format

Why Mozilla had a change of heart about WebP images

Sure, technology decisions often are the result of personal predilection, political scheming, and inter-company rivalries. But cold hard data still can win the day -- and that's the main reason why Mozilla is reconsidering its earlier decision not to support Google's WebP image format.

Specifically, new data shows that Google isn't just blowing smoke when it promised that using WebP lets Web site operators save precious bytes when it's sending Web-page data to browsers. Smaller file sizes mean that browsers can show Web pages faster, that Web site operators cut bandwidth usage, and that people with … Read more

Mozilla takes a fresh look at Google's WebP image format

Mozilla is taking a new look at the WebP image format it once rejected after some large Web sites encouraged the Firefox developer to take a fresh look and after Google released a freshly upgraded version.

WebP, which derived from the VP8 video compression technology in the WebM project Google launched three years ago, is part of the search giant's effort to speed up the Web. In WebP's case, that speedup comes through use of an image compression technology Google says produces more compact files than either JPEG or PNG.

WebP can be used where both JPEG and … Read more

Google to fix some WebP image format shortcomings

Google is on the cusp of fixing some initial shortcomings of its WebP, an image format it hopes will speed up browsing.

A new version of libwebp, the library that software can use to display and create WebP images, adds support several features, some of which were the subject of criticism when Google announced WebP in 2010:

Metadata handling so people can see camera and exposure information stored in the file with the EXIF and XMP technologies.

ICC (International Color Consortium) color profiles for more accurate color rendering.

Animated WebP images, a new spin on a once-once obscure GIF technology … Read more

Phase One medium-format camera gear goes wireless, B&W

Phase One said today it's updating high-end medium-format camera line with three new Wi-Fi-equipped digital backs -- including one model that shoots only black-and-white images.

The $43,990 IQ280 keeps the same 80-megapixel sensor of its predecessor, the Phase One IQ180, but it's got a better 13-stop dynamic range -- a measurement of image's span from bright to dark. That's up from 12.5 stops on the IQ180.

Phase One announced the cameras today along with the IQ260, which has a new 60-megapixel sensor, and the IQ 260 Achromatic, a black-and-white variation. The three new digital … Read more

How to quickly convert image formats with Preview

Apple's Preview program in OS X is a very convenient tool for quickly editing image and PDF files. It supports a number of options for annotating images and adjusting colors, cropping, and otherwise editing them, it can also be used to quickly convert an image to another format.

Preview supports reading most common image format types, and likewise allows you to export them to these same types, so even if Preview is not set to be your default program for handling images, you can still use it to quickly make an image conversion.

To do this, right-click the image … Read more

It's time to show some love for the CD format

Pop a properly manufactured CD into a CD player, and you'll hear music in a second or two. In more than 30 years of playing CDs I've never once encountered scanning, searching, or error messages; after I press "Play," the music starts. Stick a properly manufactured DVD or Blu-ray in a working player, and you always have to wait a while to start watching the movie -- or it might not play at all. You might have to do a firmware update to play the disc. With DVDs and Blu-rays, there's no such thing as … Read more

Convert AVI files to MP4s with AVI to MP4 Converter

AVI has been around a long time, and there's a lot of video saved in the format. Some devices, including mobile devices, have limited media file compatibility and won't play AVIs. For many users, the simplest solution is to convert the AVI files to MP4 files. AVI to MP4 Converter from A Software Plus is a free utility that can do the job with a minimum of fuss. It converts AVI and similar formats like DivX and Xvid, singly or in batches. We tried it in Windows 7 Home Premium SP1.

AVI to MP4 Converter's user interface … Read more

Play downloaded audio and video files with All Formats Player

Looking for more options regarding what you can listen to and watch on your Android phone? All Formats Player supports many different file extensions. However, it offers slightly buggy performance and it has access to your exact GPS location and phone calls though there's no real need for it.

All Formats Player offers a straightforward interface with four main links: Explore, Audio Files, Video Files, and Settings. It adds MP4, AVI, and other more obscure format support to your phone and lets you easily browse by file or by folder depending on how you organize them. When it comes … Read more

Q&A: MacFixIt Answers

MacFixIt Answers is a feature in which I answer questions e-mailed in by our readers.

This week, readers wrote in with questions about hiding the menu bar in OS X, a "formatter failed" error when erasing hard drives, alternative configuration possibilities for Apple's Fusion Drive technology, and whether or not a Mini DisplayPort cable can be used for Thunderbolt connections. I welcome views from readers, so if you have any suggestions or alternative approaches to these problems, please post them in the comments!

Question: Hiding the menu bar in OS X MacFixIt reader Shawn asks:

How do … Read more