Description
Ralph Simon, the godfather of ringtones and founder of Mobilium Global, explains that his company was the first outside Korea and Japan to bring an international ringtone service to the United States, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Canada in the late 1990s. The spark came from Finland, where a Nokia employee tired of waking to the stock alarm tune wondered whether music could replace it, and Ralph’s music publishing background let his team license songs from songwriters and publishers. In Chinese, ringtone is 鈴聲 (líng shēng): 鈴 (líng) is bell, a character built with the metal character because ancient bells were metal, and 聲 (shēng) is sound. 門鈴 (mén líng) is doorbell, and 手機鈴聲 (shǒu jī líng shēng) is mobile ringtone. Ralph adds that in Asia people say your wife, your mistress, your children and your best friend each get a ringtone of their own. He closes by saying he wants to read a Mandarin newspaper one day, and ShaoLan tells him that about 70 building blocks unlock most of the characters.
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*⏰ TIMESTAMPS:*
0:00 - Introducing Ralph Simon and the word for ringtone
0:45 - The Nokia employee who wanted music instead of an alarm
1:45 - 鈴聲 (líng shēng): bell plus sound
2:30 - 門鈴 and 手機鈴聲: doorbell and mobile ringtone
3:15 - Why people in Asia give every caller their own ringtone
In Chinese, a ringtone is a bell sound: the language named it after the metal object that made the first ring.
*📖 KEY VOCABULARY:*
Ringtone: 鈴聲 / 铃声 (líng shēng)
Small bell: 鈴 / 铃 (líng)
Sound: 聲 / 声 (shēng)
Doorbell: 門鈴 / 门铃 (mén líng)
Mobile ringtone: 手機鈴聲 / 手机铃声 (shǒu jī líng shēng)
*👤 ABOUT THE GUEST:*
Ralph Simon is one of the founders of the global mobile entertainment and social media industry and is known as the father of the ringtone. He is founder and CEO of Mobilium Global and Laurel Strategies, and has been among the world’s top mobile executives since 2005. He is currently developing the first-ever British Professional Basketball League. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a curator of major future tech gatherings including the Mobile World Congress and Singularity University’s Exponential Health.
📱 Connect with Ralph Simon:
🌐 www.mobilium.com
🐦 Twitter: @ralphsimon1
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralph-simon-frsa-a4188/?ppe=1
*🎙️ ABOUT TALK CHINEASY:*
Talk Chineasy is a daily podcast hosted by ShaoLan, creator of the award-winning Chineasy method featured on TED. In each 7-minute episode, ShaoLan and a guest explore Chinese characters, culture, and language through stories that make Mandarin unforgettable. 300+ episodes available.
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