Google does not intend to slow down the pace of development of new technologies, especially those applicable to mobile electronics. In this issue of the Gazebo, we will get acquainted with two projects of the company – a sensor for gesture control of devices and a mini-computer on a microSD card, which 'takes care' of the security of the owner's correspondence / negotiations.
The new project from the creators of Project Ara (modular smartphones) and Project Tango (3D images on the screen of mobile devices) is called Soli and is a small sensor that recognizes gestures and is equipped with a radar so that we can interact with devices without touching them. a recent experiment could completely change the way we interact with smart technology.
Introduced as part of Google I / O 2015, the Soli is similar in concept to Leap Motion and other gesture controllers. The sensor tracks hand movements and then translates gestures into commands for the device. During the presentation of the sensor at the conference, Ivan Pupyrev, the creator of Soli, demonstrated how the sensor recognizes gestures and allows users to control their smart watches without touching the display. Unlike other camera-based motion controllers, the Soli is equipped with radar to track movements with greater speed and accuracy.
The presence of a radar allows you to recognize the slightest movement and therefore overly zealous, unnatural gestures in front of cameras will become a thing of the past. Also, Soli, due to its very tiny size, can be integrated into any device, be it wearable electronics or any other class of devices. The project will be available to developers who can create applications to use the new technology to the fullest. But Google is in no hurry to announce it yet.
Elir: the idea is great, the main thing is that the technology is used in commercial devices, and not just in a prototype for developers, as is the case with Tango so far.
Moving on to Vault. Nearly a decade ago, Edison, a prototype computer that could fit on a postage stamp SD card, was unveiled. But Google went further and reduced the size. Project Vault is a full-fledged rugged computer that fits into a slot for microSD memory cards. Vault is one of the developments of the ATAP (Advanced Technology and Projects) laboratory, technically it is a computer, but its purpose is not data processing. The Vault project allows users to communicate without using password authentication.
Vault operates on the basis of an ARM processor, the analogues of which are used in smartphones and tablets. The mini-computer is equipped with NFC and antenna and has 4 GB of isolated secure memory, it is based on a custom OS.
In a demonstration of the project, Google showed how two users communicate through smartphones with Vault, which encrypts conversations and passes them through a secure channel. In fact, the conversation does not go directly through the device and therefore the telecom operator does not have access to information.
Google also hopes Vault will be able to encrypt videos in the future. The new project shows how you can use new security measures based on input habits and activity in place of traditional passwords that are easily cracked. ATAP says the new security model is ten times stronger than passwords.
Original materials: 1.2
Elir: An attempt to ensure the security of correspondence / negotiations by means of a slot for memory cards, which Google has long considered the main way for various malware to enter a device, looks somewhat strange. Let's see if the day will actually come when we will abandon the usual authentication in favor of such an innovation.