Weekend Update 3/20/22

[C855B]

Peteski:  JPG "isn't good enough", or Google simply wanted to make life difficult for those of us not using Google software?

I had the same problem with pictures from a friend's iPhone.  Apple started automatically saving everything as a "HEIC" file.  I had to find an online converter for those.

It's been argued that WEBP is 10% more efficient... but only for images of a certain size range. I even have doubts about that in my own testing.

It is all about closing ranks around your own ecosystem. The monetization of the Internet drives this. It's why I'm moving towards Linux; Google, Apple, MS and their ilk can...   

[peteski]

Peteski:  JPG "isn't good enough", or Google simply wanted to make life difficult for those of us not using Google software?

I had the same problem with pictures from a friend's iPhone.  Apple started automatically saving everything as a "HEIC" file.  I had to find an online converter for those.

Exactly. Always newer, improved, better (and incompatible).  That's called "progress". 

[Dave V]

Peteski:  JPG "isn't good enough", or Google simply wanted to make life difficult for those of us not using Google software?

I had the same problem with pictures from a friend's iPhone.  Apple started automatically saving everything as a "HEIC" file.  I had to find an online converter for those.

If you have a Mac, you don't need an online converter. You have the option to export it as a different file type (.jpeg, .gif, etc.) to whichever directory you want, including the same directory. It's still an added complication pushed by Apple that adds no obvious value, but converting them can be done without an external means.

[peteski]

If you have a Mac, you don't need an online converter.

Many people like nkalanga (and me) still run older OS and older browsers on our non-Apple PCs.  Before you say it, I know, I know - upgrade. update . . etc.  Not if I can help it. Yes, I know all the bad things that can happen if I don't.

[nkalanaga]

So do I.  There are also "bad things" that can happen if one DOES upgrade.  Like, favorite, or essential, software no longer working, and no practical replacements.

I still have some ancient BASIC programs that I use.  My current XP machine didn't include BASIC, as it was already "obsolete".  I'm using a copy from a Compaq "luggable" computer from the late 80s!  But it still works. 

"Luggable" was our customer service rep's term for his early PC.  It fit into its own suitcase for transport, and was a pain to lug around!

[bbussey]

Peteski:  JPG "isn't good enough", or Google simply wanted to make life difficult for those of us not using Google software?

I had the same problem with pictures from a friend's iPhone.  Apple started automatically saving everything as a "HEIC" file.  I had to find an online converter for those.

I use Dropbox to move the photos and videos from the iPhones to the workstation. It converts the pics to hi-rez JPEGs automatically. It also moves the photo media automatically in the background.

[Maletrain]

It strikes me as odd that a company that is interested in making a picture file that is 10% more "efficient" in storage space also loads my phone with files that I do not want but cannot erase.  So, am having a hard time believing that this change is mainly for the benefit of customers.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

It strikes me as odd that a company that is interested in making a picture file that is 10% more "efficient" in storage space also loads my phone with files that I do not want but cannot erase.  So, am having a hard time believing that this change is mainly for the benefit of customers.

Why would you think it would be?

But it does have benefits for consumers.

One of the big challenges in web development is adapting to machines with increasing specs. For example, your product photos that look nice and crisp on an old school CRT monitor (or even modern LCD one) don't look nearly as good on a brand new 8K screen.

When you're building your site, you don't want to send EVERYONE your nice 8K res images since it'll waste bandwidth, slow down their page loads, etc..., but you also want to make sure that the people who can benefit from them get them.

10% improvement might not seem like a lot to you, but when you're moving data around at the volume that these large service providers are, it adds up QUICK.
If I were someone like Akamai or Cloudflare, I'd almost demand my customers use the more optimal formats.

If you don't know who those companies are, and what role they play in the internet, you should do some research on how it all works before complaining about improvements.

[nickelplate759]

It strikes me as odd that a company that is interested in making a picture file that is 10% more "efficient" in storage space also loads my phone with files that I do not want but cannot erase.  So, am having a hard time believing that this change is mainly for the benefit of customers.

It's probably not your storage space use that they are optimizing.  It's Google's own storage space in their data centers, and also network bandwidth.    10% for them is serious $$.

[wcfn100]

Webp files also support animations and alpha channels (transparency) which does make some things simpler by eliminating the need for gif or png formats.

Jason

[Chris333]

Bandwidth? what year is this. My phone is just as fast as my home computer. Like 95% of the time the website is slower than me. Work on that problem. Or work on the fact that when you open a site you are opening like 10+ sites that all jump on for the ride and slow down your site.

[Maletrain]

My concern is with how long it will be before all of my saved RR research photos are "no longer supported" buy some "new & improved" operating system that I simply must update to for "security reasons". 

There are already a lot of people running "old" computers just to keep using things that they spent considerable time, money and effort to produce and use.

I am beginning to like books more and more.  But the "search engine" (me) does seem to be getting slower with age. 

[nickelplate759]

Bandwidth? what year is this. My phone is just as fast as my home computer. Like 95% of the time the website is slower than me. Work on that problem. Or work on the fact that when you open a site you are opening like 10+ sites that all jump on for the ride and slow down your site.

Again, not your bandwidth, theirs.   Cloud data centers have enormous bandwidth appetites.  Typical new installations these days have 100 Gb Ethernet to every server within a rack, and more (400Gb isn't uncommon) between racks.  The equipment (even the cables) to do that is expensive, and when that bandwidth limit is reached (can't be exceeded) we see the result as higher service latency.   So saving even a little bandwidth is important to large scale cloud operators, not only to save money, but also to improve quality of service.

The website behaviors you describe are annoying as heck, but a different problem, and one that the underlying cloud service operator (Google, Amazon, Microsoft, etc.) may not be able to directly influence.

[C855B]

I've been restraining myself up to this point because it is <off-topic> nonsense, but we tripped over a big one for me. "The cloud" and its advocates can just stick it where the sun don't shine.

If the purpose of these changes is to reduce bandwidth at centralized servers, then why isn't the solution returning to decentralized processing and storage. Is it because everybody needs to have their entire life on their smartphone? Ridiculous.

Us old farts who worked hard to wrench our data properties out of the caverns controlled by a cloistered, unapproachable and unresponsive priesthood known as "Data Processing" are aghast that this model has been readopted two generations out in an even worse execution. Like I said, Alphabet/Google, Apple, MS, Meta, et al, can just...

 

[peteski]

Funny thing is that the data in those "clouds" is actually stored on physical media (lots of disk drives in huge storage arrays).  In my job I support that physical storage. When the clouds rain cats and dogs  bad disk drives, I come in with umbrellas.   

Another funny thing is that in the geek world the latest thing is called "the Edge".  Basically the point is to decentralize data processing, moving some of it from the huge cloud computing farms closer to where the data is collected.  We we are again going to move away from huge server farms to more hosts (computers) scattered all over the place.