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New Technique Turns Random Objects Into FM Radio Stations (thestack.com)
"A new technology is enabling everyday objects, such as posters and clothing, to be transformed into FM radio stations," reports The Stack, citing research from the University of Washington. An anonymous reader quotes their report.
The team has introduced a technique called "backscattering" which uses ambient low-power radio signals to broadcast messages from random objects to smartphones in the local vicinity.The researchers hope that the development could help support various smart city applications, and picture a future where anything from a poster at a bus stop to a road sign can transmit audio updates and information to passers-by.
During testing, the researchers were able to use the backscattering technique to create a "singing poster" which could send out the music of an advertised band to smartphone users at a distance of up to 4 meters and to cars in an 18-meter [59-foot] radius. "What we want to do is enable smart cities and fabrics where everyday objects in outdoor environments -- whether it's posters or street signs or even the shirt you're wearing -- can 'talk' to you by sending information to your phone or car," explained lead faculty and UW assistant professor of computer science and engineering Shyam Gollakota.
During testing, the researchers were able to use the backscattering technique to create a "singing poster" which could send out the music of an advertised band to smartphone users at a distance of up to 4 meters and to cars in an 18-meter [59-foot] radius. "What we want to do is enable smart cities and fabrics where everyday objects in outdoor environments -- whether it's posters or street signs or even the shirt you're wearing -- can 'talk' to you by sending information to your phone or car," explained lead faculty and UW assistant professor of computer science and engineering Shyam Gollakota.
Nothing new about Backscatter. Its how primary radars work.
http://michaelsmith.id.au
even more pervasive advertising!!
"I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
"[...] everyday objects in outdoor environments -- whether it's posters or street signs or even the shirt you're wearing -- can 'talk' to you [...]"
Sure. If I can have a backchannel directly into Gollakota's ears through which the shirt I am wearing automatically sends a hearty "Go fuck yourself!" whenever one of these 'smart' objects tries to annoy me.
Rudolf Hess edited Mein Kampf. He was the very first grammar nazi.
If they turn a transgender washroom into an FM radio station, will it play Boy George songs all day long?
"What we want to do is enable smart cities and fabrics where everyday objects in outdoor environments -- whether it's posters or street signs or even the shirt you're wearing -- can 'talk' to you by sending information to your phone or car,"
Wow, it can broadcast a massive 60 ft, unless you're crawling in traffic that'll be less than 2 seconds. You won't get anything meaningful to your audience in that time, you'll just piss them off with the interference.
This is yet another solution looking for a problem to solve, we're already bombarded by better, more effective advertising than this.
Man they skipped a step. Where's RGB shirt and pants and shoes? I gots to match my keyboard, mouse, video card, CPU cooler, chassis...
While it's possible this technique might have less nefarious uses, the fact that all the cited potential uses involve advertising makes me wonder if this is a play by the researcher to get Google to poach him.
#DeleteChrome
One of these days, we will be able to turn Lucille Ball's head into a receiver!
Good luck targeting all the US phones which for the most part, have FM disabled. Still, I hate the core idea of this. Yeah, it's coming, but the concept is still annoying. I've already seen Bladerunner.
Yucko. This is sorta like being constantly accosted by street beggers. No peace. Really, just because advertisers want desperately to talk, why would anyone listen? Have they learned nothing from Netflix or Amazon? Or the slow and painful demise of broadcast TV? Shudder.... Just because we can doesn't mean we should.
In the not too distant future: "My phone got hacked by a Justin Beiber poster, and now I have 600 russian credit cards"
You had have braces though and it only picked up AM.
They've found a site that's crappier than The Verge and Wired!
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
I would think this would have much better uses than advertising. PSA's for example;
"Mind the gap"
"Walk on the left side"
"Remember your reusable grocery bag"
etc.
"... Then there was a slight whisper, a sudden spacious whisper of open ambient sound. Every hi-fi set in the world, every radio, every television, every cassette recorder, every woofer, every tweeter, every mid-range driver in the world quietly turned itself on. Every tin can, every dustbin, every window, every car, every wineglass, every sheet of rusty metal became activated as an acoustically perfect sounding board. Before the Earth passed away it was going to be treated to the very ultimate in sound reproduction, the greatest public address system ever built. But there was no concert, no music, no fanfare, just a simple message. “People of Earth, your attention, please,” a voice said, and it was wonderful. Wonderful perfect quadraphonic sound with distortion levels so low as to make a brave man weep...."
You could use a different frequency, say in the visible spectrum.
Then you could target people who don't even have their phone radio turned on.
I'll have to get a patent on that.......
Could replace these FM transmitters to use in your car..
...is a really good five-cent radio frequency jammer.
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
All this is going to be used for when it's all over is to turn all of us into individual, walking RFID chips. Pair it with AI to average out signals, and it'll be easy.
You walk past a poster. It starts pestering you. You read the fine print. "To opt out of further annoyance from this poster, goto this QR code" .. 10mins later you've opted out of that poster annoying you every time you walk past.
You walk past a second poster. It starts pestering you ..
Is it something like this https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thing_(listening_device) ?
It is somewhat similar technology though this one can presumably spy on you as well.
The "singing poster" only works because there's a large copper foil antenna stuck behind it. So, instead of saying that random objects can be turned into FM stations, it would be more accurate to say that you can use suitably big objects to hide a huge ass antenna.
It seems unlikely that this is legal. It would interfere with regular FM radio stations.
Distraction has become the opiate of the masses.
Ummm to do any kind of broadcasting in the FM bands you need a license from the FCC.... You can RECEIVE all the FM bands you want without a license but transmit - you need a license....
The Truth is a Virus!!!
Now all I need is 10 of these at the same place to make sure those kids staring at their phone on my lawn will be running home when they get 10 Justin Bieber songs at the same time.
we're all gonna die from the radiation