One for road: Now, pedal to power your mobile

Rano

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HELSINKI: Dutch cyclists chatting on the mobile phones are an ubiquitous site in the bike-friendly city of Amsterdam and soon they will be able to charge their mobiles with bike power.

Nokia Oyj introduced a bicycle charger on Thursday aimed at developing countries with limited access to electricity, but the cellphone maker said the idea could catch on in Europe where cycling for work, shopping and errands is a common lifestyle.

The charger, which can be fitted into any Nokia phone with a 2mm charger jack, uses a dynamo to generate electricity from the movement of the wheels, Nokia said in a statement.

“Bicycles are the most widespread means of transport in many markets around the world, so this is just one more benefit to be gained from an activity people are already doing,” Alex Lambeek, Vice President at Nokia, said.

The price of the charger kit, which also includes a holder for securing the phone to the bicycle, will vary according to market, but in countries like Kenya, where the product was introduced on Thursday, it would be around 15 euros ($18), a Nokia spokesman said in a statement.

To begin charging, a cyclist needs to travel around six kilometres per hour, and while charging times will vary depending on battery model, a 10 minute journey at 10 kmh produces around 28 minutes of talk time or 37 hours of standby time, the spokesman said. The faster you ride, the more battery life you generate.
The charger is set to become available through selected retailers and the company’s online store before year-end, Nokia said.

The four new phones the company also introduced in Kenya on Thursday target developing markets, a key growth area for the Finnish company, and also contain features designed for the needs of people in countries where access to electricity is limited, such as a six-week battery standby time.
 
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