Does anyone know what the source of the alarm ringtone on the iPhone is? I've heard it a number of places before but never found out where it comes from.

Thanks,
Stu

Edit: Trying again with the file.

For some reason the MP3 didn't work, but I played it on my phone and it sounds like a fairly standard naval klaxon sound effect, probably obtained from a sound effects record (or the modern equivalent). Then again, with Apple's budget, they probably sent someone out to an actual navy ship to record the klaxon, just so that they wouldn't have to worry about royalties.

They should make this one of the ring tones.

Here's an example of one place it's found:

http://www.filefront.com/6733501/Klaxon-Pack/ (a collection of klaxon sound effects)

Clearly they got it from somewhere similar.

Hey Tony,

I think playing CC Redalert is one of the times I've heard that sound. The naval alarm in the Klaxon pack you linked to sounded just like the Apple one. I believe it's also featured on War Games. And yes I am familiar with that scream and it would make a pretty cool ringtone especially for this time of year!

Stu

These are fun.

It's also used as a doorbell noise in one episode of the most excellent TV Series Spaced.

It's likely to have come from a sound effects CD. In fact, I'd wager it's from the The Hollywood Edge series.

Neat! I was wondering if it was contrived or a real sound used by some military entity and who the copyright holder might be if any.

Stu

....and during one of the original iPhone builds, my phone was sitting docked in an iPod HiFi playing some music whilst I was debugging some fresh-off-the-line boards.

Then someone phoned me. My ringer volume was at maximum, and it turns out that back then, the software build was such that the ringtone (alarm, of course) was played back a full volume through an iPod HiFi. If you've ever tried this, it's f-ing loud, really very very very loud.

Pretty much half the building was out the door thinking there was a fire before the (collapsed double laughing) software guys hung up...

That is a funny story! I have an iPod HiFi and they do indeed play very loud and clean. It's too bad they are discontinued. I think they still command a pretty good price on eBay.

Any idea where Apple got the alarm sound from? I might like to use it in an upcoming product but it depends on copyrights.

Stu

Follow ricin's link above. That guy is giving the audio clips away, and since the original source is the US Government, there's no copyright from them, either.

That's right and in fact we are using another US government sound for the same project. I really am partial to the one posted though rather than the ones on that site and would prefer to at least uncover its source.

Stu