aqua fortis

Monday, June 19, 2006

Welsh Ring Tone Pleases Teenagers, Destroys Eardrums

Have you heard about the ring tone that only teenagers and kids (and people with good hearing) can hear? According to the New York Times, a Welsh company originally developed the sound as a kind of equivalent to those sonic dog or insect zappers, only it was meant to drive away teenagers who were loitering outside their business. Boy, did that backfire. Anyway, it's pitched at a frequency that many adults lose as they get past, oh, their twenties. Rob and I both have very good hearing, though, especially Rob--he can hear almost any ultrasonic bug or dog device and they drive him absolutely bonkers if he's within hearing range. I hear those devices occasionally. But we both heard the ring tone, and I have to say, I now have a headache. Diolch yn fawr iawn (thanks a lot, for those don't speak Welsh).

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can hear it too! I already had a headache going into it, but it's definitely an obnoxious sound!

Seren said...

You know that when the designers said they meant it to repel "mosquitoes," they totally meant "the English." (But then maybe that's my "Keep Wales clean; throw your litter on England" t-shirt thinking for me.)