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Opera Mini can download videos for offline viewing
If you're often in areas where mobile data is spotty or pricey, the Opera Mini browser for Android has a helpful new feature: video downloading. When you're at home or have solid WiFi, you can visit sites like Facebook, IMDB and GQ.com and download videos directly to your phone. Later, if you're without a signal or want to keep your cell bill down, you can watch the videos offline at your leisure.
Opera's speedy built-in ad-blocking goes wide and mobile
Back in March, Opera introduced its native ad-blocking feature to developers. Today, the feature is available to everyone -- on desktop and mobile. The company claims that compared to Chrome, browsing with its native ad-blocking on is 45 percent faster than Google's browser with third-party ad-blocking extensions running. Beyond that, Opera says that the update makes pages load up to 89 percent faster than without the feature activated.
Opera Mini's built-in video compression finally hits Android
More than a year after hitting iOS, Opera is finally bringing its innovative video compression feature to its Android browser, Opera Mini. You'll have to enable "video boost" manually in the browser's "high savings mode," but once you do your videos will load much faster than before. Of course, that also means you'll lose quite a bit of quality, which could be noticeable on newer high-resolution Android screens. But if you live in an area with crummy bandwidth, or just travel a lot, you'll probably get plenty of mileage out of video boost. (The browser will even count the amount of videos it's optimized for you.)
Opera Mini for Android update saves data without wrecking websites
To date, Opera Mini's data saving on Android has been an all-or-nothing affair: either you visit heavily compressed websites with altered layouts, or... you find another browser. You won't have to make that binary choice going forward, however. An updated version of Opera Mini introduces a "High" compression setting that, despite its name, is less aggressive than the original (now dubbed "Extreme"). It'll still save you precious bandwidth, but it maintains image sizes and allows for such extravagances as video playback. Think of it as a way to overcome a slightly flaky 3G or WiFi connection, rather than a bid to conserve data at all costs. If that sounds like your cup of tea, the new Opera Mini should be available today.
Opera Mini finally behaves like a native Android web browser
If you're an Opera fan on Android, you no longer have to choose between Opera Mini's super-efficient web browsing and the native interface of its full-size sibling. The company has overhauled Mini to finally give it the Android-friendly look and core features of the regular browser, including redesigned Speed Dial shortcuts, a private browsing mode and a customizable design that scales nicely to tablet sizes. There's also a much-needed, Mini-specific data gauge so that you know how many megabytes you're saving. Give it a spin if you're trying to squeeze the most you can out of a capped cellular plan.
Opera Mini 9 promises smoother video-watching on iOS
Since the beginning, Opera's focus with its mobile browser has been to save users as much data as possible. Now, with the release of Opera Mini 9 for iOS, the idea is to take that mentality a step further, by better managing a thing people enjoy doing most on their devices: watching video. As such, Opera Mini 9 comes with a feature called Video Boost that optimizes videos to save on bandwidth, which includes the ability to reduce loading times for those with an iPhone and/or iPad. According to Opera, this is the first time video optimization for sites has been built within a browser, and it believes the implementation is so good that it could easily replace a video-focused app -- like YouTube or N3twork. But don't take Opera's word for it, you can check it out for yourself at the App Store link below.
Data-saving Opera Mini browser to land on Samsung Gear S watch
While Tizen's smartphone future remains foggy, it's slowly gaining street cred in the wearable space courtesy of Samsung's smartwatches and their handful of apps. The latest brand to help push this young ecosystem is none other than Opera, who is bringing its Mini browser to the Gear S due later this year. Of course, it'd be impractical to squint at a two-inch touchscreen all day long, but Opera Mini does offer a major advantage: its renowned data compression technology that can shrink web pages to as little as one-tenth of their size, thus making more efficient use of the Gear S' integrated 3G connectivity. As an icing on the cake, this app also offers private browsing mode and a "Smart Page" that aggregates social updates plus the latest news. Opera Mini will already be available for download by the time the Gear S hits the stores.
Opera Mini for iOS gets a new look and another way to save data
Opera Mini for iOS has always been a thoughtful - if not particularly handsome - alternative to Apple's mobile version of Safari. Now it's finally gotten an overdue, iOS 7-friendly facelift and a new web surfing mode for mobile data misers who don't want to give up all their visual flair. You see, in days past you only had two options: your standard, uncompressed browsing experience, and the Mini mode that compressed images and text to keep your mobile data use from getting out of whack.
