A Tawkon employee demonstrates their software on an iPhone in the basement of their offices in Herzliya, September 2, 2010.(Agencies)

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."

(Read by Lee Hannon. Lee Hannon is a journalist at the China Daily Web site.)

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(Agencies)

以色列新兴企业陶肯公司最新研发出一款手机辐射监测软件，使用户既不需要停止使用手机，又可以减少被辐射。

陶肯公司设计的这款软件已应用于RIM公司生产的黑莓手机，今年年底前还将应用于诺基亚手机的塞班系统。

陶肯公司共同创始人之一兼首席执行官吉尔•弗里德兰德告诉记者：“这是第一款可以下载到手机上的辐射监测软件。”在此之前手机辐射必须使用外部仪器检测。

弗里德兰德表示，在许多国家，手机制造商必须公开最大辐射量，美国也开始制定类似法规。

这款软件可以监测用户接受的辐射量。当辐射强度达到“红区”时，软件就会发出警告，并给出最大程度减少辐射的建议。

弗里德兰德说：“一些简单的操作就可以减少辐射，比如不再横着拿手机而改为竖着拿。”

许多手机的天线在底部，一号下载，被用户的手遮住，导致辐射加大。耳机通话和免提都可以减少辐射。此外，陶肯公司连接全球定位系统，监测软件会提示用户去哪里通话处于低辐射的“绿区”，53d，从而减少辐射。

出生于加拿大、现年44岁的弗里德兰德说：“我们并不是希望人们不再使用手机，而是希望大家更认真负责地使用。”

旧金山成为首个要求零售商在手机上标明辐射强度的美国城市。弗里德兰德称，他相信陶肯公司一定能因增强监测辐射意识而获益。

他说：“手机辐射是否有害健康还要再研究几年才能明确。很多监管机构担心这可能会耽误整整一代人，所以我们应该采取防范措施。”

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（中国日报网英语点津 实习生 秦华江 编辑 Julie）

Vocabulary:

start-up: of or pertaining to the beginning of a new project or venture（新企业或工程开办阶段的，启动时期的）