The younger set doesn't have it very easy these days, as far as cellphones are concerned. Most kids wouldn't be caught dead with the sort of ringtones their elders prefer; they'd prefer more raucous and/or catchy ringtones, thanks very much, which just happen to be the ones the 'oldies' most vehemently object to. Plus the use of cellphones in areas like classrooms, libraries and the like is strictly verboten.

What's a kid to do?

Well, for one, he or she could hunt down a particular new ringtone that's making waves in Britain and the States. It's extremely high-pitched, quite annoying, very distinctive - and inaudible to most adults.

The technology relies on the fact that most adults gradually lose the ability to hear high-pitched sounds, a condition called presbycusis, or 'aging ear'. The ringtone was developed in Britain as the offshoot of an invention called the Mosquito to repel teenagers who loiter outside shops and block store windows, while leaving adults unaffected.

We can't wait to give this one a try (yes, none of us are old enough not to hear this interesting new ringtone)!