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Blowing Their Own Trumpet...
(21 Jun 2010, BWCS Staff)As the World Cup enters its second full week, with some national squads faring better than others, a new range of Vuvuzela-inspired apps are appearing on Apple iPhones and the Android open mobile software platform. The Vuvezela, or annoying-horn, is the name of the instrument that sections of the crowd have tooted incessantly throughout every match so far. While fan opinion appears to be divided over the horn - it is either an important piece of local culture, or a repetitive distraction from the game - the apps look set to catch on quickly thanks to the constant exposure on TV.
So far, there are a reported 30 smart-phone applications based on the Vuvuzela that have been developed for the open source Android platform. In addition, there are another dozen apps available, or soon to be available on the iPhone, loosely using the sound of the African horn. The plastic trumpets, produced in China, can generate noise levels in excess of 140 decibels and have become the defining symbol of the 2010 World Cup.
However, many supporters, broadcasters and players have complained that the high-pitched noise - which has been compared to the drone of millions of bees - is ruining their enjoyment of the tournament.
The man credited (blamed) for creating the horn 40 years ago, Freddie Maake, has been quoted in the press as saying that the Vuvuzela is part of football in South Africa. Maake told the Telegraph in the UK that fans should not complain, he said, "We would not go to Britain or anywhere else and tell people how to act, it is very patronising." Now he will be able to hear his creation on millions of smart-phones too.
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