Google speeds up Web video software

Google has released the first significant update to its WebM video software, bringing better performance and adding a duck-related code name, states CNet News.

The new software, called Aylesbury after the domesticated duck breed, is better at both encoding and faster at decoding WebM videos, said John Luther, Google's WebM product manager, in a blog post last week.

More specifically, Aylesbury is between 20% and 40% faster at decoding video, when measured in terms of frames per second, Luther said.

The National Federation for the Blind is suing United Airlines for making check-in machines inaccessible to sight-impaired by failing to include audio software, which they say is in violation of the California Disability Act, says Healthland.

“The airline industry has an unfortunate history of discriminating against blind passengers, and now United Airlines is repeating that history by deploying inaccessible technology that we cannot use," said Dr Marc Maurer, president of the federation, in a statement.

He added that other airlines have audio technology available at their kiosks, proving that the equipment is available and effective.

Yahoo! and Samsung raised their bet that television viewers want to easily link to Web sites such as Facebook without having the entire Web crammed into TV sets, writes AFP.

The faded Internet star and the South Korean consumer electronics giant says it will sell Yahoo! Connected TV sets in 26 more countries in Europe. That raises to 39 the number of countries where Samsung sells television sets embedded with Yahoo! software "widgets" that let users connect over the Internet to favourite Web sites.

Yahoo! and Samsung introduced their Connected TV partnership at a major Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in early 2009.