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Tawkon, a small Israeli start-up, announced Monday that its cell phone radiation detection application has arrived for Google Android phones.

The company's mobile application uses an algorithm that measures your specific absorption rate or SAR (See also: CNET's Quick Guide: Cell phone radiation levels). This is the rate at which your whole body absorbs energy from a radio frequency magnetic field. Specifically, the company measures the amount of radiation that is emitted from the phone; it uses the phone's GPS technology and accelerometers to gauge the position and proximity of the device to the body to determine the amount of radiation that is being absorbed into the person using the phone.

The idea behind the app is to let consumers know how much radiation they are exposed to while talking on a phone. It is not to scare consumers into using their cell phones less.

"We would never tell people to stop using their cell phones," said Gil Friedlander, co-founder and CEO of Tawkon. "But when you drive a car, you put on your safety belt. When you are trying to get to a healthy weight to prevent illnesses like heart disease, you count calories. We're just trying to make sure that consumers have as much information as possible to make decisions about how to reduce their exposure to cell phone radiation."

The app alerts users with a vibration when the SAR has reached a certain threshold. Users can then decide to move the device away from the body, or they may move to a different part of their home or office while talking on the phone.

Moving a cell phone even a few inches from the body can greatly reduce radiation exposure. Many consumers also don't realize that cell phones emit different amounts of radiation depending on where they are with respect to a carrier's cell phone tower. The further away a subscriber is from the cell tower, the weaker the signal. In order to connect to the cell tower, the device must boost its power, which increases the amount of radiation emitted.

Scientists know that humans absorb this radiation, but what is still unknown is what effect this has on health. Some studies suggest there is a link between cell phone radiation and some cancers. Other research refutes these findings.

Cnet has the details HERE!