New visual effects heighten the user experience
Oslo, Norway – January 4, 2008
Opera Software, the only company that puts the Web on any device, today released the Opera 9.5 SDK for Devices. The release will include a new beta visual effects layer that will give users an emotionally heightened Web experience with fluid transitions, panning, zooming and interactivity. Opera 9.5 SDK will also include an improved evaluation kit that allow device manufacturers to quickly experience the potential of a product aimed to deliver the latest end-user experiences for Internet browsing, Web applications and Web-based user interfaces.
To kick off the new experience for 2008, Opera will be showcasing its wide range of browser technologies and offerings at the Sands Expo & Convention Center at CES in Las Vegas, January 7-10, in Room 70440. To book a meeting, please e-mail conference@opera.com.
Beta versions of a new visual effects layer and Opera Zoom will enable trendy, effect-rich usability, with fluid zooming, transitions and panning, to a full range of devices. To speed benchmarking, evaluation and time-to-market, today’s release also introduces a bundled Flash plug-in demo and set of standard Opera Widgetsâ„¢, such as calendar, news reader and calculator. In addition Opera 9.5 SDK significantly improves Web page rendering performance over its predecessor, resulting in a speedier start-up and more enjoyable browsing experience.
“Opera 9.5 SDK sets a new direction towards an exciting, emotionally heightened user experience with focus on a hardware accelerated visual effects and interactivity. Our customers and the market have been asking for it, and we have delivered with this release,” says Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software.
Opera’s customers are making plans to use Opera 9.5 SDK’s new features to their full potential. ARCHOS, a pioneer of portable media players (PMPs), produces the most advanced and full-featured wireless devices of its kind. With a successful track record of delivering Opera for full Internet and Widgets with their Wi-Fi-enabled devices, ARCHOS expects to leverage the Opera SDK for Devices for its future products.
“The Opera 9.5 SDK gives ARCHOS devices a powerful Web experience that can engage our customers with both full Web browsing and Opera Widgets,” says Henri Crohas, CEO, ARCHOS. “Our strong partnership continues to help us go beyond end-user expectations, and deliver a high quality product. Opera remains ahead of the game with Opera 9.5 SDK.”
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Other upgrades in the Opera 9.5 SDK include improved management of Widget states and download, extended APIs for password, certificate, cookie, session and plug-in management, as well as built-in site patching support.
With Opera 10 already underway, the next edition of Opera’s SDK will include upgrades to features available with today’s release as well as the final version of the visual effects layer and Opera Zoom.
For more information on Opera 9.5 SDK for Devices, please visit http://www.opera.com/b2b/solutions/devices/.