China-tech companies Qihoo 360 has introduced a router that it claims, can reduce radiation for the use of pregnant women. The company's rival Xiaomi dismisses the claim as a marketing tactic.
Chinese tech firm Qihoo 360 recently launched a wi-fi router that has a setting, it claims, that reduces wi-fi radiation by 70%. This setting is made especially for expectant women, following health researches that state how exposure to devices that emit radiation, such as wi-fi, can potentially cause harm to a developing baby.
Another tech brand, the increasingly popular Xiaomi, is vocal in dismissing the claim as just a marketing tactic, playing on the concerns of consumers regarding radiation and health. In a social media site, the gadgets giant posted that "...wi-fi usage is safe, so please rest assured in using it."
The two firms are fierce rivals in the field of technological innovations, and around the same time Qihoo launched its router with 'pregnancy-safe' settings, Xiaomi launched a new product of its own; a router with high-speed connections and large storage capacity, minus the reduced radiation feature.
Xiaomi posted on its Weibo account that, "We firmly oppose, and feel ashamed of, those who create rumours and arouse instability for business purposes." It is a response towards Qihoo president Zhou Hongyi's statement, as reported in the South China Morning Post, that, "We are targeting people who are afraid of radiation."
The effects of wireless devices on pregnancy have been subjects of debates among different health groups, researchers, and specialists. Campaigns promoting safe pregnancy, such as the BabySafe Wireless Project, have made their stand against such devices, claiming that they post serious health risks such as neurological problems and congenital heart disease. The group's site even has a section named "Reduce Your Exposure", citing measures to avoid being exposed to radiation.
Contradictory claims of a recent Radiation Research Journal on the effects of wi-fi on a pregnancy, PubMed.gov, and the World Health Organization, among others, do little to settle the debate on what the effects really are. WHO claims that recent evidences and studies do not prove the supposedly harmful effects campaigns say wireless devices have on pregnancy.
Scare tactic or mere safety device?
