News Briefs

A nonprofit organization that brings affordable technology to the developing world has invented a solar-and bicycle-powered, Linux-based IP telephony and computing system for areas without electricity or telecommunications services. Inveneo's system—built with off-the-shelf, low-power hardware—combines an IP telephone, a basic computer with Internet access, a solar panel, a Wi-Fi subscriber unit for communicating with a base station, an antenna, and electronics components. The computers have a small-scale Linux OS, Web and e-mail access, and basic utilities and are built to be easy to troubleshoot and fix, said Robert Marsh, Inveneo's chief financial officer and vice president of engineering. The system, thus far deployed in Uganda, uses Wi-Fi networking and a series of transmitters, receivers, and repeaters to wirelessly route traffic up to 100 kilometers from the nearest phone or Internet-access connections to a village without telecommunication services. Inveneo designed the computer with internal airflow and components that create little heat, so there is no need for fans or ventilation holes. This helps it withstand the dust, humidity, and rugged transportation conditions often found in the tropical climates of many developing countries, noted Inveneo CEO Mark Summer. The company has included remote-administration and-monitoring software because there often won't be IT professionals in these villages to solve problems. The system primarily uses solar power, which works during the day and stores energy in a battery for use at night or in cloudy conditions. For use when the battery isn't working, the system also has a stationary-bicycle-based, power-generating component that provides one hour of service for every 15 minutes of pedaling. It can also work with microhydroelectric, wind, diesel, or other energy sources. Inveneo says it is too small to help fund and deploy widespread implementation of the $1,500 system. It is thus seeking help from nongovernmen-tal organizations, which could pay to install the system in developing countries. Inveneo also hopes to involve technology companies, saying they will benefit by introducing technology to millions of potential consumers. I Battery Charge controller Pedal generator Outdoor Wi-Fi unit Telephone Computer LCD screen LAN and power over Ethernet A nonprofit organization has invented a simple, low-cost, low-power, easy-to-maintain solar-and bicycle-powered IP telephony and computing system for developing countries without electricity or telecommunications services. News Briefs written by Linda Dailey Paulson, a freelance technology writer based in Ventura, California. Contact her at ldpaulson@yahoo.com.