Opera is a web browser developed by Opera Software. The latest version is available for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux operating systems, and uses the Blink layout engine. An earlier version using the Presto layout engine is still available, and additionally runs on FreeBSD systems.
Opera siblings – Opera Mobile, Opera Mini and Opera Coast – work on devices running Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Symbian, Maemo, Bada, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile operating systems, while Opera Mini runs on Java ME-capable devices.
According to Opera Software, the browser had more than 350 million users worldwide in the 4th quarter 2014. Total Opera mobile users reached 291 million in June 2015. Opera has been noted for originating many features later adopted by other web browsers. A prominent example is Speed Dial.
Opera began in 1994 as a research project at Telenor, the largest Norwegian telecommunications company. In 1995, it branched out into a separate company named Opera Software ASA. Opera was first released publicly with version 2.0 in 1996, which only ran on Microsoft Windows. In an attempt to capitalize on the emerging market for Internet-connected handheld devices, a project to port Opera to mobile device platforms was started in 1998. Opera 4.0, released in 2000, included a new cross-platform core that facilitated creation of editions of Opera for multiple operating systems and platforms.
Opera is a monthly British magazine devoted to covering all things related to opera. It contains reviews and articles about current opera productions internationally, as well as articles on opera recordings, opera singers, opera companies, opera directors, and opera books. The magazine also contains major features and analysis on individual operas and people associated with opera.
The magazine employs a network of international correspondents around the world who write for the magazine. Contributors to the magazine, past and present, include William Ashbrook, Martin Bernheimer, Julian Budden, Rodolfo Celletti, Alan Blyth, Elizabeth Forbes, and J.B. Steane among many others.
Opera is printed in A5 size, with colour photos, and consists of around 130 pages. Page numbering is consecutive for a complete year (e.g. September 2009 goes from p1033-1168). All issues since August 2006 are available online to current subscribers (through Exact Editions).
Based in London, the magazine was founded in 1950 by George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood. It was launched at the house of Richard Buckle, under the imprint 'Ballet Publications Ltd'.
Opera is the first Classical compilation album of opera arias by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. The album was only released in the United Kingdom and charted in the album charts of both the UK and Ireland.
The album is a compilation of arias from Bocelli's previously recorded Classical albums.
The album debuted at No. 10 on the UK Albums Chart, following Bocelli's performance of Nessun dorma on the Strictly Come Dancing results show the day before. With 14,577 copies sold, it became Bocelli's 16th Top 40 album and seventh Top 10 entry since his 1997 breakthrough, Romanza, while lifting his career sales to a 4,964,058 total in the United Kingdom.
I Created Disco is the debut studio album by Scottish recording artist Calvin Harris, released on 15 June 2007 by Columbia Records. It was preceded by the singles "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls", which reached numbers ten and three on the UK Singles Chart, respectively.
The album debuted at number eight on the UK Albums Chart with first-week sales of 16,121 copies. On 23 May 2008, it was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).I Created Disco had sold 223,845 copies in the United Kingdom by November 2014.
Writing and recording for I Created Disco started in 2006 when Harris moved back to his hometown of Dumfries, Scotland, after living in London for two years. All recording and producing for the album took place on an Amiga computer with audio tracker OctaMED in Harris's home studio, called Calvinharrisbeats Studio. All fourteen tracks on the album were written, produced and performed solely by Harris.
Preceding the release of the album, Columbia released two singles, "Acceptable in the 80s" and "The Girls", and Harris and his band supported both Faithless and Groove Armada on their live arena tours in the second quarter of 2007. The album cover was also used to promote the fourth generation iPod Nano in yellow.
Vegas is a one-off collaborative album between British solo-artist Terry Hall - formerly of the 2 Tone and ska revival band The Specials - with Dave Stewart formerly of Eurythmics. The duo working with Eurythmics assistants engineer and drummer Olle Romo and engineer Manu Guiot recorded under the group name Vegas. Vegas includes the singles "Possessed", "She" and "Walk into the Wind". Of the three only "Possessed" charted in the UK Top 40. Receiving positive reviews the album was released on CD, Cassette and vinyl LP by the major record label RCA/BMG in October 1992, but failed to chart. The album has since been deleted.
The album was written by Hall and Stewart with the exception of the musical standard "She". No performer credits are provided, Allmusic speculates that Vegas is almost certainly a Dave Stewart production. Dave Stewart likely was responsible for the lion's share of the musical backing with assistance from Romo and Guiot and Hall contributing his vocal.
Following the album's commercial failure the group split. Hall subsequently launched a solo-career, releasing Home in 1994. Stewart also returned to solo-work, releasing Greetings from the Gutter in 1994. The pair re-united in 1997 to support Bob Dylan during his Never Ending Tour for a pair of concerts in Japan.
"Vegas" is the fourth single by English Britpop band Sleeper, written by the band's vocalist and guitarist Louise Wener. It was the fourth and final single to be released from their debut album Smart in March 1994 (see 1994 in British music). The single peaked at #33 on the UK Singles Chart.
The single version, also used in the video, is a completely re-recorded version of the song originally featured on the album. This version features saxophone credited to Morgan C. Hoax- an anagram of Graham Coxon from Blur who recorded his contribution after Sleeper supported Blur on tour.