The first home light controlling browser has been just released. Its aim is to give the users a unique ability - a first for browsers - to control the color of smart-home lighting through browsing.
In our exclusive interview with Vivaldi Technologies CEO Jon von Tetzchner, we have described the original story of Vivaldi creation, its Armenian interface and much more.
Jon, why have you decided to create a new browser, when there is a bunch of similar products?
There is a fair amount of browsers, but there were none that satisfied the needs of our users and ourselves.
After I left Opera in 2011 [Jon von Tetzchner is the cofounder and former CEO of Opera Software], my thinking was that I would continue to use that browser forever. Having spent 17 years on building that browser, it was the natural thing for me to do.
In 2013, things changed. Opera decided to throw away all the code we had written and decided to change the design profile of the company. Instead of making a browser based on user input, the decision was to go for a browser more similar to the others, with a lot less functionality and a lot less customization to the user needs.
There was a lot of negative feedback from users on this move. Users and employees contacted me to see if there was anything I could do. I was also concerned and talked to my friends at Opera, but quickly realized that this was not going to change. Thus, we decided to make a new browser, for ourselves and our friends.
The design philosophy of Vivaldi is to place the user in the center. We take the input of every user seriously and we aim to make a browser that feels just right for you, after you spend a little time learning how to use the browser and change some aspects of it to suit your requirements.
What are the key specifics and advantages of Vivaldi browser?
That list is very long. In many ways the design philosophy is at the center. We adapt to you, instead of the other way around. This means that Vivaldi has more features and more customization than any other browser.
There is a lot of details to this, but let’s name a few:
- Vivaldi is more colorful than any other browser. It even changes color as you browse and you can also have the color change with the time of day;
- Web panels are great for those sites you always want to have available to you;
- Our bookmarks function is very extensive and includes speed dials for your favorite sites;
- Our notes function is great for finding back to important quotes on the Internet. Just select the text and add to note. This adds the text, a link to the page and a screenshot;
- Our tab handling is 2nd to none as you can place the tabs where you want, you can stack them and you can tile them, to view multiple sites at the same time;
- Keyboard shortcuts are a great time saver, as is mouse gestures and quick commands.
The list goes on and on. Vivaldi is truly the most advanced browser you can use without being overwhelming. It adapts to your requirements and grows with you.
You have just released new 1.5 version. What advantages does it have? Please, also tell about light controlling setting.
With every release we continue to improve on every part of the browser based on the feedback we get from users. 1.5 has a number of important improvements such as Reader Mode, better notes handling, better tab dragging, etc. We also introduced the ability to control your Philips Hue lights so that they change color with your browser. This is the first time any browser connects with the Internet of Things.
I’m very interested why have you included Armenian interface? How many Armenians are working is your team?
This is part of us adapting to you. We like to support your language and with the support of our users, we are able to do just that. That is one of the special things about Vivaldi, the strong support from our user base. As you may know, the original Opera browser used to be popular in Armenia, especially at the time when it was a user-centric browser. So I hope that Armenians will like Vivaldi and what we're doing. Concerning our Armenian employees - At this time we have just one.
Please tell a little about browser's speed, especially in comparison with Chrome or other popular products.
Given that Vivaldi has a lot of features that save you time, you can work a lot faster with the web. By having more tabs open, you can quicker access any content that you might need. Keyboard shortcuts and mouse gestures save you time. Speed is not only about how quickly you download a page. It is really about to what extent the browser allows you to perform tasks quickly and there is no faster browser than Vivaldi for that.
Is it possible to start a searching process from address line in Vivaldi?
Yes. You can just search or you can add a letter first to choose any of the built in search engines or you can add your own.
And is there an ad blocking setting in browser?
No. There is a content blocking function and a reader mode, but not a full ad blocker. For that people will need to download an extension.
Is Vivaldi optimized for old (weak) devices?
In many ways it is. The tab handling is particularly important. When starting Vivaldi, tabs will only load when you start using them, meaning you can keep a lot of tabs open. That is great for slow machines and networks as you can view content in one tab while loading another. You can also hibernate background tabs, which frees up memory on your computer.
Vivaldi also has functions to control the loading of images per tab. Thus you can choose to only load images on request.
What about security? How are these issues managed in your product?
Vivaldi sends out updates at least every 6 weeks and generally more often than that and as needed, to keep you up to date with the latest security issues.
What is the user’s role in Vivaldi?
We are open to new “out of the box” ideas that make your browsing experience more creative and pleasurable. Ideas from our users and continuous implementations of those ideas only strengthen our relationship with them.
We want our browser to be intelligent and create new experiences and services. Thinking beyond a browser and entering the real world is not only adventurous, but also encourages the spirit of innovation and experimentation.
Vivaldi Technologies is an employee-owned company that creates products and services for discerning web users. Vivaldi is headquartered in Oslo, with offices in Reykjavik, Boston and Palo Alto.