Nokia unveils bicycle-powered cell phone charger

[wpsedgwick]

Source: Examiner

Nokia has released a pedal powered cell phone charger kit slated for developing nations where the power supply is limited, unreliable or expensive.

The Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit, which can be attached to any bicycle, powers up from the pedaling motion of the bike's rider.

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/x-42287-Chicago-Green-Technology-Examiner~y2010m6d7-Nokia-unveils-bicyclepowered-cell-phone-charger

[havocmom]

1. Now there's news the world can use!

I love those little portable solar charger devices too.

[Wizard777]

2. Can't they just put a hamster on a wheel IN the phone?

[obxhead]

4. Isn't that how those suitcase phones of the early 80's worked?

:rofl:

btw that knock on the door is the animal cruelty police :P

[Wizard777]

12. Actually that's the 70's and those were Radio Phones.

I'm trying to get the Hamsters some exercise. Not drown them in oil.


Btw, shouldn't they be in the gulf writing millions of citations to BP?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

3. A cellphone-powered bicycle would be better. Let's finally harness the power of Yap.

[zipplewrath]

5. Took me a second

I had to read it three times. I kept reading it as "Yak" instead of "Yap". I couldn't figure out how a yak was gonna ride a bike.

I did read about a device that would absorb the various radio waves in the atmosphere and convert it into power to charge a cell phone battery. It was a very low charge, but they figured it would charge lightly used phones from the energy being put out by heavily used ones. (Although admittedly the power was more likely from the radio station or cell phone tower).

[nebenaube]

6. I could use something like that

considering the commercial microwave tower that towers over the building across the street.

[BakedAtAMileHigh]

7. it is about freaking time (heh heh)!

This is sooperkewl!

[ProudDad]

8. And why do people in "developing nations"

or anywhere else for that matter...

need cell phones?

[EOTE]

9. Because having a phone is often a precursor to having a job.

And in most developing nations it makes no sense to have a land line when most would require a cell phone anyway, so most stick with just a cell phone. Developing nations need communication as well.

[jberryhill]

15. Or running a business....

When you bring a load of corn to the market on the west side of town, wouldn't you like to know what buyers on the east side of town are paying before you commit to the guy on the east side.

People in remote villages can know exactly what a load of casava melons is selling for in multiple markets before they put a yoke on their oxcart and head out.

[Bette Noir]

10. Because developing nations don't have land lines.

Big chunks of the world skipped the land-line phase of development. In these places, cell phones are the primary means for people to contact each other. I'm sure you're not against human contact.

[jberryhill]

14. Because it is cheaper to build a cell phone network

Cell phones have empowered people in developing nations in a way that no other communication technology has.

Bicycle rickshaw operators in Delhi have cell phones. I met a guy there who managed his "fleet of helicopters" as he called them (about ten rickshaws) via text message while sitting on a street corner. He could run his operation with the same efficiency as a radio dispatched taxi company with a small fraction of the infrastructure cost.

Given a choice between stringing valuable copper cable in areas with dicey infrastructure and putting up a cell phone tower, you can provide better communication service to more people at lower cost and materials with that cell phone tower, than you could accomplish at higher cost by stringing cable. That cable will be stolen for the recycle value of the copper just as fast as you can put it up.

[petronius]

11. I remember seeing a video (Frontline? Wide Angle?) a few years ago

about an engineering student in an African country who came up with one of these and was selling either phone time or charges - it was basically his post-graduation business...

[LaurenG]

13. I want one! nt