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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 Max alerts you when apps consume data in the background
In an age where unlimited data plans are scarce, it's important to keep tabs on apps like Facebook Messenger and Gmail that gobble up data in the background. For Android users, there are controls for limiting an app's background consumption in versions Lollipop and newer. A new feature for Opera Max takes that one step further with Smart Alerts. The tool not only has a set limit, but it keeps you informed of which apps are the culprits.
Chinese companies want to buy Opera for $1.2 billion
You might think of Opera as a forgotten browser from the pre-Chrome era that you haven't used in years. But a group of Chinese companies value it highly enough to put a whopping $1.2 billion buyout offer on the table. The Norwegian company has confirmed that it has recently received an acquisition offer from Kunlun Tech and Qihoo 360, backed by Golden Brick Silk Road and Yonglian investment firms. Kunlun Tech is a gaming company that bought a majority stake in gay dating app Grindr in January, while Qihoo is an antivirus- and browser-maker.
Opera adds mute tab option and better download interface
Opera may be lagging behind the more popular browser choices today, but it hasn't given up on rewarding its loyal users with new features. Version 35 for computers has just been released, and with it comes the ability to mute tabs easily, so you don't have to hunt for the one that has randomly starting playing a video. If you are playing one video and want to mute all others, you can also do that via the menu that pops up when you right click on a tab.
Opera's latest iOS browser wants to replace your news app
As helpful as apps like Apple News or Flipboard might be for catching up on the day's events, they can still be a bit of a hassle. After all, you have to switch apps the moment you want to surf the web on your own terms. Opera thinks it can save the day, though: it's releasing a new version of Opera Coast for iOS with a "for you" feature that brings personalized news to your browser. Visit your home screen and you'll get aggregated articles from favorite sites without having to switch apps or look for them yourself. If you're on an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus, you can even peek at those stories with a finger press.
Opera Max saves data while you stream music
The data savings of Opera Max for Android may make the most sense when you're watching cat videos, but music matters, too -- listen to a few albums and you'll easily burn through several hundred megabytes. Thankfully, Opera might just have you covered. It just trotted out an update to Opera Max that can optimize your music streaming data by as much as 50 percent in apps like Pandora, Slacker or YouTube Music. The trick is on-the-spot conversion of audio from MP3 or MP4 to the more data-efficient AAC+ format. Yes, that transcoding theoretically affects quality ever so slightly, but it might be worthwhile if you can listen to a few more tunes during your commute.
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.
Xiaomi's global devices to get Opera's data-saving tech
Following yesterday's announcement on Opera Max supporting YouTube and Netflix, today the company revealed that Xiaomi's latest Android fork, MIUI 7, will have the same data-saving technology baked into its Data Saver feature. According to Xiaomi, this can reduce data usage across all apps by up to 50 percent, though encrypted connections are still left untouched. While Data Saver has already been on Xiaomi's China devices for about a year, it'll be a first for global MIUI users, though they'll have to wait for a few more months. That said, other features such as "up to 30 percent faster response time," "10 percent better battery life" and face recognition in photo album will be available right away. All global Xiaomi devices except for Mi Note and Mi Pad can grab the update on August 24th.
Opera Max saves data on YouTube and Netflix
Until now, one of the limitations with the Opera Max Android app is that it doesn't compress encrypted connections, which is probably a good thing except that many video platforms use HTTPS. That's no longer an issue with the software's latest release, which can now optimize YouTube and Netflix video streams over HTTPS "without any significant loss in quality." This means there's less buffer time, and you can binge-watch more viral clips within the same data allowance. But Opera isn't stopping there, as it's already working on bringing more secured video services and social apps -- including Facebook and Snapchat -- on board, so stay tuned.
Opera buys a Netflix-style smartphone app service
You may associate Opera with data-saving web browsers and handy compression tools, but the company is determined to make more of a name for itself in smartphone apps, too. Opera just bought Bemobi, a mobile app discovery service that thrives on a Netflix-like app subscription service -- pay a weekly fee on your phone bill and you get to use as many "premium" apps as you like. The deal not only gives Opera a fresh way to offer apps beyond its usual app store, but gives it a huge footprint in Latin America, where Bemobi already has deals with major carriers. Don't be surprised if you soon have a way to experiment with paid apps and games without paying full price for each and every one.
Teaching a robot to feel, live on the opera stage
Myon is a shiny white humanoid robot and the star of My Square Lady, an opera that opened this month in Berlin's Komische Oper in Germany. The operatic robot is a product of the Neurorobotics Research Laboratory at Berlin's Humboldt University and the European Union's Artificial Language Evolution on Autonomous Robot's project. Myon sings, of course, and it shuffles in stilted, mechanical motions while interacting with the rest of the carbon-based performers. No one controls Myon from backstage -- researchers and the cast worked with the robot for two years, teaching it how to sing with the orchestra, move around the stage, and react to visual and auditory cues. The opera itself is all about Myon, a robot trying to learn what it means to be human and feel emotion.
