Opera browsing, as seen on TV

Opera Software released a new version of its browser technology Thursday, aimed at surfing Web pages on television sets. The software is designed primarily for use with advanced set-top boxes that facilitate interactive TV services. That market is still in its infancy, with cable companies in the United States and Europe moving more slowly toward interactive services than once expected.

Microsoft is moving close to a new release of its MSN TV, a successor to the old Web TV system, which allows Web surfing over a television set.