Had I not already sent a boring e-mail to my colleagues informing them that I have decided to take today off because our kids are home on February vacation, I might have opted instead to drop a phone message on them … with the recorded sounds of a busy airport in the background. Something like:
“Bob, Michael, Ann: Julie and I decided at the last minute to take the kids to Disney World. Sorry to bail on such short notice. See you Monday.”
They would know immediately that it was a ruse, of course, because no one in their right mind takes 5-year-old triplets on an airplane (it might be against FAA regulations, actually), but the technology for such a prank call does now exist thanks to a company called Spoonjack and its Whooptones service.
From the company’s press release:
Spoonjack today announced Scenes for Whooptones, the innovative new service that lets users inject any sound into their conversations on any phone. Scenes are looping background sounds that let users create the illusion that they are virtually anywhere they want to be. From the comfort of their room, car or kitchen, now they can sound like they are: at the airport about to board a flight; stuck on a busy highway with a flat; at the office, busier than ever; or schmoozing with friends at a party.
Of course, the potential for things getting out of hand is obvious here, witness one of the “newest additions” listed on the site: “Plane Crash.” … Won’t that be a barrel of laughs on the receiving end.
Featured in BusinessWeek Online Feb. 14, Whooptones may even revolutionize the art of calling in sick when you’re not really sick.
