Teen Buzz, A Ring Tone That Only Teens Can Hear!

[Kris Kumar]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=14031&in_page_id=2' target='_blank'>http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=14031&in_page_id=2</a><br /><br /></div><i>"A high-pitched alarm which cannot be heard by adults has been hijacked by schoolchildren to create ringtones so they can get away with using phones in class. Techno-savvy pupils have adapted the Mosquito alarm, used to drive teenage gangs away from shopping centres. The alarm, which has been praised by police, is highly effective because its ultra-high sound can be heard only by youths but not by most people over 20. Schoolchildren have recorded the sound, which they named Teen Buzz, and spread it from phone to phone via text messages and Bluetooth technology. Now they can receive calls and texts during lessons without teachers having the faintest idea what is going on."</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Kris-May06-mosquito.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br /><br />Recently while listening to the <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5434687">NPR news,</a> I heard about this amazing invention called the <a href="http://www.compoundsecurity.co.uk/questions.html">"Mosquito."</a> Believe it or not, this invention <i>repels</i> teenagers using a very high ultra-sonic tone that only teenagers can hear, and find annoying. 8O Adults, especially those over the age of 30, cannot hear it and I checked it out myself. :) Even more amazing aspect of this invention is that the teenagers have turned this concept around in their favour, they are using it as their cell phone ring tone. Now thanks to the Mosquito invention, the teachers have no idea when their students receive a text message. Now that's smart!

[encece]

Anyone have a link to that WAV file?

[Rocco Augusto]

Anyone have a link to that WAV file?

direct download of the mp3 version of the ringtone can be found here (http://static.orgday.org/orgday/Teen%20Buzz.mp3).

you can also listen to it, if you do not want to download it, here (http://blog.orgday.org/2006/05/25/teen-buzz) at orange days (http://blog.orgday.org)

from what i read, from various sites, the actual Mosquito tone was created in the 17KHz frequency and the "Teen Buzz" ringtone was craeted in the 14.4Khz frequency so adults can hear it, they just have to be within a meter of the device. teenagers can hear it from greater distances.

word of caution. if listening to it dont turn your volume up to 100% in WMP. i almiost blew my speakers out. if you leave your phone at around 70-80% in WMP you can barely hear it. im waiting till i find some teenagers so i can play it to see what they do ;)

[Kris Kumar]

Anyone have a link to that WAV file?

NPR news story has a link for the Teen Buzz.

[Mike Temporale]

Yeah, I don't buy it. I can hear the sound just fine. Just another scam, IMHO.

[SnozBerries]

I read about this Mosquito sound and understand it requires a speaker which is capable of playing the high frequency sound. My headphones didn't work, but my desktop speakers did. Makes me wonder of the speakers in cell phones are really that good - I kind of doubt it. Playing MP3's on my cell phone doesn't sound very good.

[Rocco Augusto]

Yeah, I don't buy it. I can hear the sound just fine. Just another scam, IMHO.

the one from npr i could hear just fine. i played it for a customer in their 30's and if heard it too. the one i posted though i could not hear until i turned my speakers up and they sounded like they were gonna pop/blow out.

im still waiting till i find a random unsuspecting teenager to test it out on. :lol:

[Kris Kumar]

So what kind of sound are you hearing? Is it screetch-screetch, beep-beep, tweet-tweet or chirp-chirp? :)

[vincenzosi]

I hear it perfectly. I'm 30!

It sounds like the silent hiss you get when a tv is turned on in your presence. You know the "sound" I'm talking about it. The way you know a TV is on even when it's silent and you didn't see it come on?

That one.

[encece]

Thanks for the link. On my phone...I hear it just fine at 80% volume. Gets distirted at higher volumes.

On the PC...it a clear high pitched tone but at a VERY low volume, even with my speakers all the way up.

I need to test this out on my son tomorrow morning to see at what levels he hears it. But I'm hoping at 38, I'm not as old as I thought I was! :)

[Kris Kumar]

Guys, if you have to turn the volume all the way up, then something is not right. Because at high volume even without anything playing you can get hiss and noise from your speakers. ;-)

Plus I am not sure if the ring tone is the accurate rendition of the Mosquito's sound.