Opera's Sponsored Web Pass gives you free mobile internet if you watch an ad
Did you know that people like free stuff? Opera knows, which is why it's now launching an ad-supported version of its Web Pass platform. Mobile operators can now easily take advantage of this tool to not only sell duration-based passes (like unlimited browsing for a day or just Twitter for a week), but to also offer them for free. The catch? You just have to watch an ad before each session begins, which doesn't sound too painful. Users also have to stick with the Opera Mini browser, in order to leverage its cloud-assisted web compression technology. We're talking about saving up to 80 percent of data traffic here, hence the cheap or even free web passes -- like Malaysia's DiGi offering unlimited browsing via Opera Mini for just $0.60 per day. Of course, you can still use Opera Mini to save money in other scenarios, especially when data roaming. With the upcoming Opera Max service, smartphone users can save even more by having their app and video traffic compressed. If you're based in the US or Western Europe, you can now go ahead and pre-register for the Opera Max's open beta.
Opera Mini for BlackBerry and feature phones catches up with download manager update
A mere six months since its last update to feature phones and Blackberrys, Opera Mini has refreshed itself again, this time offering up an improved download experience, both in regards to speed and file management. The new web browser is available to download now, with users able to pause and resume their downloads, customize exactly where files are saved and -- would you believe it -- download multiple files at the same time. But in all seriousness, it's hard to complain as Opera continues to roll out additional functionality for its data-savvy browser even on humbler hardware. Those looking for a quick install should point their phone's browser to m.opera.com.
Telkomsel's new unlimited messaging plan gives Indonesians an alternative to BBM
As far as monopolies go, word on the interwebs is BlackBerry holds a pretty major one with its own BBM in Indonesian territory. According to DailySocial, though, that all could be changing soon thanks to Telkomsel's newly introduced all-you-can-message plans. The deal's fairly simple, the Indonesian carrier's bundling applications like Opera Mini, Line, WhatsApp and KakaoTalk in an unlimited package, with pricing starting at a mere 30,000 Rp (around $3) per month. Obviously, with the inclusion of a couple of the aforementioned apps, Indonesians could -- in theory -- also make calls without using their precious minutes, which is quite a good deal for under four bucks. In the end, it looks like it'll come down to how attached folks are to all those BlackBerry Messenger pins and whistles.
Opera Mini 7 comes to feature phones and BlackBerry, upgrade notifications in tow
Opera Mini 7 has been available via the Google Play market since the end of March, but if you're still milking a feature phone for all it's worth, you haven't been able to enjoy the latest version of the mobile browser. Opera Mini 7 is now available for basic phones and BlackBerry, allowing these devices to store an unlimited number of speed dials and access the new Smart Page feature for shortcuts to favorite sites. In addition to those new features, Opera Mini 7 includes several improvements and tweaks, including upgrade notifications and the ability to close tabs with one click on touchscreen phones. Of course, the browser still promises to cut down on your device's bandwidth usage, so your flip phone can keep on chugging.
Opera Mini 7 comes to Google Play, treads lightly on your data plan
As any Opera loving Android user will tell you, good things come to those who wait -- and folks waiting for the latest version of Opera Mini to hit their devices can now relax. It's here. Like its predecessors, Opera Mini 7 promises to slash your device's data usage and speed up its browsing by compressing data on a proxy server, pushing a lightweight, reformatted page to your device. Mini 7 continues this tradition, of course, but also lets users add more favorites to their Opera home screen, upping the max from nine to "as many Speed Dial buttons as you'll ever want." Read on for the app's official press release, or hit up the source link below for its Google Play page.
Motorola Motokey Social set to Like Telus November 21st
We've seen the official product page of the Motokey Social, a new Facebook Phone with the special blue button, and we knew it was heading to Telus. All we needed to seal the deal was the date, and now we have it: the Motokey Social and Telus will change their status to "In a Relationship" on November 21st, and you can take part of the festivities. It's no Android, of course, but it offers as 3MP camera, 2.4-inch QVGA (320 x 240) touchscreen display, five home screen panels, social network access and the Opera Mini browser for data. And at $80 as a prepaid option, parents up north may be looking to pick a few of these up for the young 'uns on Black Friday. More info can be found in the press release after the break.
