I got tagged ages ago by ResearchWizard about which 5 things I want to see in Opera. I finally decided to get off my lazy ass and blog. Or actually it meant that I had to sit my lazy ass down in front of the computer and blog.

It wasn't easy to do this because many of the things I want I cannot talk about. So I decided to not talk too much about mobile browsers and concentrate on how I use the Opera desktop browser as a tool to get my work done. I use it quite extensively for other tasks than just browsing. I for example, use it for e-mails, as a notepad, and I use it for keeping track of friends through RSS feeds (and Facebook). The latter seems to have killed pretty much any blogging but that is another story :) .

The first problem I have is that I have three different computers I regularly work on and a mobile phone all equipped with Opera. I would love to be able to share for example my bookmarks and which RSS feeds I have already read. I hate having to set the same feed as read multiple times on different computers.

Another problem I have at work is that I need to encrypt some of my e-mails and I would really like to see PGP inbuilt into M2 in a nice, user friendly way. I am not a security freak and would never dream of encrypting anything private but I have to do it at work and hence expect it to just work... Doing copying and pasting into M2 from an external tool isn't exactly the safest most reliable way.

I want an inbuilt spell checker that doesn't require me to install anything extra and set it up. I frequently install new versions of Opera and there is no way I have time to install it every time. It should work out of the box. It is a bit embarrassing to send e-mails full of spelling errors to customers... and don't forget about my blogs.

Something that annoys me almost everyday is the password manager. Why can't it prefill the fields (with a drop down if there are more than one login)? It would be nice if it was a bit less buggy too.

And last but not least the shallow me really wants a prettier browser. A new logo maybe, better graphical design of the user interface... Sure Opera has plenty of inner beauty but that doesn't really count for browsers :) .

There finally! I wrote a blog. Lets see how long it takes for me to write another one :) .

P.S. Dear Santa, I also want a calender which I can synchronize between all my Opera versions. Oh and if you could add a time machine in there...

If you take private picture on your mobile phone the latest Opera Mini version might not be for you...

Explanation for my non Norwegian friends. Conradi is a Norwegian actor which lost his mobile phone with some private pictures on it. They were put online.

If anyone has ever wondered how we fix bugs at Opera, here is your chance to find out.

Yes, we make quality products:-).

I have some news for anyone that owns a Series 60 phone: We have just released a new version, 8.65. The biggest improvement this time is really usability. We put the user interface on a diet and slimmed it down so now there is more space for the web page itself.

Interaction with forms is much simpler now as you can simply start typing after selecting the field. Shortcuts have been turned into two key shortcuts (hash key + key) to avoid accidental use of them. For fans of the old way of doing things, I recommend taking a look at settings and you might just find some magic to get the old way back;-).

In addition there are some smaller tricks that have been added such as opening a link in a new page (either with a configurable shortcut or by holding down the pencil key when you open a link). Then we of course fixed some bugs and we support more of the newest phones.

Give it a spin and let us know what you think!

How do you know if you just attended a good Opera party? Well, I at least know because I always feel like I have been twisted like a wet towel by some giant hand the day after. My entire body is aching (not just the head like with normal people).

I am just grateful to the wonderful guys that actually do know how to dance and have the patience to dance with me even if it is obvious that I don't know a single dance step. This time I even vaguely remember making it into the air... Great fun and worth all the pain! Well, at least now when the pain has started to go away:-).

Mediumgeek is going extra geek soon. Mediumgeek is flying to Finland attending her first demoparty this week! Assembly '06 to be more specific.



For the ones of you that don't know what a demoparty is, it is gathering of people that come and produce non-interactive audio-visual presentations, which are run real-time on a computer. Sounds a little complicated doesn't it? To put it simpler, it is a party where people do cool stuff with graphics on their computers. In addition, they play games, chat and generally just have fun.


Opera is sponsoring the event and will be setting up a stand there where you can try some of our products, ask questions, and be recruited by us. Opera is also organizing the Widget competition and sponsoring the Browser Compo.



