Captcha. A new way using SMS and VOICE

Captchas are  challenge-response test used in computing to ensure that the response is not generated by a computer. Captchas exist in many forms, TEXT, Audio, 2D / 3D pictures.  To get past a Captcha one has to either enter the TEXT as seen on a image or click on a 2D / 3D picture.

Now there are new mechanisms that can be used for a Captcha. SMS and VOICE.  In a SMS Captcha the system sends a alphanumeric code via TEXT. Eg: RE45FG9. This code has to be entered on the SMS Captcha screen to get past the check. In case of VOICE a call is made and the code is read out.

Here is a link to demonstrate a SMS / VOICE Captcha.  SMS Captcha

I select, I send

Browsing for information and sharing information on the web has sprouted many companies who act as web favourites, stores urls for you, dig your items, make it delicious and give it a face. All this is assuming that you have an account with digg, facebook, delicious, and other web-data sharing cool ideas. And then you can only share your items with other diggers or facebookers or delicacies !

What about sending a news snippet to my aunt in Greenland, where she is not surrounded by young hip crowd who want to have a facebook account. She has a phone, and she has an email account. So I decide to send her a news article on how the green lands of Greenland are turning into marshy pits because of melting ice. Greenland is turning into mangrove.

So I grab the text from national geographic website and right click to get a context menu, HBMessageToGo. Then a small box opens up and I can choose the method to send this information. I know my aunt might not read email for days, but sending a TEXT message will surely get her attention. No she is not tech savvy, but her son is !! He works as a overnight electrician at a local gas company in Greenland. He plays with volts and amperes !!!

So after sending it, I got a reply via email from my aunt. “And you sent me a TEXT message for this ?. Why could you not just call me up and read it out to me”. I said I will do it the next time. HBMessageToGo has a phone option to send messages. If it had been a tune to a racy greenland native folklore mixed with some rap words she would have loved it.

visit HummingBytes Components, download and install the component and you will have the power to select and send !!!

Web components for quick messaging

Dragging and dropping components to a web page and rendering some functionality is as easy as it can get. Creating rich text boxes, or customized drop downs of images is cool. But what if you can drag and drop a telephony or messaging functionality into your web page? Now that is reaching out of UI to functional space. It is no more a look good component, but a do good component also.

Here is an example of a web component. HBMessageToGo is an easy to use component that has a simple messaging functionality built into it. It can send small pieces of information from the web to any phone, SMS or email address.  It can read out new snippets, audio files, tunes to a phone, or send a shopping cart, greetings, definitions, price of an item as a TEXT message, or even send a long winding article like this to your friend. How about that? All that functionality packed into a small component.  Now dragging and dropping this component on your web page, gives you an interactive edge over others. Your users can decide which mechanism to use to get the information they want.

There is more !!! HBEasySecurity is a security component that offers a simple security feature. “Make sure your users are real people and not bots !!”. How does it do it ? Well, it sends a 3 to 7 character alpha-numeric code to the user’s registered phone, SMS or Email address. User then enters this code on the component to gain access to privileged facts !! Hmmm… Now where would one want something like this ? Registration process, High security web-facts, Web shopping, etc.

There are more components on the way.  HBClickToCall, HBGreetings, HBSongForYou etc. But you will have to wait till the component is done and then I will blog away on it !!!!