Switzerland: The Transport and Telecommunications Committee Adopts a Motion Instructing the Federal Council to Prepare a Revision of the Ordinance on Protection Against Non-Ionizing Radiation (ORNI)

The 7 to 6 vote in favor of this motion was from the Commission members of the Council of States which met on 29 January. On 12 February, the Commission members of the National Council will vote on the same issue.

Press Release
Mobile telephony : Reconciling the needs of the economic and individual environments and adequate protection of health
Transport and Telecommunications Committee, Swiss Parliament, 30 January 2018
(Unofficial translation by the Editor of "Towards Better Health")

The growth of digitization is constantly increasing the amount of mobile data consumed by businesses and individuals. That is why it is imperative that Switzerland adapt its facilities to the 5G standard. In addition, in order to continue to ensure a high standard of health protection, the provisions on radiation protection must be adapted to European requirements.

The Committee decided, by 7 votes to 6, to adopt a motion (18.3006) [see hereunder] instructing the Federal Council to prepare as soon as possible a revision of the Ordinance on Protection against Non-Ionizing Radiation (ORNI) in order to avoid the collapse of mobile networks and ensure the digital future of the country. The Committee stresses that if Switzerland does not want to be left behind its neighbors, the installation of 5G facilities is essential. The Committee considers that, in view of the high utilization rate of the mobile telephone infrastructure, the rapid increase in the amount of data exchanged and the difficulties hampering the construction of new installations, the ORNI's requirements must be adapted. International radiation protection provisions must, however, continue to be respected in order to maintain a high standard of health protection. A minority of the committee proposes to reject the motion. It notes, on the one hand, that an adaptation of the ordinance is primarily the responsibility of the Federal Council and, on the other, that the effects of non-ionizing radiation on health have not been established with certainty and that, therefore, any relaxation of the provisions in this area must be approached with the utmost caution.

National Toxicology Program: Peer & public review of cell phone radiation study reports

National Toxicology Program: Peer & public review of cell phone radiation study reports
saferemr.com, 29 January 2018

The following information was excerpted from the Federal Register.

On January 29, 2018, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) announced a meeting to peer review two Draft NTP Technical Reports on Cell Phone Radiofrequency Radiation. These reports present the results of NTP studies conducted to evaluate the impact of cell phone radiofrequency radiation exposure in mice and rats.

The peer-review meeting will be held at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in Research Triangle Park, NC and is open to the public. Registration is requested for attendance at the meeting either in-person or by webcast and to present oral comments. Information about the meeting and registration will be available at https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/​go/​36051.

Meeting

United States: The Two Draft National Toxicology Program Technical Reports on Cell Phone Radiation Will Be Available by 2 February 2018

The two Draft NTP Technical Reports on Cell Phone Radiofrequency Radiation will be available by 2 February 2018.  Peer review 26-28 March 2018.
https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/about/org/sep/trpanel/meetings/index.html

Health Policy Groups Question FCC’s Allowing Manufacturer Violation Of Its Cell Phone Microwave Radiation Exposure Limit

RE-POSTED 28 January 2018

"The FCC’s lack of reply to important questions contained in the letter raises serious concerns of regulatory responsibility and competency."

Health Policy Groups Question FCC’s Allowing Manufacturer Violation Of Its Cell Phone Microwave Radiation Exposure Limit
ehtrust.org

Majority of cell phones on market may exceed FCC’s stated RF safety limit of 1.6 W/kg, experts warn

Washington, D.C., January 10, 2017. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s General Counsel, Howard Symons, Esq., and Associate Chief Counsel in the Office of Engineering and Technology, Bruce Romano, Esq., have offered no acknowledgement or reply to an inquiry posing questions about whether the FCC is adequately enforcing its existing cell phone radiation safety limits.

Groundbreaking Study Shows Shielding EMF Improves Autoimmune Disease

Groundbreaking Study Shows Shielding EMF Improves Autoimmune Disease
by Sayer Ji, Guest, Waking Times, 24 January 2018

Novel research reveals that blocking exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) produces significant symptom changes in 90% of patients with autoimmune disease. No longer can it be ignored that manmade electromagnetic radiation poses innumerable risks to human health

[The full text of the study can be read here.]

