http://www.softsound.com/Shorten.html
Does anyone know of a free replacement for the "shorten" tool, from SoftSound? It is used to compress/decompress digital audio to/from the "shn" format, a compressed audio format which gets about 2:1 lossless compression. It is gaining popularity for lossless storage of CD audio data and the like. There is a technical document on the SoftSound website which describes the algorithm used, and I see no mention of patents. Does this mean that it would be possible to simply create a new implementation of the algorithm, which would then be truly free? Does anyone know of such an effort? Would anyone be interested in helping with one? The (woefully non-free) license looks like this: -- SHORTEN SOFTWARE LICENSE This software is being provided to you, the LICENSEE, by Tony Robinson and SoftSound under the following license. By obtaining, using and/or copying this software, you agree that you have read, understood, and will comply with these terms and conditions: This software may not be sold or incorporated into any product which is sold without prior permission from SoftSound. When no charge is made, this software may be copied and distributed freely. Permission is granted to use this software for decoding and non-commercial encoding (e.g. private or research use). Please email [EMAIL PROTECTED] for commercial encoding terms. DISCLAIMER This software carries no warranty, expressed or implied. The user assumes all risks, known or unknown, direct or indirect, which involve this software in any way. -- -- - mdz