Google
has released an experimental
Chrome extension for PCs that allows users
to share URLs between computers over audio. It works with PCs in the
same room, and over voice and video chats in
Hangouts.
Explaining
the need for such an extension, the Google Research blog post on Tuesday said,
"Tone grew out of the idea that while digital communication methods like
email and chat have made it infinitely easier, cheaper, and faster to
share things with people across the globe, they've actually made it more
complicated to share things with the people standing right next to you.
Tone aims to make sharing digital things with nearby people as easy as
talking to them."
The company adds that while the first version of
the extension was built as a lark, it quickly become the go-to URL
sharing medium at the Google office, especially in meetings. While
initially the audio transmission's frequency was kept out of the human
hearing range, engineers later realised that since most laptop and video
conference microphones are optimised for human voice, using a 'minimal
DTMF-based audible codec' was most reliable.
To start sharing
URLs with computers in the same room, or over Hangouts, users need to
install the Google Tone extension, sign into their
Google account, and then open a tab in the Chrome browser of the link to
be shared. After ensuring their speaker volume is at an audible level,
users can click the blue Tone button on the right of the omni bar to
play out a sound sequence. Machines in range with integrated or attached
microphones that also have the Google Tone extension installed will
then receive a browser notification (along with the sender's Google
Profile picture and name), which if clicked will take users to the URL
shared in a new tab.
Most notably, once installed (and with the
Chrome browser open) the Google Tone extension will turn on the
microphone and keep it on. The only way to turn it off is to close the
browser, or turn off the extension via browser settings.
Google
also notes that the URL being shared is temporarily stored on Google's
servers, and adds the extension collects anonymous usage data in
accordance with the firm's privacy policy.
Elaborating on the
security of the experimental Google Tone extension, the Mountain View
giant said, "Google Tone only broadcasts URLs, so recipients do not
automatically gain access to a page to which they wouldn't ordinarily
have access. If you broadcast your Gmail inbox URL, for example,
recipients who click on the Google Tone notification will be prompted to
log in to their Gmail. However, Google Tone broadcasts are public by
design, so it's best not to use them to exchange confidential
information."
The company adds that Google Tone may not work in
loud environments, across large distances, over poor Internet
connections, or on machines without microphones or with incompatible
microphones.
We tried the extension, and it worked fine between
two Windows laptops. Did it work for you as well? Let us know your usage
experience in the comments section below.
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