Android smartphone becomes a listening device. Free Technical Library News

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Android smartphone becomes a listening device

23.08.2014

Scientists from Stanford University and the Rafael National Research and Modeling Center in Israel have come up with a way to turn almost any smartphone into a listening device. They suggested that the removal of sound vibrations be carried out not with the help of a microphone, but with the help of a part of a smartphone, the thought of which occurs last - a gyroscope.

A gyroscope is a sensor that allows you to mark the position of the smartphone in space. Modern smartphones use MEMS gyroscopes - which are an electronic version of a vibrating gyroscope. The range of their tasks is wide: it is the control in games by tilting the device, the operation of the optical stabilization system in cameras, and the rotation of the image on the screen when the position of the device itself changes.

The researchers found that the sensitivity of gyroscopes installed in smartphones is sufficient to be used to record sound vibrations. Moreover, the access of applications to this sensor is not limited in any way - the user does not even need to ask permission for this.

Scientists have written an Android application that connects to a smartphone's gyroscope and records sound vibrations. And complementary PC software - recorded vibrations are uploaded to it to recognize human speech in these vibrations.

The solution is able to correctly recognize up to 65% of the numbers spoken by the same person in the same room and determine their gender with an accuracy of up to 84%, as well as recognize the intonation of five separate interlocutors in the room. One of the members of the research team Dan Boneh (Dan Boneh) argues that recognition accuracy can be improved if you continue to work on the software.

The researchers managed to achieve these results on smartphones running Android. The fact is that this operating system reads a signal from the gyroscope with a frequency of up to 200 Hz, which is more than half the frequency interval of the human voice (80-250 Hz). With the iPhone, the situation is different - the Apple iOS operating system uses a frequency only up to 100 Hz, which significantly reduces the quality of recognition.

Researchers have not yet learned to recognize speech. "We will be able to isolate a few words from the phrase. This is clearly not enough for wiretapping. But our goal was not to create a listening device - we just wanted to show that it is theoretically possible to do this in such an unusual way," Bonet said. The team is set to give a talk next week at the Usenix conference, which has a committee that includes Google employees.

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Toshiba Canvio Alu Portable Drive 26.08.2014

Toshiba's European Storage Peripherals (TEG) division announced the launch of the new Canvio Alu USB 3.0 portable high-speed drive. The novelty is designed to save users from worrying about the safety of data - a durable aluminum case and automatic backup function will take care of this, Toshiba told CNews. In addition, the Canvio Alu is equipped with a built-in shock sensor and supports ramp loading technology, which reduces the risk of data corruption due to shocks or drops.

The Canvio Alu will be available in black and silver. Style and massive capacity (up to 2TB) make it the perfect companion for travel, school, home or anywhere else. The whole device is maximum 230g.

Support for the intuitive NTI software solution allows Canvio Alu to automatically back up data and restore up to 2TB of data if needed. NTI constantly scans the folders and files on the drive, offering an easy, customizable way to store exactly the information the user needs. In addition, using the program, you can set up an automatic backup schedule. The Canvio Alu has a high-speed USB 3.0 interface and is compatible with previous generation USB 2.0 ports.

"In today's information-driven world, consumers need storage solutions that combine cutting-edge design, reliability and speed. Canvio Alu drives have been designed to combine functionality and aesthetics, providing the user with a means to store and protect important information. ", - said Arnaud Bonvarlet (Arnaud Bonvarlet), general manager of data storage department of the European division of Toshiba.

The Canvio Alu will begin shipping in September at MSRPs of $70 for the 500GB model, $90 for the 1TB model, and $145 for the 2TB model. All models are supplied in a compact aluminum case.

The drive will be compatible with Microsoft Windows 8.1, 8 and 7 operating systems and will have a maximum data transfer rate of 5 Gb/s. In addition, HFS+ formatting will be supported for use with Apple products. All drives come with a two-year limited warranty.

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