H.264, the video codec Apple supports for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad playback, and for the HTML5 video tag in Safari, and now Microsoft is supporting it as well, which means its 66% share will likely go up. Add to that Steve Jobs think the competing, Firefox-supported license-free alternative, OGG Theora, will face patent infringement claims, and it’s looking like we have a web video standards winner.

As anyone who read Steve Jobs’ thoughts on Flash knows, he made a strong case for H.264 video and his hopes/belief it would render the need for Flash’s FLV container, and especially its older, software-bound H.263 codec obsolete. TechCrunch contacted Encoding.com and found out it might just be already. According to the graph above, and given YouTube’s 40% market share alone, it looks like H.264 is up around 66% and growing.

That’s bad news for Adobe, and for OGG Theora whose competing standard is implemented alongside H.264 in Google’s Chrome browser, and exclusively in Mozilla’s Firefox. Worse news is that Microsoft has announced they’re going exclusive for Internet Explorer 9, and like Apple they’re doing it with H.264.

Mozilla backs Theora as a matter of policy, since even though H.264 is free for non-commerical end-users for years to come, it’s owned by a consortium who could theoretically seek a license in the future. Theora is theoretically license-free in perpetuity — but companies like Apple believe that’s also theoretical and only ever one lawsuit away from changing.

Steve Jobs, sending from his iPad again, says exactly that:

All video codecs are covered by patents. A patent pool is being assembled to go after Theora and other “open source” codecs now. Unfortunately juste because something is open scourse, it doesn’t mean or guarantee that i doesn’t infringe on others patents. An open standard is different from being royalty free or open source.

So Apple is paying for H.264 and not risking getting sued for Theora later, and they’re banking on H.264 uptake to be so fast and far, Flash won’t be needed for video playback. At 66% we’re getting close to that point. At 75-80% we’ll be at it. H.264 will be the standard and all of Apple’s devices and platforms will already support it — and support it well.

Now H.264 becoming the standard doesn’t mean it’s the best choice or even the right one, just like DVD, Blu-Ray, USB, MP3, etc. might not be the best or right choices for their standards, but at a certain point all the major browsers and platforms have to get behind something that’s good enough so that when users hit the web or load a video, it just plays.

Firefox should add H.264 support as well. It’s time to check that box off and start arguing about the next one. 3D or a smell plugin or something…

[TechCrunch, fsfe.org via Microsoft blogs, 9to5Mac]

H.264 ascendant: why Apple’s no-Flash, no-Theora gamble is playing off is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

How fast is your iPad Wi-Fi + 3G on AT&T? Dieter is testing his out and the results so far don’t seem too shabby. We’ve seen the plastic top strip meant to allow better, stronger radio signals and we’ve seen about all the details in the iPad 3G tear down, but real-world results are what matter here so run your favorite speed test, website or app, tell us which one your run, and let us know your results.

How fast is your iPad 3G on AT&T? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Sure, new and notable iPhone games isn’t a theme, but with so many new and such a large swathe of notable, who needs a theme? Join us after the break to see what’s going on in the iTunes App Store this week!

Zombie Defense [Free - iTunes link]

They want your brains, you want one night’s decent sleep. Zombies meet the Alamo as you play a team of four gritty Texans, including a cowboy and a grandma, leading them to survive until the respite of dawn. Upgrade your fear of the dark with in-app purchase for more lethal levels and zombie mayhem.

R.O.S.M (Revenge of the Summon Monsters) [£1.19 / €1,59 / $1.99 - iTunes link]

Cast magical spells, summon elemental beasts, and call on fire, ice, and lightning to combat monster hordes. Play as a wizard apprentice, expert or master as the monsters march down upon you in this cute and colourful game.

Top Dog: Farmyard Adventures [£0.59 / €0,79 / $0.99 - iTunes link]

Practise herding sheep and farmyard animals with your trusty sheepdog. Win ribbons in eight different challenges whilst looking out for tasty bonus bones.

Linkin Park 8-Bit Rebellion! [$4.99 - iTunes link]

Fight your way through an 8-bit retro world featuring levels, characters and items crafted by Linkin Park. Listen to their musical genius whilst battling PixellKorp. We’ve got their albums at a special price in the same room.

Iron Man 2 [£3.99 / €5,49 / $6.99 - iTunes link]

Suit up for action and prepare to battle the evil Whiplash & co. in the official movie tie-in game Iron Man 2. Backed by an explosive heavy metal soundtrack, play as Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) across 9 exotic backdrops, from New York City to Somalia.

Chaos Rings [£7.49 / €10,49 / $12.99 - iTunes link]

Immerse yourself in this wonderfully crafted RPG, from the Japanese creators of the FINAL FANTASY series, which has stormed its way onto the App Store charts this week. Beautiful graphics, a polished combat system, and a rich and engaging storyline with multiple possible endings make this game a must have.

Any other new and notable games this week? Any hidden gems or great finds? Let us know in the comments. Need. More. Games!

New and notable iPhone games for May 1, 2010 is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Bookending the iPad Wi-Fi + 3G unboxing from earlier today is the other classic staple of geekdom: the tear-down. As usual iFixit did the deed, and here’s what they uncovered:

• There are actually FIVE antennas in this iPad. Two antennas handle the cell reception — one is in the RF window on top, the other attaches to the LCD frame. A single GPS antenna is also housed in the RF window on top. Just like the iPad Wi-Fi, there are two antennas that handle Wi-Fi / Bluetooth connectivity, one in the Apple logo and another to the left of the dock connector.

• Apple looks to be using the entire LCD frame as an antenna!

• Apple uses the same 3G baseband processor in both the iPhone 3GS and the iPad 3G.

• The baseband processor in question is the Infineon 337S3754 PMB 8878 X-Gold IC. It was actually white-labeled on the production unit, but with enough sleuthing we were able to confirm its true identity.

• The iPad 3G has a Broadcom BCM4750UBG Single-Chip AGPS Solution, whereas the iPhone 3GS uses an Infineon Hammerhead II package. Big win for Broadcom!

Head on over if you want to see the whole, sordid strip-down…

[iFixit, thanks Gregg for the tip!]

iPad Wi-Fi + 3G: tear down is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog