[guispeak] Fw: BlindNews: Opera browser beta adds voice, more

From: "beth" <fb-oe@xxxxxxx>
To: <guispeak@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2004 20:39:17 -0500

> Desktop Linux
> Thursday, December 23, 2004
>
> Opera browser beta adds voice, more
>
> Opera Software has released the first public beta of version 8 of its
popular Opera browser, which adds voice input/output and a host of other
niceties. Key new features include improved RSS handling, fit to window or
paper width, a start-bar for easy access to the most commonly used
functions, and automatic update checks. The current beta release supports
Windows only, but a general release is scheduled for "early 2005," Opera
says.
>
> Other new features of the new version include an easier install process, a
simplified user interface, and a trash can that remembers closed windows and
blocked pop-ups. Also, a clickable RSS icon now appears in the address bar
when sites with RSS feeds are accessed, and RSS newsfeeds can be added to
Opera's email client.
>
> Opera's new voice technology supports websites that offer interactive,
voice-enabled shopping and booking systems, the company says. Additionally,
users can browse the web using spoken commands such as "Opera next link,"
"Opera back," and "Opera speak." In response to the latter, Opera reads the
content of a web page or email aloud.
>
> The new Fit-to-Window-Width function adapts web page content to fit the
width of the window in which the browser is currently displayed. As a
result, if multiple windows are open, the browser sizes the web page to the
particular window, thereby eliminating the need for horizontal scrolling.
Combining this feature with Opera's web page zoom feature enables users to
"dramatically magnify" web pages, yet view them without the need for
horizontal scrolling, a capability that is sure to be popular among visually
impaired users.
>
> "We were preparing for the 7.60 release, but as work progressed and we
kept adding improvements and functionality, it became very evident that we
now have a browser that is so powerful, secure, and easy to use that it
exceeds the next logical version number and warrants a major release," said
Opera CEO Jon S. von Tetzchner, in a statement. "The new Opera version has
dramatic improvements under the hood, in addition to some very helpful new
features to welcome more and more users to take advantage of browsing the
Internet in a fast, safe, and customizable way."
>
> The latest Opera beta (version 8.00b1, for Windows users only) is
available as a free download. The final version, which will support Linux,
Mac, and Windows, is scheduled for release in early 2005, according to
Opera. Users who have licensed versions of Opera 7 will receive free
upgrades to the new version, it says.
>
>
>
>
> http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS8010390469.html


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[guispeak] Fw: BlindNews: Opera browser beta adds voice, more

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