To transfer data to mobile devices you can use cellular networks, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, relatively recently in the set appeared Nearest contactless communication (NFC), and once actively used infrared. Researchers from the University of Oulu in Finland have come up with another way.
This system is called Pulse and uses a magnetic field sensor - magnetometer - which in modern smartphones used as a digital compass. Transmission rate by Pulse extremely low and is only 40 bits per second, and the radius of action is limited to 2 centimeters. The researchers, however, believe that such deficiencies have their advantages: Pulse, for example, can be used to make payments.
Radius NFC is about 20 centimeters. This means that an attacker will be able to receive the signal and to rob the victim, to get close enough to it, for example, in line at the store or at a cafe. Pulse can protect against unauthorized access to your billing information: NFC system will only after it receives a special code from the terminal, which can be read from a distance of no more than 2 centimeters.
Pulse system involves the transmission of data only in one direction - from the magnetometer to the electromagnet, integrated in the smart phone. The data type is not important: scientists experimented with web addresses, and MIDI-files.