Opera releases Mini browser beta for Android
(Credit:
Opera Software)
In a move to expand its franchise to a higher-end frontier of the mobile phone market, Opera Software has released a beta version of Opera Mini 5 for Android.
Opera’s Mini and more feature-rich Mobile browsers are widely used in the mobile phone market, but the company faces a challenge in new smartphones using Apple’s iPhone OS, Google’s Android operating system, and Palm’s WebOS. Those come with their own browser installed already, in those cases based on the WebKit browser project.
Mini is designed to work on less-capable phones with smaller screens, slower network connections, and less-sophisticated user interface abilities. Version 5 offers support for features including Speed Dial, which is a grid of favorite Web pages, compression through Opera’s servers to speed download of Web pages that aren’t tailored for mobile phones, and tabbed browsing.
The Norwegian company had released an earlier version of Mini for Android, starting with a technical preview in April 2008 and culminating in Opera Mini 4.2 for Android in January. It’s also working on a version of Opera Mobile for Android.
Originally posted at Deep Tech
Android phones get Opera Mini 5 beta
All those Android smartphone owners who have been wondering when they can ditch the outmoded Opera Mini 4.2 browser in favor of the latest beta can now unfold their pouts, stop that kicking, and remove their pounding fists from the floor. Opera Mini 5 beta has arrived.
Opera adds Android to its Mini 5 beta lineup.
(Credit:
Opera Software)
On Thursday, Opera Software pushed out the Android version of its Mini 5 browser that improves the browser experience for Java phones by leaps and bounds. The beta build is equipped with an updated interface that includes a new , “speed dial” start screen featuring thumbnails of most-visited sites. The browser also supports tabs, a first for Mini but old hat on Opera Mobile.
Opera Mini 5 beta (beta 2, actually) and the nearly identical Opera Mobile 10 beta (for Symbian and Windows phones) have been making the mobile rounds since September. We’re fans of the latest advances to come to the free browser, and we’re looking forward to Opera making those changes final and retiring Opera Mini 4.2 (and Opera Mobile 9.6, while they’re at it.) We just wish that Opera had submitted Mini 5 beta to the Android Market sooner.
There’s no confirmation from Opera, but we’re speculating that Opera could officially flip the switch on at least one of the Opera Mini 5 variants at the CTIA trade show later in March.
To download Opera Mini 5 beta for Android, check the Android Market from your smartphone or point to mobile browser to www.opera.com/mini/next/.
Related:
Opera Mini now on Windows Mobile. Yeah, you read that right
Opera Mini browser for iPhone?
Opera Mini and Mobile betas bestowed with sync
Originally posted at Android Atlas
Macros for Google Spreadsheets
If you wanted to use macros in Google Spreadsheets, there’s a good news: Google Apps Script is now available for all Google Docs users. That means you can write scripts for performing repetitive actions, creating custom functions or even adding advanced features to Google Spreadsheets.
You can try one of the featured scripts by opening a spreadsheet, clicking on the “Insert” menu and selecting “Script”. Unfortunately, Google’s sample scripts aren’t very useful: you can play Hangman, draw a fractal, convert a named range to a CSV file or translate the text from a cell into 10 other languages.
After installing a script, you need to reload the spreadsheet to be able to use it. Then you have to find the UI element that triggers the script: usually it’s a new menu. Clicking on the menu entry doesn’t run the script: you first need to authorize the script and then you have to click on the menu entry one more time. It’s not user friendly.
To write your own scripts, read these tutorials. You’ll have to type some JavaScript code, so you should be familiar with this scripting language.
Google Maps Adds Biking Directions
Google Maps added a new type of directions for the US: bicycling directions. Google’s blog explains that “biking directions keep you on bike-friendly roads and avoid some of the city’s busiest intersections”.
Adding bicycling directions wasn’t an easy task because Google had to gather information about bike trails, bike lanes, uphill or downhill slopes. Google’s algorithms try to find the best route and they take into account a lot of interesting factors.
“Our biking directions are based on a physical model of the amount of power your body has to exert given the slope of the road you’re biking on. Assuming typical values for mass and for wind resistance, we compute the effort you’ll require and the speed you’ll achieve while going uphill. We take this speed into account when determining the time estimate for your journey, and we also try hard to avoid routes that will require an unreasonable degree of exertion.”
