(IO)DARKNESS LOOTERS#38 #AFoolThinksHimselfToBeWise (IO) - Page 73

Forget insect-repelling sprays, lotions, coils and machines. South Korean electronics company LG has launched a new TV in India, which claims to drive pesky mosquitoes away without any sound or odour.

The LG Mosquito Away Television works along the lines of the company's air conditionerintroduced in Indonesia in 2009 and in India in 2014. It comes with an ultrasonic device, which emits sound waves to drive away mosquitoes.

LG says that the device doesn't use any chemicals or require any refilling or maintenance. The best part? You don't even need to turn on the TV for it to work. The company says that the TV has been developed using insights from Indian consumers and that its technology complies with global norms.

The TV has been launched only in India, at a price of Rs 26,900 ($403) for a 80cm screen and Rs 47,500 ($712) for a 108cm screen. The insects are health menace in the country, with over 1.13 million people in India struck by mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, chikungunya and malaria. This represents a huge market, but the technology's actual efficacy remains questionable.

Scientific studies indicate that ultrasonic repellent devices have no effect in preventing mosquito bites. The anti-mosquito TV is only the latest in a series of gadgets and apps that claim to drive away mosquitoes. LG's Mosquito Away air conditioner targeted the malaria-causing anopheles mosquito, but said it should not be the only measure one should take against mosquitoes.Experts also pointed out that air conditioner tend to dry and kill insects anyway.

In 2012, a Brazilian radio station broadcast high-frequency waves as part of an anti-mosquito campaign, which was recently imitated by an Indian radio station. Taking a different route, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is spending $1 million to fund a research project that creates laser walls to repel mosquitoes.