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You know that cell phones are just two-way radios, right?

And that when you’re talking on one that you’re really talking into a two-way radio broadcasting a very, very high-frequency signal right next to your head.

Yes, I know scientifically that it’s a very low-power signal being transmitted but it still is producing near-microwave frequency radiation that might be absorbed into nearby soft tissue. Your brain, for instance.

That’s why some experts believe it’s a good idea to keep your cell phones conversations short in duration – and also keep the number of those conversations to a minimum. That’s especially for adults who are always talking on their cell phones. And, that goes double and triple for children.

Which brings us to the research of people calling themselves the Environmental Working Group. They say they consist of a “team of scientists, engineers, policy experts, lawyers and computer programmers (who) pore over government data, legal documents, scientific studies and (their) own laboratory tests to expose threats to your health and the environment, and to find solutions”.

On their EWG “Get A Safer Phone” Website, the group has published lists containing the results of what they’ve found. There’s a list for regular “feature phones” cellphones and another for smartphones. There’s even a quick and easy look-up system to see how well your current handset has fared.

All of this is even more interesting because the City of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors has just passed a law requiring retailers to post notices on just how much radiation is reportedly being emitted by cellphones they sell. They hope this information will help consumers make a “safer” choice. That’s if consumers think this is important enough to care about in a world of iPhones, Androids, Blackberries and the like.

All of this sounds very ominous and scary. I’m not sure it should be your first priority when you buy a phone but being aware of your phone’s radiation numbers could make a difference.

T-Mobile, says there’s still a chance that some affected Sidekick owners might be getting a little good news in the next few days.

There may still be a way to retrieve all of their personal information that disappeared from the giant Sidekick computing “cloud”.

In a late night press release, T-Mobile says they “…and Microsoft/Danger continue to do all we can to recover and return any lost information. Recent efforts indicate the prospects of recovering some lost content may now be possible. We will continue to keep you updated on this front; we know how important this is to you.”

And now, the number four cellular provider has an offer for those affected:

“In the event certain customers have experienced a significant and permanent loss of personal content, T-Mobile will be sending these customers a $100 customer appreciation card. This will be in addition to the free month of data service that already went to Sidekick data customers.

This card can be used towards T-Mobile products and services, or a customer’s T-Mobile bill. For those who fall into this category, details will be sent out in the next 14 days – there is no action needed on the part of these customers. We however remain hopeful that for the majority of our customers, personal content can be recovered.”

They recommend that Sidekick owners Sidekick continue to visit T-Mobile Sidekick Forums on a regular basis to access the latest updates, as well as FAQs regarding this service disruption.

T-Mobile Forums are said to offer tips and suggestions for rebuilding content on Sidekick devices.

As first previewed here a few weeks ago, the upcoming Asus Keyboard PC – that means a PC built inside a full-sized keyboard including a 5-inch (diagonal) color screen) – will be released here in the United States within the next few weeks.

We had a sneak peek of the interesting new device weeks ago – way before Asus let journalists take a look at Europe’s Computex show. Both hardware and software were very, very early betas but the computer we tried seemed to work quite well for us.

The version we played with had an Intel Atom processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of solid-state storage and it ran on Windows XP. But, the final timing of the Keyboard PC’s release seems to coincide quite nicely with Microsoft’s Windows 7 due date.

That means expect the new Keyboard PC to be running on Mircosoft’s new and (greatly) improved operating system. And then again, maybe a nice Linux version of Asus’ Keyboard PC is in our future somewhere down the line.

Other interesting Keyboard PC features include back-up battery power (for when you’re not plugged-into an AC outlet), the latest/greatest/fastest Wi-fi connectivity (802.11 b/g/n) and a wireless HDMI ultra-wide band audio/video connection.

Overall, we think the Asus engineers had living room use in mind when this device was originally conceived. We can think of other places to use it as well.

Price is now rumored to be in the $400-$500 range. We originally guessed $549 (don’t forget it is a full computer, mouse, keyboard and monitor – although a small screened monitor- in one nice, neat package.

We’ll find out soon enough.

I’m not sure this is what Steve Jobs had in mind when he built a network of beautiful Apple Stores/Temples/Boutiques all over the world.

