An Israel-based company called ICVT has developed a new image compression technology for JPEG pictures called JPEGmini, which reduces the image’s overall file size by up to 5 times while preserving its resolution and quality.
The new technology was designed specifically for the Web as more photographers, professional and amateur, use the internet for archiving and storing their photos. JPEGmini enables users to share and upload image files faster and saves bandwidth and storage costs.
According to the developers, JPEGmini works by analyzing the image using a quality detector that imitates the visual system of humans. Based on its analysis, the system applies the maximum amount of compression that will not cause visible artifacts. Then a JPEG encoder will encode the process to the original image, creating the most compact representation of the image possible under the JPEG standard. According to the company, “combining these two components enables JPEGmini to achieve an extremely high recompression ratio of up to 5 times, or 80 percent reduction on digital photos, depending on their resolution.”
The JPEGmini, unlike other compression tools like RIOT, is unique because users don’t have to install anything. All users need to do is to upload the image in the company’s website and the webapp will compress the photos automatically. After compression, it shows users a side-by-side view of the compressed and original image.
Users can also register for a free account that offers more features like sharing photos on Flickr and Picasa.
Visit the JPEGmini website and try it out for yourself!