Switched has a new home! Huffpost Tech.

Click here to visit the new home of Switched!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

Japanese Ringtones Claim to Solve Allergies, Unless You're Allergic to Crap

by Terrence O'Brien on March 29, 2010 at 11:05 AM

Allergy sufferers in Japan are turning to a rather unique cure: ringtones. The Japan Ringing Tone Laboratory is currently selling ringtones it bills as therapeutic, claiming that they can sooth a diverse set of maladies or provide a general boost, depending on a person's star sign.

Matsumi Suzuki, a voice-print identification expert and creator of BowLingual (a dog bark translator), is the man behind the Japan Ringing Tone Laboratory. He claims that you can clear your sinuses and relieve congestion by simply holding the phone up to your nose and letting sound and vibrations dislodge irritating pollen.

Index, the company selling the supposedly therapeutic tones, has admitted to the BBC that the actual effect of the sounds is unproven. But the company also noted that the ringtones are selling well, indicating that they are having some effect (or, at least, that customers believe they are). Well, never doubt the power of the placebo. [From: BBC]

Tags: cell phones, CellPhones, health, japan, JapanRingingToneLaboratory, novelty, RingTones, TherapeuticRingTones, therapy, top, weird

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular