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No more telling Mom you can't talk because your cell phone is "about to die"--it soon could be charging itself as you speak.

The Nokia Research Centre in Cambridge, England, is working on a prototype system that would eliminate the traditional cell phone charger.

"I can't talk, my phone is charging...oh, wait."

(Credit: Nokia)

The system collects energy from ambient radio waves emitted by antennas, TV masts, Wi-Fi transmitters, and the like. This might all sound uber-scientific, but we've been using this technology for years. Have you ever exited a store, only to hear the beep, beep, beep of an accusing alarm system? Many retailers use radio frequency identification to prevent theft and track inventory. Like RFID tags, the Nokia phones would catch radio waves across a range of frequencies, harnessing them for power.

Nokia's goal is to get cell phones to harvest about 50 milliwatts of power. Currently the prototypes are able to harvest up to 5 milliwatts, but at least 20 milliwatts is needed to keep phones running in standby mode indefinitely without the need for a recharge, the U.K.'s Guardian reports in an article on Nokia's research.

We're not quite sure what features 50 milliwatts could power: music playing? 3G Internet browsing? As consumers increase their business- and entertainment-related dependency on cell phones, Nokia might have to adjust its 50-milliwatt goal. For a more functional lifestyle device, the phone would need to be paired with a solar-paneled case, or even an occasional wired charge.

The Nokia Research Centre has said the technology will take three to five years to develop. Though this would presumably be the first time electromagnetic radiation is applied to a mainstream consumer product, wireless charging has already hit the market. This month, Palm introduced a wireless charger, the Touchstone, for its much-anticipated Palm Pre.

The Touchstone uses a method referred to as inductive charging. The electric toothbrush is one of the most common devices that applies this technology.

The Aliph Jawbone 2. Is its radiation harmful?

(Credit: Aliph)

Q: I'm curious as to whether Bluetooth headsets also emit radiation, which could prove harmful to one's health. What can you tell me about this?
- Craig

A: Bluetooth headsets do emit radiation, but they do it at a much lower power than a cell phone. In fact, it's so low that it's almost negligible. Keep in mind that while cell phones need to connect to a tower that could be a couple of miles away, a headset has an effective range of just 30 feet. However, if the prospect of Bluetooth radiation really worries you, I would suggest using a wired headset instead.

Q: Why do Sprint and Verizon Wireless appear to get sloppy seconds when it comes to the best and brightest new smartphones? It seems as if AT&T and T-Mobile get the most interesting phones, even though their networks aren't as extensive as Verizon and Sprint. I know Sprint has the Samsung Instinct, but that phone has no Wi-Fi. Will Sprint be getting something like the Samsung Omnia for the holidays?
- Eric

The Samsung Omnia could come to AT&T.

(Credit: Samsung)

A: Though the selection of Sprint and Verizon Wireless smartphones isn't quite as extensive as with the GSM carriers (AT&T and T-Mobile), I'd say they have some very decent options. Verizon has the XV6900, the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330, and the Samsung SCH-i760, while Sprint offers the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8330 and the Motorola Q9c, to name a few. And though it's not a smartphone by our standards, the LG Dare is a solid option as well. I'd agree, however, that the CDMA phones are lacking in Wi-Fi support. AT&T in particular does better in that department. And incidentally, if anyone is getting the Omnia, Bonnie Cha thinks it will be AT&T.

Because CDMA has a smaller global footprint, some cell phone manufacturers are less inclined to make CDMA phones. Just look at Nokia and Sony Ericsson, for example. Nokia has dabbled in CDMA phones, but it has never had a clear-cut strategy for doing so. And Sony Ericsson, on the other hand, shuns CDMA completely. The technology does get attention from Japanese and Korean manufacturers like Samsung, LG, and Kyocera, but that's mainly because they have CDMA in their own back yards. Moto spends a good deal of time in both sectors, but there again, Moto operates in a country that uses CDMA.

As for the lack of Wi-Fi on Sprint and Verizon phones, I'd blame that on the peculiarities of the carriers. In my experience, the CDMA carriers tend to be much more controlling and protective than T-Mobile or AT&T. Verizon was the last carrier to remove Bluetooth restrictions in its phone and it was only last year that Sprint and Verizon said they would start allowing unlocked phones on their networks. I'd theorize that they're slow to adopt Wi-Fi because they want to keep their customers using their calling minutes.

Q: I bought a new unlocked phone and would like to start a new account at AT&T. Can I get out of paying an activation fee and signing a contract? - Elisa

A: As a new customer you will have to pay an activation fee, even if you're using an unlocked phone. Yet, you might be able to avoid signing a contract that includes an early termination fee. The only reason carriers charge an ETF in the first place is to recover the cost of selling you a new phone at a discount. But, if you're not getting such a discount or rebate then there's no reason you should be stuck with an ETF. If AT&T tries to press you with one, I'd argue that point.

Kent German, CNET's cell phones guru, answers your questions about cell phones, services, and accessories and reports on the state of the industry. Send him a question.

Samsung Soul

(Credit: Samsung)

Q: I'm thinking of buying the Samsung Soul and I'm concerned with its radiation level. But when I looked at the user manual there were multiple SARs listed. Is this typical and how do I know which listing is right?
- Rich

A: It's not a matter of which listing is right since it is very common for a single handset to have multiple SARs. For both GSM and CDMA phones, the radiation level will vary by transmission band, the testing position (at ear vs. at body), and the testing body that reported the results. In CNET's radiation charts we always list the highest at-ear SAR as tested by the FCC. I know that's a lot of qualifications, but the distinctions are important to understand.

