Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) wants to speed up the Internet even further, and has introduced a new image format it says will enhance the performance of websites. Called WebP, Google says the format uses an image compressor based on the still-image compression methods in its open-source VP8 codec to surpass the performance delivered by JPEG.

In a blog post, Google product manager Richard Rabbat elaborated on how WebP was able to achieve its small file size with a more compact file container. "We also adapted a very lightweight container based on RIFF. While this container format contributes a minimal overhead of only 20 bytes per image, it is extensible to allow authors to save meta-data they would like to store," said Rabbat. 

Google says it achieved a 39 percent reduction in file size in a random test by converting some one million existing images to the new WebP format. With images and photos making up 65 percent of the typical website these days, the possible improvements could be massive.

Not everyone is impressed however, and at least one developer described the quality of the new encoder as "awful." To do your own comparison, you can find a gallery of samples comparing WebP and standard JPEG images here. For now, a patch is in the works for native support in the Chrome browser to support the new web format.

For more on this story:
- check out this article at eWeek
- check out this article at Ars Technica

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