The reason why I am saying that is because the Mosquito (not the ringtone, but the original invention) seems to have had a lot of success in the UK.

[encece]

Not my speakers....built in Harman/Kardons. With the volume all of teh way up...I hear nothing. The file definitely plays a faint high pitched sound. Whether it is the right one is in question I guess.

But the phone does not play the file correctly...too much speaker distortion or the inability of the phone to play the frequency.

[Mike Temporale]

But the phone does not play the file correctly...too much speaker distortion or the inability of the phone to play the frequency.

Chances are the speakers in the phone can't handle the frequency required. I was looking around the imate site, but I don't see any mention of the frequency range of the speakers in your phone. :(

[encece]

CRAZY!
I tested it on my 6 year old son today, with his back turned and about 10 feet away from the PC. I could NOT hear the sound at all. But he said it was LOUD. He knew when I stopped the sound and when I started it again. I am now a believer. :)

[OptimusRhyme]

I can hear it just fine at a low volume on my PC speakers. It's annoying as hell and I can understand why it would be a success.

I'll have to save it so I can play it for some kids, see if they hear it differently.

[kcwester]

As a high school teacher all I can say is NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! We have enough to deal with on cell phones as it is. We watch students constantly when taking tests, etc. as they (some) try and take pictures of test problems and text message answers. That is in addition to playing games, and having them go off in the classroom. The school rule is off-students don't know that off and vibrate don't mean the same thing!

[OSUKid7]

It sounds like the silent hiss you get when a tv is turned on in your presence. You know the "sound" I'm talking about it. The way you know a TV is on even when it's silent and you didn't see it come on?

That one.
Yeah, that's exactly what I thought it sounded like. I could hear it, but I'm not sure I would be able to tell if it were my phone, or just a TV coming on. :lol: My parents never understand when I tell them the TV's on in the other room... yet the cable box is off.

[Mark Kenepp]

I couldn't hear it but it sure made my ears hurt. Almost like my head was all stuffed up and ready to explode.

Anyone else here "feel" it without hearing it?

[ctmagnus]

I couldn't hear it but it sure made my ears hurt. Almost like my head was all stuffed up and ready to explode.

Anyone else here "feel" it without hearing it?

I was unable to hear or feel the sound, but your description is exactly the effect the one bathroom fan here has on me.

[ghostppc]

It sounds like the silent hiss you get when a tv is turned on in your presence. You know the "sound" I'm talking about it. The way you know a TV is on even when it's silent and you didn't see it come on?

That one.
Yeah, that's exactly what I thought it sounded like. I could hear it, but I'm not sure I would be able to tell if it were my phone, or just a TV coming on. :lol: My parents never understand when I tell them the TV's on in the other room... yet the cable box is off.

heard the same thing - that low ringing hum of a tv switched on, or a small floresent light.

[Ryan Joseph]

I'm 22 and I could hear it just fine. It was exactly like the TV sound, as someone mentioned earlier. But here's the thing...I could hear it, but it didn't bother me.

I just played it for my teenage sister and she flipped out. She said it was painful and backed out of the room. She knew exactly when I stopped it. It was crazy.

So I think there's a difference between just being able to hear it, and really being able to hear it, if that makes any sense. :wink:

[billcalle]

This is awesome! I'm 40 and played on my phone I can't hear it at all (2125) unless I crank it up to full blast in which case it is so distorted that it looses all of its character. Played on my computer (simple Dell laptop) I can only hear something if I crank it up about 80% or more. But even then all I'm hearing are harmonics. Played for my 14 and 16 year old children, they go crazy. I tried it at dinner on the cellphone at about 75% without there knowing that I was doing it (cellphone in my lap) and they both covered there ears up and started going "ah, ah, what's that, stop it". Played on my laptop as noted above, my kids can't tolerate standing within about 15 feet and my son is particularly sensitive to it saying it really hurts his ears. Boy, growing old is crazy!

[yoos]

THis is weird stuff... thanks for posting it!!

I can't here the sound at all (I'm 32) and my friends at work can't here it either (all older than me). It does make my head hurt a little though, which is strange. A friend I sent it to (31) said it was killing his ears.

