Techdirt -
1 days and 21 hours ago
We've written about the Mosquito device a few times in the past. Originally launched back in 2005,
the device emitted a high pitched annoying noise that a
href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20051129/1011203.shtml"could only be heard/a by those under
25 (or thereabouts). As people get older, we lose the ability to hear noises at higher pitches. So
the device tried to take advantage of this, so that shopkeepers could use the device to ward off
loitering kids. It was pretty obnoxious, though it hardly seemed like a a
href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080212/190008241.shtml"violation of human rights/a, as
some claimed. If annoying a certain age group with sound is a human rights violation, I'd imagine
playing certain types of music would be seen as a human rights violation. br /br / Of course, some
kids realized that rather than being a violation of their rights, such a noise could be used to
their advantage. Some turned the noise from the Mosquito a
href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20060612/105232.shtml"into a ringtone/a that their parents
and teachers couldn't hear. br /br / However, the makers of the device have apparently released a
new version of the Mosquito that has an option where the pitch is lowered a bit so that a
href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7759818.stm" target="_new"it can annoy pretty much
everyone/a. You've got to imagine that such a product is not targeted at shop owners and the like
this time around, unless they'd prefer no business whatsoever. It seems that right now the new
version is being used in places like parking garages, where actual customers are quick to leave
anyway, and proprietors are trying to get homeless people to move along. Of course, as with any
such thing, there's apparently a group of folks who are pushing for a
href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7759896.stm" target="_new"legislation to ban the
devices/a. It's difficult to see why such legislation is needed. Eventually, people will realize
that driving people away from a business probably isn't a very good business idea.br /br /a
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