“Mosquito Ringtones” are high frequency cell phone ringtones available for download that are being marketed to kids and teens as the ring tones ADULTS CAN’T HEAR.

The premise:

Starting in early middle age, the human ear loses its ability to hear tones in the highest human-range frequencies (18-20 kHz). The older you are, the less likely you are to hear high frequency sounds. Also, more exposure to constant loud noise can make this affect worse. So if you jammed to the Rolling Stones when you were 17, or if you use a jackhammer all day - chances are you’re hearing is worse than mine!

Kids’ & teens’ ear drums are more flexible and their inner ear is more active, so they are capable of hearing higher frequency vibrations of sound. Talk to any audiologist you know and they will explain that natural adult hearing loss is particularly acute at higher frequency ranges.

The history:

The use of “Mosquito” to relate to high frequency sound geared towards specific age groups dates back to 2005 when a British inventor named Howard Stapleton was looking for a way to keep teenagers from loitering outside of shops at night. His product, “The Mosquito”,  was marketed as ultrasonic teenage repellent, similar to the already in use ultrasonic dog repellent. The product blasts a continuous high frequency sound wave (approximately 17.4 kHz), designed to discourage loitering teens from a storefront while leaving adult customers unaffected.

As is true with most good inventions, sooner or later someone used it for something other than its intended purpose. In this case, the high pitched tone has been converted into a sound that is downloadable - a cell phone ringtone that parents and teachers can’t hear - which is aptly named “Teen Buzz”. If you’re lucky, your teenaged daughter’s teacher isn’t 35 yet.

Read about it on NPR or the NY Times here. See if you can hear the ringtones here.

Everyone I know who has a laptop has blogged about the iphone. Everyone I know who does not have a laptop but knows that I live with 3, asks me if I want an iphone.

Personally, I am one of those people who does not buy new technology immediately. Let them work the kinks out before I plunk down my money - I say. By March, updates to the iphone will have already rolled out and the Holiday Season rush will have passed.

I read a list of features people already wish the iphone had, that sadly it does not. These are legitamate features that avid users would want, such as: iPhone doesn’t support Copy/Paste, the iphone does not have direct iTunes access, you can’t edit Word docs from your iphone. I believe iphone will download contacts from a computer, but not from a cell phone. I shutter to think of all the phone #s I have saved in my cell and nowhere else. I could hire a Kelly temp to type those out for me!

The applephoneshow reacted with their own humorous response including: The iPhone will not heat a Cup-o-Noodles. The iPhone is missing a combination radio/toaster.

I’m still using a cell phone to make phone calls, a camera to take pictures and a PC to surf the web. I do not have an all-in-1 device, but my back would probably appreciate me having less to carry around.

Basically, I’m just going to start encouraging my daughters to study Ophthalmology in school. Everything we stare at and type on is becoming hand-held and I’m sure the price of bifocals isn’t going down.