Apple joins consortium to help with more efficient video compression tech called AV1

Apple has joined the Alliance for Open Media, a technology consortium that is working on a new industry standard, high-efficiency video codec called AV1.

The group includes Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Hulu, Intel, and many others. Apple was quietly added to the website’s homepage today, and is even considered a founding member (via CNET). Here’s how the consortium describes its goal:

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Swap-apocalypse: Upcoming iOS update will swarm Apple Stores with iPhone battery replacements

Apple Stores always seem to be packed to the gills with customers waiting for tech support at the Genius Bar, and that’s doubly true now with Apple’s discounted battery replacement program for iPhones throttled by aging batteries. A promised update to iOS coming in the future will certainly increase the number of users who are aware of the need to replace batteries even more, so now is the best time to take advantage of the replacement discount.

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