Woo-hoo for Wahoo!

Beta version of Opera 12 launches

Opera Software released the beta version of Opera 12, codenamed “Wahoo”, the latest entry in Opera’s long line of desktop web browsers. Opera 12 is both smarter and faster than its predecessors and introduces new features for both developers and consumers to play with ahead of the final launch. Discover Opera 12 for yourself at http://www.opera.com/browser/next.

It’s a theme, not a meme
Themes give you an easy way to change the look of Opera to suit your tastes or your mood. Just select a new theme and — voila! — your new-look browser awaits. To try a theme for Opera 12 beta, visit http://addons.opera.com/themes.

Themes are also easy to make. If you want to try your hand at making a theme for Opera, learn how to do it here: http://dev.opera.com/articles/view/operas-lightweight-themes/.

A separate process for plug-ins
Plug-ins are a leading cause of browser instability, so we gave them their own process. This way, when a plug-in crashes, it doesn’t take Opera down with it.

Faster by being smarter
We gained speed improvements by further optimizing the network SSL code and used smarter tab loading to accelerate start-up and shut-down times.

Camera support
Opera 12 shows some of the new tricks available to web developers by supporting getUserMedia, an API that allows web applications to use hardware like your computer’s built-in web cam. To try some demo applications, click here:

Photo Booth
Polaroid
Color Picker
Explode
Native pages in the browser
What if webpages could be laid out like a book with pages that can format automatically to the screen size? What if it only took a few lines of CSS code? The project was formerly known as Opera Reader, but we are opening it up for standardization as CSS3 Generated Content for Paged Media. You can try it for yourself in Opera 12.

A new sheriff in town
Opera upgraded its innovative security badge to make it easier to understand the security and privacy policies of the sites you visit. You can quickly see if a site is using your location information or wants to turn on your web cam.

Learning new languages
Opera 12 will come in Arabic, Farsi, Urdu and Hebrew thanks to new support and a remodeled interface for right-to-left scripts.

Extensions extended
The Opera extension platform becomes more powerful with the introduction of a Windows and Tabs APIs that allow extensions to control the windows and tabs in the browser.

Other cool things like:

64-bit versions for Mac and Windows
Support for the Do Not Track header
CSS3 Animations and Transitions
HTML5 Drag and Drop
Support for CORS — not the beer, but rather Cross-Origin Resource Sharing
Opt-in hardware acceleration and WebGL
“Woo-hoo! After months of hard work, we’re nearing the finish line on Opera 12,” said Haakon Wium Lie, CTO, Opera Software. “There are so many new things to try. The paged media project has the potential to change the way browsers handle content, and camera support shows just how web applications can compete with native apps. With so many new features, especially for developers, Opera 12 is a platform to build upon. We’re excited to share it with the world and see what people can create.”

About Opera Software ASA

The worldwide World Wide Web — any device, any platform, any bandwidth, absolutely anywhere in the world. Opera Software was founded in 1994, based on the idea that access to the web should be a universal right. 250 million people (and counting) use the Opera web browsers for computers, mobile phones, TVs and other connected devices. Opera also delivers tools, distribution, engagement, monetization and market insights to developers, publishers and brands around the world. We are passionate about breaking down barriers, so everyone can share in the power of the internet. Our vision of one web for all remains at the heart of what we do, because we believe that participation changes everything. Opera Software ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. ‘Opera’, ‘Opera Software’, ‘Opera Mini’ and the ‘O’ logo are trademarks of Opera Software ASA. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com.