I'm glad you mentioned the Soul since that phone is a great example of just how results can vary. First off, the Soul uses three GSM bands (900, 1,800, and 1,900) so it's likely that you're seeing a different reported SAR for each band. As I said before, all of the listings are correct, but for your situation one SAR will be more correct than the others. Of the three GSM bands the Soul uses, only the 1,900 band is used in the United States, so I would concentrate on that listing. Also, you'll want to make sure that the results are from the FCC, which conducts tests specifically for the U.S. market. If the results are form another body, such as the European Union's testing agency or Industry Canada, then you could see a different result. ... Read more

(Credit: Reactor Watches)

Its name may not be as menacing as the "Radio Active" watch, but this timepiece could be right out of a '50s B-movie in all its grainy atomic glory. Just like the creatures and objects regularly exposed to dangerous radiation levels at drive-ins across America every Saturday night in those days, the "Superluminova" made by Reactor Watches will glow day and night for a full 10 years.

But rather than the bomb, this watch owes its luminescence to tritium-filled tubes that need only a few rays of light to recharge instantly, according to Gadget Venue. Other than that spooky feature, it looks pretty much like a conventional analog watch--which, we hasten to add, is a refreshing change from so many other timepieces we've seen on Crave.

Yubz lets you talk on a new cell phone through an old-school handset.

(Credit: Yubz)

For a while, there seemed to be no end to the incredible shrinking of cell phones. The tinier your handset, the cooler you probably thought you looked around 2001 or so. But the trend has slowed, thankfully, and in some circles, there's a backlash against handsets that required toddler-size hands and heads to talk comfortably.

Take the Yubz retro handset, for instance. It's the same design from many millions of dial and push-button telephones in the 1970s and '80s, before cordless became king. The earpiece would fit snugly between your ear and shoulder as you walked several feet in any direction, before nearly tugging the cord out of the socket.

Toting Yubz around town is likely to start conversations.

(Credit: Yubz)

Now you can take that earpiece on the road by plugging the $45 Yubz into your mobile phone. I spotted Yubz this last weekend at the Real Goods store during the SolFest fair of all things green, a few hours north of San Francisco. There, the selling point was that Yubz allows you to make cellular calls without frying your brain with radiation, keeping the cell phone tucked away far from your skull. Yubz plugs into many popular phone models, but you'll need to purchase an adaptor for the Motorola Razr and some others.

You can also hook up Yubz to a laptop and use it for VoIP calls through Skype and popular IM clients that enable voice calls, including those from Yahoo, Windows Live, AIM, and Google Talk.

This product is designed to please fashion victims with an eye for vintage telecommunications, who can mix and match cord, earpiece, mouthpiece, and handset colors.

(Credit: BornRich)

Just between us, one of our colleagues has this inexplicable fixation on radiators. Yes, we think it's odd too, but we try not to be judgmental here at Crave.

In fact, to show our support, we'll even contribute to her eccentric cause with an item of our own, the "Modum" from Italy's Tubor, maker of the LED mirror radiator and other unique heating appliances.

What distinguishes this latest offering, however, is not just another weird design: The Modum has a built-in AM-FM radio and can even be ordered with a perfume diffuser and an ionizer, according to BornRich. Finally, the perfect complement to the popular lamp, speaker and air purifier combo.

No, this isn't one of those items about how your cell phone irradiates your brain--there's been plenty of research in the U.S. and Europe looking at that fear. A Danish health study has concluded cell phones are not killing us large mammals.

But if you're still worried about cell phone radiation, CNET has the chart for you, and the key word is "Chocolate" because that phone has the lowest radiation of any phone tested in the States. (It should be noted that this story is coming out of Europe, where the EU allows nearly 30 percent more radiation from cell phones sold.)

The latest scare: mobile phones are killing the honey bees. Many of the developed world's nations have recently reported Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which apparently results from phone radiation confusing the innate GPS of bees, those swarming critters responsible for pollinating many of the world's food crops. And let me tell you, that's not a sweet thing to think about. No fruit, no honey, no nuts, and a lot less food all around. We do know that bee hives are failing in North America and across Europe in numbers large enough--up to a 70 percent loss in some U.S. states--to alarm beekeepers and officials. No wonder the press is buzzing. (Apologies.)

(Credit: Ranking1)

Crave has seen some bizarre health and fitness equipment, but this may deserve a category all its own. The Korean-made "Photo Sauna Cauterizer" (cauterizer?) emits a laser with a "low level of radiation" for what its manufacturer claims are a variety of health benefits. An understandably skeptical Red Ferret says the claims involve "some kind of oxygen rejuvenation." Call us chicken, but anything that mentions cauterization and radiation in the same sentence isn't something we want strapped anywhere near our waistlines, or anyplace else on our bodies.

(Credit: Bisque)

"I've always wanted a radiator that looks like a Slinky." Sound like a familiar wish? Yeah, I'm sure it is. And even if it's never crossed your mind to want a radiator-Slinky mashup, you might still agree with my view that radiators need to be prettier. Consequently, you may be interested in this Hot Spring Radiator manufactured by the UK company Bisque. (Get it? Hot spring? Ha ha ha!) But here's my beef with it--what happens when your friends come to visit your Hot Springed-out living space, don't realize that those pretty twisty sculptures are actually radiators, and decide to touch 'em?

Yeeeeeeowch.

(Via Trendir.)