Hasta La Gadget!

The topic of mobile phone radiation is once again on the burner in Washington D.C. Along with Representative Dennis Kucinich’s proposed legislation that would institute labeling requirements and extensive research into the health effects of RF exposure, the US Government Accountability Office has issued a recommendation that the FCC update its current exposure limits and reevaluate current testing methodologies. As is, the FCC’s radiation guidelines are based on research that was concluded in 1996, and while the US GAO concedes that this may lead to the adoption of higher SAR limits (in certain usage scenarios), the organization contends that it’s time to bring current research and international recommendations into consideration.

As potential cause for concern, the US GAO has also identified a failure of current testing methodologies. Put simply, manufacturers are currently required to submit specific absorption rates that reflect usage against both the head and body, however in the case of the body test, this is always done with the assumption of a holster. While a distance of 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters may not seem like much, SAR values increase with proximity, and many who use their mobile phones in their pockets — say, with a Bluetooth headset — are at risk of exposing themselves to RF limits that exceed current guidelines. The actual absorption rates are currently unknown.

For its part, the FCC has responded to the US GAO and asserts that it has independently arrived at many of the same conclusions, and adds that it has initiated the procedural requirements necessary for the reevaluation of RF safety rules. Those who’d like to learn more can scour the complete recommendation, along with Rep. Kucinich’s proposal, at the source links below.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

US Government Accountability Office recommends FCC reassess radiation limits for mobile phones originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Having seen the next-gen Xiaomi Phone’s more colorful yet rejected designs, we’re rather baffled by these dull-looking certification images of the real deal. According to a filing from the good old TENAA, this new device from Xiaomi goes by the codename “2012051” and packs WCDMA radio, but that’s pretty much it in terms of specs. Eagle-eyed readers may have already spotted the striking resemblance to the original Xiaomi Phone (aka MI-One Plus), but it appears to be getting an extra front-facing camera and, for some reason, a smaller speaker grill on the back. But wait, there’s more! We dug up two additional models in the China Compulsory Certificate database: there’s the “2012052” also with WCDMA radio, plus the “2012053” with CDMA2000/WCDMA dual radio.

Bearing in mind that the current Xiaomi Phone has three variants, our guess is that its successor will follow a similar pattern: the WCDMA flavor may again have a 1.5GHz version followed by a slower and cheaper version (much like what the Youth Edition aka MI-One is to the MI-One Plus); and depending on Xiaomi’s arrangements with China Unicom and China Telecom, the CDMA flavor for the latter may or may not be launched alongside its WCDMA cousin. Let’s hope for the best when this alleged quad-core phone gets announced next Thursday.

Update: Another possibility is that the design pictured above only applies to the lower-end model, which may just pack a dual-core chip (hopefully a Snapdragon S4). We shall see.

Filed under: Cellphones

Next-gen Xiaomi Phone outed by certifications ahead of launch, will again come in three variants (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 06 Aug 2012 06:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Distracted driving is a big problem all around the world. Many states in the United States have laws on the books banning texting while driving or making phone calls while driving without using a hands-free device. The problem is these laws are difficult to enforce and many drivers simply ignore them. Researchers in India have come up with an interesting way to block only the driver’s mobile phone while the vehicle is in motion.

The system uses RFID technology that can detect when the car is in motion and if the driver is trying to use a mobile phone. When the system determines the driver is trying to use a mobile phone, a low range mobile jammer is activated to block only the driver’s phone from operating. According to the people who designed the system it would allow passengers to continue making calls and texting normally.

Another potential use for the system according to the designers could actively notify police when drivers are trying to use their phone while behind the wheel. That last bit will certainly get the privacy advocates in an uproar. I see problems with the system. It would block drivers being able to make phone calls in an emergency such as to alert police of a medical emergency or a dangerous driver without having to stop the car.

[via Smithsonian Mag]

Indian researchers invent RFID device that can block a driver’s cell phone is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
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If you Brits were looking forward to utilizing the 808 PureView’s 41-megapixel sensor while sipping Pimm’s this summer, well, be prepared to pay a hefty price. We’ve heard from O2, Three and Everything Everywhere (the parent company of Orange UK and T-Mobile UK) that they will not be selling said Nokia device in the UK, and Virgin Media told us it isn’t in the pipeline “just yet.” Our friends over at Wired UK have also heard the same bad news from Vodafone and O2, with a source close to the latter laying the blame on Nokia’s “outdated” Symbian Belle system. Ouch. So yes, this means all the major carriers in Her Majesty’s backyard are out of the game; but until we hear back from Carphone Warehouse, there may still be a small chance for keen British mobile photogs to dodge the full £500 ($780) price tag on Amazon (in comparison to $699 on the US site), so stay tuned.

Nokia’s 808 PureView will not be sold by major UK carriers, time to save up some pounds originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 18:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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