CAIRO: Adel Islam hates when his mobile phone runs out of battery. It happens too often he says, which is why he is extremely excited about the prospects of being able to purchase a new solar powered mobile phone charger planned to be launched in the United Arab Emirates by a Finnish telecommuncations company. “How many times have I been at work, forgot to charge my phone the night before and it just dies on me? Too often,” the investment banker told Bikya Masr. “We have so much sun in this part of the world, it only makes sense. I'm pumped.” Suntrica, which was set up in 2006 in the Northern Finnish city of Tampere, has reportdely created the SolarStrap, a device the company says works by converting ambient solar energy into usable electrical energy that can provide an unlimited source of power for personal electronic devices. They unveiled the new technology in Barcelona this week at an international conference and is hopeful of introducing the product to the UAE in the near future. According to a statement from the company, the chargers will be used to power mobile phones, MP3 players, GPS systems and digital cameras. They will also have plug options for other devices. Jouka Hayrynen, Suntrica's CEO, told Arabian Business that the company has already garnered positive feedback from distributors in the UAE and is in negotiations to introduce the products to the region. “You cannot buy it in Dubai yet [but] we are talking to various distributors and operators at the moment,†said Hayrynen. Islam hopes that when the new device is available, he will have the time to get one on one of his numerous jaunts to Dubai. “I am really excited about this and I think it will definitely change my life and reduce stress levels,” he says while showing his mobile phone, which is flashing “low battery.” BM
