Arabnet Arabnet

“Let's teach the machines to sing” is the first thing you’ll see when you land on Chirp’s homepage. This may sound outrageous, but it is literally what the company is trying to do. Chirp wants to utilize sound to transmit data from one device to another, be it pictures, text or links.

Chirp “sings information from one phone to another.” It is exactly like a QR code, except it is made of sound instead of a picture. It serves the same purpose as NFC or Bluetooth. Could it one day replace any of them?

The app requires a network connection to work. Naturally, the receiver needs to have the app installed and open. Once you open the app, you get a list of items and activities: your latest sent file, a link to the Chirp blog, instructions on how to use the app, etc. At the bottom bar, you get an info button on the left side, a close button on the right side that allows you to dismiss any of the items from the list, and a plus sign at the middle. The plus sign is where you go to send things. At the top, next to the Chirp logo, you can see an oscillating line that shows the app listening.

The chirp works exactly like a QR code. The burst of sound, which sounds half-bird half-robot, acts as an audible data link. If you were to send a picture, the app will upload it and then give you the options to chirp it with a big yellow button. The chirp is the QR code. Once a nearby device hears it, it will download the file.

The app originally launched for iPhone back in July of 2012, but an Android compatible version has been released recently. It will only work for devices running 2.3.3 and up with a 1 Ghz dual core processor or more though.

The creators claim that the Chirp was designed to work at low volumes in noisy places like pubs, workplaces or busy streets, and to be reliable over short ranges.

Where does it stand?

As we have already mentioned, the app is already up against a number of other technologies, some of which are more established yet still struggle, but the creators believe that their medium is flexible enough to have multiple applications.

According to the press release, “Chirp can be applied in many new places. Data can be sent from anything that makes sound - including radios, TV’s, PA systems... or even doorbells.”

The fact that the app needs to be open to work - or listen to chirps - is certainly a hindrance in this regard though, but maybe things could change. Perhaps the developers could make the app run in the background, and perhaps, if devices that constantly listen, like the Moto X, kick off, the app could have a great future. The company already offers APIs, allowing third parties to develop both related software and hardware.

"Today Chirp is an app, but tomorrow Chirp will become a platform for other people to make new kinds of communication app. We want to enable data transfer between many kinds of simple device, using all kinds of sound. Our mission is this: to teach the machines to sing." Patrick Bergel, CEO.