Opera Software recently made available in the App Store its new Coast Web browser for the iPhone and iPad, which is meant to aid users in spending their online sessions more enjoyably.
Huib Kleinhut, product manager for Opera’s Coast project, said the new Web browser is built to give users the best way of navigating the vast time-spender that is the Web.
“Like everyone who owns an iPhone, I?ve often picked it up when waiting for something or someone,” Kleinhout said.
“I was never quite happy with how apps and browsers kind of got in the way of the content. With Opera Coast, we have made content the main star of the show, letting the browser app itself get out of the way when you just want to kill some time. It?s the way Web was meant to be enjoyed.”
Coast has its site tile grid that gives users fast access to the usual suspects of time-killing sites and the so-called new “Stuff we like” feature for easy content navigation.
Touted as the first true made-for-touch mobile browser, the Opera Coast team claimed that every pixel and image placement have been rethought to make sure it not only fits, but also makes perfect sense for the iPhone.
Aside from the site tile grid, Coast also has in its home screen a “search and address” field, newly opened sites at the bottom, and the bar button that users can pull down to access recent sites.
Kleinhout said Opera re-thought the way of using “search” on the Web. In Opera Coast, related search words and some website suggestions appear as one types in search words.
“As you enter an Internet address, suggestions for possible sites marching what you’ve entered pop up,” Kleinhout said, as he describes it a blessing for small-screen devices with screen keyboards.
Coast also has its under-the-hood security feature, where a warning appears informing the user if a Website is deemed not secure. Automatic iCloud sync of site tiles are also present in Opera Coast.
Kleinhout said Opera is looking for more ways on how to shake things up in the Internet.
“There’s more paradigm that’s up for a change on how you use the Internet,” Kleinhout said. “The great thing is that small technologies can bring revolutions to billions of people.” ? Tom Noda
