Almost two years ago, I wrote a post about a new device called the Mosquito. Believe it or not, it's a gizmo that was specially designed to produce sounds that only young people can hear. Back then, some were concerned that teens might use the technology to their advantage by smuggling cell phones into their classrooms.
But now the Mosquito has been adopted by the forces of evil! (Or just cranky older people.) Shopping centers in Britain are using the device to keep gangs of teenagers from congregating. They've programmed the Mosquito to emit "an irritating but harmless high-pitched ringing sound at a frequency which is audible to children and teenagers, but which most people lose the ability to hear in their early 20s."
It's a Reverse Pied Piper for teens!
Granted, I wouldn't want to spend too much time around the guys shown in this article. (Particularly the one making the charming hand gesture.) But the Mosquito doesn't just annoy jerks. It can be heard by ANYONE under the age of 20.
Now that doesn't seem fair, does it?
Illustration by Damien Mason.
9 comments:
That could come in quite handy.
oh darn. I wish I knew how to put ringtones on my phone [mwahahahaa] but I'm pretty sure you can't even do that on my crappy phone :P lol.
I heard about that in my composition class, and some of my classmates have been to England, they siad that it was HORRIBLE and it HURT to get near. btw- a kid at my shcool has a Mosquito ring tone, it's just annoying.
I KNOW! I heard about that at the Boston MOS! EVIL!
Though I have discovered my 'wonderful' thing about meself; technology hates me. mY computer is crappy when I'm at the keyboard, the phone echoes (only when I am on the line!), and the T.V. is an unfortunate mess.
Better not get stuck in England. Chances are, I would walk into a store and the whole Mosquito system would turn against me.
mosquitoescan be evil, especially to me:(
Now techno mossies. What more will the world come up with next?
P.S: At my school we have to do a personal project on a topic of our own choice. It takes a whole semester! I want to do something fun. So I was thinking to do underground cities.But I'm kinda not sure...Is it ok with you Ananka? [sorry for xtra long post:( ]
I heard about that! Hazel told me about the grocery store part. Then someone else I know said someone in their youth group has a ring tone like that.
Ooh. I've done that before...after that semester I never wanted to see another IP address again!...oops. Not to burst anyone's bubble :P
But underground cities actually sounds interesting, although you might have trouble finding sources on them. Of course, I'm pretty sure Ananka could help you out a lot on that one!
i would love that ring tone
If you know it's there, can you hear it? One of my friends was making weird whistling noises with a pen cap (don't ask; I'm not entirely sure how he did it) and my teacher couldn't hear it until we pointed it out to her, but then she could hear it. Maybe you have to think about it, if you're over 20 or whatever.
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