i found a link to that ringtone everyone’s been talking about, the one that kids can hear but adults can’t. apparently kids are using this as their ringtone in schools so they know when they get calls but the teachers don’t.
http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/upload/2006/06/ring.mp3
i was sure with all the loud electronic music i’ve been listening to over the past ten plus years that i would in no way be able to hear this. but… rock on, little eardrums! i can hear it just fine.
let’s just hope they’re all considerate enough to turn it off during movies, still.
June 13th, 2006 at 10:36 am
wow that’s annoying.
June 13th, 2006 at 7:10 pm
Whew! At first I played this through firefox and I couldn’t hear anything…I thought..oh fuck, I’m old. But then I downloaded the mp3 and iTunes opened it and it played and I could hear it! Oh joy! I’m everything I always knew I was!
June 14th, 2006 at 5:59 am
Well, I did some more digging. It turns out that the sound you have a link to is a 14Khz sound. The actual ringtone is a 17Khz sound and can be found here:
http://mmdownload.interoutemediaservices.com/%7Bbc1915ab-648e-4fb8-94ef-12f9747146a7%7D/%7Be416ebc9-c942-446f-a423-52009a21c7ff%7D/teenbuzz.mp3
Sadly, I can’t hear this tone, but I’m trying to find a spectrum analyzer in order to be sure this isn’t a fake.
June 14th, 2006 at 6:26 am
Wow. I heard both. And the second one was much louder and higher pitched. I can see how that would be ultra-annoying. Still, I read that the cell phones didn’t have enough range to actually pull off that particular ring-tone. If that’s true, the kids are just screwing with the teachers. (laughs)
June 14th, 2006 at 6:41 am
Damn. Well Jenni, thanks for confirming that the second sound actually does exist.
sigh
June 14th, 2006 at 7:14 am
I hear ‘em. And they hurt. Not sure if they’re meant to annoy teachers or dogs.
June 14th, 2006 at 7:58 am
well, after i remembered to turn the mute OFF i was able to hear the second tone.
but, jenni, i just heard that about phones not being able to make this tone and i wouldn’t be surprised.
still, i’m still glad i have some of that range of hearing. i’m still wearing earplugs to this friday’s dance celebration, though.