Opera has implemented a power saving mode in its main desktop browser and is touted as the first to do so. The news will not affect those on a desktop PC, but laptop owners will be interested to learn about possible 50% savings in battery life when using Opera compared to earlier versions of the browser and Google's Chrome. This update is currently applied to the developer release of Opera.
Krystian Kolondra, SVP of Engineering at Opera commented on the announcement:
"It's extremely frustrating to run out of battery on your computer, whether you are out traveling, watching videos, or you have just left your charger behind. Our new power saving mode will nudge you when the laptop starts to consume battery, and, when enabled, it can increase the battery life by as much as 50%."
The company has been able to achieve battery savings by reducing activity in background tabs not currently in focus, adapting page-redrawing frequency and tuning video playback parameters. The mode will be available when the system detects that no power outlet is connected to the laptop or other portal Windows PC. A battery icon will be present next to the address bar within the browser which can be selected to engage power saving mode. The browser will suggest activating the mode when the battery hits a low level.
As well as the power saving mode, the team behind the Opera browser also bundled some performance improvements in version 39 to further enhance power efficiency, as well as memory management. So if you happen to find yourself running low on power due to web browsers, it may be worth give the latest release of Opera a try. these new features are available in the developer stream as-of-now.
