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Google's New Compression Tool Uses 75% Less Bandwidth Without Sacrificing Image Quality (thenextweb.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Next Web: Google just released an image compression technology called RAISR (Rapid and Accurate Super Image Resolution) designed to save your precious data without sacrificing photo quality. Claiming to use up to 75 percent less bandwidth, RAISR analyzes both low and high-quality versions of the same image. Once analyzed, it learns what makes the larger version superior and simulates the differences on the smaller version. In essence, it's using machine learning to create an Instagram-like filter to trick your eye into believing the lower-quality image is on par with its full-sized variant. Unfortunately for the majority of smartphone users, the tech only works on Google+ where Google claims to be upscaling over a billion images a week. If you don't want to use Google+, you'll just have to wait a little longer. Google plans to expand RAISR to more apps over the coming months. Hopefully that means Google Photos.

2 of 103 comments (clear)

  1. Better article by alexhs · · Score: 5, Informative

    Summary's links are fact-free ads.
    I found this one, that has the merit to link to the arXiv article about the process.

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    I have discovered a truly marvelous proof of killer sig, which this margin is too narrow to contain.
  2. Re:...without sacrificing photo quality by PoopJuggler · · Score: 5, Insightful

    is a lie, it reduces image quality just in a way you cannot see visually

    If you can't see any difference then the visual quality is the same. Don't conflate visual quality with informational purity. Claiming it's a lossless conversion would be a lie, but that's not what they're claiming.