If other apps allow users to share links in novel ways, such as through sound, this new kid on the block uses sound waves unheard by the human ear.
The Radon app for Android devices beams links and text among nearby users without tapping or pairing required – thanks to ultrasonic waves that transmit the needed data.
Through its recently introduced Nearby APIs, Google positioned itself ahead of others in this technology, which likely has gained much mainstream attention because ultrasound may not be suitable enough for transmitting large data amounts in a prompt manner.
“Nearby (API) uses a combination of Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi and near-ultrasonic audio to communicate a unique-in-time pairing code between devices,” Google noted.
Here’s how ultrasound technology works for link-sharing. As the human ear can pick up frequencies within the range of around 20 Hz to 20 KHz, anything below or above – think of a dog whistle – cannot be heard by many. Thus smartphones and most media devices are programmed to transmit sounds within this frequency range.
People practically cannot hear frequencies as high as 20 KHz, with the frequency output of device speakers not even hitting the supposed maximum. But take note: we can beam data from 17 KHz to 18 KHz – and most people would not hear it at all.
Thus experts at Azoft R&D worked on this and developed the mobile app, which can be opened on the device one wants to receive data in and will automatically receive and open URLs, for instance, in a browser.
“I disabled Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC on both of my test devices and it shared the URL just fine,” said Android enthusiast Mishaal Rahman in his review.
Skipping QR codes or NFC and working on as many devices as desired, Radon app uses sensors already present to broadcast links so as to eliminate the need for pairing or tapping.
The main challenge, however, remains: the lightweight nature of the beaming technology that lets users share only links. Larger files and elements such as images and videos still cannot be sent from a device to another ultrasonically.
Check out the app on Google Play Store.
