Google offers JPEG alternative for faster Web

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

Source: CNET

It turns out there was more to Google's WebM technology than just a plan to revolutionize Web-based video. The company also wants to revolutionize still images on the Web with a new format called WebP.

Google plans to announce the new WebP graphics format today along with its research that indicates its use could cut image file sizes by 40 percent compared to today's dominant JPEG file format. That translates to faster file transfers and lower network burden if Google can convince people to adopt WebP.

WebP, like JPEG, lets its users trade off image quality for file size. And like JPEG, it's a "lossy" format, meaning it doesn't perfectly reproduce an original image but tries to keep as true to the original as possible when viewed by the human eye.

Unlike JPEG, though, it's not built into every camera, Web browser, image-editing program, pharmacy photo-printing kiosk, and mainstream operating system in existence. That's not stopping Google, though, whose goals with WebP are ambitious even if not as ambitious as replacing JPEG.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20018146-264.html

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I hope there's no patent crap in this like GIF had.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

1. Argh. Bug when posting. Placing this reply so I have something in "My Posts".

Dudes, fix this. Seriously. :argh:

[L0oniX]

2. What bug?

:evilgrin:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

4. You are an evil, evil person.

Do you own stock of some monitor cleaning product manufacturer?

[Thav]

7. Ya, what bug? It's a feature!

[greiner3]

3. I would say that this format has potetial;

IF it will be non-proprietary. Also, this reminds me of the difference, sort of, kind of, of FTP and UTP. Not exactly the same media but...

[Roland99]

5. Sounds good....

in theory.

Good luck, Google, getting that adopted EVERYWHERE.

[Thav]

6. Google became a verb

I bet they have a chance.

[Roland99]

8. That's just something in the vernacular. Modifying software in every camera, PC, phone, ipod etc.

after getting it past a standards body is a pretty big effort.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

9. The open source community did it with PNG. (To evade GIF patents.)

Although it did take a decade or so to attain GIF-like ubiquity.

[Ezlivin]

10. +1000

PNG is great file format.

I wonder if Google's alternative allows for alpha channels and/or alpha transparency?

[struggle4progress]

11. Here's the Google Code page:

http://code.google.com/speed/webp/

[Zax2me]

12. They already have faster loading pages than most portals.

Guess they want to keep it that way. Just don't see it as making that big of a difference. Most web pages have been adding 'load weight' as we quickly expand our bandwidth.