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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.

9 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!

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    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 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.

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    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

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    My ism, it's full of beliefs.
  7. 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.