The Ubiquity of Electrosmog

Concerns about electromagnetic fields (EMF) are branded pseudoscientific conspiracy theories and relegated to the realm of tin-hat wearing quackery. However, a recent publication in the peer-reviewed journal Immunologic Research entitled “Electrosmog and Autoimmune Disease,” sheds new light on the validity of concerns about this so-called electrosmog with which we are constantly inundated.

“PhoneGate:” French Study Finds 9 of 10 Cell Phones Exceed Safe Radiation Limits

“PhoneGate:” French Study Finds 9 of 10 Cell Phones Exceed Safe Radiation Limits
projectcensored.org, January 23, 2018

Under court order, the National Frequency Agency (ANFR) of France recently disclosed that nine out of ten cell phones exceed government radiation safety limits when tested in the way they are actually used, next to the body. As the Environmental Health Trust reported, French activists coined the term “PhoneGate” because of parallels to the Volkswagen emission scandal (referred to informally as “Dieselgate”) in which Volkswagen cars “passed” diesel emission tests in the lab, but actually had higher emissions when driven on real roads. In the same way, cell phones “passed” laboratory radiation tests when the “specific absorption rate” (SAR), which indicates how much radiation the body absorbs, was measured at a distance of 15mm (slightly more than half an inch). However, the way people actually carry and use cell phones (for example, tucked into a jeans pocket or bra, or held in contact with the ear) results in higher levels of absorbed radiation than found in lab tests.

The French data is also corroborated by a 2017 independent investigation by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) that tested cell phones and found SAR values surpassed the US and Canadian allowable SAR values when the phones were tested in body contact positions. These findings were also replicated by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC). They concluded that radiation levels reach as high as 300% more than what manufacturers claim.

Why be concerned? A 2017 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology and multiple other studies have correlated long-term exposure to cell phone radiation with the risk for glioma (a type of brain tumor), meningioma, DNA damage, and other health risks.

France: The Council of the Order Wants to Pursue the Physician of Electrosensitive People

Etienne Cendrier, Spokesperson for Robin des Toits, wonders : “Has Prof. Belpomme been targeted because he was about to scientifically establish the causality of electrohypersensitivity”?

The Council of the Order wants to pursue the physician of electrosensitive people
Press Release, Robin des Toits, robindestoits.org, 22 January 2018

ENEDIS has seized the Council of the Order of Physicians with a complaint against Prof. Belpomme for certificates delivered to electrosensitive people (intolerant to electromagnetic pollution) in order for them to avoid installation of Linky meters.

Robin des Toits, which was behind the mediatization of electrosensitivity in 2008 and wants recognition of this affection, was able to question Prof. Belpomme. He simply wanted to confirm the full scientific validity of what he has done with regard to electrohypersensitivity (EHS). For the rest, he is relying on the impartiality of the Council of the Order.

Apple's iPhone X Screen Is Giving Some Users Headaches

Complaints about Apple products are piling up...

Apple's iPhone X Screen Is Giving Some Users Headaches

by PATRICK SEITZ, investors.com, 14 November 2017

A growing number of Apple (AAPL) iPhone X customers have reported eye fatigue and headaches from using the new premium handset and are taking to online forums to share their concerns.

"Ever since Thursday I have been experiencing headaches every time I'm on my phone for around 10 minutes-plus," one iPhone X user said in a MacRumors forum on Saturday. "This has never happened to me before on any of my other devices."

Another iPhone X user replied, "Same thing, got really sore eyes since two days (really painful), the X is the culprit for sure. I don't know what to do."

Some tech-savvy forum members on MacRumors suggested that the eye strain is the result of Apple's use of pulse-width modulation to dim the brightness of the OLED display. They noted that some people are more sensitive to the flicker effect than others.

Phonegate Interview with Dr. Marc Arazi by Sean Arthur Joyce

Excellent interview with Dr. Marc Arazi by Canadian journalist and writer, Sean Arthur Joyce.  
See also Part 1:  Phonegate Scandal Goes Unreported in Canadian Media

Phonegate Interview with Dr. Marc Arazi
by seanarthurjoyce, chameleonfire1.wordpress.com, 19 January 2018

JOYCE: Explain to us how you first learned of the Phonegate scandal. What was your personal connection to the issue?

French physician Dr. Marc Arazi.

