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Opera Rethinks What a Browser In 2017 Should Do: Adds Quick Access To WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger in v45 (theverge.com)
Opera says it has been working on a complete redesign of its desktop browser for a few months. Codenamed "Reborn", the new version of the browser focuses on one feature that it thinks many people desire in 2017: a way to stay connected with friends and be able to swiftly share things. The Verge adds: The latest addition is a messaging sidebar built directly into the browser interface. From the sidebar, users can log into their WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram accounts, and chat with friends and family without ever leaving Opera itself. [...] But as with previous updates, there's a lingering feeling that this new feature is a little bit too superficial. While it is nice to have access to chat apps in the browser window, their inclusion makes for a crowded interface.
Goodbye Opera, nice knowing you. I want a browser to browse websites, that's all
I can see it now. All those fake news articles being shared faster and the creators of those news stories getting richer!
God help us.
Why do I feel like whomever purchase opera in China is looking to install data collectors (aka Trojans) much like MS has done with Windows 10.
"Imagination is more important than knowledge" - Einstein
In other words, add a metric shitload of things that the user does not want anyway. Just like Firefox.
Nae king! Nae laird! Nae yurrupiean pressedent! We willna be fooled again!
Telegram is the only popular messaging app, and it's pretty awesome. I highly recommend it. It's similar to Whatsapp, except it doesn't belong to Fuckerberg.
"The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
Appy Appera knows that only apps can app apps, so they apped apps with their appy app app while apping other apps!
Apps!
Two DOMs. The one that the scripts see, and the one that the user sees. Tricky (i.e. fun to experiment on and develop) rules for propagating changes and events from one to the other. The goal: serve the user, all other considerations extremely, rapidly, distantly secondary.
That these people think that instant messaging (especially proprietary instant messages) is important or even of non-negative value in a browser, is hilariously out-of-touch.
It probably censors opposing opinions for you too
Red Chinese. You know my stance. It's like this. (Witness Bruce Lee stance here)
Now. If those reds can win me an election, then we can talk. Until then, not just no, but hell no!
People haven't figured out that social media like facebook, whatsap, etc., are all eroding the fabric of our social and political systems and being used to make authoritarian take-over easier.
Dump all social media!
Just having a browser that doesn't take nearly a gig of RAM for a few tabs would be nice.
I had a dream, bright and carefree, but now there's doubt and gravity
If it wants to add features, add features people want.Nobody wants a Chrome clone.
If Opera can combine Messenger, Skype, Discord etc into one neat interface, I'm in!
If they're just providing plugin-style clones of the web interfaces, meh. Lot of work for little gain: bookmarks/pinned tabs already work for that.
...Aren't we all supposed to be complaining about what Firefox is REMOVING these days? Sigh. I can never keep up with this silly hivemind.
What the hell is wrong than Pidgin? How is this piece of dung better than Pidgin?
A few years ago, a browser called RockMelt did this, and it did it well. It was based on Firefox, but had a lot of integration with Facebook and Twitter. Yahoo bought it and shut it down however.
Have you ever tried to get a random non-technical person to use Pidgin?
Have you ever tried to get them to install OTR?
Then you'll know what's wrong with it.
Opera has had another browser format all along. On smartphone it's called Opera Coast. It's my favorite browser on the smart phone because it gets out of your way, and it also compresses the web pages when the pipe is slow. While I use Chrome or Safari or Firefox on desktops, the COast browser is truly optimized for the smart phone usage patterns, maximizing screen real estate, quick access to web sites, and reduced download times.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
How about using Conversations with Jabber? ..
Telegram is the same "central server" crap that collects metadata up the wazoo.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.siacs.conversations
also available on F-Droid
That way you can log in from your desktop or mobile at the same time (without having to have your mobile with you)
Also with OMEMO it is also secure regarding end-to-end encryption. (with the added benefit of there being no central point where communication metadata can be collected.
I could never get used to Opera. Of course, the last time I looked at Opera was back in the WinXP days. Loading it up with apps won't change my mind.
A good browser should have especially a good advertisement blocking.
And some other things like something for blocking scripts (like uMatrix) and something for tracking certificates for selected (e.g. banking) websites.
Who started the trend of making web browsers more than just a web browser by default? If someone has a time machine, we should probably take a quick jump back and deal with that.
There is no XUL, only WebExtensions...
Leading technology company changes world disruptively with new walled-garden chat app, and/or a hotlink to an existing chat app.
