US boffins are working on a chip for use in mobile phones that will shield users from potentially lethal radiation. Called the EMF Chip, it is embedded in the phone's battery, according to a report in top people's tabloid The Mail. The chip's developer, Prof Theodore Litovitz, of the Catholic University of America in Washington, claims putting the chip in the battery will not affect its performance, not that of the phone. No time scale has bee set for the release of the chip, The Mail said, but it is expected soon. It is expected to sell for around £25 and anyone wanting to save their brain from being fried any further will need to buy a new battery for their handset. Despite a growing amount of concern -– and coverage -– the potential threat posed by mobile phone radiation is still an unknown quantity. The UK government has set up an independent working group to look into the matter. Among the many concerns voiced about the threat of mobile phones, was the fear that the radiation can damage short term memory. ®