Opera Software has launched Opera 20 for Android platform. Video chats across mobile phones and computers are now simple by accessing a website right from the browser on the phone.
One can visit a website to start a video call with anyone using a WebRTC-compatible browser such as Opera 20. The user needs to visit a site such as appear.in, get an address for video conference and share it with those one like to join. No special app is needed, and up to eight people can chat from their Android phones or computers, at the same time.
“The web is the ultimate meeting place for all forms of communication, so why not build video communication capabilities right into the mobile browser?” says Peter Wallman, SVP of Mobile Products, Opera Software. “We have worked with the folks at appear.in before, and their site is a very neat example of how to combine cutting-edge web technologies into a useful service that is free and simple to use, yet powerful.”
The key is WebRTC, a newly implemented feature in Opera for Android, available for free in the Google Play store. Behind this acronym, there is a nifty solution for live communication using the cameras on mobile phones.
The Opera for Android browser will keep user informed of the camera and microphone usage via on-screen requests, just as it does on the desktop version, so you are in control of the different ways of capturing images and sound.
Opera for Android is now available in the Google Play store, as a free download for your phone or tablet running Android 4.0 or higher.
