Gearchimp

Fascinating.

A 17KHz ringtone that adults supposedly can’t hear. Developed as a teenager-repellent sound to rid areas of loitering little hooligans, an annoying, screeching tone marginally above the normal range of adult hearing was developed by a security firm in the UK, Compound Security, to repel teenagers. And, of course, the little punks heisted it and started using it as an adult-proof ringtone.

Well, nuts. I’m pushing middle-age and I can hear it. Bad. I mean, it hurts my ears.

Either way, it’s a clever use of sound.

Metro.uk story (via)

NPR Story (via)

The NY Times article (via)

Here’s one that pulses: PulseRing.mp3 (and PulseRing.ogg). Just a smidge easier to hear too.