How Chirp enables easy data transfers using nothing but sound
Chirp, a London-based technology company that lets you transfer data between devices using nothing but audio clips, has announced it’s opening its platform to developers as it looks to increase the uptake of the underlying technology.
Available for Android and iOS, Chirp made headlines back in 2012 with its quirky data-transfer technology that uses a “digital birdsong” only identifiable by Chirp on other devices. Just select a compatible file from your phone, click the “chirp” button, and other devices can access the media instantly.
Chirpはデバイス間のデータ送信を音声のみで行うことを可能にしたロンドンに拠点を置くテクノロジー企業で、その基盤技術をさらに普及させるべく、同社のプラットフォームを開発者に向けて開放すると発表した。
2012年、Chirpは他のデバイスに搭載されたChirpでのみ認識可能な「デジタル・バードソング」を使ってデータ転送を行うという誰も予想だにしなかったテクノロジーをAndroidとiOS向けに作成し、大きな話題となった。電話内の変換可能なファイルを選び「chirp」ボタンをクリックするだけで他のデバイスが即座にそのメディアにアクセスできる。
音声クリップだけを使ってデバイス間のデータ転送を可能にする、ロンドンを拠点とする技術会社Chirpは、基礎技術の理解が増加すると思えるとして、開発者向けの独自のプラットフォームを公開することを発表した。
AndroidやiOSで利用可能なChirpは、遡ること2012年、他のデバイス上で、Chirpだけで確認できる「デジタル版小鳥のさえずり」を使う突飛なデータ転送技術で世間の注目を浴びた。自分の電話から互換性のあるファイルを選択し、「chirp」ボタンをクリックすれば、他のデバイスが、即座にそのメディアにアクセスすることができる。
Each chirp lasts a couple of seconds, and the receiving device “listens” for a handful of notes played quickly in a certain order, in a certain range, and at a certain speed. While there are other easy ways of sharing files and data in real-time, such as Bluetooth, Chirp doesn’t require devices to pair in advance, there is no need to set up an account, and it’s ultimately a much quicker way of sharing files.
That said, with Chirp, the file itself isn’t sent peer-to-peer, and the data doesn’t actually travel directly via audio. Chirp merely decodes and encodes the file, with the associated sound serving as the delivery mechanism. A link is generated for the recipient(s) to access it on Chirp’s servers, but the process from sending to receiving is seamless and near-instant.
With the launch of its software development kit (SDK) in private beta today, Chirp is making a move to become a platform for third-party developers — and this could prove pivotal for significantly ramping up the use of Chirp’s technology. Indeed, any app that offers any kind of content-sharing functionality can leverage Chirp to make content a little bit easier to share and access, be it URLs, e-tickets, or videos.
With that in mind, Chirp for iOS has been given a notable update today. It now lets users chirp videos too, having previously been restricted to images, notes, and URLs. Based on our tests, “video chirps” work flawlessly, and given the rise of mobile video, this upgrade could prove a valuable link in Chirp’s chain.
Other developments
Next week also heralds a milestone moment for Chirp, as the company shakes off its mobile roots and launches a Chrome plugin that will take its technology onto Macs and PCs via the browser. This will let users chirp webpages to their phones, an easy way of grabbing map URLs, phone numbers, or other information.
その他の開発
来週も、Chirpにとって節目となる。同社はモバイルルートと縁を切り、ブラウザー経由でMacやパソコンに自社技術を搭載できるChromeプラグインをローンチする。これによりユーザはchirpのホームページを携帯電話でブラウズし、URL、電話番号その他の情報のマッピングを簡単に手に入れることが出来るようになる。
さらなる開発へ
来週、Chirpにとって画期的な瞬間が訪れることだろう。モバイルへの展開ではなく、ChromeプラグインをローンチしChirpの技術をMacなどパソコンへと展開していくとのことだ。するとユーザはwebページをスマートフォンにchirpで送信できるようになり、地図のURLや電話番号などweb上の情報を手早く簡単に利用できることになる。
Chirps are an effective way of sharing data with multiple people at the same time — as long as their phones are within audio range of the sender. This means it could also be used by mass broadcast networks such as TV and radio to send files to millions of people in seconds. However, it could also connect with physical objects such as toys, letting children download content from sound clips embedded in their favorite teddy.
This is enabled through a just-announced tie-up with Arduino, an open-source computer electronics platform for hackers and prototypers. It means that Chirp encoders are available for the burgeoning Internet of Things industry, and they could be included in any number of objects in the future. “Chirpino,” as the service is called, is being released tomorrow (May 13) as a free download.
Chirp’s technology is certainly smart in terms of how it has been deployed, though it is of course loosely based on pre-existing technology — for example, audio tapes were once used to load applications on home computers such as the ZX Spectrum, while dial-up modems also used sound to access networks. That all said, Chirp says it has a patent pending on its technology for the transfer of short codes over-the-air (OTA).
For now, Chirp can still be filed under “potential,” which is perhaps a little disappointing given that the first Chirp app launched three years ago now. Indeed, it’s still very limited in terms of what files you’re able to transfer between devices on mobile, though other common file types will be supported when the web-based version of the service comes to fruition.
Also, there is currently no way to download a file — offline access is enabled through caches within the Chirp app, but what’s really needed is full, peer-to-peer transfers that lets anyone download a file or document. We’re told that this is in the works, though no timescale was given.
また、現在、ファイルをダウンロードする方法はない。 Chirpアプリ内のキャッシュを通してオフラインアクセスは可能だが、本当に必要なのは、だれでもファイルや文書をダウンロードできる完全なP2Pの転送なのだ。現在取り組み中とのことだが、具体的な時期は明らかにされていない。
また、現在はファイルのダウンロードができない。オフラインでのデータ利用はChirpアプリのキャッシュから可能ではあるが、真に求められるのは完全な、誰もがファイルやドキュメントをダウンロードできるP2P通信が必要なのだ。時期は不明だが、こうしたことにも対応中とのことである。
The company’s first foray into licensing its technology via an SDK indicates how it intends to make money in the long term. For now, however, Chirp is exploring other conduits to ensure it has capital at its disposal. Today it opened a crowdfunding campaign through Crowdcube, and at the time of writing it’s already reached half of its target £400,000 ($630,000) goal. All funds will be used to support commercial expansion and develop the Chirp platform.
