Vibrating alert
Encyclopedia
A vibrating alert is a feature of communications devices to notify the user of an incoming connection. It is particularly common on mobile phone
s and pager
s and usually supplements the ring tone
.
Vibrating alerts are primarily used when a user cannot hear the ring tone (a noisy environment or through hearing loss
) or wants a more discreet notification. However when the device is placed on a hard surface it can often be as loud or louder than a ringtone.
Most 21st century mobile phone
s are fitted with a vibrating alert, one of the exceptions being the Nokia 9500
: due to the large size of this phone a larger motor would be required to make the phone vibrate. The phone itself would absorb too much of the vibration and therefore the motor required to make it vibrate was too big and could damage the phone.
The vibrating alert is produced by a small electric motor connected to an eccentric
(unbalanced) weight.
album by Rufus Wainwright
, is centred around vibrating alerts, including the repeated line "My phone's on vibrate for you".
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s and pager
Pager
A pager is a simple personal telecommunications device for short messages. A one-way numeric pager can only receive a message consisting of a few digits, typically a phone number that the user is then requested to call...
s and usually supplements the ring tone
Ring tone
A ringtone or ring tone is the sound made by a telephone to indicate an incoming call or text message. Not literally a tone, the term is most often used today to refer to customizable sounds used on mobile phones.-Background:...
.
Vibrating alerts are primarily used when a user cannot hear the ring tone (a noisy environment or through hearing loss
Hearing impairment
-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...
) or wants a more discreet notification. However when the device is placed on a hard surface it can often be as loud or louder than a ringtone.
Most 21st century mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s are fitted with a vibrating alert, one of the exceptions being the Nokia 9500
Nokia 9500
Nokia 9500 Communicator is a smartphone produced by Nokia, introduced in 2004. It runs on the Symbian-based Series 90 platform, albeit disguised to look like the Series 80 platform....
: due to the large size of this phone a larger motor would be required to make the phone vibrate. The phone itself would absorb too much of the vibration and therefore the motor required to make it vibrate was too big and could damage the phone.
The vibrating alert is produced by a small electric motor connected to an eccentric
Eccentric (mechanism)
In mechanical engineering, an eccentric is a circular disk solidly fixed to a rotating axle with its centre offset from that of the axle ....
(unbalanced) weight.
Influence of modern culture
The song Vibrate, on the 2003 Want OneWant One
Want One is the third studio album by the Canadian-American singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright, released through DreamWorks Records on September 23, 2003. The album was produced by Marius de Vries and mixed by Andy Bradfield, with Lenny Waronker as the executive in charge of production...
album by Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
, is centred around vibrating alerts, including the repeated line "My phone's on vibrate for you".