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Turn your iPhone into a radiation detector

Scosche's RDTX line features hardware radiation detectors that hook up to your iPhone or iPod Touch. Tweet and Facebook the results of your radiation ramblings.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
2 min read
Scosche RDTX
Make phone calls and check radiation levels. Scosche

The earthquake and tsunami in Japan earlier this year left a swath of destruction and a legacy of lingering nuclear radiation concerns. Efforts have already been under way to get geiger counters into the hands of people throughout the country.

More iPhones will have the opportunity to join in. Scosche has just expanded its RDTX line of radiation detectors for iPhone and iPod Touch that combines external hardware with a metering app.

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First up was the $330 Scosche RDTX-PRO. Now Scosche has released the lower-priced and slightly less accurate RDTX version for around $270. It detects gamma radiation above 120keV within +/- 10 percent accuracy. Loosely translated from geek speak, that just means that you'll definitely know if you're in a dangerous spot.

The radTEST app is free and breaks the metering down into simple green, yellow, and red zones so you can tell at a glance if you should be getting the heck out of there.

Since we're talking about an iPhone app here, there is the obligatory social-media connection. You can tag locations on Google Maps, and Tweet and Facebook your radiation results to let your friends know where it's safe--or not--to roam.

A Wi-Fi home version called the HRDTX is scheduled to come out in early 2012. Currently, the detectors are available in Japan with no word yet on a wider release.

Scosche radTEST app
The radTEST app lets you Facebook your radiation results. Scosche