Just in case you're concerned about the cell phone industry's assurance that radiation is no threat to your brain cells, a professor in Great Britain isn't waiting around for absolute proof.

Professor Lawrie Challis, chairman of the UK's mobile telecommunications and health research program, has found that attaching an iron bead to a cell phone's hands-free wire blocks radio waves from traveling up to the user's head, according to a BBC report. These are the same kinds of beads commonly used to stop interference in computers.

"They work by blocking the current, a … Read more

Broadband Surf Report: Jan. 24

Our daily look at telecom news around the Web:

Modern tech helps Hajj pilgrims--TechNewsWorld

Cable could rule if it plays its cards right--USA Today

VoIP passes Nissan road test--eWeek

WiMAX delay won't impact deployment: analyst--Mobile Pipeline

Google is rumored to be planning free VoIP service in the UK--according to Silicon.com, the Times and Infoworld.

Broadcom integrates WLAN switch--Light Reading

Comment on one of these stories? A link we missed that you want to post? We'll see you on the comments page ...

Broadband Surf Report: Jan. 21

Our daily look at telecom news around the Web:

'Evil twin' haunts Wi-Fi--take your pick: eWeek, TechNewsWorld, or Networking Pipeline.

Cisco routers vulnerable to denial of service attacks--Networking Pipeline

Cell, IP convergence a step closer to reality--Wi-Fi Planet

Intel's new mobile chips equal to high-end Pentium 4--Infoworld

Fate of Siemens mobile unit won't be known next week--

Comment on one of these stories? A link we missed that you want to post? We'll see you on the comments page ...

Broadband Surf Report: Jan. 20

Our daily look at telecom news around the Web:

T-Mobile may cut up to 2200 jobs in Europe--Wall Street Journal (subscription required)

Internet and phone companies plot wireless broadband push--Wall Street Journal (subscription required)

Wi-Fi surpasses ethernet in home networking--survey--Networking Pipeline

Intel lifts lid on Sonoma mobile platform--TechNewsWorld

New Mexico city launches largest municipal Wi-Fi network--Mobile Pipeline

Tempe is looking for wireless ISP for citywide network--Muni Wireless

Chinese companies join Cisco-led security program--Infoworld

Comment on one of these stories? A link we missed that you want to post? We'll see you on … Read more

Broadband Surf Report: Jan. 19

Our daily look at telecom news around the Web:

One big Wi-Fi hot spot set up for inauguration--Networking Pipeline

California state parks to get Wi-Fi--Mobile Pipeline

VoIP enterprise shipments crack 50%--Telephony Online

Airespace rivals looking for big partnerships?--Unstrung

BellSouth to upgrade rural town's telecom infrastructure--Information Week

Delaware last in DSL access--Delaware Online

New Moto phones aim push-to-talk at consumers--Mobile Pipeline

Airespace buy "validates" WLAN switch vendors--Wi-Fi Planet

Comment on one of these stories? A link we missed that you want to post? We'll see you on the comments … Read more

Broadband Surf Report: Jan. 18

On this august day in telecom history--the 150th birthday of Thomas A. Watson, the Watson needed by Alexander Graham Bell during the first telephone call--we bring you the express stops on our daily tour of broadband and networking news around the Net.

Cablevision board to debate fate of satellite unit--Wall Street Journal (subscription required)

Nebraska introduces anti-municipal broadband bill--Muni Wireless

Toshiba software will remotely control PCs by cell phone--Infoworld

WiMAX certification hits delay--Networking Pipeline

Shedding light on dark fiber--eWeek

Broadband booms in new EU--Light Reading

Active RFID meets Wi-Fi to ease asset tracking--Information … Read more

Broadband Surf Report: Jan. 14

Our daily-ish roundup of the Web's best telecom news comes on a historic date for music--from the invention of the clarinet on Jan. 14, 1690, to the arguable invention of rock 'n' roll in 1956, with the release of Little Richard's "Tutti Fruitti."

Napster: Number of users soared 50 percent--San Jose Mercury News (second item; and a blatent attempt to lead with a music-related item...)

Sprint opts out of wireless directory service--Mobile Pipeline

WiMax vendors creep ahead, look to mobility--Infoworld

'Treo killer' to ship next month--Smartphone Today

Internet2 consortium sets new Net speed record… Read more

Broadband Surf Report: Jan. 13

News.com's approximately daily survey of telecom news online comes to you on the 151st anniversary of the patenting of the accordion (and the 48th anniversary of the Frisbee).

America needs unchained spectrum--Business Week

Hacker 'gets more' from T-Mobile--Wired, with the Surf Report's favorite headline of the whole week.

Subscribers sue Verizon over disabled phone feature--Networking Pipeline

Samsung's latest cell phone senses 3-D movements--Infoworld, with more at TechNewsWorld

Covad to launch new service--Los Angeles Times (free registration or an awareness of BugMeNot required)

Poll finds most don't want in-flight cell service… Read more