Opera Software has added a low-level graphics API to its user interface (UI) development toolkit for home media device developers. The addition of GOGI (generic Opera graphical interface) allows Opera's Home Media SDK to build interfaces for devices that lack Qt, X, or other relevant graphical libraries, the company says.

According to Opera VP of Engineering Christen Krogh, Opera originally developed GOGI so that its flagship Opera browser product could be ported to various deeply embedded mobile operating systems. “We developed it in our labs in order to investigate platforms that were pretty extreme, at least for us. It's necessary to use technology like that on BREW deployments, for example.”

Opera's Home Media SDK aims to allow designers of set-top boxes, media players, and other home media devices to build browser-based user interfaces based on HTML, javascript, and other standard web technologies. Among other advantages, this approach allows revenue-enhancing content push services, Opera claims. The new version will bring the “full Internet” to a variety of connected devices, the company says.

Opera CEO Jon von Tetzchner said, “GOGI has already been used to port Opera to millions of devices. By making this unique solution available for the diverse consumer electronics market, OEMs can now easily include Opera's interoperable Web technology.”

Sounds like Opera running on … well, nearly … bare metal, to us.

Availability

Opera's Home Media SDK is currently shipping for Linux-based consumer electronics devices, pre-ported to popular architectures, Opera says.

 
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