NEW DELHI: Can one get rid of pesky mosquitoes by using a mobile handset as a mosquito repellant?

Apparently yes, if one goes by the claims of Micromax and the MTV music channel, which will introduce a buzzing sound that the blood-suckers are unable to tolerate and so will keep away from the person holding the handset.
 
MTV, which has forayed into everything from shoes to credit cards, has now tied up with Micromax to launch a new range of mobile handsets that among other things contains a range of the best music on 3-D surround sound.

The handset is priced at a maximum retail price of Rs 5,000 but Micromax executive director Rahul Sharma said it would be sold at the market operating price of Rs 3,750. The instrument will have hand-picked Indian and international music from MTV, high fidelity earphones with noise cancellation, and a 1.3 MP camera. The instrument has the facility of long-life battery, dual sim and will be launched by March 2010. A total of five instruments will be introduced during the year.
 
VIACOM 18 VP (communications and consumer products) Sandeep Dahiya said the agreement with MTV was on a year-to-year licensing deal but extendable. He said royalty will also be paid by Micromax on every set sold by it, though these will be on ‘special rates’. He said the instruments would also be sold at stores selling MTV products and music.
 
Sharma said requisite permissions had been taken from Health authorities by the R&D team before installing the mosquito repellant sound in the set.