Opera Max for Android starts saving data when you're on WiFi
Opera's data compression was originally meant to get the most out of thimble-sized cellular plans, but you'd probably agree that WiFi matters, too. After all, you've likely had that moment when you were struggling to visit websites on a lousy public hotspot. Mercifully, relief is in sight: an updated version of Opera Max for Android now squeezes app data even when you're on WiFi, helping you save bandwidth no matter what connection you're using. You can manage cellular and WiFi data separately, and there's an equally new blocking option if you need to put a particularly greedy app on ice for a while. Snag the upgrade today if you find that fast, unfettered internet access is sometimes hard to come by.
Plex brings photos, music and video streaming to TiVo June 8th
After a number of leaks and hints, this week Plex and TiVo announced their products will start working together soon. Plex media server gives users a way to easily stream photos, music or video files to devices like Roku and Chromecast, and pulls content from local hard drive or the cloud all the same. Mixing up its abilities with TiVo gives people who like traditional TV and their own media libraries an easy way to enjoy both (on an unrelated note -- the HDHomeRun DVR Kickstarter added Plex support as its $250,000 stretch goal).
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.
The mother of all tech demos becomes an avant garde opera
1968 is when it all changed. On December 9 that year, Douglas Engelbart, a computer scientist at Stanford Research Center, made a 90-minute video presentation that revolutionized the world of computers. He didn't show up on stage at the Computer Conference in San Francisco, instead, he teleconferenced from his research lab 30 miles away -- an unprecedented feat at the time. Now almost half a century later, "the mother of all demos" is being resurrected as an avant garde opera called The Demo. Composers Mikel Rouse and Ben Neill re-imagine Engelbart's demo and the defining moments in his life that led up to it through a hybrid theater performance.
Opera's next move is to keep your online data private and secure
For years now, Opera Software's been creating speedy and data-saving internet browsers for consumers, making them available on desktop and mobile devices at no cost. But it doesn't want to stop there. The company, which is responsible for web-browsing products like Opera, Opera Max and Opera Coast, has announced its acquisition of SurfEasy, a firm that focuses on online privacy. According to Senior Vice President of Products Nitin Bhandari, this move isn't just to strengthen the company's portfolio, but also to show its users that it is committed to serving tools that keep their data extremely secure and private. With SurfEasy now a part of Opera, Bhandari says that the goal is to offer features that Opera browser users have requested -- such as encrypting personal information, among other things.
WhatsApp makes web client compatible with Firefox and Opera
Next time you have to access WhatsApp on your desktop, you won't need to fire up Chrome if it's not your preferred browser. The messenger's web client now works on both Firefox and Opera, giving you more choices on the computer, though you'll still obviously have to settle if you're a Safari fan. That's pretty much all that's changed: the sign up process remains the same, so you will be prompted to scan a QR code with the mobile app in order to start using the web client like we mentioned when the product launched. Unfortunately, that also means iPhones still don't have the capability to scan that QR code (Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Android devices can), forcing faithful iOS users to stick to their mobile devices.
Opera uses free apps to coax emerging nations toward the internet
Mobile data is pricier in developing regions than in the west, a paradox that has held back mobile internet adoption on most of the planet. To help, Opera has unveiled App Pass, a service that lets smartphone users download and use apps without paying for data. It comes as part of Opera Max, an Android app that cuts mobile data usage by compressing it up to 50 percent. App Pass is targeted at emerging markets, and will let operators offer "free, sponsored or low-cost access to select apps." Users can then download and use them without paying for data over the duration of the pass.
Opera's former chief launches a web browser for power users
For a while, Opera was a power user's web browser -- what you chose when other apps just didn't have the right mix of clever tricks and shortcuts. The company's switch to Google-based tech dropped some of those features, however, leaving you in an uncomfortable spot if you were a fan of the old interface. Thankfully, you're not out of luck. Vivaldi, a company co-founded by Opera's ex-CEO, is launching its own browser to appeal to a more demanding crowd. You'll still get Opera mainstays like the Speed Dial page (for fast access to pages you like), but you'll also get customizable keyboard shortcuts, tab stacks and page-specific notes. There are a few nice touches, too, such as a navigation bar that changes color to match the theme of the site you're visiting.
Opera's Coast iOS browser gets faster, smarter and more social
The Coast browser from Opera has come a long way since its early days on the iPhone, and it's about to get better. Not to be confused with Opera Mini, Opera Coast is a mobile browser focused on providing users quick access to their favorite websites, sporting a tile-based user interface and the ability to support multiple homes screens -- which makes it feel slightly like a mini OS. Today, Opera's bringing a few new things to the Coast app, including its trademark Turbo data-compressing tool for speedier browsing. Furthermore, Opera Coast is getting a Discover feature that easily finds stories related to the topics you're searching for, while a newly added button lets you share those links with friends on email, Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. To round things up, Coast is now friendly with Apple's Continuity trait when browsing, allowing you to pick up right where you left off from any device, so long as you're on iOS 8 and have Handoff enabled.
