Mosquito plan backfires

I saw a story on CTV News the other day about the Mosquito. No, not the West Nile carrying, blood sucking kind, but one almost as annoying. A Welsh security company invented a device called the Mosquito (a.k.a. Chavbuster) that was meant to be used as an "ultrasonic teenager repellent". They were exploiting the fact that as we age we tend to lose the upper range of our hearing (presbycusis). The 17 kHz sound the device produced was meant to be both audible and irritating to young people, but undetectible to adults. The idea was to play this sound in areas that adults didn't want kids loitering in (the magazine rack at the corner store springs to mind.) It seemed to work, but then one Welsh student decided to use it as a ringtone. The objective was to be able to leave cell phones on in class without the teacher knowing. The ringtone was passed from friend to friend, and finally to the Internet. Then the Welsh company that invented the sound noticed what was going on, and put out its own ringtone. Although the Mosquito ringtone download has become very popular, it has had mixed results. The New York Times reported that Miss Musorofiti's students (at Roslyn H.S., Long Island) were dismayed when a Mosquito loaded cell phone buzzed and the 28 year old teacher could hear it. She dashed their hopes and had the students switch off their phones.

I've listened to a number of the tones downloaded off the Internet, and I must report that my Madonna-aged ears can hear them. That's right. I, who witnessed the original moon landing and remember the day that JFK was shot, can still hear the "Teen Buzz." This means that when you go to the library your cell phone will still have to remain off.

Can you hear it now?