rabbit". VentureBeat. 2019-07-31. Retrieved 2019-08-06.
