40 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown
40 lines
2.4 KiB
Markdown
# Cuttle, a flasher with a message
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Cuttle is a desktop application for transfering data from one computer to another by displaying a
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[possibly endless] stream of [QR encoded](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code) [Raptor
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codes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raptor_code), so that a camera-equipped different computer can
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read the QR codes and turn them back into the original content.
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## Tell me more!
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Raptor codes are a type of [fountain code](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_code); fountain
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codes are a way to encode data as a stream of error-correcting pieces of that data; as long as you
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can read some number of pieces, you can reconstruct the original data. They're named like that
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because you can think of them as like a fountain of water that is just pouring out. Anyone can come
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drink from it, and then they'll have the water. So something can just be transmitting fountain codes
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and not care if anyone is receiving, and receivers don't have to worry about missing something they
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needed; they're guaranteed to get everything they need as long as they listen long enough. I think
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that's pretty cool!
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So the idea here is to give it a file (or short string of text) that you want transferred to a
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different computer (like a mobile phone running a little companion app), and it will start producing
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Raptor codes for that file. Each piece of Raptor code then gets encoded as a QR code, and then
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displayed for a period of time on the screen. The user then holds up the receiving computer's camera
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in order to receive the QR encoded raptor codes, and, *voila*, the file has been transferred!
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# Current status
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The desktop transmitting application is nearly done; already it can convert text input into QR codes
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(either a single static one if the data is small enough, otherwise it will stream a never ending
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loop of them), and the mobile app has been started. Even without the mobile app, it's still
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already useful for transmitting short text strings to the phone, since the Android camera app will
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decode any detected QR codes.
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The mobile app has been started, and I hope to have it decoding QR streams soon!
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# about the name
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[Cuttlefish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuttlefish) are small but very intelligent cephalopods
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whose bodies are covered in a 15hz multi-color, multi-polarity, pixel-mapped display that they use
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to visually communicate with other cuttlefish, as well as to dazzle predators and prey.
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