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Opera's new online shopping cashback service is built directly into its browser
Opera's fully integrated cashback service works with partner shopping sites including Nike and Asos.
Opera now has a game engine to go with its gamer-focused browser
It’s not often that a browser company acquires a game development platform. The latter is a hugely popular platform for novice game developers with little programming experience. It works well with 2D projects and has an approachable drag-and-drop interface, along with its own scripting language that can be used to build more advanced titles.
Opera update uses QR codes to sync data between PC and Android browsers
Opera’s browser is making it easier to sync between desktop and Android devices. The latest updates (version 71 on desktop and version 60 on Android) include a new feature called Sync that lets you scan a QR code rather than entering a password.
Opera has baked Twitter into its desktop browser
You can add it next to the likes of Instagram in the sidebar.
Opera's desktop browser now includes quick access to Instagram
Opera's desktop browser now has a built-in Instagram client to help you check your social feed on a whim.
Opera now supports in-browser crypto purchases with Apple Pay
Opera has just made it a bit easier to purchase cryptocurrency. The browser -- which was the first to include a built-in crypto wallet -- is now letting users in the US and Scandinavian countries buy Bitcoin and Ethereum using a debit card or Apple Pay.
Google Earth finally works on Firefox, Edge and Opera browsers
When Google ditched its desktop Earth app in favor of a web-only experience, it said it was "almost ready" to work on Firefox and other browsers. That was nearly three years ago, but Google has finally delivered on that promise, as Google Earth now works not only on Firefox, but Microsoft Edge and Opera too, the company announced.
Opera's workspaces keep messy tabs under control
If you're a fan of tabbed web browsers, there's a real chance your tabs can be overwhelming at times. Ever try to find that one article you were hoping to read when you have dozens of tabs to wade through? Opera, at least, thinks it can help you clean up that mess. Its newly released Opera 67 for the desktop (aka R2020) introduces tab workspaces that keep you organized. You could have a set of tabs devoted to your schoolwork while another caters just to your social media updates. You can even send links to different workspaces by right-clicking them.
Opera accused of offering predatory loans through Android apps (updated)
Opera has frequently tried to claim the moral high ground in the web browser world, but it's being accused of using its side projects for far less virtuous behavior. Hindenburg Research has published a report alleging that Opera is running four Android apps aimed at India, Kenya and Nigeria (CashBean, OKash, OPay and OPesa) that appear to be in direct violation of Google Play Store policies forbidding predatory loans and deceptive descriptions. The apps would claim to offer maximum annual percentage rate (APR) of 33 percent or less, but the actual rates were much higher, climbing to 438 percent in the case of OPesa. And while they publicly offered reasonable loan terms of 91 to 365 days, the real length was no more than 29 days (for OKash) and more often 15 days -- well under Google's 60-day minimum.
Opera's gaming-focused GX browser comes to macOS
If you're one of the many people that play games on your Mac, one thing you may not appreciate is a resource-hog browser. The answer might be Opera's GX, unveiled earlier this year on PC, which is finally available on macOS in early access mode. Opera said that it solves resource problems via limiters on CPU, RAM and network bandwidth. "What this means in practice is that everyone's machines are left with more resources for running games," the company said.
Opera's latest version gives any web page a dark mode
Tech companies and device manufacturers have long touted ways to reduce a screen's dreaded blue glare -- the light that disturbs the natural circadian rhythms of the body and affects sleep. Now, Opera is rolling out a revamped night mode function that promises even dimmer night-time scrolling.
Opera's latest browser update will show you how much you're being tracked
With its previous release, Opera unveiled a tracker blocker for its browser that sped it up by up to 20 percent and offered more privacy, to boot. With the latest version, you'll be able to see a list of those trackers to get an idea of just how often advertisers and websites are watching you. "Once you switch it on, a shield icon appears in the address bar where you can easily see the number of trackers being blocked, as well as a list of said trackers," Opera wrote in a press release.
Opera's stricter privacy controls could also speed up your web browsing
Opera doesn't want to miss the browser privacy bandwagon, and it's taking an unusual angle to sell it: it's promising a speed boost. The newly released Opera 64 includes a tracker blocker that prevents sites from tracking you across the web (usually for ads or behavior fingerprinting) and, reportedly, delivering roughly 20 percent faster page load times. That's likely to vary sharply, but it's something to consider if you're hoping to tackle privacy and performance at the same time. You can turn the feature off on entirely or on a per-site basis if there are any hiccups.
LastPass patched a bug that could have exposed your passwords
If you use LastPass to manage your passwords, now would be a good time to make sure you're running the latest version, 4.33.0. As Gizmodo reports, LastPass recently patched a bug that could have been used to compromise users' security credentials. The patch should have arrived automatically, but as a precaution, it's worth making sure you're running the September 12th update.
Vivaldi's browser for power users comes to Android
Opera's former CEO launched the Vivaldi desktop browser in 2016, catering to power users who missed the shortcuts and tweaks of the original Opera. Now, the Vivaldi browser is available for Android too, in a fully-featured beta version.
Opera built a browser just for gamers
With over a billion PC gamers on the planet, it's about time someone launched a gaming-friendly browser -- and that's exactly what Opera has done. The previously hinted at Opera GX goes into early access availability today, and offers a bunch of features and options that will make PC gaming smoother and more customizable.
Opera for Android ships with free VPN
Opera announced that it is offering free VPN protection to all users on Android. The latest version of the company's Android app will include a built-in VPN, expanding a service that it first made available to mobile beta users last month and has offered in its desktop app for years. The VPN will be available starting in Opera for Android 51, which will start rolling out in the Google Play Store today.
Opera for Android gives you an option to quickly turn off ad blocking
Ad blocking on mobile web browsers is relatively commonplace, but it's also annoying when you want to turn it off to support a favorite site (or, let's be honest, to get past a "turn off your ad blocker" warning). Opera thinks it can win you over by making that process as easy as possible. It's releasing Opera 50 for Android with an ad blocker you can toggle on a per-site basis. You just have to flick a slider on or off -- you don't have to think about a whitelist or turning off ad blocking entirely.
Opera's free VPN is now built into its Android browser
Opera is adding a free, unlimited VPN to its Android browser. It's rolling out the VPN gradually to beta users first before making it more widely available. You'll be able to set your location as America, Europe or Asia, or use a setting to automatically pick the optimal connection. There are also options to turn off the VPN while searching so you get more localized results and to only activate it on private tabs.
Opera for Android will get rid of annoying cookie prompts
If you're frustrated at having to constantly close "we use cookies" dialog boxes on websites in the GDPR era, relief might be in sight. Opera has released an updated Android browser with an option to block cookie dialogs. Flip it on through the ad blocking settings and Opera will close as many of those intrusive prompts as it can. There's no guarantee it will work (Opera is relying on a mix of CSS and JavaScript detection), but the company said it had tested the feature with 15,000 sites and was accepting feedback on its success rate through the beta version.

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