Naratte launches ultrasonic contactless payments

A Californian tech upstart called Naratte is using soundwaves instead of NFC chips to perform secure mobile transactions.

The company has unveiled Zoosh, an app that delivers data using short-distance sound transmissions (at around 20,000Hz). It is said to work with any device loaded with a speaker and microphone.

Zoosh could also be used for transactions between two handsets or handset-and-PC, for secure communications including social transactions, or coupons or codes for a purchase could be sent to a phone as an audio file using MMS.

According to Naratte, almost any phone designed to play MP3 audio files could use Zoosh in some way. It has filed eight patents concerning mobile payments.

Check out the Zoosh demo. ®