Where’s the most dangerous place to put your laptop? That’s right: your lap

You don’t need to hear another word to know you don’t want toasted skin syndrome.

If your laptop rests on your legs too long, your skin can get toasted by heat from the optical drive and exhaust fan. But despite the heat, some laptop users don’t realize they’re in danger. This appears to occur mostly among young people who become hyper-focused on game play.

The trick to avoiding TSS is obvious: Just put something between your lap and your laptop.

What’s less obvious is a much more subtle kind of toasting you may be getting from electric magnetic fields.

HSI Panelist and bestselling author Ann Louise Gittleman has plenty to say about laptop use in her new book “Zapped.” She warns against using a laptop in your lap at any time. And this is very important for women who are pregnant. Ann Louise explains that a fetus is particularly vulnerable to electropollution because the womb is essentially a sack of water–a well known conductor of electricity.

Ann Louise: “While your laptop is connected to its AC power adaptor, it can cause high AC magnetic and AC electric field exposure. And your computer can emit harmful electric magnetic fields (EMFs) even when it’s not connected to a power adaptor, especially when you’re logged on through a wireless internet connection.”

“Zapped”–which is now available on Amazon.com–contains hundreds of invaluable tips on how to significantly reduce your electropollution exposure.

For more information you can go to the “Zapped” website (areyouzapped.com), where you’ll also find a link to a recording of Ann Louise’s recent appearance on Coast to Coast Radio. During her interview, she reveals why your cordless phone you use at home is significantly more dangerous than your cell phone.

Source:
“Laptop Risk: ‘Toasted Skin Syndrome'” Bill Hendrick, WebMD Health News, 10/4/10, webmd.com