Face Gestures? Really? Come on!

June 17, 2010 · by Aleksander Aas

Opera's known for being innovative. We were never as innovative as on April 1, 2009, when we invented Face Gestures - a groundbreaking new technology where you can surf the web using nothing but a WebCam and face gestures to control your browser.

You know it's a good joke when people believe in it, and to this day we're still getting requests from users on Face Gestures development. PC World however takes the cake with their Your Browser in Five Years article: "Opera Software's free Opera browser--which pioneered voice and mouse-gesture browsing--also supports face gestures through your Webcam. No wonder that major automakers, including Audi, BMW, Ford, General Motors, and Mercedes, are experimenting with ways to add browsers to cars and trucks."

We wonder if they ever downloaded and tested Opera before writing the article. Anyway, it's pretty funny. If you have no idea what we're talking about, here's the YouTube video:

Video on YouTube

Readers' comments 32

Left under the original article, as archived.

irczasThursday, June 17, 2010 9:15:39 AM
sirnh1Thursday, June 17, 2010 9:38:42 AM
So that's why I never got it to work... I spend all year trying different things like placing myself closer to the Webcam, trying a different Webcam.

No, seriously I knew it was a joke when reading about face gestures back in 2009. But I would love to see their face though, when they find out it's an joke from 1st april 2009
AdelThursday, June 17, 2010 9:45:41 AM
JaredThursday, June 17, 2010 9:50:02 AM
For those still wondering why it doesn't work, it's a NOTABLE prank of Opera software! And I really got interested at their pranks. Infact I'm thinking about adding "Notable Pranks" section on their (Opera Software) wikipedia page
AlexisThursday, June 17, 2010 9:52:37 AM
Kai OckendorfThursday, June 17, 2010 9:56:55 AM
Could not believe that people think it is a feature http://files.myopera.com/Tamil/Smilies/LOL2.gif -
Dan-RaoulThursday, June 17, 2010 10:38:47 AM
"PC World however takes the cake"
Ikke alle ord og uttrykk høres like bra ut når du oversetter dem direkte! =P

But, have they commented on it yet? It's pretty embarresing to promote an article with that big of a fundamental flaw!
vipin kumarThursday, June 17, 2010 10:58:59 AM
oh my!! I still remembering spending hours before my web cam and/or downloading labs releases for this!!
Aleksander AasThursday, June 17, 2010 11:14:16 AM
TechCrunch also picked up on the story it seems
SnapshotThursday, June 17, 2010 11:35:03 AM
epic joke
techlawsamThursday, June 17, 2010 11:55:40 AM
if you guys make this happen..expect to see the opera browser installed by every automaker especially in the newer fords
LukášThursday, June 17, 2010 1:15:12 PM
Artur „Jurgi” JurgawkaThursday, June 17, 2010 1:45:38 PM
It was excellent joke.
Crysta T. LaceyThursday, June 17, 2010 2:51:46 PM

Town
thobiThursday, June 17, 2010 2:55:24 PM
after more than a year i'm still laughing about it
Charles SchlossThursday, June 17, 2010 3:01:38 PM
Uncle MickThursday, June 17, 2010 3:11:19 PM
Jeff Bertolucci, the author of the PC World article, anytime now:
http://files.myopera.com/Tamil/Smilies/Bang.gif -
Yeni SetiawanThursday, June 17, 2010 4:48:18 PM
They took it seriously
selurusThursday, June 17, 2010 5:58:01 PM
thats was one awesome April Fool joke.
d4rkn1ghtThursday, June 17, 2010 7:21:47 PM
AngelikiThursday, June 17, 2010 7:36:02 PM
I mean ----->
Cutting SpoonFriday, June 18, 2010 1:12:45 AM
Here's hoping for a Space Edition screwup next time. Or an update on that swim across the ocean.
Томица КораћFriday, June 18, 2010 10:49:23 AM
Hahaha, they edited the article and removed the part about face guestures
LuxorFriday, June 18, 2010 1:35:25 PM
PCWorld
What an idiot the author of that piece must be.
AdrianPMFriday, June 18, 2010 2:23:39 PM
Hahaha... I can't believe people still believing this joke.

Anyways, did someone checked out that video response, about some dude working to make Face Gesture for real!

Opera Face Gestures Beta
Томица КораћFriday, June 18, 2010 4:10:15 PM
Хахахахаха!
Panferno22529Friday, June 18, 2010 9:14:14 PM
I would like it as a REAL feature . Itt were a nice Idea...
So, Opera! I want this as a real feature in Opera 10.7x :-)
walterSaturday, June 19, 2010 6:05:12 PM
NujinSunday, June 20, 2010 8:06:19 AM

great video
■Sunday, June 20, 2010 2:08:50 PM
Hi;

Brilliant feature. I guess it can be easily adopted and used also by disabled people who can't use their hands.
TamilSaturday, June 26, 2010 2:13:04 PM
http://files.myopera.com/Tamil/Smilies/LOL.gif -
Goran KonjevicFriday, October 22, 2010 3:24:36 PM
ahahaa