Chromecast Can Now Connect to Nearly Any Device Using Ultrasonic Sound

[dgstorm]

It seems like we ask this a great deal when it comes to Google products, but... "What will they think of next?" This is in regards to a new function which the Chromecast is capable of thanks to those Googley Googlers. The Chromecast team has discovered a way to use inaudible ultrasonic sounds to pair the entertainment device with supported smartphones and tablets.

Here's a quote with a few more details,

The new pairing feature will do away with the mandatory Wi-Fi connection that’s currently needed to control the Chromecast from a mobile device, allowing Chromecast owners to share control of their dongles with family and friends without laborious setups.

The TV-connected Chromecast will emit a unique ultrasonic sound through the TV’s speakers, which will be picked up by nearby mobile devices, but not humans. This is how a connection is established. The publication says that manually pairing the two devices will also involve a four-digit pin that’s displayed on the TV screen. Once pairing is achieved, the smartphone or tablet user can start sending content to the Chromecast device.

Google talked about off-network casting support during the Google I/O 2014 opening keynote on Wednesday, Chromecast engineering manager John Affaki explained a presentation on Thursday how the ultrasonic connection works. Google’s goal is to make the social use of Chromecast a lot easier than it currently is.

As if this device wasn't cool enough already... although, I wonder if dogs might have a problem with this?

Source: BGR

 

[johnomaz]

I like the idea but is it going to piss my dogs off and make them start barking or worse, make them pee suddenly. I used to have an app that made those ultrasonic sounds and it made my dogs pee. I didn't have the app for long.