On much of television, certain swear words are considered inappropriate, but are "beeped out" by a loud, high pitched noise, therefore being rendered acceptable for children and sensitive viewers.
The same effect could be provided in real time by a small, handheld device with a single, bright red button, which plays the loud censoring noise at a push. Therefore, one could use this device to swear freely and without condescension among children or high society. The convenient product is available in key chain form (for attachment to car keys, etc.) and wristwatch form (appear to adjust your watch while you spew profanities!).-- DrWorm, Aug 06 2009 And stand in the way of free expression? I censure "Censor Sensor"!-- Gamma48, Aug 06 2009 to distract the children you could have a small wisp of smoke.... (do I have to say it?)-- FlyingToaster, Aug 06 2009 You'd have to be denser to ensure that you censure the 'censor sensor' dispenser.-- DrWorm, Aug 06 2009 Not a bad idea, all in all. +-- blissmiss, Aug 06 2009 I thought this was going to be a product which detected where words had been bleeped out and reinserted a random profanity in the audio stream to render the content once again suitable for adult ears.-- hippo, Aug 06 2009 Since insensitively censuring "censor sensor" is senseless, and because frankly I was only trying to be amusing, I thought I'd recant and admit that, as bliss said, it's really not a bad idea all in all. The only real question I have is, how do you balance the tone and volume of the device with that of the swearer? Is there some sort of feature that tailors the censoring noise to the swearer? Or does it just drown out everything? And at what range? [+]-- Gamma48, Aug 07 2009 The noise produced is standard for every device; it's just a high pitched bleep which drowns out everything. The range is perhaps as large as a group of people that are having a conversation.-- DrWorm, Aug 07 2009 Does it come with a rechargeable battery?-- Jscotty, Aug 09 2009 I like it, but since it's more active than passive (i.e. not so much a sensor as an actor), can we change the name to something like "Go Bleep Yourself"? I think it would help sell more units.
Also, I like the idea of voluntary self-censorship; it could help keep swearing "edgy" by continuing to promote the (admittedly strange idea) that some words are just too naughty to be heard by anyone.
Finally, if the actual audio tones were standardized, someone could come up with an "Anti-censor Sensor" which listens for the censor bleep sound in its locale, and plays the same sound out of phase (or inverted), thereby (somewhat) canceling the bleep sound, and "revealing" the exciting, naughty words being censored.-- bernz, Aug 11 2009 random, halfbakery