by Korbin Newlyn

There has been quite a bit of public debate that a cellular phone antenna can be hazardous to your health. We will take a look into the particulars and determine whether these rumors are grounded on any kind of truth.

Are Any Harmful Effects Present? If Yes, How To Avoid Them?

When automobiles were first created (despite the fact that the greatest potential speed was approximately 20-30 Km/hr) individuals were of the belief that anybody who would utilize them on a regular basis would develop terrible diseases and will result in death. Nowadays, the speed of an automobile passes 200 Km/hr and individuals who drive them (or travel around in them) are all right.

Likewise, it is true that a cellular phone antenna gives off a particular amount of electromagnetic waves; additionally they utilize radio signals to broadcast sound. Although it is reliable information that excessive exposure to either (or both) are certainly hurtful, the amount given off by a cellular phone antenna throughout short regular voice communications is not truly enough to create a long lasting harmful impact.

The alert of the health hazard had begun when the Stewart Report had showed that radio waves (from cellular phone antennas) do in truth go through the human body. The report especially cautioned about exposure to small children and suggested that they would be better off not using this device or, at any rate, very minimally because the radiation can damage and limit the formation of brain cells.

One can definitely not do without a cellular phone or the cellular phone antenna. Nevertheless, we can certainly take some steps to cut down the radiation effects to as minimal as possible. Here are a 5 different suggestions:

1. Children should truthfully not use cell phones unless in desperate emergencies. Whenever they have a need to talk over the phone, they had better from normal landlines.

2. Whenever you purchase a cell phone pay particular attention to the SAR (specific absorption rate) element - the smaller the SAR factor is the more beneficial it is for you because the radio emission is to the lowest degree possible.

3. When carrying around a mobile phone, keep the device as distant from your body as possible can. Transport it in pouches, handbags or the like so they can come in contact with the body solely during use.

4. Keep your voice communications as short as you can. This is a beneficial recommendation for the pocket also. Short conversations are not capable of emitting enough radiation to injure the body. If the conversation needs to be long, switch often between one ear and the other one so there is no continual exposure.

5. Cut short the use of the cell phone to a minimum as possible when the reception is bad, as the cellular phone antenna will attempt to boost its power and therefore the radiation to acquire the signals will increase as well.

About the Author:
Listen to Korbin Newlyn as he shares his insights as an expert author and an avid writer in the field of home electronics. To learn more go to Cingular Cellular Phone advice and at Cell Phone tips.

Okay, the title may be a little harsh - after all, they aren’t that ugly (especially the Furby). They just aren’t quite as handsome as some of the other tech-licious products. There. Now that I’ve spared their feelings, somewhat….

The monstrosity above (and the velvet gloves come off) is the Microsoft Zune Player from 2006. Touted as the “iPod Killer,” the Zune Player featured great sound and an integrated music store/manager. It didn’t have iPod’s sex appeal and it also never had a shot.

For the top 10 Ugliest Tech Products in History, click the link. Don’t snicker at the Furby though, he’s sensitive.

According to company spokesman Noriaki Tobita, a prototype Wellness mobile phone from Japan’s NTT DoCoMo Inc. gives people a hassle-free way of keeping track of their health. It can take your pulse, check your body fat, time your jogs, assess your stress levels, tell you if you have bad breath, and even give you a pep talk. (After being told to exercise, that I’m stressed, and that I have bad breath, I’m going to need more than a pep talk, but thanks anyway.)

Kidding aside, this sounds sweet. The phone was unveiled this week at the CEATEC electronics show outside Tokyo. It has an inbuilt motion sensor that detects body movement, so it can calculate how many calories you’re burning.

The sensor can tell whether you’re walking, running, climbing stairs, or resting, and counts the calories accordingly to tally daily totals, Tobita said.

“It’s with you wherever you go, like a portable personal trainer,” he said.

From the AP (HIROKO TABUCHI, Japan):

Like Nike Inc.’s +Nike technology, the handset also keeps track of jogs, letting users set targets and keeping track of time, distance, and calories burnt — all while listening to music through headphones.

Hold the phone with outstretched arms, and it turns into a mini body fat calculator. A sensor at the top of the phone takes your pulse from your fingertip.

Worried about bad breath? Use the phone’s breathalyzer. After Tobita blew on a tiny hole on the side of the handset for about three seconds, the screen flashed, “Not too bad.”

The Wellness phone, developed by NTT DoCoMo and Mitsubishi Electric Corp., also asks questions to assesses stress levels and offers advice.

When the busy spokesman answered “Yes” to a series of questions — including “Do you feel lethargic?” and “Do you go to bed after midnight?” — a message appeared on the screen warning he was under a lot of stress.

“Don’t worry, tomorrow’s a fresh new day,” the phone then flashed. “Keep your chin up!”

NTT DoCoMo is still testing some of the phone’s other technology, including a function to keep track of meals and calculate calorific intake, as well as a networking capacity to let users share data, Tobita said.

Japan has some of the world’s most advanced cell phones, enabling users to surf the Web, check in at airports and play motion games.

DoCoMo has not set a release date or price for the Wellness phone. The Tokyo-based company’s phones are not sold overseas.

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