A young man who goes by the name “nicholifav” (who’s is really 11-year old Nicholi Woodward from the Bronx) has been posting videos on the Web and is fast becoming YouTube star.

That alone is not a big deal.

But, when you take into account that Nicholi produces his art – for free – on computers samples in Apple’s New York City 5th Avenue “Mecca” – you begin to realize just how clever he is.

Plus, the price is right.

He’s done a bunch of personal videos so far and, in the process, is building a huge following. He’s also made guest appearances on Good Morning America and The Ellen Show.

You can check nicholifav out on his own YouTube page and also see his very popular rendition of the Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow” at the top of this story.

Aside from his exemplary performance, check out the shoppers reactions in the background.

I’m not talking about Wi-Fi, although it can be part of the equation. What most people have now are local area networks (LANs) that receive an Internet feed over a wire from wide area network (WAN) providers (Cable, phone company, Fiber/FIOS, Satellite, you name it).

This is 100% wireless Web access. No wired connections like you need for cable, DSL, satellite or fiber/FIOS.

So far, currently popular 3G cellular (UMTS, EV-DO) networks are speedy – but they’re not even close to wired data WAN speeds. OK speeds for cell phones. But Sprint’s “turbo-charged” Clearwire 4G WiMAX network is up and running.

Introduced last year in Baltimore, their 4G Internet data network offers blazingly fast up and download speeds. I’ve tested the system a number of times and I’m very impressed. When 4G gets to New York I’ll be the first on line to sign-up.

Just so you know, Verizon and most others are also busy building their own 4G data system using the LTE (Long Term Evolution) standard.

Sprint currently offers 4G/WiMAX service in Baltimore and will officially launch 4G in Portland, Atlanta and Las Vegas in this month. Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Seattle are slated to be Sprint 4G cities by the end of this year.

But today’s announcement is what’s so appealing. Sprint’s two new Mobile Broadband Router products connect multiple Wi-Fi-enabled devices at 3G or 4G mobile broadband speeds where those fast networks are available.

Sprint Personal Hotspot PHS300S (up to 4 simultaneous Wi-Fi connections) and Cradlepoint MBR-1000 Broadband Router for business (up to 15 connections) handle 3G/4G data via plug-in modules. The devices change 4G from outdoors into Wi-Fi indoors. You can simultaneously connect Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones, laptops, MP3 players, cameras, gaming devices and other Wi-Fi-enabled devices at 4G network speeds.

The Personal Hotspot retails for $159.99. The Router retails for $249.99. Monthly high-speed data plan charges range from $39.99 to $79.99 per month (plus tax and tip).

What do you pay for slower, wired Internet access?

If you haven’t been following the discussion (of sorts) between NY Times columnist David Pogue and Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell C. McAdam you’ve been missing a doozy.

Last week, Mr. Pogue wrote about US cellular carriers and the recent Senate hearings on cell phone exclusivity. David wanted to know why the number one cellular provider, Verizon Wireless doesn’t have a version of his favorite iPhone. David went on (and rightly so) to complain about the current US mobile phone/service pricing system.

Mr. McAdam took offense to the column. But instead of answering Mr. Pogue directly he sent his response to NY Times Chairman/Publisher Arthur Sulzberger. Aside from the implied threat (Verizon Wireless does advertise in the paper) McAdam escalated the situation to an unnecessary level.

David tried tackling problems some of the problems that US consumers have to face – including two different, non-compatible cellular systems (AT&T/T-Mobile use one technology while Verizon/Sprint use another), text messaging fees, calling charges and somewhat confusing low phone selling prices.

Mr. McAdam sent a response to the NY Times article but failed to answer many of David’s concerns. He told NYT’s publisher that his industry is one of this country’s financial successes during this economic downturn, said that Al Gore believes the industry is competitive and that 84-percent of Americans are satisfied with their current wireless service.

I spend a lot of time travelling overseas and I gotta tell you phone service there is 1000% better than in this country. Cell phones work on trains, subways, buses, elevators and basements. They work in big cities, small cities and rural towns. Everywhere. Other countries use just one cellular standard.

