Opera's new Air browser will encourage you take breaks from the internet
Opera is introducing Opera Air, a new web browser designed around mindfulness. The app has a “minimalist Scandinavian design” and frosted glass accents, which blend well with the mindfulness concept. While pretty, Opera Air has features for relaxation, concentration, resting, and more, which you normally only see in meditation apps.
There are four break modes: breathing, neck exercises, meditation and “full body scan.” Breathing exercises and meditation can help calm you down by lowering stress levels, while neck exercises help loosen sore neck muscles. The full body scan is a different type of meditation that involves focusing your attention on various body parts and the sensations that arise. These breaks can be as short as three minutes or as long as 15. Breaks can be taken voluntarily or by setting a timer.
Opera Air also incorporates binaural beats as “boosts.” Binaural beats are an audio illusion created when two slightly different frequencies are played in each ear, tricking the brain into “hearing” a third frequency. Opera Air has several boosts that improve creativity, help with focus and induce relaxation, among others. Opera even claimed that one can help users recall dreams.
According to Senior Director of Product at Opera Mohamed Salah, the web is beautiful, but the company wants to “look at science-based ways” to help users navigate chaotic (and sometimes hostile) internet content. While mindfulness apps like Headspace exist, Opera Air packs those features in the app many people use most frequently.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/operas-new-air-browser-will-encourage-you-take-breaks-from-the-internet-090040693.html?src=rss