Nokia has announced a bicycle-powered mobile phone charger. Although it's not a new idea – we reported on a Kenyan bike-powered project last summer – it's a first for the manufacturer, which is aiming the device at developing markets where access to electricity can be limited.
A 10-minute ride will produce enough power for around half-an-hour of conversation. The charger uses a dynamo to produce the power, with a handlebar mount holding the phone in place. It's expected to be available later this year.
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The latest study from comScore shows that social networking is the fastest-growing content category on mobile devices, with web browsers remaining more popular than applications for accessing online content.
78% of smartphone users accessed their browser in April 2010, while 80% of smartphone users accessed applications. In comparison, just 19% of feature phone users accessed their browser, with 17% accessing applications. However, the larger number of feature phones means that web browsers remain more popular overall.
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Satellite phone service Iridium has announced plans for 81 satellites that'll form its next-generation mobile phone service. It already supports more than 359,000 subscribers on its existing sat-phone network. The new service, called Iridium NEXT, was first revealed in 2007. It'll have 72 satellites in space and an additional nine spares on the ground.
This new announcement has confirmed the cost of the project - approximately $2.9 billion - and also reveals that the satellites will be built by Thales Alenia Space. They're expected to be launched from early 2015.
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