Nokia's €15 bike charger will abide
We've been seeing dynamo-powered gadget bicycle chargers for, well, ever. But it's good to see a company with the global reach of Nokia getting into the action with a €15ish kit all its own. Nokia says that a 10 minute bike ride at 6mph (10kph) will produce enough power for 28 minutes of talk time or 37 hours of standby. The kit, primarily intended for developing markets, ships globally before the end of the year with a handlebar mount, dynamo, and 2-mm charger jack. But there's nothing stopping you from picking up a micro USB adapter (at your own cost) and using the charger with Nokia's smarter (and more power hungry) handsets like the N97, N900 and forthcoming N8** -- any micro USB handset really, regardless of vendor. Coupled with Nokia's free turn-by-turn guided Ovi Maps, the kit could be quit handy when navigating the countryside on a long weekend bike ride, or for navigating within cities, like, oh we don't know, Amsterdam.
** Nokia N8 can be charged over 2mm or micro USB connectors, fancy.
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Cycle power; Nokia launches new Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit to power Ovi Maps
03 June 2010: Today Nokia launches a Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit which captures free and eco-friendly energy from bicycling to power your Nokia mobile on the move. Great for use with Ovi Maps, the Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit will ensure that you will never be caught out when navigating through unfamiliar locations. The kit consists of Nokia Bicycle Charger DC-14, Nokia Phone Holder for Bicycle CR-124, and a Bottle Dynamo.
Users will get free and efficient charging from cycling as the dynamo starts charging when a bicycle speed of 6 km/h is reached and stops at 50 km/h, matching the efficiency of a normal charger when the bike is traveling at 12kmh. The charger can be fitted onto any Nokia handset with a 2mm charger jack, such as the Nokia E72 or Nokia X6.
Want to listen to music when cycling but worry that headphones block out road noise? With the Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit you can play music aloud to keep the motivation up on long or repetitive journeys.
John Nichols, Head of Marketing, Nokia UK commented: "The innovative Nokia Bicycle Charger Kit gives people even more freedom to use their Nokia handset without worrying about battery life.
"A growing number of people in the UK cycle for leisure, exercise or as a daily means of transport so this simple innovation is about convenience and getting the most out of your Nokia while you're on your bike. It's also the perfect piece of kit for those that care about the environment."
The kit will be available before the end of the year in selected retailers and Nokia online and branded retail.
