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Submission + - Google creates a new image format for the web (blogspot.com) 2

krou writes: Wanting to find a way to further compress lossy images like JPEG in a way that preserves quality and resolution, but shrinks the file size so that it makes the image load faster, Google has created a new image format called WebP 'that promises to significantly reduce the byte size of photos on the web, allowing web sites to load faster than before'. The compressor is based on the VP8 codec that Google open-sourced in May, 2010. 'In order to gauge the effectiveness of our efforts, we randomly picked about 1,000,000 images from the web (mostly JPEGs and some PNGs and GIFs) and re-encoded them to WebP without perceptibly compromising visual quality. This resulted in an average 39% reduction in file size.' They've set up a comparison site of open source and classic images for developers to assess quality.

Comment How infuriatinly Americo-centric (Score 0, Offtopic) 170

If the sample questions I just tried are anything to go by, and they've been running this thing against a variety of international volunteers online (I've no idea if this is the case), then damn right it's going to win - practically every question needed some knowledge of modern US brands/media/folklore. That ignores the fact that you need to know a bit about the premise of jeopardy to play, but I can forgive that. I just kept seeing the correct answer and thinking 'oh right. who?'
Transportation

iPad Steering Wheel Mount 230

kevin7kal writes "The Apple iPad is the ideal automotive communications and entertainment device. It is sized perfectly to mount using the iPad Steering Wheel Mount without obscuring the driver's view. 'I don't think that I am exaggerating when I say that the iPad Steering Wheel Mount probably has saved my life...'"
PlayStation (Games)

Final Fight Brings Restrictive DRM To the PS3 240

Channard writes "As reported by Joystiq, the PS3/PlayStation Network version of Final Fight Double Impact features a rather restrictive piece of digital rights management. In order to launch the game, you have to be logged into the PlayStation Network and if you're not, the game refuses to launch. This could be written off as a bug of some kind except for the fact that the error message that crops up tells you to sign in, suggesting Sony/Capcom intentionally included this 'feature.' Granted, you do have to log into the PlayStation Network to buy the title but as one commentator pointed out, logging in once does not mean you'll be logged in all the time. Curiously, the 360 version has no such restrictions, so you can play the game whether you're online or offline. But annoying as this feature may be, there may be method in Sony's madness. "
Image

Fine Print Says Game Store Owns Your Soul 262

mr_sifter writes "UK games retailer GameStation revealed that it legally owns the souls of thousands of customers, thanks to a clause it secretly added to the online terms and conditions for its website. The 'Immortal Soul Clause' was added as part of an attempt to highlight how few customers read the terms and conditions of an online sale. GameStation claims that 88 percent of customers did not read the clause, which gives legal ownership of the customer's soul over to the UK-based games retailer. The remaining 12 percent of customers however did notice the clause and clicked the relevant opt-out box, netting themselves a £5 GBP gift voucher in the process."
PC Games (Games)

EA Editor Criticizes Command & Conquer 4 DRM 266

Command & Conquer 4's DRM hasn't garnered Electronic Arts as much bad press and fan outrage as Ubisoft's scheme, despite being very similar. Nevertheless, it's been causing problems and frustrations for some users, including EA.com's own editor-in-chief, Jeff Green. An anonymous reader points this out: "Green wrote on his Twitter account late last week: 'Booted twice — and progress lost — on my single-player C&C4 game because my DSL connection blinked. DRM fail. We need new solutions.' He continued later, 'Well. I've tried to be open-minded. But my 'net connection is finicky — and the constant disruption of my C&C4 SP game makes this unplayable. The story is fun, the gameplay is interesting and different at least — but if you suffer from shaky/unreliable DSL — you've been warned.'"

Comment Re:The original Halo also sucked (Score 4, Insightful) 107

IMO, as someone who moved from Doom through Quake to Half Life and then Halo, the only people who make a big deal about the tedium of Halo are those who've never sat down IN THE SAME ROOM, at the same screen, as a bunch of friends, and had an enjoyable couple of hours blasting things together. Halo stood out for its built in co-op for me. Sadly 2 and 3 didn't really add anything to the promising start.

Comment Re:As I said in the last thread. (Score 1) 497

But that's trying to have it both ways isn't it. Either they can have legal protection, which says 'we'll let you have this game of "licensing" it, but that license doesn't last for ever, and then you have to let people do what they like. Or they can accept that they're selling me a product, and I can do what I like with it. The horrific thing is this having their cake and eating it place we've ended up in. Incidentally, as with so many people here, I'm a software developer for one of these 'big corporations'. And I honestly don't believe my world or my livelihood would be shaken to their roots if these blatant injustices were fixed.

Comment Re:As I said in the last thread. (Score 3, Informative) 497

No, you have missed the point of my post. It is mine. The bits are stored on hardware which I own. You may have some legally protected rights over what I can do with it, such as passing it on to other people, and I can accept that, even if I think those laws are flawed. The software itself, in any sane understanding of the technology and morals involved, must be mine after I buy it from you, to do with what I will within my own home. And on this I do not give a monkey's what the law says.

Comment Re:I Actually Side with Dick's Estate (Score 1) 506

Argh. That's exactly the misunderstanding at the root of this. It doesn't MATTER whether it's a nod to the works of PKD (I think Google have even said as much). The point is, would anyone in their right mind think this phone was the product of, or endorsed by, Dick or his heirs? If not, as neither word is a protected Trademark, particularly in the realm of mobile communication devices, they have no legitimate complaint.

Comment Re:Yes (Score 2, Insightful) 496

Seriously, this is the way it goes:
  • Kid - pocket money + xmas presents, little knowledge - consoles
  • Student - loans + part time job, knows enough to throw a rig together, happy to pirate all software - PC
  • Working Adult - disposable income, what little time available for hobbies precious, DOES NOT WANT THE HASSLE: back to consoles

That's the path that I and most of my peer group at work (for major IT name) have followed, and I'd give 50:50 odds you're in the middle segment at the moment. When you realise that you just cannot be bothered fighting whatever copy protection is stopping you playing that legally purchased disc in your hand, and you've got too much to lose to torrent the new release of Windows, maybe things will look different.
Maybe I'm wrong, and the upgrade cycle is really your hobby, with gaming an occasional bonus - that's the other way to go.

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