Although we're living in the XXI'st century, and the development of technology seems to know no boundaries, there are about 1 billion persons out there who don't even benefit from one the most basic utilizes: electrical power.

Practically, without power, there can be no telecommunications. Or are we wrong? It looks like we might be, because Inveneo, a nonprofit group of inveterate high-tech adventurers, has just found a solution to this problem, according to Ephraim Schwartz for InfoWorld.

Thus, the group has developed a Linux-based VoIP system, which has a very special feature. It's powered by the electric current obtained from pedaling on a bicycle, connected to a dynamo and a power adapter. Inveneo puts everything together with off-the-shelf hardware that is low-cost, easily replaced, and - it is hoped - easy to troubleshoot and fix.

The bicycle-powered system brings not just VoIP but also e-mail and Web browsing to remote areas, using a combination of Linux and the Asterisk open source PBX., and uses Wi-Fi networking to route traffic to a central hub with existing phone infrastructure, with a range as far as 100 miles.

The bicycle, mostly used as a backup to solar power, gives the rider one hour on the phone for every 15 minutes of work. Isn't it tempting? Physical exercise and communications, all in one package.