Opera 10.50 (with Opera Widgets for Desktop) is a recommended Opera browser upgrade offering new and improved features, plus security and stability enhancements. For your reference, the changelog for Opera 10.50 beta 2 (with Opera Widgets for Desktop) is available at the Opera Changelogs for Windows Web site.

Release date: March 2, 2010

• Windows 7:
  • Aero Glass
  • Aero Peek
  • Jump Lists

• Cross-platform bytecode interpreter for a new register-based instruction set
• Internal object model with automatic classification and inline property caching
• Machine code generation (JIT compiler)
• Divided garbage collection heap: automatically traverses the memory of active heaps
• Caching of compiled programs
• Reduced memory usage
• Additional Carakan information (http://my.opera.com/core/blog/2009/12/22/carakan-revisited)

The new Opera "O" tab and its associated menu (located on the left side of the Opera Tab bar) replaces the traditional Opera Menu bar. This increases vertical space in the Opera desktop window, and centralizes frequently used features and tools in one, convenient location. Optionally, the new Opera "O" tab and menu can be replaced with the traditional Opera Menu bar by clicking "Show Menu Bar" in the Opera "O" menu. This new Opera feature contains the following items.

• Tabs and Windows
• Page
• Print
• Bookmarks
• History
• Downloads
• Opera Unite
• Synchronize Opera
• Widgets
• Notes
• Mail and Chat Accounts
• Mail
• Contacts
• Appearance
• Settings
• Help
• Show Menu Bar
• Exit

Opera 10.50 (with Opera Widgets for Desktop) for Windows contains the latest Opera rendering engine: Opera Presto 2.5, and incorporates the following features.

• CSS 2.1 visibility: collapse
  • See: W3C section 11.2 Visibility: the visibility property (http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS2/visufx.html#visibility)
• CSS3 border-radius property (rounded corners)
  • See: W3C section 4.4. The border-radius properties (http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-background/#the-border-radius)
• CSS3 Backgrounds and Borders
  • See: W3C CSS Backgrounds and Borders Module Level 3 (http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-background/)
• CSS3 2D Transforms
  • See: W3C CSS 2D Transforms Module Level 3 (http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-2d-transforms/)
• CSS3 Transitions
  • See: W3C CSS Transitions Module Level 3 (http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-transitions/)

• HTML5 <video> element DOM APIs to reflect changes in the specification
  • See: W3C section 4.8.7 The video element (http://www.w3.org/TR/html5/video.html)
• HTML5 <video> seeking; enables seeking through videos that are not completely downloaded
  • See: W3C section 4.8.10.9 Seeking (http://www.w3.org/TR/html5/video.html#dom-media-seeking)
• HTML5 <param> element (child of the HTML5 <object> element) support for controlling animations/scripts
  • See: W3C Section B Object <param> attributes defined in WICD Core (http://www.w3.org/TR/WICD/#param-elements)
  • See: W3C WICD 1.0 TestSuite and Implementation Matrix (http://www.w3.org/2004/CDF/TestSuite/WICD_CDR_WP1/)

• SVG buffered-rendering property
  • See: W3C section 11.10.5 The buffered-rendering property (http://www.w3.org/TR/SVGTiny12/painting.html#BufferedRenderingProperty)
• Text search inside SVG
  • See: W3C section 10.14 Text search (http://www.w3.org/TR/SVGMobile12/text.html#TextSearch)
• Animated raster images (APNG, GIF) in all the SVG elements that support raster graphics, i.e., <image>, <foreignObject>, and <feImage>
  • See: W3C section 2.2.4 Animation (http://www.w3.org/TR/SVGTiny12/concepts.html#Animation)
  • See: W3C section 16.2 Animation elements (http://www.w3.org/TR/SVGTiny12/animate.html#Animation.class)

• Renders all graphics in Opera
• Employs rounded corners, box shadow, animations, etc.
• Contains improved support for SVG and the HTML 5 <canvas> element
• Additional Vega information (http://my.opera.com/core/blog/2009/02/04/vega)

Although they run outside the browser, Opera Widgets have been treated as entities inside the browser in many respects. The new Opera Widgets for Desktop ends this dependency on the browser and moves Opera Widgets to the next level: that of first-class applications. Above all, Opera Widgets for Desktop gives widgets the potential to replace some native applications on the computer.

• Support for View Modes through the W3C Widgets Module API:
  • See: W3C Widgets 1.0: View Modes Media Feature (http://www.w3.org/TR/widgets-vmmf/)
• A Widget menu located within the new Opera "O" menu, or optionally from the traditional Opera Menu toolbar. Menu options include:
  • Get Widgets
  • Manage Widgets... (opens the Widgets panel in the Opera user interface)
  • What are Opera Widgets?
• Widget lifespans are separated from the Opera desktop browser.
• Each widget runs in a separate process.
• Integration with the operating system includes support for creating desktop and menu-based application shortcuts.
• Widget control buttons organize important actions:
  • Move
  • Close
  • Minimize
  • Settings
• Support is provided for different widget modes such as "Application" and "Widget".
• A new widget installation/uninstallation process is supported:
  • Uninstallation from "Add/Remove Programs" in the Windows Control Panel
• Notification pop-ups are supported.
• Password manager is supported.
• File I/O (Input/Output) access is supported.
• The upgrading of installed widgets from current to new runtime is supported.
• Improved support for Opera Dragonfly is provided.
  • Remote debugging is possible; configurable via a widget's context menu.

• Support is added for download acceleration software (user option), which integrates a user's favorite download accelerator with Opera.
  • Check box activation is located at: opera:config#UserPrefs|UseExternalDownloadManager

• Notification message windows no longer interrupt workflow
  • JavaScript alerts, HTTP notifications, password manager, etc., now display as page overlays.
  • Switching of tabs or windows while these dialogs are displayed is now allowed.

• Creating, browsing, and then closing private tabs and private windows removes all records of Web sites visited through them.
  • Using the new Opera "O" tab and menu, go to:
    • Tabs and Windows > New Private Tab
    • Tabs and Windows > New Private Window
  • Using the traditional Opera Menu bar, go to:
    • File > New Private Tab
    • File > New Private Window

• Support is established for:
  • Session storage: offers a temporary storage of data
  • Warning dialogs when exceeding storage quotas for web storage
    • The user can increase, or set unlimited quotas for web storage
  • Local storage: stores data for a longer period until the user explicitly clears it
  • The Address field autocomplete list now includes opera:webstorage
  • Added a "Delete Web storage databases" check box item in the "Delete private data" detailed options dialog
  • See: W3C Web Storage Working Draft (http://www.w3.org/TR/webstorage/)

• Support is established for:
  • Storage of data in a more structured manner
  • Querying data using SQL
  • Warning dialogs when exceeding storage quotas for web database
    • The user can increase, or set unlimited quotas for web database
  • Added a "Delete Web storage databases" check box item in the "Delete private data" detailed options dialog
  • The Address field autocomplete list now includes opera:webdatabases
  • See: W3C Web SQL Database WWorking Draft (http://www.w3.org/TR/webdatabase/)