Opera, the company behind the gaming browser Opera GX, has just released the early access release of Opera Air, which Opera calls "the world’s first browser with mindfulness at its core". With a less cluttered UI than its gaming counterpart and built-in binaural beats, I've tested it today and I see the vision. I feel my chakras more than ever while I'm searching the web for opinions on video games, thoughtful comments on articles, and the latest news from around the globe.
Opera Air looks rather similar to Opera's other browsers but the main differences lie in two features: Boost, which are binaural beats-enhanced songs right in the browser itself that you leave playing while you do work (or doom scroll); and Breaks, which are meditation exercises to encourage mindfulness.
Before Opera Air, I was stressed, anxious, tired. After Opera Air, I am still all those things but I have a pretty new browser and feel just a little better. Having used Opera GX on and off for the last few months, I like many of the features of the browser but it can feel a bit cluttered thanks to the level of customisation. Opera Air, which you can download and test for yourself right now is the antithesis of this.
Opera Air is simple and clean. Once downloaded, you pick a theme and start browsing. Those themes are all very natural, like stones on grass or floating bubbles (okay, those bubbles are man-made but you get the point). In Speed Dial, which is essentially your home screen, you only start with a few pinned websites and they all fit a similar theme. Mindful, Headspace, Calm, Behance, Penzu, and Medium. All of these apps are focused on mindfulness and introspection, be it via writing or meditation.
As is Opera's MO, you can customise your home screen apps but the selection at the start isn't too shabby. There is a strange irony in the announcement for Opera Air saying it has 'no subscriptions', then adding multiple subscription paywalled apps to the Speed Dial but they're still a decent selection of websites.
The Boost feature has a solid selection of song loops, and you can customize how loud the track, ambient sounds, and binaural beats are, which means you can fine-tune your experience. The Creativity Boost sound in Boost has rhythmic water drops, which I only started noticing as I started to write this sentence. I don't quite know if they make me any more productive but it's certainly a relaxing experience. They also pause automatically when another sound comes out of your browser, making Boost quite intuitive throughout the flow of the day.
In the Breaks feature, you can customise sets of exercises or meditation. They are narrated with a voice, pause when you click away, and some of them even use your camera to register if you are correctly doing them. It's a frankly bizarre experience, but one that made me feel better afterwards. Engaging in mindfulness exercises can make you feel a bit silly, especially in an office full of people writing, but Opera Air encourages light mindfulness a surprising amount given it's, well, a browser.
Opera Air has surprised me just enough to make me want to use it for a little longer. I don't know if I can reasonably ask for any more.