Overseas you pay only for the calls you make and messages you send (just like our old, home landline service). In the U.S. you pay for each and every call and message you send AND you receive. They call that “air time.”

And in other countries you buy the phone and the service separately. Phones there aren’t subsidized by fees in a monthly service charge. You can change your phone whenever you like – and own two, three or more phones. Your account is controlled by a tiny SIM card which is easily moved from one phone to another.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of walking past a cell phone store in London, Paris, Barcelona or any foreign city you wouldn’t believe the selection of handsets in the window. In comparison, our selection here is pitiful. There are some cell phones that never get picked-up by US carriers that are really terrific. US consumers are the ones who suffer.

There is no easy answer. The cell phone industry is now “maturing”. That means there are fewer first-time buyers and more repeat customers who expect some sort of incentive to re-sign. That means those carriers have to look for other ways to keep profits high: like charging more for text messaging, audio/video files, services and accessories.

On the other hand, with faster 4G data services on the way, US carriers have to find a way to pay for the rollout of all new equipment. Someone has to help pick-up the tab.

No one will win this battle. But you, the consumer will surely lose. As we progress to 4G (and beyond) the system could change to better serve consumers and carriers alike. Maybe not.

Bloggers have been speculating about something like this for months. But, when a prestigious institution like the Financial Times says it’s going to happen – then you take notice.

FT is reporting that Apple is rushing to release a portable, tablet-sized computer in time for the Christmas shopping season. According to the report, the touch-sensitive computer will have up to a 10 inches (diagonally-measured) screen. Some bloggers are guessing 9.5-inches or so. Think in terms of a device somewhere in between a large iPod Touch and a MacBook notebook.

And FT says the he device is expected to be launched alongside a slew of new content deals. They report that Apple has been working with the four largest record labels (Sony, EMI, Universal and Warner) to stimulate digital album sales.

They say Apple intends to offer added value by including a new interactive booklet, “liner” notes and other interactive features with music downloads. Both sides believe features like this will change buying trends from buyers selecting one or two songs at a time (spending $1-$2) to buying one or two albums at a time (spending $10-$20).

There’s little consensus about the price of the new Apple tablet. Best guess is that it will retail somewhere in the neighborhood of $800.

No one has been able to make tablet computers super-popular. Ask Microsoft. But, if anyone can, it’s Apple.

We’ll find out soon enough. Apple is planning their next “announcement” event in September.

Research in Motion has announced a new member of the 3G BlackBerry smartphone family, the Tour (AKA the 9630).

This phone was designed for to replace older CDMA handsets including that large, clunky, long-in-the-tooth, model 8830 “World Edition” smartphone that Verizon has been selling for awhile.

The most important feature of the Tour is that it lets you communicate on 3G, EV-DO Rev. A networks here in North America, as well as 3G UMTS/HSPA (2100 Mhz) and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks overseas.

The new “candy bar style” handset also sports:

A full QWERTY keyboard
A full HTML Web browser
480 x 360 display
Removable/rechargeable 1400 mAh battery (5 hours talk time/14 days standby)
3.2 MP camera with flash, variable zoom, image stabilization, autofocus, and video recording
256MB Flash memory
Hot swappable microSD/SDHC memory card slot (16 GB now, 32 GB soon)
GPS (geotagging support, BlackBerry Maps and other location based apps/services)
Voice activated dialing
Enhanced background noise cancellation
Low-distortion (that’s their description, not mine) speakerphone
Bluetooth (2.0) support

And, of course the phone comes standard with RIM’s BlackBerry messaging services and the company’s new BlackBerry App World.

As for availability, the RIM press release states that “the BlackBerry Tour smartphone is expected to be available this summer from carriers in North America.” In this country that means expect a version for Verizon and another for Sprint.

One last point, despite the onslaught of iPhones, Android phones, Palm Pre phones, Symbian phones, Windows Mobile phones, and all the others, a whole lot of people still buy and use BlackBerrys.

RIM President and Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis reminds us: “BlackBerry continues to be the top selling smartphone brand in North America,” and adds “we are proud to add this powerful new 3G world phone to our successful product portfolio.”