DR. ARAZI: First, I read the report of the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) published on July 8, 2016, entitled ‘Exposure to Radiofrequencies and Child Health.’ In this report, there was information from the National Frequencies Agency (ANFR) on tests conducted in 2015 on 95 cell phones from mobile phone stores. The overall results showed that the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) for the trunk and extremities of 9 out of 10 phones was above the limit value (2 W/kg) when the phones were tested in contact with the body (0 mm distance from the skin). Some mobile phones exceeded 3 to 4 times the limit values. I therefore immediately wrote to and called ANFR and ANSES to request the measurement results carried out by ANFR. I received a refusal from ANFR, which was trying to gain time. In September 2016, I requested the Commission for Access to Administrative Documents (CADA) to obtain the results.

Right of Reply from Prof. Dominique Belpomme on Electrohypersensitivity

Right of Reply from Prof. Belpomme on Electrohypersensitivity
Journal international de médecine, 19 January 2018

Last 19 December, the International Journal of Medicine (JIM - Journal International de Médecine) devoted an article to the seizure of the Order of Physicians by both Dr. Jacques Lambrozo concerning certificates of contraindication to the installation of the LINKY meter given by Professor Dominique Belpomme, as well as by the Directorate General for Health (DGS) regarding the potential breach of the requirement for physicians to provide patients with care based on evidence supported by science. Professor Dominique Belpomme is asking us to publish this right of reply concerning the article.

We would like to emphasize that certain elements presented by the practitioner could be considered as insufficient by some of our readers to fully convince them about the somatic nature of electrohypersensitivity. The JIM reserves the right to reply at a later date to certain points made by Professor Belpomme.

The article published on 19 December 2017 in the International Journal of Medicine entitled “Diagnosis of Electrohypersensitivity: Prof. Belpomme Pursued by the Order” calls for the following answers on my part:

1. Blood markers

New Fitbit-Style Device Monitors Baby Biometrics While Bathing Infants in Electromagnetic Radiation

"The thought of hooking up a tiny baby to electronic devices wirelessly to track and then transmit their vital statistics is setting a very dangerous precedent and that is something that should give people pause. The amount of personal data that is already available about people is extremely concerning, and to start collecting that data and normalize recording this information from the cradle is a very slippery slope... When you also throw the dangers of wireless exposure into the mix, parents might want to think very carefully before hooking these devices onto their babies."

Parents now urged to connect their BABIES to smartphones: New Fitbit-style device monitors baby biometrics while bathing infants in EMFs
by Isabelle Z., newstarget.com, 11 January 2018

One big fear for many new parents is sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), a mysterious illness that causes babies less than a year old to die suddenly and for unexplained reasons, usually during their sleep. To help allay those fears, scientists are developing a new gadget that can transmit vital stats to parents’ smartphones. It sounds like a great technological advancement, but are there reasons to be concerned about the idea of connecting babies to electronic devices that track them and broadcast their vital stats?

Kids' Cellphone Addiction Is Parents' Problem Not Apple's

Our comment:  Yes, parents are partly responsible for their children's cell phone addiction.  No child should be given a cell phone before age 14.  It is not only addiction that is a problem, but also the excessive amount of radiation being emitted by many cell phones. Manufacturers and regulatory agencies are misleading the public on this issue.  Read the articles under the category "Phonegate" on this blog. And protect your children!

Ron Jackson: Kids' cellphone addiction is parents' problem not Apple's
by Ron Jackson, daily-journal.com, 13 January 2018

The American entrepreneurial spirit is something to behold. It is possessed by individuals who have an abundance of drive, vision, versatility, persuasiveness and an affinity to take risks. From the single entity businesses that carve out a local niche to those that grow into international icons, they create or provide a product that consumers want and are willing to pay a fair price for it.

Sometimes, those ideas grow and grow and grow into things consumers don't just want but, ultimately, believe they need. Carving out a sustainable, profitable market share can be the ultimate reward. But even that reward can become a risk. On those rare occasions when the demand for a product reaches a point when consumers irresponsibly use a product, history has shown it can be the entrepreneur who bears the liability.

Microwave Radiation Hazardous to Humans

"Mainstream news media chooses to remain largely silent on this whole despicable issue."

Microwave radiation hazardous to humans
by Hans Karow, Letter to the Editor, e-know.ca, 14 January 2018

Out of concern for the public’s health and safety, US physicians created a website for safe technology in December 2017, which states, in part: “We are physicians and professionals whose mission is to provide trusted leadership in promoting healthy environments through the safer use of technology.”

