This is the kind of brilliant idea that should make its inventor a millionaire: a high-frequency buzzing device that drives away teenagers but is inaudible to most adults.
The device, called the Mosquito ("It's small and annoying," Stapleton said), emits a high-frequency pulsing sound that, he said, can be heard by most people younger than 20 and almost no one older than 30. The sound is designed to so irritate young people that after several minutes, they cannot stand it and go away. ...A trip to Spar here in Barry confirmed the strange truth of the phenomenon. The Mosquito is positioned just outside the door. Although this reporter could not hear anything, being too old, several young people attested to the fact that yes, there was a noise, and yes, it was extremely annoying.
"It's loud and squeaky and it just goes through you," said Jodie Evans, 15, who was shopping at the store even though she was supposed to be in school. "It gets inside you."
I must be getting old to love this idea so much.
(HT: Slashdot.)
I hate this thing. I'm probably too old to hear it myself but I would not patronize a store that had that. I believe that stores that provide a big middle finger an age cohort are family unfriendly and don't deserve my money.
It would be a pretty trivial engineering trick to add a microphone and code to an iPod or other device to generate a nullifying wave. This is going to be gotten around if the oldster boycotters don't do it in first. It's a form of low intensity warfare and just bad for society.
Man that would of helped Gary Glitter stay out of trouble.
TML: I think the point is to scare off gangs of loitering teenagers, not patrons.
I SO want one of those!
Has the military put in their order yet. THey need a corresponding ear cover or plug for our own troops, but it would be pretty funny to subliminally (almost) annoy the heck out of enemy soldiers.
duude! if u hav heard it, it really sux. but to be entirely honest i think itd be awesome to have one of those, lol. (im 13)just to, like walk around, gritting through it, would pay off comepletely if u got bullied alot! who ses the thing doesnt just work for stores? what about people?! anyway. just statin my half baked ideas! *giggle, under breath* baked, haha!