While I am slightly worried that I will feel a bit out of place (that my geek genes don't quite measure up), I am just happy to try something new, travel to Finland, and I really hope I will get the chance of having a beer with my friend Daniel! If there is anyone else there that I know please give me a shout or come and visit our stand at the party!



The group of people going has started a Assembly blog on my.opera.com and I will probably be blogging from there during the event.

This maybe exceeds my medium geekiness a little bit but good news has to be shared:-).



Opera on Series 60 is the first mobile browser to pass the Acid2 test! This is a version still in its early stages but this is definitely promising.

Now isn't this a friendly face?



For my readers that aren't heavily involved in browser technology, the Acid2 test is a test suite used to test how well browser follow web standards. In other words, a certain quality measure.

This entry is for anyone that owns a Nokia Series 60 phone. We have finally released a brand spanking new version of the Opera S60 browser and this version runs on all the new 3rd edition phones in addition to the old ones.



I wont go into detail about all the new features and all the improvements. You can read about those on Opera's pages. I will however mention the one thing that alone makes the upgrade worthwhile: Autocompletion with inbuilt search (and that allows you open the page in a new window).

Few hints how to use it:

• Type the first character in a url, which you have typed previously, and voila you get a list of all urls starting with that character.
• Enter a search word, select the "Search the web: searchword" item, click Goto, and you will search the web.
• Hit the "c" key after opening the field and you get a list of all the urls in you history.

And let me hint the ones of you that know this from the desktop version. It is not officially supported but let me whisper it in your ear... "search.ini"



Warning: There is no going back to older versions or other browsers that don't have autocompletion. I have tried it and it causes extreme frustration and can potentially damage your phone (you get this urge to beat the phone into the next table when you realize it doesn't have autocompletion).



While you go and download the new version, I will start working on the next version:-).

Occasionally you meet people that truly touch you by their kindness and helpfulness. Unfortunately, most of us aren't good at telling these rare gemstones that we do truly appreciate their kindness. We are too busy, caught up in our own petty worries, and feel there is really no need to tell them right then and there. It is not that we don't have the best intentions to repay their kindness in action but putting our appreciation into words is a big step to take for most of us.



Yesterday, I attended the funeral of the co-founder of Opera Software, Geir Ivarsøy who died after fighting cancer for many years. Despite being an extremely smart developer, the co-founder of the company, and of course always very busy, he was one of those rare people that are always kind and helpful. I never knew him well, but I got the pleasure of working together with him on a project and I remember being amazed at how such an important man could be bothered being so nice, helpful, and most amazingly so humble. Geir was all of those things and working with him was easy and enjoyable.



I remember always trying to repay his kindness in action while I worked with him, but I never put my appreciation into words and that I really regret now. I wish I had told him that I respected him and that I really appreciated his kindness. We should never take for granted that we will have a chance later to tell people that we appreciate them.



It is really too late now, but Geir may you rest in peace and thank you for being a extraordinarily kind and helpful co-worker.

Close your eyes and imagine a little red Opera 'O' staring at you, pointing at you, and shouting, "The Web Wants You!"



Now you can browse the web anywhere with Opera Mini as long as you have a Java enabled phone (which most of you probably have). What is Opera Mini? A little, cute web browser that allows you to visit your favorite web sites and check your e-mail from your mobile phone.

Just send a sms or point the WAP browser on your phone to http://mini.opera.com and follow the instructions.



Using Opera Mini is dirt cheap (proxy based solution) and really easy! Let me give you few good reasons why you want to be able to browse anywhere.

• You are at a bar and meet a cute guy/girl. Now you can "Google" them on the spot before you give out your phone number to some freak.
• Your girlfriend makes you go to a boring family dinner while there is a football game on TV. Now you can at least follow the score secretly on you mobile phone.
• Instead of pretending to send lots of sms at boring gatherings you can actually use the time to read something fun online.
• If you end up arguing about some fact with your friends you can always sneak into the next bathroom and come back and safely get everyone to bet against you.
• And best of all: You can read www.mediumgeek.com from anywhere;-).

For more info visit the Opera Mini Website.