Norway-based Vivaldi Technologies has announced the release of version 1.11 of its Vivaldi browser which is targeted at power users who are choosy about configuring things their own way.
The new release has an improved advanced reader mode, a means to easily turn off animated GIFs, easy adjustment of mouse gesture sensitivity and has a new icon.
Advanced reader mode can be used to create reading environment that is free of the normal Web clutter, by stripping off unwanted advertisements, videos and other distractions.
Settings can be adjusted at the top of a page that is being viewed without having to navigate away from the page. Font types, text size column width and line height, and light or dark backgrounds can be selected.
{loadposition sam08}The reader mode also has custom themes that have programmatic support to enforce minimal contrast. This is helpful in the case of users who have visual impairments.
Jon von Tetzchner, chief executive of Vivaldi Technologies.
GIF animations can be turned off by clicking on the Toggle Images icon in the Status Bar at the bottom of the screen where three options for loading animations are shown – always, once or never.
Editable mouse gestures allow users to run a command with a simple mouse movement. Version 1.11 is claimed to give even more control - minimum stroke length can be set for a gesture to be registered. The default minimum stroke length is set to 5 pixels and can be increased to up to 100 pixels, all controlled by a slider in the Settings.
Additional accessibility features in version 1.11 include:
- Spatial navigation – the ability to quickly navigate to content with less input;
- Quick commands and keyboard shortcuts – controlling the browser from the keyboard; and
- Zoom – ability to zoom on selected pages and set a zoom level on a per tab basis.
“We at Vivaldi strive to make the Internet accessible for all by building a browser that adapts to the user,” said Jon von Tetzchner, chief executive of Vivaldi Technologies. “Catering for individual requirements is at the heart of our efforts.”
The application icon has been updated with a rounder shape and a cleaner contemporary look to make make signature “V” stand out.
“As we keep redefining what a modern browser is, we want the Vivaldi icon – the first thing people see when they start up the program – to give a better, more pleasant visual experience to our users,” said designer Atle Mo. “This update marks the beginning of a larger visual overhaul as we’re working on our default themes and webpages."