I found this other zip file with several sounds on some other site talking about this.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0XJENM4F

I can hear every one of these sounds in here, but a friend at work can only here the files with a 2 in the name, not the 1 ones, which are a higher frequency.

It's funny about the posts comparing it to a TV. I was talking to people at work about that saying I can tell if a TV is on in a house as soon as I walk in, even if the volume was off. They thought I was crazy. I assumed everyone can tell that so that was interesting too...

[blazinmami249]

THis is weird stuff... thanks for posting it!!

I can't here the sound at all (I'm 32) and my friends at work can't here it either (all older than me). It does make my head hurt a little though, which is strange. A friend I sent it to (31) said it was killing his ears.

I found this other zip file with several sounds on some other site talking about this.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0XJENM4F

I can hear every one of these sounds in here, but a friend at work can only here the files with a 2 in the name, not the 1 ones, which are a higher frequency.

It's funny about the posts comparing it to a TV. I was talking to people at work about that saying I can tell if a TV is on in a house as soon as I walk in, even if the volume was off. They thought I was crazy. I assumed everyone can tell that so that was interesting too...

i downloaded this and they all pierce through my ears.. my lil 11 year old brother can b in the other side of the house and i hear him scream everytime i put it on without him knowin... then i let my grandpa hear it and he couldnt hear nethin while my brother and i r here with pain

[yoos]

ha!

[alexn817]

I'm a freshman in high school
I can hear it fine on my computer, but on my phone its audible to everyone, not sure about my computer.
Edit: On my computer I can hear it and my parents can't, but its not that annoying to me

[marnold00]

Studies over 20 years ago found that high frequency sound in a confined space can cause severe headaches, even for people that aren't aware of the sound because the frequency is above their threshold of hearing. Some of the early security motion sensors used in department stores emitted a powerful ultrasonic tone, and after these were installed, some employees started complaining of headaches at work. This undesired side-effect helped to make infrared motion sensors the industry standard. The company that markets the Mosquito appears to have not done their homework, because even though most adults can't actually hear the sound, they may still suffer side effects anyway.

[skippy2590]

Alright I'm a teenager, so I wanted to see what all the fuss is about...

and YES, I can hear it. It is quite possibly the most god awful sound ever- I listened to it 5 minutes ago and my ears are still ringing...eew. I dont know why people would use that as a ringtone- vibrating is MUCH less annoying... plus, if you used it in class, the other teens would be able to hear it and it would distract them too. It WOULD be a really good anti-teenager weapon though, but the sound is so terrible I urge you to refrain from being so cruel...
~skippy

[klezmertronic]

hi,

i found a free download of the teen buzz-ringtone on this wap page http://wap.248.ch/real_lang-en_ps-g.iwml?q=jncyw245mubn4e45vokr0tbo
just type in "teenbuzz" in the search box, and you'll have it on your mobile. only works for mp3-capable mobiles though!

[geggysteww2k6]

I’m 29 yrs old, and I could not hear the tone. So, I downloaded the file and burned it on a cd. Then I used my cd player to feed it back into my pc into the program “Cakewalk” It definitely showed up there, and I could here it.

And to all you teens I am jealous, because I was the type of person who use to be able to walk past a house on the sidewalk and be able to tell which houses had their tv’s on, and none of my friends knew what I was talking about, but there would be this low pitch hum, I can still do it most of the time, but this one got me.

and here is a cool link too, check out this software www.realbizzopponline.com

[marnold00]

geggysteww2k6, the sound you probably heard going past houses was caused the the high-voltage circuitry in the set. Newer TVs have circuitry that doesn't generate the high-pitched sound, and Projection, LCD and Plasma TVs do not even have high-voltage circuitry. But one thing you might hear today instead is the subwoofer, which even the 50+ crowd can still hear!

[xfceslacker]

I found a site with a collection of the mosquito files at http://anti.mosquito.googlepages.com/download

[Rocco Augusto]

woohoo! i finally found an unsuspecting little person to try this out on. sure enough they could hear it and begged me to stop. all inm all, im keeping this fro when those rascals get out of hand ;)