It is only a matter of time until B.C. physicians do so as well. Incomprehensibly, the previous BC Liberal government allowed Telus to install in cancer clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, doctor’s offices, etc. entire suites of microwave radiation-spewing wireless technology, e.g., Wi-Fi routers, cell phones, cordless phones, Bluetooth headsets, tablet and laptop computers, ‘smart’ meters, etc.!

This travesty is possible only because:

a) Mainstream news media chooses to remain largely silent on this whole despicable issue, as it has for the past 50+ years!

b) Health Canada, over the same 50+ years, has allowed itself to be ‘captured’ by the wireless telecommunications companies.

Frightening Frequencies: The Dangers of 5G & What You Can Do About Them

Frightening Frequencies: The Dangers of 5G & What You Can Do About Them
by Jody McCutcheon, eluxemagazine.com

As the old saying goes, give us an inch and inevitably we’ll want a mile. And certainly, this sentiment is true with technology.

Who doesn’t want faster, bigger (or smaller), more efficient? Take wireless mobile telecommunications. Our current broadband cellular network platform, 4G (or fourth generation), allows us to transmit data faster than 3G and everything that preceded. We can access information faster now than ever before in history. What more could we want? Oh, yes, transmission speeds powerful enough to accommodate the (rather horrifying) so-called Internet of Things. Which brings us to 5G.

Until now, mobile broadband networks have been designed to meet the needs of people. But 5G has been created with machines’ needs in mind, offering low-latency, high-efficiency data transfer. It achieves this by breaking data down into smaller packages, allowing for faster transmission times. Whereas 4G has a fifty-millisecond delay, 5G data transfer will offer a mere one-millisecond delay—we humans won’t notice the difference, but it will permit machines to achieve near-seamless communication. Which in itself may open a whole Pandora’s box of trouble for us – and our planet.

More bandwidth – more dangers of 5G

United States: Brian Berridge Tapped to Manage National Toxicology Program

Brian Berridge tapped to manage National Toxicology Program
nih.gov, 12 January 2018

NTP coordinates toxicology research and testing across nine different federal agencies.

Brian Berridge, D.V.M.,
Ph.D. is the new associate
director of the National
Toxicology Program. NIEHS

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) has named Brian Berridge, D.V.M., Ph.D., as its new Associate Director. Berridge, formerly of GlaxoSmithKline, will oversee day-to-day operations as NTP coordinates toxicology research and testing across nine different federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Berridge is replacing John Bucher, Ph.D., who has served as Associate Director since 2007 and plans to continue with NTP as a senior scientist.

Berridge will take over guidance of NTP products like the congressionally mandated Report on Carcinogens, which currently lists 248 cancer-causing agents, and scientific literature reviews on topics like fluoride that are nominated to NTP by other agencies or the public. He will also help oversee toxicological studies on topics such as chemical spills and cell phones. Since 1978, NTP has evaluated more than 2,800 chemicals and other agentsfor a variety of health-related effects, like contributing to cancer or being toxic to reproductive, immune, or nervous systems. NTP is headquartered at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of NIH.

Phonegate and Electromagnetic Safety

This is an excellent article!

Phonegate and electromagnetic safety

by CARLOS ÁLVAREZ BERLANA, elsaltodiario.com, 13 January 2018
(Google translation)

The Phonegate scandal gives us the opportunity to question ourselves on the subject of electromagnetic safety. Is the SAR emission rate a reliable measure to rule out possible health effects?

Several mobile brands have been accused of manipulating
the security tests of their devices.

In recent months we have witnessed the so-called "Phonegate" case, through which we have learned that mobile phone companies, with the approval of the electromagnetic safety authorities, have been cheating to pass safety tests on their devices.

According to data revealed after court order, obtained by the French physician Marc Arazi , many devices have been passing the tests at distances of between 1.5 and 2.5 centimeters, and 89% of phones tested between 2011 and 2015 by the National Agency French Frequencies (ANFR) exceeded the emission limits according to the SAR rate in the contact positions. This means that many people when they carry their cell phones in their pockets or talk with them next to their ears are receiving more radiation than the norm.

Can Cell Phones Cause Female Infertility?

"Men typically produce sperm cells in their billions. Which in a sense makes sperm expendable.  But all the eggs that a woman can have in her ovaries are there before she was born and are irreplaceable.  For this reason I believe that the damage to women’s ovaries is way more catastrophic. Women and expectant mothers must be made aware of these dangers and must protect themselves."

