Pong Research
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mobile phone accessories |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Leesburg , United States |
| Products | Pong Case (mobile phone protective cover with integrated antenna) |
| Parent | Penumbra Brands, LLC |
Pong Research Corporation was a manufacturer of mobile phone accessories known for creating the Pong Case, a protective phone cover integrated with an antenna engineered to minimize users' exposure to cell phone radiation.
History
Founded in 2011, Pong Research initially operated out of Encinitas, California before moving its headquarters to Leesburg, Virginia in 2014. The company received financial investment from Catterton Partners, a prominent private equity firm specializing in consumer brands and managing assets exceeding $4.5 billion. In 2014, the business underwent a rebranding to Antenna79, Inc. Two years later, Antenna79 combined operations with Invisible Gadget Guard, Inc., a company focusing on screen protection products, resulting in the establishment of Penumbra Brands, LLC.
Technology
The development of the Pong Case technology involved PhD-level researchers affiliated with Harvard, MIT, UCLA, and the University of Manchester. Utilizing their knowledge in radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields, they engineered a coupled and re-radiating antenna system designed to redistribute near-field emissions from mobile devices. The initial model was created specifically for the iPhone 3G.
Crafted from Lexan polycarbonate material, the cases incorporated an ultra-thin, gold-plated coupled antenna system (CAS) that redirected wireless signals away from the user’s body. This innovation effectively lowered radiation exposure to levels significantly beneath the FCC’s Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) thresholds while preserving full device functionality.
By embedding a passive antenna coupling mechanism within the case structure, Pong’s solution redirected RF emissions away from the head and torso without interrupting connectivity. The company secured eight patents granted and had twenty additional applications pending.
In 2017, the product line was renamed alara, standing for "as low as reasonably achievable," emphasizing its capacity to substantially reduce RF exposure while maintaining optimal device performance.
Lab test results
In October 2009, Wired magazine conducted testing of the product at Cetecom, an FCC-accredited laboratory located in Milpitas, California that specializes in cell phone radiation assessments. The evaluation employed a mannequin head filled with brain tissue simulant fluid and demonstrated that during simulated phone calls, the specific absorption rate (SAR) decreased by 64.7%, reaching 0.42 watts per kilogram when using the Pong case.