Tag Archives: Opera

Webkit Based Opera Mobile Android Beta Now Available – First Impressions

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Opera WebkitBeta Speed Dial

Opera Software has released an initial Beta of a new version of the Opera Browser for Android that’s based on the open source Webkit browser engine instead of Opera’s own Presto engine.  Opera is winding down Presto development and will eventually use Webkit for all its products. The new release, called Opera 14 Beta, is available now in Google Play for devices running Android 2.3 and latter.  It was announced in a post today on the My Opera – Opera Mobile … Continue reading →

New AT&T Feature Phones Get Opera Mini Browser

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Today AT&T and Opera announced the impending release of four new feature phones with a: “faster HTML mobile browser and att.net service, combining the best of full HTML browsing with unique features for personalizing favorite bookmarks and local searches. The new att.net mobile platform utilizes advanced data compression from Opera Software, allowing for much faster delivery of HTML Web pages.” The press release is short on details about the browser, which is branded as att.net rather than Opera,  but I … Continue reading →

Coming very soon: The next generation in mobile browsing

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The  words “Coming very soon: The next generation in mobile browsing” and a map jigsaw puzzle image appeared on Opera Software’s “teaser” page at opera.com/next/. Opera used a similar page during the PR buildup leading to the release of Opera Unite. Five days before Unite’s release, Opera posted a page reading “On June 16th at 9 AM (CET) we will reinvent the Web” If Opera follows the same model this time we should expect something new in mobile browsing five … Continue reading →

Updated: Verizon Woos Developers With Openness

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I’ve been watching a live webcast of  the Verizon Developer Community Conference that is being held today in San Jose. The U.S.’s biggest mobile operator is saying that they are through with the walled garden and proprietary platforms.  Developers are being promised that going forward it will be much easier, faster and less costly to get their apps to market on Verizon phones. Key elements of the new developer initiative include: A new vCast Application Store launching by year end … Continue reading →

Is the Web on Mobile Phones “Total Rubbish”?

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Photo: Yummy Scummy by Zach Manchester – Some Rights Reserved There’s been quite a stir lately about the viability of the Web on mobile devices with various folks pronouncing it inferior especially in comparison with mobile applications. Yesterday Malcolm Murphy at Mobile Industry Review blasted; “Can we all admit that ‘Mobile Web’ is total rubbish? ” He pointed out that there’s a huge gap in performance and usability between web apps in desktop browsers and those on phone.  Specifically; Mobile … Continue reading →

Virgin Mobile US to Bundle Opera Mini

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At CTIA, Opera Software and Virgin Mobile USA (VM) announced a deal where the operator will bundle Opera Mini with future handsets.  In the US, Virgin Mobile is a join venture between Richard Branson’s  Virgin Group and Sprint/Nextel. Starting April 14th, users of eight current Virgin Mobile phones will be able to download Opera Mini 4.2 for free from the VirginXL on-deck app store.  Although eight phones are said to be supported, Virgin has only named four; the Samsung M310 … Continue reading →

UCWEB and Opera Mini Old Versions

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While it’s generally best to run the latest versions of applications sometimes you can’t because they just don’t work.  This can happen if you are using an old or low memory device that doesn’t have enough resources or the right Java JSR to run the current versions.  A while back I posted links to old versions of Gmail.  To find those I had to do a  lot of digging through old forum posts and trying different google.com URLs to find … Continue reading →

Explosion in African Mobile Browsing

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Opera’s latest State Of the Mobile Web Report for the month of September focuses on Africa. It’s an eye opener for anyone with a US or Euro-centric view of Internet use on cell phones.  The report, which tracks the usage of Opera Mini, indicates that traffic from Africa is up 180% since January, 2008. Gains in some African countries are incredibly high.  September over January page views from Egypt increased 2300%, Nigeria 1690%, Libya 8537%, Zambia, 1200%, Swaziland  1700%.  Opera … Continue reading →