So by adding social media apps to their browser you would expect that they'd be targeting a younger crowd that is more involved in using such services. This might be me sounding old, but those that are younger that they would be targeting would also be less likely to download a browser other than what's on their phones already. A desktop version of this browser would totally miss the mark. What type of user would actually be interested in this?
Sent from my TARDIS
What's wrong with PIDGIN?! How about libpurple backend that saves passwords in plaintext BY DESIGN with no option to change that?
Only Microsoft can restore Windows XP support. If your computer runs an operating system that no longer receives security updates, it's likely to get infected with a key logger. And if it does, no web browser can make your connection secure.
Open Source Presto.
I think I would spontaneously orgasm if I learned that Opera 12 was Open Sourced.
Do we need another discussion to get Net Neutrality for Browsers? (and possibly mobile phones?)
they'll add a text editor and a newsgroup reader and rename itself to emacs.
What is Telegram? I've honestly never heard of it and I have about 5 messaging apps on my phone right now. Not sure how popular it could be.
>"Reborn" focuses on being able to swiftly share things
I'd thought no one took this share crap seriously, but I suppose there's usually a bar of it right on this page, if your browser's the one wielding you.
It's about two inches from that other feature. You know the one. "Helping inform you about products and offers you may be interested in".
Television is reality drivel and the internet is "social networks". I'd remark about politics soon becoming pander-to-normals (as if they weren't) but in the US that'd be an upgrade. We're doing a lot worse than personalities who appeal to simple minds.
The browser makers, the "standardisers", and the webmonkeys (even if only in the role of useful idiots) have been conspiring to reduce the longevity of webbrowsers and websites alike, through the "living standard" nonsense.
That also means that you end up "upgrading" so often that opera has plenty of time to drop myspace and add instagram, or whoever is deemed to be down-and-out and up-and-coming next week. In some sense it's just deserts for the likes of google trying to own the space, though in another it's ceding power to teh zuck so I hope for them that opera at least gets paid for that "integration" gimmick.
But anyhow, we've long had "browser toolbars" and a very special kind of luser that lets them be installed, even likes to install them, sometimes to the point of taking over half the screen space (on your handy dandy widescreen). Apparently that's a juicy enough demographic that opera thinks it'll let them carve out a decent-sized niche.
Me, I liked opera before they switched engines, as they used to be a somewhat better browser, but once they switched I decided they'd gotten stupid and left them to stew in it. This move of theirs isn't disappointing in that sense. I can see the logic, if not whether there's actual sense in it. Time will tell.
They added WhatsApp, Telegram, and Messenger? Sold!
No, not really. Are those REALLY what people want in 2017???
It has been stable in function and in form for about 20 years.
Three guesses which one...
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
How about living in the 21st Century and getting over the fact that nobody gives a millifuck?
Yes, just hand over the credentials to all of your social media accounts to this innocent Chinese company. What could go wrong??
I vote for a BonziBUDDY sidebar!
Go cry to Alexa about your ED.
(captcha: micron)
See subject (it's what I call Chinese/Chrome Opera) but I like your "phantom of the opera" (good play on words)!
* I use Opera 12.18 64-bit here - last of the "PRESTO" engine & "last of the V-8 Police interceptors" as far as I'm concerned...)
APK
P.S.=> Going to steal that one from you IF that's ok - I like it (I'll credit you when I use it, lol)... apk
>...is the only popular...
Saying the only popular ANYTHING is suspicious as hell. Shill much? Or just still living at home...
That you write such a 'fact' is an announcement of your ignorance & small-world, tight knot fanboi culture you've yet to grow out of.
At one time, Opera lead the way on web standards compliance.
Less compliant browsers like IE seemed to have websites catering to their flaws.
Then, somewhere along the way, it seems that browser development started wagging the dog (and driving standard development all the more).
I was an early Opera adopter... then I floundered for a bit until Vivaldi came out (Thank you Jon!)
The current Opera's VPN does interest me... but yada-yada chinese trojans
I love Opera since they moved to Webkit and it's the only browser I use nowadays. It is noticeably faster and less memory hungry than Chrome and Safari and way way faster than current stable versions of Firefox. For example, Opera easily handles large pgBadger reports that make Chrome, Safari and especially Firefox grind to a halt for minutes on the same computer.
I don't care about gimmick features like these, but if they make Opera money so they can keep on developing it, I'm all for it, as long as they can be disabled.
http://www.opera.com/docs/changelogs/windows/500-512/
Instant Messaging
IM: optimization of message search contact addition (manual)
IM: window handling enhancements
IM: other Minor additions and optimizations