With Google Assistant, Electron Wheel turns any bike into a souped-up ebike

By Ananth Pandian Published January 11, 2018

Building off the success of cyclist Max Lippe’s 2,800 mile Electron Wheel bike trek from New York City to this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Electron launched the second-generation of its electric bike wheel at the 2018 trade show.

Promising to “electrify your bike in 30 seconds,” the Electron Wheel replaces the front wheel of most bikes and instantly transforms an ordinary bicycle into a modified ebike. The Electron Wheel does this through a variety of features that includes active hill assist, a top speed of 20 miles per hour, and a battery that lasts up to 50 miles of range.

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It even has Google Assistant integration that allows riders to find directions with ease while riding. Google Assistant also allows riders to modify the amount of electronic assist they are getting from the Electron Wheel and learn about its battery power.

“We are taking the experience from the smart home or connected car and bringing it to the bike,” James Parker of Electron told Digital Trends. “You get all of the features of the app but [don’t] have to worry about having the dashboard on the handlebars. You can have the phone in your pocket, or in your backpack and say things like, ‘Hey Google, what’s my battery status?’ or [even] toggle between the different assist modes.”

Now available online for pre-order, the second-generation Electron Wheel sells for $799 and is expected to start being shipped out in February.

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Emerging Tech

Anti-surveillance clothing is getting cheaper, but don’t expect an invisibility cloak

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Grandma's knitting just entered its Iron Man era

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For most of us, knitting brings to mind sweaters, scarves, and perhaps an ambitious grandmother determined to make winter more fashionable. Researchers at Harvard University, however, have a far more futuristic vision. They've transformed ordinary knitted fabric into a programmable material capable of changing shape, acting as an electrical switch, sensing movement, and potentially forming the foundation of tomorrow's wearable technology.

The research, published in Advanced Functional Materials by scientists at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), demonstrates how machine-knitted textiles can "snap" between multiple stable shapes without relying on motors or rigid mechanical parts.