The Mobile Power of Solar

Two words that strike fear into modern society could soon be a thing of the past.  That’s right, ‘low battery’; will no longer be a problem, if an idea born in Serbia, goes global.

A group of Serbian university students have created the world’s first public solar-powered mobile phone charger and it stands proud in a town just outside Belgrade.  The team won a prestigious European Union prize in April for their efforts, despite being the youngest team in the competition. 

Their invention, dubbed, The Strawberry Tree, has sixteen wires capable of charging all phone models, and has enough energy stored for a month should the sun disappear.  It’s a simple idea that uses natural renewable energy to power modern technology cleanly, and we love it!

Is Nokia in Crisis? According to the boss, they are.

Stephen Elop, CEO of Nokia, has sent a blunt but honest memo to his staff suggesting that the once mobile market leader is now in crisis.

In particular, he feels that the firm was caught off guard by the success of Google's Android operating system and Apple's iPhone.  Despite the first iPhone being shipped back in 2007, he states that Nokia “still don't have a product that is close to their [Apple’s] experience”.

As a result he describes the company as standing on a "burning platform" surrounded by innovative competitors who are grabbing its market share. Although Nokia leads the global smartphone market in terms of handset sales, its overall share has been gradually declining.  According to research firm IDC, Nokia’s shares fell 10% between 2009 and 2010.

Mr Elop's leaked memo also suggests that Nokia is also being squeezed at the lower, non-smartphone end of the market by Chinese manufacturers because they are produced quickly and cheaply.