Comment Tweet Share Share Digg

.

Now that hipsters everywhere have been promised shiny new bumpers for their iPhone 4’s, news of the “Death Grip” has slowly weaned away, but a new video produced by Israeli app firm tawkon has brought the issue right back into the limelight – not just for Apple Inc. handset users, but for BlackBerry and Android users too.

The short video shows the effects of the so called Death Grip –wrapping the phone with your hand and shielding the antenna – on the level of radiation a user is exposed to.

Tawkon shows the demo being performed on the iPhone 4.0, the BlackBerry 9700, and the Android Nexus One, noting “it’s not just a problem exclusive to the iPhone – it’s across the board.”

The way you hold the phone – and specifically blocking the receiver – says tawkon, increases the transmission power of the phone to maintain good cellular connectivity, and thereby increases the radiation levels you’re exposed to.

Tawkon’s app, as its name suggests, monitors and analyzes cell radiation so users can “talk on” as usual and receive prompts to avoid radiation when needed.  Don’t get confused though, the app measures the users’ exposure to radiation rather than the radiation emitted from the phone.

The firm says mobile radiation constantly changes and that its app is able to recognize when radiation exposure has increased, alerting users when levels cross a predefined threshold, and then providing simple, non-intrusive suggestions to reduce exposure to radiation – for example, use earphones or distance the phone from your head.

The tech behind this is based on tawkon’s patent-pending RRI (Real-time Radiation Indication) which collects and analyzes a phone’s dynamic SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) levels, location, environmental conditions and phone usage at any given moment.

The RRI uses the smart phone’s own capabilities and hardware, such as built-in Bluetooth, accelerometer and proximity sensors, GPS and even compass. Data is also based on information extracted from the phone and reflects its ongoing communication with cellular towers.

Despite the fact three platforms are demonstrated in the video – Android, BlackBerry and iPhone – the app is so far only available on the BlackBerry – via the app store, and several independent stores including MobiHand and Handandgo – with Apple still chewing over whether it will accept tawkon into its own App store. “Android users are next,” promised company spokesman Josh Winter.

While tawkon recently praised Research In Motion Ltd. for its “brave move” in allowing its app onto the BlackBerry, Apple has proved a little more cowardly, purportedly worried the app will freak out users with talk of radiation.

The tenacious Israeli firm is not giving up though. “There’s still an open channel of communication,” Winter told Unplugged. iPhone users who want to help persuade the fruity gadget maker can sign a petition here.

How have companies reacted to the demo so far, we asked Winter. “It’s early days yet,” he answered. “The demonstration was  only released a few hours ago – we’ll have to wait and see, but we believe this will be of great interest to both mobile companies and users.”