WebM from Google →
As expected, Google announced this morning that it is open-sourcing the VP8 video codec acquired during its buyout of On2. The codec will be included in a new video container format called WebM.
WebM includes:
WebM is supported by over 40 companies, including Mozilla, Opera, and Adobe, and Microsoft issued a statement offering limited support in IE9.
This was expected to provide a higher-quality alternative to Theora and Dirac video codecs, while remaining open-source, unlike H.264, currently the most popular web video codec. This would then make it an ideal candidate for the default implementation of the HTML5 video tag. Upon a technical analysis, however, it appears that even with user improvements, VP8 will lag behind H.264 in visual quality and is in fact similar enough to H.264 to allow for possibility of patent infringement claims.
More Information:
Ars Technica
Engadget
TechCrunch
SEC 'Flash Crash' Rules →
To paraphrase: "Every explanation we have for the 'flash crash' is just a theory." Are there problems when the regulators don't even understand the market?
New Google Phone Service Whispers Targeted Ads Directly Into Users' Ears
The new ad-supported phone from Google. And, coming soon, the Y! Phone!
Letter spacing is important…."KIDSEXCHANGE"Please don't take me here.
Cheesiness Is a Sin →
Authentic movies, ones that portray the honest complexities of life, challenge us, move us, and inspire reflection—but authenticity is hard to come by in Christian films. Christian movies rarely depict genuine characters living in the real world. The Christian film industry's offerings are easy to dismiss, not necessarily for their message, but for their artlessness—their predictable plots, clumsy moralizing, and sentimental endings.
All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.
— Henry Ellis
Humorous take on Apple's response to Adobe's ad campaign.
Adobe, You Brought An Advertisement To A Gun Fight →
P.S. When you're leaving notes all over the web trying to convince people how open your technology is, maybe leave out the Registered® Trademark® logos next time.
This Is How Apple rolls →
Apple has released many new products over the last decade. Only a handful have been the start of a new platform. The rest were iterations. The designers and engineers at Apple aren't magicians; they're artisans.
The Evolution of Privacy on Facebook →
If you don't want it on the whole Internet, don't put it on the Internet.