Gizmodo: Mosquito

Scientists Use Mosquito-Mouth Design for Pain-Free Hypodermic Needle

Kit Eaton — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:06:00 EDT

Scientists at Indian Institute of Technology and Tokai University have taken the natural features of a mosquito's mouth, and created a new type of needle that promises pain-free blood sample collection and injections.

When mosquitoes bite you, it's not their mouth that hurts you: their ultra-fine proboscis dips beneath the skin, and then a muscle squeeze-relax motion draws blood out of it. The new needle, made of titanium alloys for strength, has a tiny microelectricalmechanical pump that mimics the mozzy, and can work to extract blood or pump in drugs. It's also just 60 microns across, versus 900 microns of a conventional syringe. The team hopes to commercialize the product, but they've got a few technical hurdles to overcome before we can all worry less about having an injection. [NewScientist]

British Teen Repellent System Irritating US Residents Soon

Jason Chen — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:40:00 EDT

You remember that lousy mosquito noise device generators in the UK that were supposed to drive teens away because only they could hear them? The ones that actually turned out to be audible to just about everybody? They're coming to the US. People here aren't too happy about it, with some bans and protests after (and before) some shop owners decided to install them. What do you think? Is this going to work better than calling the cops? [CNN via Boing Boing]

Teen Repellent Too Good, Drives Everybody Away

www.gizmodo.com — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 20:20:00 EDT

The first review of Compound Security's Mosquito device is in. The ugly little box works by emitting a high-pitched noise that only the younger folk are supposed to be able to hear. Trouble is, in Gadget Lab's test, the sound was audible to those of the older generations as well, those known to the food and beverage trade as paying customers. The risk is just too great that you'll drive the wrong people away from your teen-infested establishment, and besides, the thing costs $745. Best to stick with more proven ~~cliches~~ alternatives, such as Muzak or a broom you can shake angrily in the air.–Wilson Rothman

Compound Security Mosquito Teenage Deterrent System [Wired News Gadget Lab]

Kids Be Gone Ultrasonic Teen Deterrent: Sounds Like Teen Spirit?

Charlie White — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 09:56:32 EST

You might have heard of the teen-repellent noisemaker a store owner employed in his parking lot in the UK, and now that squealing device that supposedly makes an extremely annoying racket that only teens can hear has found its way to the United States. The device has been named Kids Be Gone, as if paying customers with more disposable income than any generation of youth in history are some kind of plague.

Called by cops in England "the most effective tool in our fight against antisocial behavior," now stateside retailers can also unfairly discriminate against those aged 20 and younger. Because of age-related hearing loss that starts at about age 20, this thing really does sound obnoxious just to those people under that age. But what about babies? And dogs?

How will you know when one of these repellant boxes is installed? Just look for this cheap-looking gray speaker, and teens fleeing the scene. Just what we need: more noise. – Charlie White

Product Page [Kids Be Gone]

Sharp SH903i Mosquito and Spy Repelling Cellphone

blongo2 — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 18:33:18 EDT

Paranoid about everything? The Sharp SH903i might be your dream phone. It has facial recognition software, linked through its 3MP camera, so you can lock up your phone's keypad and data with your handsome mug. In addition, the SH903i has a user activated privacy filter so that no one can see your screen from the sides. And if you're scared of the West Nile Virus, it even has an ultrasonic mosquito repelling system built in.

We'd call it perfect for neurotics, save two things...(jump)– Ben Longo

It doesn't have any anti-germ coating, and if you're afraid of flying, you'll be hard pressed to get over to Japan where its sold.

Sharp SH903i Music Phone [New Launches]