Mankind has been learning from other creatures dwelling on Earth for centuries. One of the seemingly less important creatures, the mosquito, apparently has a lot to offer the mobile phone industry. We'll agree that no one likes a mosquito's company, but vast amounts of teens around the world are now appreciating their abilities.



How an Ultrasonic Ringtone Works: There are few things in life that are more annoying than the high-pitched wail of a mosquito buzzing around one's ear. It's this kind of truth that made developers wonder if this type of mere annoyance could be adapted for use in today's society.

Researchers succeeded when they produced the aptly named mosquito device, which was used to repel youngsters from loitering around shops in the United Kingdom. But what really makes the technology work is the fact that the annoying sound falls on deaf ears to anyone over a certain age. While adults may not hear the screaming wail of the mosquito, most youngsters will.

But the fight wasn't over for the teens. They took this technology and incorporated it into mobile phones as a way to produce the ultimate ringtone. Previously, students and employees had to simply run the risk of being caught with a mobile phone or turn it on silent. Now students may use the silent ringtone for notifications of text messages and calls- all while the instructor teaches class as if nothing had happened.

Why Ultrasonic Ringtones Work: So why don't adults hear these sounds? We can attribute this anomaly to what is called Presbycusis. This simply describes the process of hearing loss as adults grow older. Mostly this phenomenon only affects high-pitch frequencies, so lower pitched frequencies can still be heard without trouble.

The ultrasonic ringtone would, then, have to operate at a rather high frequency- although not high enough so that the younger teens couldn't hear it. It has been found that a frequency of around 17 kHz works the best- although don't be surprised if some adults do indeed hear the sound; not everyone falls victim to Presbycusis quite the same way.

But don't fret; statistics show that those who are over the age of 20 have a poor chance of hearing the tone, while those who are over the age of 30 will almost never hear this frequency. And since most school teachers are usually fairly healthy in age, students around the world are using the ringtone with much success.

Tactics in Concealing Secret Ringtones: The only downfall to the perfect scheme: the frequency is still quite annoying. Don't be surprised if other employees and classmates become annoyed with your presence. This downfall can be circumvented through concealing the frequency to a certain extent.

The problem with the mosquito ringtone is that setting the volume just right can be a little tricky. Many mobile phones have rather loud default sound settings- making the ringtone less secret than one would like. The good thing about high frequencies, however, is that they don't carry as far as lower frequencies.

This means that if one was to seclude him or himself, the problem of annoying others with the mosquito ringtone is less of a problem. Muffling the mobile phone's speaker is also effective in keeping the silent ringtone secret.

If all else fails- convert all of your peers to the mosquito ringtone movement; they'll be joining teens around the world in the fight for easy mobile phone use at work in school.