Transfering data using high frequency audio

[Ken Hart]

I heard samsung smart switch uses high frequency audio to transfer data.
How does that work?

--
Ken Hart
kwh...@frontier.com

[Andy Burns]

Ken Hart wrote:

> I heard samsung smart switch uses high frequency audio to transfer data.
> How does that work?

Google chromecast devices (probably newer Nest devices too?) use ultrasonics if
you allow "guest" users to access them.

[Big Dog]

Does a smartphone have an ultrasonic radio switch to turn it on and off?
Where?

[Andy Burns]

Big Dog wrote:

> Does a smartphone have an ultrasonic radio switch to turn it on and off?
> Where?

ultrasonic just uses mic and speaker, not any radio

[Andy Burnelli]

Woo hoo! I love cross-platform portability!

I noticed this thread speaks of yet another way to transfer data between
devices using *ultrasonic* audio between compatible devices' speakers/mics.

Since I have iOS & Android devices, I'm going to look into this cross
platform *ultrasonic* capability since it doesn't need Wi-Fi or cable.
<https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00048603/>

The *ultrasonic" file transfer seems to "run" on Windows, macOS,
and Android (but does the ultrasonic file tranfer work on iOS?).
<https://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/app/smart-switch>

And yet, Samsung "says" it can transfer between iPhone and Android.
<https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00061001/>
But, they seem to be using the iCloud (which isn't ultrasonic).

So it's confusing, at least to someone who has never used it (like I).

If anyone here has already used ultrasonic file transfer, please let me
know what you can teach me about it, as it sounds like good functionality.
<https://play.google.com/store/search?q=samsung+smart+switch&c=apps>

The first question to ponder is which of the _many_ related ultrasonic
file transfer apps is best where this is the canonical Samsung app.
*Samsung Smart Switch Mobile* by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Free, ad free, requires gsf, rated 4.1/345K reviews @ 100M+ Downloads
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sec.android.easyMover>

Second question is _how_ does it work. For example, if it uses the cloud,
it's not "really" transferring between two devices over a peer-to-peer connect.

Is it truly transferring files using an *ultrasonic* ad hoc network
between two devices?

If so, what two devices (particularly, can it go between iOS & Android)?

In summary, I was unaware of *ultrasonic* file transfer until I read this
thread today, wherre I'd like to transfer files ultrasonically between
either iOS and Android (and vice versa) or between iOS/Android & the PC.

Anyone with experience in such ad hoc ultrasonic file transfer is
asked to lend your experiences to the rest of us so we all benefit.
--
Posted out of the goodness of my heart to disseminate useful information
which, in this case, is to learn more about ultrasonic file transfer.

[Andy Burns]

Andy Burnelli wrote:

> Is it truly transferring files using an *ultrasonic* ad hoc network
> between two devices?

With chromecasts, it just uses the ultrasonic "connection" to do the wifi
pairing ... I'd imagine the audio transfer rate is pretty low?

[Andy Burnelli]

Hi Andy,
I'm sorry if these are simplistic questions, as I had originally thought
file transfer was over an ad hoc ultrasonic network between two devices.

And I wish to repeat I have _zero_ experience with ultrasonic negotiation
of ad hoc networks (as my past ad hoc networks were usually bluetooth).

If file transfer is over Wi-Fi, and if both devices are on the same
network, why would you even need the initial ultrasonic negotiation?

And, if both devices are NOT on a Wi-Fi network, then why not just
negotiate the connection & affect the file transfer both with Bluetooth?
[Yes, I know Bluetooth transfer is slower than is Wi-Fi but this is about
the negotiation part of the ad hoc network - not the transfer per se.]

What's the advantage of ultrasonic negotiation of the initial ad hoc network?

[Andy Burns]

Andy Burnelli wrote:

> If file transfer is over Wi-Fi, and if both devices are on the same
> network, why would you even need the initial ultrasonic negotiation?

The idea is, you have one or more chromecasts in your house, connected to
speakers, you can send music to them. If you also want visitors to be able to
send their music to your speakers, you can enable the ultrasonic option, which
acts as a "zero knowledge" method of pairing with it over wifi (not sure if it
uses an ad-hoc connection, or just dishes out the passphrase to your normal SSID).

> And, if both devices are NOT on a Wi-Fi network, then why not just
> negotiate the connection & affect the file transfer both with Bluetooth?
>  [Yes, I know Bluetooth transfer is slower than is Wi-Fi but this is about
> the negotiation part of the ad hoc network - not the transfer per se.]
>
> What's the advantage of ultrasonic negotiation of the initial ad hoc network?

Simplicity.

[Alan]

On 2022-12-26 23:19, Ken Hart wrote:
> I heard samsung smart switch uses high frequency audio to transfer data.
> How does that work?
>

It doesn't.

It uses the sonic equivalent of a QR code to instruct a phone how to
join an ad hoc wifi network.

[Alan]

On 2022-12-27 11:31, Andy Burnelli wrote:
> Andy Burns wrote:
>
>>> Is it truly transferring files using an *ultrasonic* ad hoc network
>>> between two devices?
>>
>> With chromecasts, it just uses the ultrasonic "connection" to do the
>> wifi pairing ... I'd imagine the audio transfer rate is pretty low?
>
> Hi Andy,
> I'm sorry if these are simplistic questions, as I had originally thought
> file transfer was over an ad hoc ultrasonic network between two devices.

I'm sorry, but there is no evidence to support that proposition that
you've ever "thought".

>
> And I wish to repeat I have _zero_ experience with ultrasonic negotiation
> of ad hoc networks (as my past ad hoc networks were usually bluetooth).

No... ...I bet they weren't.

[Eli the Bearded]

In comp.mobile.android, Alan <nuh...@nope.com> wrote:
> On 2022-12-26 23:19, Ken Hart wrote:
>> I heard samsung smart switch uses high frequency audio to transfer data.
>> How does that work?
> It doesn't.

:^)

> It uses the sonic equivalent of a QR code to instruct a phone how to
> join an ad hoc wifi network.

That's by definition transfering data, just very little of it. I know
the $WORK provided Webex software uses audio to communicate external
devices if you want to transfer a conference call / video meeting to a
wall mounted device. But since I don't have such a device, I didn't look
further than the option to that keeps the microphone active 100% of the
time on my (work-issued and owned) computer.

Elijah
------
would be unlikely to install Webex on a personal device

[Alan]

But the subject was FILE transfer...

...not a few bytes.