Tawkon iPhone App Monitors CellPhone Radiation

Sunday, March 07th, 2010 | #Tags: app, Health, iPhone News, Jailbreak, Unlock Guides, Hacks, wireless

Prolonged exposure to Radio Frequency can cause some irreversible effects on human brain, other parts of body. Some researchers argue that this is nothing but a myth, and others strongly believe in it.

The Tawkon app monitors and analyzes your real-time mobile phone radiation as a function of dynamic SAR (specific absorption rate) levels, environmental conditions and phone usage. Developed by a team of Israeli engineers over 18 months, the app determines the amount of energy your head absorbs by estimating the power output of the iPhone’s radio.

Apple has rejected an app claiming that info would ”create confusion with iPhone owners from a usability perspective.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that it is unprobable that cancer could be caused by cell phone use. However, some studies counter-argue risk of tumor of the auditory nerve.

The specific absorption rate (SAR) metric is used to measure of the rate at which energy is absorbed by the body, in watts per kilogram. The US has set a SAR limit of 1.6 W/kg for cell phone use. The iPhone 3GS maxes out at a SAR of 0.79 W/kg, while the older 3G puts out 1.38 W/kg and 2g was worse.

The app makes very intelligent decisions based on various factors. According to Tawkon, the app uses phone’s GPS, compass, accelerometer and proximity sensor to determine the distance from cellular towers, the speed you’re moving at, the weather, terrain, how close the antenna’s is from your body, and whether the antenna is vertical or horizontal. It uses all these factors to calculate a prediction of how much energy your body is absorbing at a particular moment.

It monitors the “radiation levels” with a easy to understand green-yellow-red display, and warns you with a vibration and a tone if you get too close to the “red zone.” Using the phone’s proximity sensor, Tawkon also makes suggestions like recommending a better location, using a headset or changing the iPhone’s orientation relative to your face.

Tawkon hopes that Apple will eventually approve the app, and that they intend to sell it for between $5 and $10 US. They are already in process of releasing Blackberry and Android versions, so hopefully competition will force apple approvals.