Opera Mini 6.5 and Mobile 11.5 embark on data awareness mission, now available for download
Nearly three weeks after Opera Mini 6.5 graced the Android Market, it's now ready for iOS, BlackBerry, J2ME and S60 (the latter's in the form of Opera Mobile 11.5). The download, which is no different than what we saw on Google's mobile OS, brings with it an option to keep track of the amount of data you've used. This type of feature seems to be catching on all over the mobile world as more and more companies continue to switch to capped internet plans. If you're looking for this option, it appears as a dedicated page within the browser's help menu. Now is the time, Opera fans, to go forth and save data.
Android Browser leapfrogs Opera Mini, but Safari increases its lead
Web browser warriors have some more statistical firepower to play with, now that Net Applications has released the latest usage figures for mobile browsers. Google's vaguely titled Browser has inched up from a 16.3 percent share last month to 18.7 percent, counterbalanced by Opera Mini, which declined from just under 19 percent to 13.1 percent. Similarly, both Symbian and BlackBerry's mobile browsers dropped a few percentage points, down to 2.6 and 2.4 percent respectively. While rumors of a mobile-friendly version of Chrome continue to bounce around, there remains a substantial gap between second-place Android and the current mobile browser boss, Apple's Safari, which has now extended its dominance from 55.6 percent to 62.2 percent. The battle of the browsers wages on.
Opera Mini for iOS updated to 6.0.1
Opera Mini uses Webkit (as per Apple's rules), but also uses Opera's backend tech for caching and serving up pages somewhat faster than Safari alone. Opera was just updated and here's what's new: Improved YouTube video integration Added single column view Added Opera Mobile Store icon to Speed Dial list Fixed various font-related issues Fixed various stability issues General bug fixes and improvements The Opera blog says developers are already working on 6.1, which will achieve parity with 6.1 on other platforms, already released. You can get Opera Mini 6.0.1 here.
Opera Mini for iPad now available
Opera rolled out version 6 of its popular web browser for iOS today. The latest version of Opera Mini now supports the iPad and the Retina Display of the iPhone 4, two major upgrades that should bring a smile to the face of iOS users. Opera Mini 6 also adds smoother panning and improved pinch-to-zoom to bring the user experience on par with mobile Safari. Other salient features include the ability to share pages directly with social networks (Twitter, Facebook and My Opera) as well as support for Arabic, Chinese and similar non-Latin languages. If you're looking for an alternative to Safari, Opera Mini 6 is definitely worth a look. It is available for free from the App store.
Opera delivers new Mini, Mobile browsers with pinch-to-zoom and shows off one for TVs
Web browser maker Opera is staying busy, unleashing several new versions of its product upon the populace today. Both of its on the go browsers have been updated with modern technology like pinch-to-zoom, sharing to other apps, improved scrolling and new tablet-friendly interfaces, while its also ready to show off a new version for set-top boxes and updating tools to help developers create apps for Opera-powered TVs. In case you need a scorecard, Opera Mini 6 (available for J2ME, Android, Blackberry, Symbian/S60) compresses pages before downloading them and Opera Mobile 11 (for Android, Symbian, Windows 7, MeeGo, Maemo) promises the entire web for those on high speed connections like WiFi, explaining the platform crossover. Peep the demo above or press releases after the break if you're still not sure what pinch-to-zoom means in or just point your mobile browser to m.opera.com and download the latest version for your device -- iOS need not apply at this time.
Opera for iPad gets an early hands-on preview
After reportedly being rejected by Apple, Opera Mini for the iPhone finally hit the App Store in April of last year. The alternative browser uses Opera's server-side processing and page compression for lightening fast browsing over slow connections. Almost 10 months after its debut on the iPhone, Opera is ready to launch its iPad version as well as an updated iPhone version. The Norwegian company was on hand at Mobile World Congress showing off its iPad version to conference attendees. Softpedia got a sneak peek at this upcoming tablet-optimized web browser and reported back with a series of screenshots and a quick hands-on preview. According to their first impressions, Opera for iPad is blazing fast, pulling down web pages with lightning quick speed. The latest version of this mobile browser includes a tabbed interface and pinch-to-zoom, both of which aid in navigation. Opera also includes a custom on-screen keyboard that assists in the entry of URLs and bookmark information. Opera did not provide an exact launch date for the mobile browser, but judging by its polished look, Opera Mini for the iPad should land soon. [Via Macstories]