Google's V8 Video Codec Now More Open than Ever

Google debuted its open, royalty-free WebM video format last month. Based on the open-source V8 video codec, WebM is meant as a challenger to the propriety H.264 video codec, which threatens to saddle web video with hefty licensing fees and royalties.

Google, Opera and Mozilla are easily its most prominent backers, with the trio pledging WebM support in their respective browsers. As for the rival camp, Apple's weight is firmly behind H.264, whereas another important patron, Microsoft, has decided to support both H.264 and WebM beginning with IE9.

Now Google is busy honing the V8 codec. It has “added an experimental branch to the VP8 source tree” so that the community can easily propose changes to the codec for the sake of achieving better performance and stability. If it proves “significantly better” than the stable version, the experimental branch will be merged into the main branch.

“Like every codec, WebM is not immune to change; the difference in our project is that the improvements are publicly visible, and compatibility and implementation issues can be worked through in an open forum,” Jim Bankoski, Google's Codec Engineering Manager, wrote in a blog post.

Google's AdMob Buy Detailed in SEC Filing

We have all heard the rough details of the Google AdMob buy. The deal was worth $750 million in cash and stock, but we had no idea how much of each was involved. Well, thanks to some SEC paperwork Google has filed, we finally know. It turns out El Goog used $530 million in stock for the deal. Most of the remainder, about $220 million, would have been cash.

We find this breakdown interesting. Google has more than enough cash reserves to have paid for the whole thing in cash. Google is currently way into the black with over $26 billion in cash. The AdMob folks must feel pretty confident that Google's stock will continue to increase in value. With the way the search giant is attacking new markets, we'd probably say that's a safe bet.

Opera 10.60 Beta Boasts Key HTML5 Technologies, Speed

Last month, Opera Software proved beyond reasonable doubt that its browser is much faster than a potato. But with the launch of Opera 10.60 Beta 1, the Norwegian developer has made it virtually impossible for potatoes to keep up with the browser. The company says that Opera 10.60 is way faster than its predecessor, with version 10.60 emerging 50% faster in some Javascript tests. “Opera 10.60 beta is so fast, it will blow you away,” said Chief Development Officer, Christen Krogh, Opera Software.

However, Speed alone is not the only area of improvement. The browser is now armed with key HTML5 technologies, including Appcache, Web Workers and the royalty-free WebM online video format (based on the VP8 codec). The latest version also brings improvements to the UI and search suggestions. “Beyond the speed boost, the latest version of Opera improves on our robust HTML5 support and provides more options for quick and efficient Web search through your preferred search engines. By combining raw speed with intuitive and easy-to-use features, Opera places you among the fastest Internet users on the planet.”

YouTube Now Has Online Video Editing

Google has just unveiled a new feature of their popular video sharing site, YouTube. The YouTube Editor will allow users to perform some rudimentary video editing entirely online. It's not going to challenge desktop software in the feature department, but it will serve the needs of many people.

Users will be able to trim any video in their collection, as well as combine multiple clips into a longer one. The files are saved instantly, as Google already has them on their servers. You may not have access to more advanced features, but it brings some new options to a less tech-savvy crowd.

There is no way to edit other's videos for obvious copyright reasons, but wouldn't be surprised to see video sharing features added later. This feels to us like another feature destined for integration with Google's upcoming Chrome OS cloud connected platform. Have a look at the service here, and let us know what you think.

AT&T, Verizon Looking for Net Neutrality Compromise

The FCC headed by Julius Genachowski has made it clear that Net Neutrality is a top priority. So much so that they intend to boost their authority in order to impose rules on all purveyors of IP data. Both AT&T and Verizon have voiced concern with the prospect of being weighed down by new regulations. The two are now pushing for Congress to intervene and come up with Net Neutrality compromise legislation.

The principal of Net Neutrality holds that an ISP should be required to treat all data in exactly the same way. For instance, an ISP could not filter torrent traffic and delay/ block it. By asking Congress to head the FCC off at the pass, the telecoms are hoping they can lobby their way to weaker regulations.

We're concerned that any congressional action would rules would likely be filled with loopholes enabling ISPs to continue non-neutral practices. Do you think the FCC should move ahead with making rules, or should the legislative branch tackle it?

Google Focusing on User Experience for Next Android Version

Google has been iterating Android at an astounding pace since it was first introduced in the fall of 2008. Barely a few months have passed in between releases, and now much of the feature set has been fleshed out. Ask most people familiar with the operating system what's still missing, and they'll probably say the user experience needs work. Google has apparently gotten the message, because sources within the Android team are saying the upcoming Gingerbread release will focus on improving the user interface.

The overall polish of the operating system has been a sore spot for the open source software. Apple's iPhone OS is much more tightly controlled, but more cohesive experience. Various third parties have tried to build skins for Android to clean up some of the rough edges. The most obvious example of this is HTC's Sense UI. Google may not be looking to squash these ventures, but maybe make them less necessary.

It's hard to build a really slick user interface when you have so many different devices floating around. But Google's recent hiring of Palm UI engineer Matias Duarte could be a sign the search giant is serious. We're looking forward to trying some tasty Gingerbread, but we haven't even had our Froyo (Android 2.2) yet.

AMD Caught Off Guard by High Demand for Hexa-Core Chips

This isn't the first time we've seen AMD fight back against Intel by releasing low-cost alternatives to Intel's pricier parts (how many of you have fond memories of owning a Barton platform?), and as expected, AMD's six-core processors are flying off of store shelves.

Sales have been so well that AMD is having trouble keeping up with demand. As such, the Sunnyvale chip maker is cautioning vendors about placing orders, DigiTimes says.

Not just six-core chips are affected, either. The increased demand also applies to sales of 800-series motherboards, mobo makers say, and could impact pricing. Citing un-named sources, DigiTimes says AMD has decided to postpone the launch of its SB810 southbridge and will continue to sell the SB850 at a higher price.