Monday March 12, 2007

- H.264 Decoding Chip in Macs: Provided by Fujitsu? - Lionel - 16:50:35

An interesting rumor initiated by I,CRINGELY, then taken over by many Mac rumor websites, has spread the web the last few days: Apple might add H.264 hardware decoder chip to Macs? Here again, one should be careful, as most of the recent GPU support hardware-based H.264 decoding on-the-fly (such as Avivo by ATI). So, the novelty would come with the integration of a H.264 encoding and decoding chip that would be able to perform the task in the best performance and power consumption manner. Indeed, if decoding is currently performed by the CPU or the GPU, encoding relies on CPU + specific application/codec.

Of course Apple is strongly supporting H.264 video and is basing most of its current and future online video offers on this format; so adding such a dedicated chip would make sense, only if all 4 key features are present in this component:
- H.264 decoding
- H.264 encoding
- low power consumption
- easy integration in Intel reference board.

As we already discussed about it last December, Fujitsu has developed such chip and its mass production availability is expected on April 2007, its code name: MB80H50. Thanks to its embedded memory and lower power consumption, one could play H.264 videos while maintaining both CPU and GPU power requirements to the lowest level possible, extending battery lifetime especially for notebooks.
However, if three of the key features can be performed by this chip, its integration in Intel reference board (especially for Core 2 Duo Merom-based hardware) remains a key question. The MB80H50, 50US$/unit, requires a connector composed of 650 pins (more than the Core 2 Duo) and adding it to the reference boards might not be so trivial and R&D costs for Cupertino might not be worth it. One way to proceed might be via a PCI-express daughter card that could be added as a BTO or by default depending on the hardware model.
For sure such chip will please professional users, but might also be the way to go for the Mac mini or the Apple TV as the key video hub for consumers.

[translation by Linathael]

- Adobe wants to help identifying altered pictures - Lionel - 11:14:53

Source : Wired

It all started with a scandal that involved Reuters last year. The agency had put online a picture of Beyrouth with smoke coming from the ground following an air raid, but at least some of the smoke had been added by the photographer. Adobe is reportedly working on photoshop plug-ins allowing the pictures' authenticity to be validated, so that this kind of event does not happen again. This will be done in two ways:
- the picture will be marked with the serial number of the camera that took it. Adobe is working on this with Canon.
- the second project is subtler but more complex to implement. It's based on algorithms having the ability to detect a modified image by showing an abnormal discontinuity in the successive pixels it is made of.

What's left until these plugins are out is to completely suppress the false positives, still affecting 10% of the pictures, making them appear as retouched when in fact they are not. According to Adobe, this will take one to three year.

[translation by pmax]

- Flash memory-based Apple Notebook rumor: PCM Rather Than NAND - Lionel - 10:58:07

Recently, rumor websites have been exploring hypothesis concerning information published by an analyst about Apple to release a notebook model where the HD storage unit would be replaced by flash memory. If OSX Leopard Mobile version does not require more than 4GB of space, it does not mean that Apple would use NAND-type memory; and all subsequent news about it might simply be wrong. Hereafter is why.

Schematically, a computer is composed of a CPU, a GPU (integrated or independent), and some "memories". Today, we make difference between active memory and storage memory, but in a near future this might change dramatically.
This revolution will come with the PRAM or PCM (phase-change memory) that Intel expects to launch in mass production by mid-2007.
Such memory has several advantages over the NAND:
- rewritable 100 millions times
- more reliable than NAND`
- up to 500x faster read/write speed than standard flash memory
- faster data transfer than a HD
- estimated lifetime of stored data: 10 years.
So, in a near future we might indeed see HD-less notebooks, but the storage space will most likely be replace by PCM-type memory rather than flash memory.
NAND memory will remain the key component for removal storage units (USB keys, etc.)

[translation by Linathael]

- Apple To Release a 16GB iPod? Too Late It Is Already There - Lionel - 10:15:26

If rumor websites are bubbling about the potential future release of an iPod featuring 16GB of NAND memory, such iPod is already there as described by Geektechnique.



After transplanting successfully an 8GB Compact Flash (CF) card into an iPod mini, they have reproduced the operation with a 16GB CF card. It remains unclear why the iPod does not use more than 15GB, but it works. Last but not least, the new black coating turns it into an iPod nano fashion.


[translation by Linathael]

- Defective Battery: The Story Is Not Over Yet - Lionel - 10:14:16

We keep receiving reports from MacBook Pro owners experiencing problems with their batteries.
We can summarize them into 2 categories:
- Some batteries, mostly from MacBook Pro 17", swollen as it was reported for MB Pro 15" and led to the recall, but there was no recall for MB Pro 17" batteries.
- batteries suddenly stop working and providing any power even after fully charging them.

We have had such problem among the team on a MB Pro 15", and we can provide additional details. It was an exchanged unit following the initial recall. After 40 charging cycles, the battery could not be charged more than 50% of its capacity, and once used the MB Pro would switch off suddenly without displaying a "low battery" alarm. Despite procedures to fully discharge it or to recalibrate it, the battery died.
The good news: Apple is quickly exchanging such defective units within 24 hours if you go to an Apple Center with the serial number of your computer. So if you are facing similar problems, do not hesitate to call Apple Support to get your battery exchanged.


[translation by Linathael]

- Apple: The New Target for the European Commission - Lionel - 10:12:32

Source : Le monde

Meglena Kuneva, the European commission representative in charge of consumer's protection, declared in an interview to a German newspaper, it was abnormal that a music track downloaded from the iTS could only be played on an iPod.
Here we go again, or "déjà vu"?
In his thought on Music, Steve Jobs was clearly explaining Apple's position, DRMs are there because the right owners asked for, Cupertino would favor DRM free music, and if so all music tracks purchased from the iTS would be compatible with all digital music players.
If interoperability would be on the consumer, and maybe the law makers, side the best way regarding the freedom of choice for a player and the source of downloaded music, it would also imply that not only Apple but also Microsoft has to open its DRM system. And it should not be limited only to music track but also to all digital contents (audio, video, movies, e-books, etc.).

So far one can imagine only 4 ways to go:
- drop all DRMs
- force Music Majors as well as Apple and Microsoft to open their DRMs and make them compatible, providing interoperability to all music players.
- create a new and unique DRM system which would be used worldwide.
- give consumers the right to crack DRMs to create interoperability themselves

While Steve jobs explained what would be the easiest way to proceed, for sure other players from the online music market would defend their point of view and might give years of work to European Parliament.

[translation by Linathael]