Showing posts with label Opera Mini. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Opera Mini. Show all posts
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Recommendation for Mobile Banking Vendors & An Update on Opera Browsers
I have an update to an article that I wrote last month titled "Opera Mini Browser & Mobile Banking." I stand behind my opinion that Opera Mini is a very powerful mobile browser, and my favorite for general web browsing. However, I have since learned that it is not conducive to mobile banking.
In fact, I received the following information from a reader:
"...one important thing to note is that Opera Mini provides inadequate security for Mobile Banking - the technology that Opera Mini uses results in the data being decrypted on the Opera server, very similar to the old "WAP gap" problem.
This is clearly documented on the Opera web site:
http://www.operamini.com/help/faq/#security
Is there any end-to-end security between my handset and for example paypal.com or my bank?
No. Opera Mini uses a transcoder server to translate HTML/CSS/JavaScript into a more compact format. It will also shrink any images to fit the screen of your handset. This translation step makes Opera Mini fast, small, and also very cheap to use. To be able to do this translation, the Opera Mini server needs to have access to the unencrypted version of the Web page. Therefore no end-to-end encryption between the client and the remote Web server is possible. If you need full end-to-end encryption, you should use a full Web browser such as Opera for Mobile.
Can Opera Software see my passwords and credit card numbers in clear text? What is the encryption good for then?
The encryption is introduced to protect the communication from any third party between the client (the browser on your handset) and the Opera Mini transcoder server. If you do not trust Opera Software, make sure you do not use our application to enter any kind of sensitive information."
Naturally my question back to the reader was, "Am I reading correctly then that Opera for Mobile is secure? Are there any other free, downloadable browsers that do provide end-to-end security?"
And the response -
"Opera Mobile is available for Windows Mobile and Symbian 60 phones. It is not free however - the cost is 24ドル after a 30 day free trial.
http://www.opera.com/products/mobile/products/winmobile/
http://www.opera.com/products/mobile/products/s60/
You can find a list of Symbian 60 phones here - make sure to search for the ones that are available in North America (note that the RAZR is not on this list):
http://www.s60.com/life/s60phones/browseDevices.do
I am not aware of any free downloadable browsers that provide true end-to-end security."
To bring this full circle -
It has become clear to me over the last 6 months that a significant number of bankers and research companies believe that a 3 channel offering (SMS, Browser-based, Downloadable) is the optimal solution. Yet, we know that many of the mobile browsers pre-loaded on phones are inadequate. Therefore, my recommendation is this. If you are a vendor currently offering a downloadable application, please find a way to incorporate a top-notch web browser into the download.
Labels:
Browsers,
Mobile banking,
Opera for Mobile,
Opera Mini,
Security
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Opera Mini Browser & Mobile Banking
For 18 months I've carried a first generation Motorola RAZR cell phone for personal use and a Blackberry for business. Over time I have tried to access the web on my RAZR at least a dozen times, and not once have I been able to stay connected let alone perform a meaningful task. So, needless to say, I had written off browsing with my personal mobile – until now.
Over the weekend I was reading an article written by Jennifer Johnson titled "Reaching Common Ground with Opera " in the September issue of PC Today . In the article Jon S. von Tetzchner (CEO of Opera Software ) was quoted as saying, "Opera can run on almost any type of hardware." So, I thought I would give it a shot.
At first I was stuck I thought, “how am I going to browse to Opera to download the software when my browser is very problem that I am trying to fix?” However, after a brief visit to the Opera site I discovered that I could send myself an SMS message containing a link to initiate the download – brilliant! A few clicks later I had successfully downloaded Opera Mini 3.1, installed the software, and was surfing the net like never before on this phone.
The implications of Opera (and browsers similar to it) could be monumental in the success and adoption of WAP mobile banking. The RAZR is one of the most successful handsets of all time. I have read reports that they sold 14 million units in the first two years alone! Yet, the challenge is daunting because main-stream America still does not understand mobile technology. People need to know that:
· You don’t have to settle for inadequate factory installed software
· You can perform simple searches on the browser of a standard phone
· Standard phones can download software upgrades from the internet
If you are unhappy with your mobile browser do not wait another minute - you must check this out. Truthfully, even if you think you’re satisfied I would give a shot – you might be surprised at what you are missing. Click for Opera Mini
Over the weekend I was reading an article written by Jennifer Johnson titled "Reaching Common Ground with Opera " in the September issue of PC Today . In the article Jon S. von Tetzchner (CEO of Opera Software ) was quoted as saying, "Opera can run on almost any type of hardware." So, I thought I would give it a shot.
At first I was stuck I thought, “how am I going to browse to Opera to download the software when my browser is very problem that I am trying to fix?” However, after a brief visit to the Opera site I discovered that I could send myself an SMS message containing a link to initiate the download – brilliant! A few clicks later I had successfully downloaded Opera Mini 3.1, installed the software, and was surfing the net like never before on this phone.
The implications of Opera (and browsers similar to it) could be monumental in the success and adoption of WAP mobile banking. The RAZR is one of the most successful handsets of all time. I have read reports that they sold 14 million units in the first two years alone! Yet, the challenge is daunting because main-stream America still does not understand mobile technology. People need to know that:
· You don’t have to settle for inadequate factory installed software
· You can perform simple searches on the browser of a standard phone
· Standard phones can download software upgrades from the internet
If you are unhappy with your mobile browser do not wait another minute - you must check this out. Truthfully, even if you think you’re satisfied I would give a shot – you might be surprised at what you are missing. Click for Opera Mini
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