Vivaldi has unveiled a number of productivity-enhancing updates to its web browser alongside integration for Mastodon, which the company claims to be “a key component of decentralized social networking”.
The self-proclaimed first web browser company to have a Mastodon instance (Vivaldi Social), it has now integrated the social networking platform into the sidebar, which it hopes will cater to a growing audience of individuals who are “tired of Big Tech social networks and their lock-in algorithms”.
Set up by former Opera Software CEO, Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner, who is credited with jointly creating the Opera browser, Vivaldi promises to be a platform that’s independent and free of external investors, allowing it to cater to the modern-day needs of a privacy-focused society.
Mastodon for Vivaldi
“While you’ll find Vivaldi Social in the Panel of the browser, you can also add any Mastodon instance of your choice as a Web Panel to this sidebar, the company explained in a press release.
"By doing so, the website or any Mastodon instance is displayed within the side panel of your browser, creating a split-screen view.”
Besides support for this up-and-coming platform, Vivaldi has also tweaked a few core features that are designed and catered for power users.
As well as pinning tabs to the bar, users will now be able to pin so-called Tab Stacks to the bar, enabling quick access to multiple commonly used web pages. The Settings page has also been updated with a new and more user-friendly interface to speed up navigation.
Finally, with privacy in mind, private search engine You.com has been added to the list of integrated search engines, though this is currently limited to users in the US, Canada, UK, and Germany.
The changes have rolled out as an update in version 5.6 of the browser for Windows, macOS, and Linux, which is available to download on the Vivaldi website.
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