Adult-Proof Ringtones
Status: Undetermined
I've received quite a few emails about this. A British paper, metro.co.uk, reports that resourceful teenagers have devised a way to make the ringing of their cellphones inaudible to adults. The trick is that they've recorded the sound of the Mosquito, which is a device that emits ultrasonic tones inaudible to most people over the age of twenty-five, but quite audible, and rather annoying, to people under the age of 25: Techno-savvy pupils have adapted the Mosquito alarm, used to drive teenage gangs away from shopping centres. They can receive calls and texts during lessons without teachers having the faintest idea what is going on. The alarm, which has been praised by police, is highly effective because its ultra-high sound can be heard only by youths but not by most people over 20. Schoolchildren have recorded the sound, which they named Teen Buzz, and spread it from phone to phone via text messages and Bluetooth technology. Now they can receive calls and texts during lessons without teachers having the faintest idea what is going on.
Can this be real? Well, the Mosquito is real enough (I posted about it back in November 2005), and it is true that young people can usually hear higher frequencies than older people because we lose the ability to hear high frequencies as we age. The question is whether cellphone speakers can generate these ultrasonic frequencies. Boing Boing posts a comment from one of their readers who swears that cellphone speakers would not be able to do this. However, another reader links to an article that contains an mp3 recording of the Mosquito sound. (When I listen to it I can't hear any high-pitched noise, just a bunch of street noise.) So if computer speakers can generate these frequencies, perhaps some high-end cellphone speakers also can. Seems plausible. In other words, I'm not yet willing to label this story as a hoax or false rumor, even though it does seem to be a bit far-fetched.
Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
Page 2 of 8 pages < 1 2 3 4 > Last »
I can hear it fine (I'm 15). I don't think that would deter many criminals, though. Sounds like something that you'd just tune out after awhile.
Posted by Lord Tici Taci on Fri May 26, 2006 at 12:06 PM
Anyone know anywhere where the sound can be downloaded without the background noise? I've definitely heard it before on it's own...
Posted by Alun in Wales, UK on Fri May 26, 2006 at 12:49 PM
I'm 36 and I could hear it clearly through my no-name speakers. It was an annoying pulsating sort of sound. My dog in the other room started barking when I played it and ran in here to see what it was, even though it wasn't turned up particularly loud - same volume as the music I had just been listening to. I do have good hearing in the higher ranges though, and can always hear if the TV has been left on on a blank screen (like after we turn the DVD player off but leave the TV on the aux in channel), from the high pitched hum it makes. My husband can't hear it at all (the TV or the MP3 noise).
Posted by Kristen55 in Seattle on Fri May 26, 2006 at 01:07 PM
I'm 13 and I can't hear a damn thing... should this be worrying?
Posted by Daisy on Fri May 26, 2006 at 03:15 PM
I can'thear it, but my six year old immediatel asked what the 'sqeakig' noise was.
Posted by Jennifer Emick on Fri May 26, 2006 at 03:29 PM
I am 23 and can hear the annoying high pitched tone... My ten year old niece came out of the back bedroom when it played and said "What's that noise?" and my newborn son perked up and then started to fuss. I guess it's true that the younger you are the better you hear.
Posted by Franky in Michigan on Fri May 26, 2006 at 03:41 PM
I'm 18 and I can hear it loudly and I can't even listen to the whole track because it hurts my ears so much. Yikes. That IS quite possibly the most annoying thing ever.
Posted by Harrison on Fri May 26, 2006 at 04:05 PM
Ugh. I am a teen and I can hear it. That would make the worst ringtone ever. Besides, most of my teachers are in their 20s.
Posted by someone on Fri May 26, 2006 at 05:04 PM
I'm 18 and I could hear it plainly. It didn't annoy me too much but since I've heard it the back of my skull has a weird tingling feeling. But if I heard this in public I think I'd go insane trying to find out where it was coming from.
Posted by Soldant in Australia on Fri May 26, 2006 at 07:50 PM
I'm 25 and I believe I heard it based on the descriptions... a light chirping noise that can give you headache... but it was faint. Now can someone explain exactly why we're supposed to lose the ability to hear high pitched sounds as we age?
