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What does this compression technology break through?

ZeoSync the 100:1 outsider

Claims of a breakthrough in compression technology by a Florida research start-up have been met with scepticism.

ZeoSync says it has developed a technique to compress "practically random" data by a factor of hundreds to one - once the technology is fully developed (which it estimates will be possible sometime next year).

Such a lossless data compression technology would have widespread applications in telecommunications and data storage, for instance, enabling video and other high bandwidth applications to work over narrowband networks.

ZeoSync has worked with leading mathematicians at Harvard University, Stanford University and Moscow State University, among others, and it is careful to qualify its remarks.

It says that so far it has only applied its " multi-dimensional encoding technology" on very small bit strings - but this has failed to pacify critics. In particular the firm's detractors question ZeoSync's assertion that it has overcome fundamental constraints in information theory, defined by Claude Shannon more than 50 years ago.

Noted cryptographer Bruce Schneier said, from the information available so far, ZeoSync's supposed breakthrough looks like "snake oil.. the odds on a compression claim turning out to be true are always identical to the compression ratio claimed".

How the technology is supposed to work

ZeoSync's approach to the encoding of practically random sequences is expected to evolve into the reduction of already reduced information across many reduction iterations, producing a previously unattainable reduction capability.

ZeoSync intentionally randomises naturally occurring patterns to form entropy-like random sequences through its patent-pending technology known as Zero Space Tuner. Once randomised, ZeoSync's BinaryAccelerator encodes these singular-bit-variance strings within complex combinatorial series to result in massively reduced BitPerfect equivalents. The combined TunerAccelerator is expected to be commercially available during 2003.

ZeoSync has developed the TunerAccelerator in conjunction with some traditional state-of-the-art compression methodologies. This work includes the advancement of Fractals, Wavelets, DCT, FFT, Subband Coding, and Acoustic Compression which utilises synthetic instruments. ®

External links

ZeoSync's statement
versus
Usenet FAQ on compression of random data

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