Can Cell Phones Cause Female Infertility?
by Lloyd Burrell, electricsense.com, 13 January 2018

It’s estimated that there are over 48 million infertile couples worldwide [1]. Approximately 35% of women and 45% of men worldwide are considered to have reduced fertility (to be sub-fertile) and about 7% of women and men are effectively infertile [2,3].

If male fertility problems are considered central in about 40% of couples experiencing child bearing hurdles [4], we can deduce that a staggering 60% is due to female infertility.

What could be the cause of these high rates of female infertility?

Cell Phone Radiation Dangers

Cell Phone Radiation Associated Brain Tumor Rates Are Rising

Cell Phone Radiation Associated Brain Tumor Rates Are Rising: Scientific Documentation
ehtrust.org

There is evidence that the numbers of people diagnosed with the type of brain tumor linked to cell phone use- glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is increasing as documented in some US and international cancer registries.

Glioblastomas (the type of brain cancer linked to cell phone radiation) and central nervous system tumors are increasing in young Americans, in precisely the areas of the brain that absorb most of the microwave radiation emitted or received by phones.

On this page we are maintaining a list of the scientific documentation of these cancer increases as well as the science linking cell phones to brain cancer. (Scroll down for scientific citations). Some facts:

• The American Brain Tumor Association’s largest, most comprehensive US analysis to date, found the incidence of anaplastic astrocytoma, tumors of the meninges, tumors of the sellar region and unclassified tumors have increased in young adults 15-35.

Facebook Is Using an Old Drug Dealer Tactic to Keep Its Users Hooked

And boy, is it a helluva drug.  (Reuters/Bor Slana)

Facebook is using an old drug dealer tactic to keep its users hooked
by Paul Smalera, qz.com, 12 January 2018

Facebook said it’s making some far-reaching changes to what you see in your newsfeed. Soon, when you see a post, it’s more likely to be because a friend shared the link, rather than because you follow a media company or business that published it.*

Reporter Michael Coren summed up the decision that founder Mark Zuckerberg outlined in a Facebook post:

“We built Facebook to help people stay connected and bring us closer together with the people that matter to us,” Zuckerberg wrote. “But recently we’ve gotten feedback from our community that public content—posts from businesses, brands and media—is crowding out the personal moments that lead us to connect more with each other.”

Cancers in the Head and Neck Are Increasing in Sweden

Cancers in the head and neck are increasing in Sweden
By admin, stralskyddsstiftelsen.se, 

10 January 2018 (extracts)

Cancers in the head and the neck are increasing in Sweden according to the latest cancer incidence data from the Swedish Cancer Registry. Cancers in the thyroid and the mouth are among the cancers that have seen the sharpest rise during the last decade but also the trend for cancers of the pituitary are on the rise. Among men aged 50 -79 years malignant brain tumours, grade 3-4 are also increasing visibly. The increase of these cancers has coincided with increasing use of mobile phones during the same time period while the increasing trend of malignant brain tumours, gliomas, might be an effect of long term use of mobile phones. 

"In the Open-Plan Office, It Is a Disaster": Testimony of Electrosensitivity from Switzerland

Headache, fatigue, insomnia:  There are people who feel
impaired by Wi-Fi radiation.  Image:  Stephanie Pilick

«In the open-plan office it is a disaster» 

20min.ch, 10 January 2018

(Google translation)

MZ * (49) suffers from electrosensitivity. Wi-Fi [WLAN] and mobile phone radiation cause headaches and insomnia. Nevertheless, he can live with it today.

The 20-minute article received a strong reaction:  A man from the Olten region went to court against his neighbor for allegedly physically suffering from the emissions of the neighbor's Wi-Fi. More than 400 comments have been written. In many, it becomes clear:  electrosensitive people often meet with incomprehension or even ridicule. "Should he also sue nature that gives off rays," says one reader.

However, electrosensitivity is not a minor problem, says Peter Schlegel, electrosmog expert on «Gesundheitstipp» [Swiss health magazine]: According to surveys in recent years, over ten percent of the Swiss population would react to electromagnetic fields in everyday life.

Get Rid of Your W-Fi with This Lovely LiFi Lamp

Get rid of your WiFi with this lovely LiFi lamp
by Lloyd Alter (@lloydalter), Design / Sustainable Product Design, treehugger.com,

8 January 2018

© MyLiFi via Global LiFi Tech Inc.

Using light to transmit data is faster and more secure; it's a bright idea.

