Microsoft’s pushes for standardization of HD Photo image file format

Microsoft has submitted its HD Photo file format to the JPEG national delegations for approval of standardization. The new file format, which tries to bridge the gap between the high-end RAW and low-end JPEG formats is “tentatively” named JPEG XR.

As part of the submission process, Microsoft said that JPEG has sent a new project to its national body members, which would include JPEG XR as the new standard, if the technology is formally approved. JPEG XR would be the second part of a larger scope of work item called JPEG Systems, which is a forum for standardization of systems integration technologies focused on the current and emerging needs of consumer and professional digital photography.

The deadline for the voting process whether JPEG XR will become part of a standardization process is set as early October 2007. The actual finalization and publication of the standard is expected to take up to one year after that. If approved by the JPEG group, Microsoft said that it will grant royalty-free grant for its patents that are required to implement JPEG XR in devices and applications.

In an earlier review of the beta version of the format, we found that HD Photo, previously also known as “Windows Media Photo” is as simple to use as JPEG. Its compression advantages in acceptable image qualities vary and can be marginal when compared to JPEG. However, as digital photo libraries are piling up on client PCs, even marginal compression advantages can become significant.

We found that HD Photo especially shines in high-resolution images with high color depth. Besides the fact that the format can support 32-bit images, which is expected to become an important factor in high dynamic range photography, the file format is vastly superior to TIFF: Comparable image qualities can be achieved with file sizes that are up to two thirds smaller than TIFF.

CompTIA survey declares Internet Explorer as "most influential" tech product

According to a survey conducted by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), Internet Explorer is the "most influential technology product" of the past 25 years.

CompTIA, a non-profit organization that specializes in providing professional IT certifications, polled 471 information technology professionals for the survey during May and June.

The results showed that Internet Explorer was regarded as the most influential technology product over the last quarter century, with 66% of those surveyed saying it deserved that distinction.

Microsoft Word took second place with support from 56% of the participants. Windows 95 ranked third with half of those surveyed giving it a "most influential product" nod.

A non-Microsoft product didn't come until the end of the top five, as the iPod tied for fourth with Microsoft Excel, each taking 49% support from survey respondents. The iPod was a reactive product sparked by the industry forming Rio player, but has itself reinvigorated the market and was part of the creation of digital music stores. Microsoft's Excel and Word remain the universal productivity applications for spreadsheets and word processing.

The Blackberry took the sixth spot with 39% of participants acknowledging its importance. Adobe Photoshop gained support from 35% of those surveyed, locking it in at #7. The top 10 list was rounded out with McAfee Virus Scan (31%), Netscape Navigator (31%), and the Palm Pilot (31%).

CompTIA is not officially sponsored by any specific vendor, but nonetheless the results seem a bit unnerving.

Though Internet Explorer holds a commanding market share lead today, it was not the first browser. The GUI browser Mosaic, developed by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, was released in 1993. Infamous IE competitor Netscape Navigator came out in 1994, nearly two years before Microsoft stepped into the game. IE was more of a response to Netscape than it was an innovation in its own right. Netscape held the top browser usage share until 1999, according to early sampling numbers from Georgia Tech.

Also, because the percentage numbers clearly show that people were able to choose more than one answer, the results don't show a selective response. With the exception of the Palm Pilot, computer hardware was not even in the top 10. Processors, graphics cards, and hard drives were seemingly left out.

Samsung working on workout phone with Adidas

Samsung has teamed up with sportswear company Adidas to create a new phone that keeps track of burned calories and the user's heartbeat.

Online German publication Area Mobile reports that the pending Adidas phone will be able to keep track of calories burned from walking or jogging. It will also reportedly have an audio player that will let users listen to their own heartbeat.

It sounds similar to the partnership set up between Nike and Apple last year. The Nike + iPod package lets users wire themselves up with a special sensor in a Nike shoe that lets users track jogging sessions on their portable music player.

A Samsung spokesperson reportedly said, "It's true that we're holding talks with Adidas but we're not yet in the development stage. We're trying to confirm where the specification of the Adidas phone released on the Internet came from."