Nervous cellphone users will be pleased to learn that Nokia of Finland has
developed an aerial that is supposed to direct most of the radiation away from
the caller. Instead of the normal helical shape, the wire runs up the outside of
the aerial in series of ever smaller zig-zags (GB 2 330 951). Most of the
radiation comes from the smallest zig-zags, which can be kept to one side of the
tubular antenna. So if the aerial is filled with a dielectric or insulating
material, the radiation reaching the user is reduced.
Technology
Safe talk
4 September 1999
