tedster - 4:24 am on Oct 13, 2012 (gmt 0)

One of the features of mod)pagespeed that I don't know how to duplicate myself - but it looks extremely useful - is this functionality:

Recompressing an image when its HTML context changes to serve only the bytes required [googledevelopers.blogspot.com...]

This sounds to me like a real boon. First, image size is one of the most common areas that I see slowing down page loads. For many websites, especially those with a frequent publication schedule, optimizing images creates a real snag in the workflow. In fact, many just abandon any effort at good image compression and let their authors upload very fat files.

But even more useful as I see it, is catering to the Apple Retina displays at the same time as you cater to conventional displays and even small screens where you still want a small image. It seems to me you could upload just one image file optimized for Retina screens, and let the server step it down for other users.

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In terms of usage, I think many will find this section good to know, whether you want to avoid the module or embrace it:

We're working with Go Daddy to get mod_pagespeed running for many of its 8.5 million customers... We're also working with Cotendo to integrate the core engine of mod_pagespeed as part of their Content Delivery Network (CDN) service.