A few days ago I received this message:
“We have launched one of our Android applications that is one of the best and reliable apps out there that can measure EMF radiation on your area home or office with international standards. Device calibration is one its unique features that makes this app amazing.”
My curiosity was piqued.
I sent back an email saying that I would like to interview them about the new app. I recorded the interview but unfortunately the recording quality is too poor to use.
WiFi Exposure Meter App
Here's a transcript of my interview with their CTO Marios talking about their new app the WiFi Exposure Meter:
Can you explain what your company does?
Sigint Solutions is an ICT Research and Development Organisation, ICT stands for information communication, technology. We mainly deal with computing and telecoms and for the last 5 or 6 years we have been running an ISO 17025 accredited Laboratory which performs EMF studies for the benefit of local bodies in Cyprus. Local operators are required to measure periodically their network in order to show that their radiation emissions are within authorized limits.
How did you come up with the idea for this app?
We already have expertise in developing applications for smartphones, we came up with this idea to provide a means for people that have Wi-Fi installed in their home, to enable them to obtain reliable measurements of the WiFi radiation levels or to obtain readings in any other place they may be spending a lot of time.
This video gives a brief overview of the new app:
The app comes in a free and a paid version. How does that work?
Every smartphone or tablet measures radiation differently. So we came up with a simple, empirical I would say but very close to reality technique to bring these measurements close to those that can be measured using a sophisticated spectrum analyzer. We’ve created a video that shows the spectrum analyzer readings alongside the app readings and they are very close.
What can you do with the free version?
The free version can do nearly everything that the paid version can do. The main difference is that the measurements may not be calibrated. Suppose you have two identical phones one is in a cell phone case the other isn’t, you will get different readings. If you take the paid version of the app and you calibrate the app you will be able to obtain very accurate readings. The free version also has less display options compared to the paid version.
So the degree of accuracy of the readings is improved with the paid version?
Exactly. The degree of accuracy depends on the smartphone or tablet you install it on but with paid version the degree of accuracy is ± 5% and this accuracy is demonstrated in the video by comparing the readings with those from a spectrum analyzer.
What does the paid version cost?
It cost’s three euros (just over $3). We priced it low to get people to buy it. We wanted to offer a reliable WiFi radiation measurement for the price of a cup of coffee.
Which measurement units does the app use?
The app uses volts per meter. We are measuring in dBm (Decibel-milliwatts) and we convert into electric fields. Then we compare against various approved standards and limits from all over the world, like those of the BioInitiative Report, SBM- 2008 and the ICNIRP levels.
If I install this app on my smartphone or tablet do I still need to buy an EMF meter?
The reason you need to buy an EMF meter is because with an EMF meter you can measure other things as well. This application only measures WiFi.
What frequency range does it measure exactly?
It measures 2.4 GHz or 5.2 GHz.
If there was a cell tower nearby that was emitting radiation in the 2.4 GHz would your device measure the radiation emissions from the cell tower?
No, our application only measures the WiFi protocol.
Why would someone typically buy this application?
The main reason to buy this application is to determine the best position to locate your WiFi access point in your home (or office) in order to minimize your radiation exposure. For example you would want to locate the WiFi access point away from where your children are spending a lot of time.
Which telephones is it possible to download this app to?
You can download to Android phones. In the near future we are planning to release it to other platforms as well but at the moment you can download it to smartphones and tablets that have Android version 4.0 installed.
How To Download The App
To download the free version of the app click here.
To download the paid version of the app click here.
To read the press release click here.
Comments
Lottie said,
there is no way a phone app can accurately read wifi radiation but it may provide some comfort to some that dont know better
Susan Herman said,
I’d like to see a version that could be downloaded to my computers, so I could test the WiFi around them, as I don’t have a smart phone.
Karen Adler said,
Can one use this app when phone is set to Airplane (flight) Mode???
Susie Cox said,
This wouldn’t be helpful for electo sensitive people if the smartphone was off flight mode. However for those people who do not feel the emf, this app is very educational!
Brendan Fischer said,
Please notify me when this app becomes available for iOS.
Thank you.
Pat Ormsby said,
Looks to my like yet another thing you’ve gotta have a phone for. Oh well. I’ll put out the $250 or so for a good acoustic meter to supplement my old trusty Trifield.
Sigint said,
Being an ISO17025 certified EMF measurement laboratory, it was never the intention to replace ISO17025 calibrated equipment with the WiFi Exposure Meter App (and a phone). Having said this, if the calibration procedure (paid version of the app) is applied correctly, the obtained results from the WiFi Exposure Meter App can be very close to the results obtained from ISO17025 calibrated equipment (as per video). Its just a ~3 USD (plus a phone / tablet) VS ~60,000 USD question to get some comfort :).
Ricki said,
I sent an email to Sigint asking if the app could be used in flight mode and here is the reply:
” Thank you for your interest on our application. The application works when the flight mode is on but you need to have the device’s WiFi enabled. Please have in mind that when you activate the flight mode, it automatically disables the WiFi. Once it is enabled, you can use the application.”
great said,
Very good. This can boost awareness because exposure limits are visible. Since there is no safe radiation level, as it is well established that irreversible DNA damage occurs even at very low exposures, every lowering of radiation is helpfull and welcome.
Although not incorporated this should also be possible with cellphone towers. Providing names of providers and network type (GSM900, GSM1800, G2, G3, G4).
Downside is that I doubt very compromised persons will use it often because it will require switching on Wi-Fi and that might or will cause the phone to give off radiation.
A great plus would be if they let Phil Zimmerman put it in his blackphone app store. That would give great assurance about the app.
I once saw an app that converted radiation levels in colours. And Apple had an radiation app which they banned. This app seems great and hopefully gets a great respons.
Sigint said,
Thank you all for your interest in our application.
Ricki has already posted our response to his question regarding the flight mode. The application can evaluate the WiFi exposure level when in flight mode, if the device’s WiFi is enabled. Once you activate the flight mode, the device automatically disables the WiFi. If you launch the WiFi Exposure Meter, it will identify that the WiFi is disabled and it will ask for your permission to enable it. If you respond positively, it will proceed to enable the WiFi and then continue with the measurements and evaluation.
Regarding the IOS question, currently we cannot proceed to implement it on IOS because their api does not give us access to the appropriate functionality we need.
We are planning to enhance the WiFi Exposure Meter application with more features. We would like to thank everyone for their feedback and we would be happy to consider any other suggestions you may have.
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