Notre Dame researchers making a faster and safer phone

A group of Notre Dame researchers are working to give your smart phone a signal boost, and make it safer in the process.

Believe it or not, when you hold your smart phone to your ear it sends electromagnetic radiation to your head. The verdict is still out on how bad that is for you, but some Notre dame researchers are still working on a fix.

Here's what they've come up with so far. Most phones have one antenna. But by adding another, energy can be more evenly dispersed around the phone. That limits your exposure to electromagnetic waves.

"You need to understand how magnetic fields radiate," said grad student Jianming Jen. "What this really is going to be like when the human head is present."

This project is only in year one of four, believe it or not. So they've made some great progress. The hope is to finalize their findings and change the game for smart phone tech. 

"The hope is that it will perform better," said professor Bertrand Hochwald. "At the same time lower the exposure to electro magnetic fields that they produce."