A complete review of the Opera browser in its newest form: release 9.50. The article reviews all major aspects and features of Opera, like widgets, speed, documentation, BitTorrent support, new interface and much more.

In mid-2008, Opera 9.5 became available for download just ahead of Firefox 3.0. Now, Opera has moved one step further, and as of October 8, it is offering version 9.6 of its browser. Opera 9.6 brings enhancements across the table, although at its heart it is labeled as a security and stability update.

With the newest version of Screenlets, 0.1, you can now run not only Python Screenlets but also Google Gadgets, other web widgets, and web applications. If you want to get started with Screenlets, I’ve previously written a guide about installing and configuring it: OS X-Like Widgets with Screenlets on Ubuntu.

Opera 11 was released just a few hours earlier today, and it comes with several notable features, a new interface, and many other improvements.

Screenlets are themed mini-applications programmed in Python. They are comparable to the widgets in OSX and Windows. This post will guide you through installing Screenlets and setting them up with Compiz Fusion to work similarly to widgets in Apple’s OSX.

Opponents of that proposal, including Mozilla and Opera, have criticized the fact that the ballot screen is found within Internet Explorer, which is still bundled with Windows, and the fact that any alternative browser must be downloaded, which many users will be too lazy to do. So why are Mozilla and Opera being so reticent in the wake of the European announcement?

The Pyro project has launched its "Pyro Desktop," a new Linux application with the lofty goal of "true integration between the Web and modern desktop computing." Pyro offers an interesting new approach to deploying Web-based applications on the Linux desktop, reminiscent of Opera's and Vista's widgets.

Movial has released Webkit and Gecko extensions that give local Javascript/HTML widgets more power over the systems they run on.

Just when it seemed like Microsoft's European anti-trust tangle on browser choice in Windows was over, trouble is stirring again. Opera Software has told The Reg that it has informed the European Union of a possible problem with a fix that was designed to make Internet Explorer in Windows comply with EU antitrust law. Opera has also informed Microsoft.