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New Chrome Extension Uses Sound To Share URLs Between Devices

Posted by samzenpus on from the sound-of-malware dept.

itwbennett writes: Google Tone is an experimental feature that could be used to easily and instantly share browser pages, search results, videos and other pages among devices, according to Google Research. "The initial prototype used an efficient audio transmission scheme that sounded terrible, so we played it beyond the range of human hearing," researcher Alex Kauffmann and software engineer Boris Smus wrote in a post on the Google Research blog.

15 of 77 comments (clear)

  1. Sounds Hackable by pubwvj · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sounds like a way to hack a computer with audio. Even the isolated can be gotten.

  2. OMG... by qtp · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They've invented the acoustic coupler!

    --
    Read, L
    1. Re:OMG... by QuasiSteve · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think the word 'invented' gives too much credit as is.

      They merely released an app that does what others have done before;
      http://rnd.azoft.com/mobile-ap...
      http://petapixel.com/2013/09/1...
      http://dspace.ucalgary.ca/bits...
      http://circlewithme.tumblr.com...

      But it's Google, so it gets eyeballs anew.

    2. Re:OMG... by Krishnoid · · Score: 2

      Ok, maybe repurposed is a better way of saying it.

    3. Re:OMG... by cdxta · · Score: 5, Funny

      Here is what it sounds like when the plugin establishes a connection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

  3. "we played it beyond the range of human hearing" by Nutria · · Score: 3, Insightful

    And dogs? Heck, cats hear even higher pitches.

    --
    "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
  4. Goatse, now in tone by goombah99 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm going to create a goatse tone-code emitter and leave it running on the library computer.

    it used to be on the internet no one could tell if you are a dog. now they will know.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
  5. What about the dogs? by Bruce66423 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Given they've got hearing at a higher frequency, the operating frequency will have to be VERY high to avoid upsetting our best friends...

  6. three words by MrKaos · · Score: 4, Insightful

    air gap exploit

    --
    My ism, it's full of beliefs.
  7. Took a cue from BadBIOS? by adndgamer · · Score: 2

    Remember when there were rumors of BadBIOS circulation which used this exact technique to span airgaps?

  8. Android/ChromeCast already uses ultrasonic by BoogieChile · · Score: 3, Interesting

    To send data to a nearby chromecast without needing to connect to the network that the ChromeCast is on, an Android device will link to the ChromeCast with an ultrasonic signal.

    1. Re:Android/ChromeCast already uses ultrasonic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Running a simple google search before replying sometimes makes sense:
      http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2473520,00.asp

  9. Been Done by Etherwalk · · Score: 2

    Sounds like a way to hack a computer with audio. Even the isolated can be gotten.

    I have a vague recollection of reading about an acoustic attack to get around airgapping, but don't remember if it was theoretical at the time.

    In college a friend of mine implemented "TCP Over Voice" for a project in his operating systems course. Another friend who had perfect pitch sang a dollar sign to the computer...

  10. Re:"we played it beyond the range of human hearing by aardvarkjoe · · Score: 2

    So it not only transmits URLs, it also annoys the nearby dogs and cats. I'm not seeing a downside here.

    --

    How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
  11. Re:But why??? by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Let me send you this link on Skype. Oh wait, you don't have Skype. No, I don't have WhatsApp. Facebook? No. Okay, I'll email it to you. Wait, what's your address? Okay, I'll just type that in. Damn you, autocorrect! Okay, sent.

    Not got it yet? Did you check your spam folder? Okay, there you go. Haha, what a funny kitty. Totally worth all that screwing around working out how to send the link to you when we could have just each pressed one or two buttons in Chrome*.

    ~~~

    That's not to say that Google Chrome isn't a solution looking for a problem.

    *And of course, it could then easily continue with "Wait, do you have Chrome?" and so on.

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.