Topics like mobile phone radiation are always controversial, but if you're in the camp that believes there is a legitimate health risk associated with spending too much time on your BlackBerry you will be happy to know that the folks at Tawkon have released a free ad-supported version of their app.

If you didn't see our original blog post about Tawkon, you'll want to check that post out for some lively discussion and also the video above to get an overview and walk through of the app. In general, Tawkon is an app that operates on one basic premise - monitor the radiation emitted by your BlackBerry. Beyond that, Tawkon takes this one step further, not only notifying you of rising radiation and a predefined threshold, but also offering suggestions as to how to reduce the level, without interrupting your normal usage. It attempts to be as non-intrusive as possible, while maintaining the highest possible level of safety. Specific features include:

• Predictive Mode allows you to preview your potential exposure prior to making a call, based on current conditions, such as your location on their "radiation zones" map. This is displayed to the user with easy to understand colour-coded signs, ie: green for minimal exposure to radiation.
• Call Mode monitors your current conditions while in a call, providing intelligent solutions and feedback, such as engaging speaker-phone, or moving back to a previously "safer" location.
• Statistics - The app also features a full set of statistical data tools, showing you how much radiation you have avoided by using the apps suggestions, accumulation of radiation, and radiation during the last call.

The premium ad-free version of Tawkon normally sells for $9.99, but at the time of this writing is currently on sale for $4.99. And of course the new ad-supported version is FREE, so whether you're a believer or skeptic there's no cost associated with giving it a download and try it out for yourself.

Download Free Trial / Purchase Premium version from CrackBerry App Store
Download Free Ad-Supported version from App World 

A couple of months ago, we covered Tawkon, a mobile application designed to measure and reduce the amount of radiation you may be exposed to while using your BlackBerry device. The debate about radiation has always been a hot topic, and the comments to that post were a perfect example of that, ranging from people that were happy to have the ability to monitor their radiation levels, to those who proposed tin-foil hat conspiracies. Whatever your leanings happen to be in this debate, the fact remains that legislative bodies around the world have begun to take steps regarding cell radiation, passing laws mandating the disclosure of this information in the public health interest. 

The development team at Tawkon have been hard at work since my last post, updaing their application to now work with the 9000, 8900 and 85xx series of devices, and they have also provided a more in-depth look at the inner workings of the application, for those skeptics needing proof that it isn't just an abra-cadabra act. Cellular radiation is a huge "elephant in the room" right now in the industry, and Tawkon is flat-out the best solution out there if you are concerned about monitoring and reducing the radiation you may be exposed to in your daily usage.

To celebrate both Canada Day up here in the frozen North, and the upcoming Independence Day holiday, Tawkon has reduced the cost of their application to $4.99 starting today and running through July 6th.  For more information on Tawkon, you can check out their website here, where you'll find tons of links and resources on radiation as well as videos of the app in action.

• More information and purchase of Tawkon

Cell phones and radiation have been a topic of much conversation since their inception, as well as the butt of more than a few jokes. We have posted several times in the past year about different apps, case studies, and even accessories for your BlackBerry aimed at reducing the risk of health issues caused by radiation from our beloved devices. First, there came RadGuard, an app that claims to monitor the radiation levels emitted by your device, and issues a warning alarm at a particular threshold. We covered Pong Research back at CES 2010, when they came out with their new line of cases that claim radiation-shielding properties.

Enter Tawkon, the latest competitor in the battle against radiation. Tawkon is an app that operates on one basic premise - monitor the radiation emitted by your BB. However, Tawkon takes this one step further in its implementation, not only notifying you of rising radiation and a predefined threshold, but also offering helpful suggestions as to how to reduce the level, without interrupting your normal usage. It attempts to be as non-intrusive as possible, while maintaining the highest possible level of safety.

More than just a simple monitoring app, Tawkon is fully-featured with some impressive tools at your disposal:

• Predictive Mode allows you to preview your potential exposure prior to making a call, based on current conditions, such as your location on their "radiation zones" map. This is displayed to the user with easy to understand colour-coded signs, ie: green for minimal exposure to radiation.
• Call Mode monitors your current conditions while in a call, providing intelligent solutions and feedback, such as engaging speaker-phone, or moving back to a previously "safer" location.
• Statistics - The app also features a full set of statistical data tools, showing you how much radiation you have avoided by using the apps suggestions, accumulation of radiation, and radiation during the last call.

Now live in App World and available in the CrackBerry App Store, it is currently available for the BlackBerry Bold 9700 only, with more devices planned for support in the coming weeks (it's a complicated process customizing the application to work accurately with each different device - different radios, etc.). The price point may be a little steep for some at $9.99, but if you're really concerned about the effects of the radiation emitted by your "companion", it's likely worth the investment. It's definitely a well thought out and executed application.

• More info / download Tawkon for the BlackBerry Bold 9700 >>