Posted by Shadow Fraggle on Fri May 26, 2006 at 08:24 PM
i'm 25, and i can hear it. It fades in and out, but it does not cause headache to me(listened to it for 5 minutes now) and infact does not really annoy me even!
Posted by frank on Sat May 27, 2006 at 12:46 AM
This is a spectrogram of the tone in it.
I am 36 and hear it without trouble when I somewhat turn up the speaker volume. A very high-pitched, somewhat chirping tone.
And I too am able to hear bats by the way.
Posted by LaMa in Europe on Sat May 27, 2006 at 01:50 AM
I'm 26, but I can hear the Mosquito in the mp3, although barely.
This worries me that people like me who have full time jobs and never hang in gangs and work for a living will be chased away from places that we have a right to be in.
At any rate, since some phones have sound system intended to play back mp3's then there is no reason whatsoever why it cannot be used as a ringtone.
Of course since some teachers are around my age, those using it in this manner are likely to be caught, sooner or later.
Posted by catwhowalksbyhimself on Sat May 27, 2006 at 04:37 AM
This worries me that people like me who have full time jobs and never hang in gangs and work for a living will be chased away from places that we have a right to be in.
At any rate, since some phones have sound system intended to play back mp3's then there is no reason whatsoever why it cannot be used as a ringtone.
Of course since some teachers are around my age, those using it in this manner are likely to be caught, sooner or later.
I'm 36 and I couldn't hear a thing, untill i turnedth bass right down (all the way) and the treble right up (all the way). Then i could just make out a very very high pitched squeak that was annoying. I've got good gear so i am unsure if this would come through on a phone. Certainly would such that I could hear it anyway 
Posted by Bern in Sydney on Sat May 27, 2006 at 06:54 AM
I could hear it plainly on my speakers...an annoying pulsating sort of ringing in my ears. I'm 39, so I'm pleasantly surprised.
Posted by Jaber in Atlanta GA on Sat May 27, 2006 at 04:18 PM
I'm 32 and I can hear it. It is quite annoying and I don't know if I'd ever hear it if the cell phone was in my pocket.
Sounds just like my old cheapy TV set.
Even now after I've turned off the MP3 my ears are still ringing.
Posted by Simon in PEI on Sat May 27, 2006 at 04:39 PM
Sounds just like my old cheapy TV set.
Even now after I've turned off the MP3 my ears are still ringing.
i am 36 and i could not hear anything but static and laughter with a clanging noise in the background. my daughter who is almost 4, couldn't hear anything other than that, either. my dog, who is 5, didn't even prick up his ears.
not that i don't believe you all, but probably my speakers just couldn't handle it. they are crap.
Posted by thephrog in CA USA on Sat May 27, 2006 at 04:53 PM
not that i don't believe you all, but probably my speakers just couldn't handle it. they are crap.
I can hear it chrystal clear and it drives my dog crazy. I am a legally blind individual though so my hearing is very adapted. I often get headaches fromt he soun of security alarms, light systems, etc. in stores.
Posted by tim on Sat May 27, 2006 at 08:41 PM
OMG! That is SERIOUSLY annoying!
I'm 18 and i've got some seriously good hearing, regardless of the fact that i blast my music-etc.
I'd have to say though, if someone played that tone in a confined space and i couldn't switch it off, i'd go insane pretty darn quick. It's so darn hi-pitched!
I need to clean up the audio file a bit but i'm thinking about using this to deter yobs from my local stores whenever i go to pick up the paper or something. It'd be good to use if i had some headphones or earplugs to block the sound out with.
Methinks it's time for a little mayhem! :D
Posted by NJ in London on Sat May 27, 2006 at 09:43 PM
I'm 18 and i've got some seriously good hearing, regardless of the fact that i blast my music-etc.
I'd have to say though, if someone played that tone in a confined space and i couldn't switch it off, i'd go insane pretty darn quick. It's so darn hi-pitched!
I need to clean up the audio file a bit but i'm thinking about using this to deter yobs from my local stores whenever i go to pick up the paper or something. It'd be good to use if i had some headphones or earplugs to block the sound out with.
Methinks it's time for a little mayhem! :D
Page 2 of 8 pages < 1 2 3 4 > Last »