I think we all have mobile devices now - even the kids I know have cell phones and the high schoolers have PDAs. Looking for a way to protect your handheld investment?

No, I’m not talking about the 3-year warranty plan they’ll try to sell you. I’m talking about MOBIGRIPS! 

Mobigrips are little plastic stick-on pieces about the size of 4 quarters stacked high. They stick to your device - be it phone, PDA, ipod or whatever - and there is an attached band, almost like a ponytail band, that loops around your finger.

The thought process here is that when you are using your device you’ll be less likely to drop it if it is tethered to your hand.

Mobigrips are small and comfortable. I enjoy mine when running, because as a female outside alone I always run with a cell phone, and my Mobigrip eliminates my fear of dropping the phone. It’s also great if you are someone who uses your phone to take photos a lot. The Mobigrip will help you stabilize your device.

They come in fun colors, patterns, white to blend in with your i-device, or you can UPLOAD a PHOTO for a custom Mobigrip!

Too cool. Very convenient. And they really do stay in place. Check them out at mobigrips.com. (Still under $10 + shipping.)

“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.