Opera's Desktop Web Browser Gets a Low-power Mode
For when you just have to surf the web for a few more hours.

Opera's bid to claim loads of web browser firsts isn't stopping any time soon -- the company has released what it says is the first major desktop browser with a power-saving mode. Grab the latest developer version of Opera and you'll have an option to scale back energy use by tweaking page redraw behavior, background tab activity and video playback. In Opera's tests, that gets you about 3 hours of extra surfing on a Windows 10 laptop when compared to both earlier versions of Opera and Google Chrome.

Your mileage will no doubt vary based on various factors, such as the PC you're using and the sites you're visiting. We'd add that browser power optimizations aren't completely new, for that matter. Some of Apple's Safari updates (such as the one in OS X Yosemite) have focused on improving battery life in normal use. Still, it's not often that you can simply flick a switch to get some extra surfing time. And let's face it: a little improvement in longevity could be crucial when you're finishing some school research... or just want to stay in the coffee shop for a bit longer.