Most studies have concluded that WiFi is safe, but some people still worry that we shouldn't be bathing in EMF radiation all day and night. WiFi also goes through walls and is not totally secure.

Then there is LiFi, or Light Fidelity, where the invisible flickering of a light source transmits data at very high speed, up to 224 gigabits per second. There are no interference issues as there can be with radio frequencies, and it could be more secure since it can't go through walls.

[Press release] Phonegate : New request for the intervention of Ministers Hulot, Buzyn and Le Maire

[Press release] Phonegate : New request for the intervention of Ministers Hulot, Buzyn and Le Maire
Par Marc Arazi, arazi.fr, 10 janvier 2018

How much more time will be lost before all mobile phone users are informed by the French, European and international public authorities of the serious risks to their health of keeping in contact with the body phones whose energy radiation thresholds far exceed the limit values?

In fact, the National Frequencies Agency (ANFR) has had this information since its first tests were carried out in 2012 but it was not revealed until July 2016 upon publication of the report by the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES): “Exposure to Radiofrequencies and Child Health”. It is the same for the other side of the Atlantic, since it was not until the end of 2017 that the California Department of Public Health published important recommendations on uses to be banned with regard to mobile phones. Since 2009, Dr. Joel Moscowitz had been demanding this action for transparency through a long and difficult legal battle.

Suspicions about Mobile Phones by Pierre Le Hir, Le Monde, 23 December 2016

Suspicions about Mobile Phones by Pierre Le Hir, 

Le Monde 23 December 2016
Published on Marc Arazi's blog, 2 May 2017

The levels of radiofrequency exposure announced by manufacturers are exceeded during actual conditions of use. 

Among Christmas purchases, mobile phones feature prominently without consumers being clearly warned about their exposure to the radiofrequencies of these devices and their potential dangers.

This is because the data provided by manufacturers are based on tests conducted in the laboratory following procedures very different from the actual conditions of mobile phone use. This is what “anti-wave” militants are denouncing today, seeing this as “an industrial and health scandal” similar to “dieselgate”. A « phonegate » then? In the current case, it is not strictly speaking a question of cheating, but rather a muddling of information given to users, favoring lax regulation. The health implications are none the less important. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified radiofrequencies as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. In a July 2016 report, the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) considers these waves have “possible effects on the cognitive function and well-being” of young people.

Apple Defends Its Smartphone Practices for Children After Investor Critique

“We think deeply about how our products are used and the impact they have on users and the people around them,” Apple said in the statement. “We take this responsibility very seriously and we are committed to meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations, especially when it comes to protecting kids.”

Apple Defends Its Smartphone Practices for Children After Investor Critique
by Tripp Mickle, wsj.com, 8 January 2018

Company says it has been offering parental controls since as early as 2008


(Photo): A baby girl plays with a cellphone while riding on the New York subway. Two major Apple investors have urged the iPhone maker to take action to curb growing smartphone use among children, highlighting growing concern about the effects of gadgets and social media on youngsters. PHOTO: MARK LENNIHAN/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Apple Inc. AAPL -0.37% defended its record of providing parental controls and other protections for children who use its iPhones and other devices, after a pair of prominent investors called on the tech giant to take more steps to curb the ill effects of smartphones.

In a statement late Monday, Apple said that its mobile software includes extensive parental controls governing different types of content and applications, noting that it started offering some of them as early as 2008.

Switzerland: The Federal Court Does Not Accept Legal Action When Neighbors Are Disturbed by Wi-Fi

The Federal Court Does Not Accept Legal Action When Neighbors Are Disturbed by Wi-Fi
by Lucien Fluri, az Solothurner Zeitung 8 January 2018 (Google translation)

The Federal Supreme Court followed the Solothurn
judges, who found that the internet box "violated no
 legal regulations".  © Keystone

There is nothing that courts do not have to deal with: even with the Wi-Fi  [WLAN] radiation from the neighbor's house. If the Federal Court had judged otherwise, then perhaps a flood of lawsuits of unknown magnitude would have started.

In the Olten region, a man does not sleep in his bedroom, but on an emergency bed under the basement stairs. There is a reason for this: the Wi-Fi radiation of his neighbor supposedly does not extend to that place. Otherwise, his house would be getting too many waves from the neighbor's internet box. The man complains of headache, exhaustion and lack of concentration due to the radiation. And so he went to court with his neighbor. The neighbor should, he demanded, limit the "Wi-Fi emissions emanating from his property in such a way that no more "immissions" penetrate into his own property.

