手機輻射有多強? 監測軟體可測量
Israeli start-up firm Tawkon has developed software to measure mobile telephone handset radiation aimed at helping users reduce exposure to emissions without giving up their phones.
Tawkon's (pronounced talk-on) application is already available for Research In Motion's BlackBerry handsets and will be launched for Nokia's Symbian later this year.
"We are the first solution that can be downloaded to a phone," Tawkon co-founder and CEO Gil Friedlander told the reporters. Until now radiation emissions were measured with an external device.
In many countries handset manufacturers must disclose the maximum level of radiation emitted and similar legislation is starting to appear in the United States, Friedlander said.
The application monitors the phone user and if radiation levels reach a certain threshold called the "red zone" an alert is emitted along with suggestions to minimize exposure.
"There are simple things you can do such as changing the phone's position from horizontal to vertical," Friedlander said.
On many phones the antenna is on the bottom and often covered by the user's hand, causing the phone to emit more radiation. Connecting an ear piece or switching on speakerphone will reduce radiation exposure. In addition, Tawkon is connected to GPS and the software will show users where to move to reach a "green zone" and reduce exposure.
"We don't want people to stop using phones but to use them more responsibly," the Canadian-born Friedlander, 44, said.
San Francisco became the first U.S. city to pass a law requiring retailers to post radiation levels on cell phones and Friedlander said he believes Tawkon will benefit from this increased awareness.
"It will take a few years until research (on the health effects of cell phone radiation) will be more conclusive," Friedlander said. "A lot of regulatory bodies are concerned this will be too late for a whole generation. To take precautionary measures is the right thing to do."
以色列新興企業陶肯公司最新研發出一款手機輻射監測軟體，使使用者既不需要停止使用手機，又可以減少被輻射。
陶肯公司設計的這款軟體已應用於RIM公司生產的黑莓手機，今年年底前還將應用於諾基亞手機的塞班系統。
陶肯公司共同創始人之一兼執行長吉爾•弗裡德蘭德告訴記者：“這是第一款可以下載到手機上的輻射監測軟體。”在此之前手機輻射必須使用外部儀器檢測。
弗裡德蘭德表示，在許多國家，手機制造商必須公開最大輻射量，美國也開始制定類似法規。
這款軟體可以監測使用者接受的輻射量。當輻射強度達到“紅區”時，軟體就會發出警告，並給出最大程度減少輻射的建議。
弗裡德蘭德說：“一些簡單的操作就可以減少輻射，比如不再橫著拿手機而改為豎著拿。”
許多手機的天線在底部，被使用者的手遮住，導致輻射加大。耳機通話和擴音都可以減少輻射。此外，陶肯公司連線全球定位系統，監測軟體會提示使用者去哪裡通話處於低輻射的“綠區”，從而減少輻射。
出生於加拿大、現年44歲的弗裡德蘭德說：“我們並不是希望人們不再使用手機，而是希望大家更認真負責地使用。”
舊金山成為首個要求零售商在手機上標明輻射強度的美國城市。弗裡德蘭德稱，他相信陶肯公司一定能因增強監測輻射意識而獲益。
他說：“手機輻射是否有害健康還要再研究幾年才能明確。很多監管機構擔心這可能會耽誤整整一代人，所以我們應該採取防範措施。”
Vocabulary:
start-up: of or pertaining to the beginning of a new project or venture（新企業或工程開辦階段的，啟動時期的）
