Vivaldi Browser With Ability to Control Philips Hue Lights Now Available to Download

With the multitude of Web browsers available to consumers today, it has become difficult for companies to distinguish their browsers from the other. With this in mind, developers of the Vivaldi browser, which was publicly launched in April for Windows, macOS, and Linux, have added several unique features to the browser with the version 1.5 update. The highlight of the new Vivaldi version 1.5 is the ability to control the lighting of your home, a first among web browsers claims the company.

Presently available to download, the Vivaldi browser version 1.5 brings support for Philips Hue colour lights. In order to allow the browser to change the home-lighting according to the "colour of the Web", you need to go browser's settings and tap on Philips Hue Bridge to confirm the connection. You can further choose the lights that can be controlled by the Vivaldi browser with version 1.5 update.

Apart from this, Vivaldi browser's version 1.5 update also brings much-requested tab dragging feature. The company has further added the support to drag tab stacks and tab selections, which enable users to move tabs between windows with ease. The Vivaldi browser update also adds a button for 'reader view' directly to the address bar to provide easy accessibility to the users and remove clutter from webpages.

"This is just a first step for us but imagine a world where you get notified for a new email or web notification through a light bulb," company's CEO Jon von Tetzchner was quoted as saying in a press release regarding the update. "Vivaldi is all about customisation and flexibility. Integrating with IoT devices like Philips Hue makes it possible for Vivaldi to adapt to you and your everyday life," Tetzchner added.

Vivaldi now offers delta updates on Windows, which essentially means that instead of downloading the entire binary for the update, only the changes are downloaded from release to release.

"Thinking beyond a browser and entering the real world is not only adventurous but also encourages the spirit of innovation and experimentation. We are open to new 'out of the box' ideas that make your browsing experience more creative and pleasurable. Ideas from our users and continuous implementations of those ideas only strengthen our relationship with them," Tetzchner said.