No evidence of harm

Slowing Down of the iPhone: A Man from Geneva is Suing Apple

Slowing down of the iPhone: A man from Geneva is suing Apple
by Julien de Weck@JuldeWeck, Tribune de Genève, 5 January 2018 (translation)

Illustrative photo: Image: AP

Our comment:  More serious than programmed obsolescence, for 20 years, manufacturers have been placing their mobile phones on the market under deceptive conditions for millions of users, including children, by not taking into account the real uses in calculating the SAR, overexposing them to levels of radiation that are a risk for health, a scandal ignored by the Swiss media.  See arazi.fr **

Programmed obsolescence: The company has admitted to slowing down its older devices.  A politician has sought recourse from the Public Prosecutor of the Confederation for fraud

Shortly before Christmas, the American giant Apple admitted to be voluntarily slowing down its older smartphone models.  Accused by several developers, the California company has been obliged to recognize in a press release that it restricted the performance of some of its phones, invoking problems with the batteries.  Many view this as a manoeuvre to encourage people to buy new models.  This is the case with Thomas Putallaz, State executive and PDC candidate for the Grand Conseil.  The man from Geneva filed a complaint with the Procurer General of the Confederation on 29 December.

This Is What Happens to Your Body and Brain If You Do Not Get Enough Sleep

Watch the excellent video accompanying this article.  Remember that the use of wireless devices during time spent in bed has been correlated with insufficient and poor quality sleep.  

A sleep expert explains what happens to your body and brain if you don't get sleep
by Noah Friedman and Lamar Salter, uk.businessinsider.com, 26 December 2017

Sleep expert Matthew Walker breaks down the many effects of sleep deprivation on your brain and body. Following is a transcript of the video.

Matthew Walker: My name is Matthew Walker, I am a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and I am the author of the book "Why We Sleep."

We certainly know that a lack of sleep will actually prevent your brain from being able to initially make new memories, so it's almost as though without sleep the memory inbox of the brain shuts down and you can't commit new experiences to memory. So those new incoming informational emails are just bounced, and you end up feeling as though you're amnesiac. You can't essentially make and create those new memories.

We also know that a lack of sleep will lead to an increased development of a toxic protein in the brain that is called beta-amyloid and that is associated with Alzheimer's disease because it is during deep sleep at night when a sewage system within the brain actually kicks in to high gear and it starts to wash away this toxic protein, beta-amyloid.

Why Apple Deliberately Slowing Down iPhones Is Harming the Environment

Why Apple Deliberately Slowing Down iPhones Is Harming the Environment
by Lorraine Chow, EcoWatch, 21 December 2017

If you ever felt like your iPhone is getting slower over time, Apple has admitted that it deliberately slows down the processing speeds of phones with older batteries to stop them shutting down without warning.

The tech giant is ultimately doing a good thing—even if it's in a sneaky, backhanded way. Smartphone batteries certainly have a limited lifespan.

As the company explained Wednesday: "Lithium-ion batteries become less capable of supplying peak current demands when in cold conditions, [when they] have a low battery charge or as they age over time, which can result in the device unexpectedly shutting down to protect its electronic components."

But how many of us buy a completely new phone instead of simply replacing the battery? That's not to mention that Apple makes their phones very difficult to open and fix yourself.

Cell Phone and Microwave Information Consumers Really Ought to Know

We were impressed by the recent note on cell phones and microwaves sent by Arthur R. Firstenberg, an American activist on the subject of electromagnetic hypersensitivity, founder of the independent campaign group the Cellular Phone Task Force and author of the outstanding book, "The Invisible Rainbow". Catherine Frompovich has included the full text of Arthur Firstenberg's note in her recent post.  We are quoting here only a few extracts. 

Cell Phone And Microwave Information Consumers REALLY Ought To Know
by Catherine J. Frompovich, activistpost.com, 26 December 2017

Now that 2017 is winding down and 2018 is about to take center stage, people usually like to engage in offering forecasts, e.g., prognostications (predictions) and self-improvement “new year’s resolutions.” Each of us has his or her thing, which apparently preoccupies us, but there is something which really ought to grab our attention as a frightening 2018 probability that is not regarded for what it truly offers, i.e., producing negative health impacts, and IF we can protect ourselves from such unrealized physical abuse, especially to our DNA.