The Norwegian company Vivaldi Technologies has released a new version of the Vivaldi 4.0 browser for desktops and Android. The browser is based on the open-source Chromium code, and the developers declare a fundamental refusal to collect and monetize user data. Vivaldi builds are prepared for Linux, Windows, Android, and macOS. For past releases, the project under an open license distributes the source texts of changes to Chromium. The implementation of the Vivaldi interface is written in JavaScript and is available in source texts, but under a proprietary license.
The browser is developed by former Opera Presto developers and aims to create a customizable and functional browser that maintains user data privacy. Key features include a tracker and ad blocker, note managers, history and bookmarks managers, a private browsing mode, synchronization protected with end-to-end encryption, a tab grouping mode, a sidebar, a configurator with many settings, a horizontal tab display mode, along with a built-in email client, RSS reader, and calendar in testing mode. The browser interface is written in JavaScript using the React library, Node.js platform, Browserify, and various ready-made NPM modules.
In the new release:
- A built-in translator has been added, allowing entire web pages to be translated in both automatic and manual modes. Currently, over 50 languages are supported, with plans to increase this number to 100 in the future. The translation system engine is developed by Lingvanex, with the entire cloud part of the translator hosted on its own servers Vivaldi servers located in Iceland. This solution helps eliminate tracking by major companies that offer automatic translation.
- A built-in email client is available for testing — it allows for mail handling directly in the browser and offers a wide range of features for managing multiple accounts. The unified message database allows for quick search and sorting of emails by various parameters.
- A news client integrated with the email client and an RSS reader is available for testing. Users can also subscribe to podcasts and YouTube channels — content playback is done using the browser itself.
- A calendar-scheduler is available for testing, providing tools for managing meetings, events, and personal tasks. The calendar has many settings that allow for maximum customization of its interface to fit user needs.
- Due to the ongoing growth of built-in features, developers have added an option to select the necessary browser configuration during installation. Three options are available — Minimalism, Classic, or Productivity. Users can choose in one click how many visible features they need for their work interface. Unused features are hidden from the browser interface but can be easily activated if required.
- The mobile version of Vivaldi 4.0 for Android also has a built-in web page translator. Additionally, support for third-party password managers has been added, as well as the ability to change search engines directly in the browser interface with one tap.
Source: opennet.ru
