Pem’s Tech Blog

> Recent studies find significantly higher risks for brain and salivary gland tumors among people using cell phones for 10 years or longer. The state of the science is provocative and troubling, and much more research is essential.

> We at Environmental Working Group are still using our cell phones, but we also believe that until scientists know much more about cell phone radiation, it’s smart for consumers to buy phones with the lowest emissions.

– http://www.ewg.org/cellphone-radiation

* phones go as low as 0.35 W/kg, the Verizon BlackBerry Storm is 0.57 W/kg
* my Samsung Saga is very low at 0.69 W/kg
* the AT&T iPhone 3G says (0.52 – 1.19 W/kg) (the 0.52 is WiFi only mode?)
* the LG env3 is 1.31 W/kg and the LG env2 is 1.34 W/kg
* the worst phone on the list is the T-Mobile myTouch 3G, one of the Google Android phones, 1.55 W/kg
http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/Get-a-Safer-Phone?allavailable=1

Supposedly bluetooth headsets are much lower, such as:
> Bluetooth radio module generates an SAR of just 0.001 watts per kilogram
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2005/tc20050427_5651.htm

Besides getting a high radiation cell phone, the main concern is if you are holding the phone next to your head/ear (touching your head, near your brain) having a voice conversation (emitting high radiation).

I carry my Samsung Saga around all day, but hopefully I’m safe since I mostly use it for texting and data, and even when I take phone calls I almost always use a headset (and it’s a wired headset).

http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/8-Safety-Tips

Maybe something I should be more concerned about is to check whether it’s smart that I sleep right next to my computer (in a small apartment), including a WiFi router right next to my head!

Pem (Admin) :: 2009/09/26 (Saturday, September 26, 2009) :: Health, Safety, Food, Drinks, Exercise, Mobile Devices/Services :: No Comments »

Deaf Hear: cochlear implants
* wikipedia today says: It was estimated in 2002 that around 10,000 children in the US and an additional 49,000 people worldwide had received Cochlear implants. By the end of 2008, the total number of cochlear implant recipients has grown to an estimated 150,000 worldwide.

Blind See: put a tooth in your eye

* http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/16/tooth.eye.vision/
* http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Technology/woman-regains-vision-tooth-implanted-eye/story?id=8595589
* http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/22/video-doctors-implant-tooth-into-eye-restore-sight-creep-ever/
* Martin Jones of Great Britain
* Mary Shelley of Florida

Blind See: bionic eye
* recent project at MIT, prototype / research
* The eye implant is designed for people who have lost their vision from retinitis pigmentosa or age-related macular degeneration, two of the leading causes of blindness. — http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2009/microchip-blind-092309.html
* it wouldn’t restore complete sight, but could let them see enough to find their way through a room or walk down a sidewalk (which is certainly no small feat). They’ll also have to wear a special set of glasses (or visor, if you prefer), which will not only wirelessly send images to the implant, but keep it powered wirelessly through a set of coils. — http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/24/mit-researchers-tout-progress-with-retinal-implant-yes-it-com/

This is my first post in (Health, Safety, Food, Drinks, Exercise).

Pem (Admin) :: 2009/09/26 (Saturday, September 26, 2009) :: Health, Safety, Food, Drinks, Exercise :: No Comments »