Opera has launched a new version of its web browser. Besides being just plain faster, it brings a laundry list of bug fixes and feature improvements all around, including a new low-bandwidth mode in the built-in email client, expanded syncing between multiple devices with Opera Link, and a new feed preview feature that allows users to see RSS feeds before subscribing to them.

Opera mail now also features a handy option to ignore or follow contacts, which allows you to blacklist certain contacts so their emails are never downloaded, but also to specify important contacts so that their emails are highlighted when they arrive. Of course, 9.6 also sports the slew of features found in previous versions of the browser, such as Speed Dial, mouse gestures, note-taking, BitTorrent support, and voice-controlled browsing.

You can grab a copy of Opera 9.6 from our download section, or read a complete list of everything that's new in the release notes.