Experimental Opera Mobile Build Brings Desktop Extensions To Android

One of the most powerful tools in all of the modern desktop browsers is the ability to add extensions. Extensions allow the browser to do things that it can't do on its own - everything from simple tasks to advanced options. When it comes to desktop extensions, the limits are generally left up to the mind of the creator.

Up to this point, extensions haven't been all that widely adopted in the mobile world. In the cases of browsers that actually have extension support, the experience lacks much to be desired and it just doesn't compare to what desktop browsers have to offer. Until now.

Opera has released a beta build of its Mobile browser which adds support for extensions. Not mobile-specific extensions, either - this build brings support for the full array of desktop extensions. With that said, there are a few caveats to be aware of.

Firstly, just because you can install the extension in Opera Mobile, doesn't mean that it's going to work correctly. As the Opera blog points out, certain extensions (like Speed Dial extensions) are simply not supported, while extensions that use keyboard shortcuts and mouse gestures probably won't work as they should. Because of all the potential issues, it's not entirely certain that the extensions functionality will end up in future releases of Opera Mobile. If all goes well during its time in Opera Labs, however, it's likely that we will see this functionality end up in the release version of the software.

Since this is still a very early test build (it's really designed for developers, but there's no reason to let them have all the fun) it's still a little rough around the edges, but if you're ready to give it a shot, hit the source link to grab the download.

Source: Android Police

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Facebook Teams With Snaptu To Launch Rich App For Feature Phones

Facebook has proven to be immensely popular on smart phones: it’s the most downloaded application of all time on the iPhone and probably holds the record on Android as well. But the user experience for so-called feature phones, which still make up the vast majority of cell phone usage worldwide, hasn’t been as rich — users generally have relied on Facebook’s lightweight m.facebook.com site, which gets the job done, but doesn’t really have an ‘app’ feel. Today, that’s changing.

Facebook has just announced the launch of a new application for feature phones that was developed in conjunction with Snaptu. According to Facebook’s announcement, the app will work across 2,500 device models from the likes of Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and LG. The application will include a home screen that looks similar to the one seen on the iPhone and Android, and Facebook notes that it also includes contact sync support and faster scrolling through status updates and photos.

If you’re on a supported feature phone, you can download the application right here. To help introduce the new app to users (and get them hooked), Facebook has partnered with 14 mobile carriers worldwide to offer free data access to the application for 90 days. This is probably going to lead to a significant jump in mobile usage for these feature phone users, especially if carriers help Facebook get the word out.

Facebook has another mobile initiative called Facebook Zero that delivers a super-lightweight version of the site to users on certain international carriers, free of charge.

Update: I just spoke with Snaptu CEO Ran Makavy and  Henri Moissinac, Director of Facebook Mobile, who shared some additional details.

• The relationship between Snaptu and Facebook isn’t being discussed (i.e. they aren’t saying how much money is changing hands as part of their partnership, though they did say no ads are being shown in the app). They say that the relationship will be long-term as Snaptu continues to help improve the app.
• You can only use the application if you are on one of the supported carriers — even if you’re willing to pay your own data fees, the app simply won’t work if you’re on an unsupported carrier. It sounds like Facebook offered these carrier partners exclusivity to help sweeten the deal, but things may change down the line. Makavy points out that even if you can’t get the official Facebook app yet, you can still download Snaptu (and download their Facebook application from their), which is very similar.
• The 90-day free window begins today, not when the user first gets the app.
• Facebook found that the big hurdles facing feature-phone users were price and a lack of some functionality on m.facebook.com. Facebook Zero is meant to help with the first problem, this application helps with the latter (and Moissinac says that it should also use less data that m.facebook.com, which should make it cheaper as well).

Source: Tech Crunch

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