Wireless Communications Risks evaluated by UK Department of Health

"Mobile phones and wireless communications technologies at home and at work" by the UK Department of Health is a report, only available electronically that compares the risk issues with using wireless comms.

'There are around 61 million mobile phones already in use in the UK today. A number of other wireless-based technologies are being introduced to the home and workplace and it is clear that such devices will increase in number and diversity,' starts the report. It goes on to summarise the main technologies and provides a perspective on the risks associated with their use, by comparing them with mobile phones.

The featured technologies are: wireless computer networking; digital cordless phones; Bluetooth: Ultra-wideband; and Radiofrequency identification (RFID) devices. Only the last two are not dismissed by the report as likely to be safer than mobile phones in terms of the radiation they emit and in both cases it is because there is insufficient data to judge.

The report is published closely following a recent report by the Institute of Cancer Research (part funded by the Department of Health) describing results from the largest ever investigation into mobile phone use and brain tumours. It found no relation between the risk of acoustic neuroma and the number of years for which mobile phones had been used, the time since first use, the total hours of use or the total number of calls, nor were there any relations separately for analogue or digital phone use. It concluded that there is no substantial risk of developing a tumour in the first 10 years of mobile phone use. An increased risk after longer term use, however, could not be ruled out as mobile phones have only been used widely over the past decade.

Associated Link: Mobile phones and wireless communications technologies at home and at work

All change at the top for System Concepts
Source: System Concepts Ltd, 3 July 2009
 
Leslie Fountain has been promoted to joint Managing Director of leading usability consultancy System Concepts.

Life in UCD immortalised in fiction: you couldn't make it up
Source: UN, 2 July 2009
 
Sarah Herman's fictitious book on life in a user-centred design company has hit the shelves and The Guardian's book pages...

Interfaces Magazine - Issue 79: The Education Issue
Source: Interaction Group, 1 July 2009
 
The latest issue of Interfaces is now available as a free download from the Interaction Website.

Two new Behavioural research Tools from Noldus
Source: UN, 30 June 2009
 
Tool updates make on-site behavioural data collection easier.

Cell Phones that Listen and Learn
Source: MIT Technology Review, 29 June 2009
 
New software tracks a user's behavior by monitoring everyday sounds.

Top Six Don’ts for Usability Testing
Source: FutureNow Inc., 27 June 2009
 
Six tips for creating quality usability tests to ensure useful feedback from testers.

Usability: ‘Lovely software. But I can’t work it’
Source: FT.com, 26 June 2009
 
In a recent survey by Global Graphics, 77 per cent of office workers estimate they lose up to one hour a week because business software is difficult to use.

And what do you do?
Source: Dexo Design, 25 June 2009
 
How do you describe your job role? Here are the results of a recent 'Preferred UX/UI Title' Poll.

Most Doctors cite Usability as critical to Electronic Health Record Adoption
Source: TMCNet, 24 June 2009
 
It's all about 'meaningful use'.

Glossy monitors look good but can hurt
Source: QUT, 23 June 2009
 
A new advisory cites research which suggests high gloss monitors make users sit awkwardly.