If you saw the Teague X/Sizemore “Denny” e-bike last week and voted for it in the Oregon Manifest design contest, pat yourself on the back — it just won. As a result, what was merely a design experiment will now become an actual retail product built by Fuji Bikes , available to buy in 2015. To bring you up to speed, the Seattle-inspired cycle grabbed our attention with its removable handlebar locking system and electric drive pedal assist. Other techie features include an automatic gear shifter, removable battery, minimalistic “fenders, ” integrated storage and a full set of lights. Along with the clean lines, that helped it best four other formidable entries and launch it as a product. There’s no word on pricing yet, but Fuji said it has “exactly the kind of innovations we hoped would come from (the contest)” and expects it to sell well. Filed under: Transportation Comments

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You’ll soon get the chance to buy Teague’s e-bike of the future

Google has long used automatic image scanning to fight online child exploitation, but it’s now clear that this monitoring applies to email, too. Houston police have arrested a registered sex offender after Google tipped them off to illegal photos of children in his Gmail account. The notice only led to a warrant at first, but it helped the cops discover locally stored images that they wouldn’t have found otherwise. The bust is notable in that there were no public clues to the offender’s activity, such as a website; besides the people he contacted, only Google would have known what he was doing online. That will undoubtedly raise concerns for some, since it wasn’t immediately apparent that Mountain View’s servers were checking Gmail images. However, the activity isn’t a complete surprise. Google’s terms of service already indicate that the company is analyzing Gmail for both targeted ads and security — while illegal pornography isn’t explicitly mentioned in the terms, it only makes sense that this content would be considered as well. Filed under: Internet , Google Comments Via: Business Insider Source: KHOU

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Google email scan helps police arrest a sex offender

If BioShock Infinite ‘s brief stopover in Rapture wasn’t enough to sate your Randian desires, 2K Games’ China studio is currently in the process of moving the original BioShock from last-gen consoles and PC to iOS. Like XCOM: Enemy Unknown before it , BioShock is a “premium” iOS game and thus carries a “premium” price — that price is unknown thus far, but we’d put it somewhere in the $10 – $30 range. As one 2K Games rep told us in an interview late last week, “It is a seven year old game.” So perhaps on the lower-end of that scale, then. Other than that, well, it’s BioShock . Would you kindly head past the break if you’d like to know more? Yes, BioShock doesn’t look as good on iOS. It’s the truth. In-game lighting and shadows are cut down pretty dramatically, as are art assets. The grandeur of Rapture is distinctly less grand , which sucks some of the life out of one of my personal favorites. The first thing you’ll notice is “iOS fire.” The game’s opening — a plane crash — puts main character Jack in the ocean surrounded by some hideously ugly fire animations. It’s the first hint that the iOS version of Rapture has been shrunken down to fit within Apple’s app store file size limitation, and it’s a nagging issue that I couldn’t shake in my hands-on time. But maybe you haven’t played BioShock before and you’re not overloaded with lofty expectations (like me). First things first, you’re in for a treat! Second, even without my lofty expectations, you should probably play this on a couch with an Xbox 360. BioShock is a great example of world-building in video games, and the iOS experience is a subpar representation. Simply put, between the lessened scale and the delivery medium, BioShock iOS is distinctly less immersive. The good news is that it plays perfectly fine, even with touch controls. Admittedly, the touch control situation is not ideal. Like Grand Theft Auto ‘s mobile ports, virtual buttons appear contextually on screen. Also like Grand Theft Auto ‘s mobile ports, I found myself scrambling to figure out which virtual button to push as a gang of enemies descended on me. “But Ben, ” you ask with a hint of hesitation in your voice. “Why not use a bluetooth controller?” Well, you can. And I tried that with a MOGA bluetooth controller. That totally works. Here’s the thing: I don’t carry a bluetooth gamepad on me. Do you? Does anyone? Okay, does anyone who isn’t a crazy person? You can play BioShock iOS with a gamepad. But will anyone? In terms of nuts and bolts, BioShock iOS doesn’t have any of the extra downloadable content that the console/PC version has. It requires a newer iOS device — iPad Air, iPad Mini 2, iPad 4, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C or iPhone 5 — and straight up won’t run on earlier devices (says 2K). It’ll arrive sometime this summer at an unknown, “premium” price. Filed under: Cellphones , Gaming , Handhelds , Tablets , Software , Mobile , Apple Comments

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The original BioShock is headed to iOS this summer

The cops may be eager to experiment with drones for tracking bombs and (possibly) suspects, but they’re apparently not that keen on people turning the tables. The LAPD claims that activist Daniel Saulmon was trespassing when he flew a machine over a Hollywood police station’s parking lot. He was spying on “private property, ” Lieutenant Michael Ling claims. As you might imagine, Saulmon (who has a history of recording officers on the ground) disagrees. He didn’t step inside, after all, and he contends that law enforcement doesn’t have the same privacy rights as individuals. Saulmon wasn’t busted for his drone flight, and it’s not clear that the LAPD can do much at this stage. It’s a public institution, and the Hollywood location has a see-through fence — it’s not as if the police were guarding a secret operation. He wasn’t interfering with their activities, either. There’s a chance that California and other states will draft rules limiting what both civilians and cops can do with unmanned craft, but it looks like these confrontations between cops and accountability advocates could continue so long as a gray area exists. Filed under: Robots Comments Via: Ars Technica Source: LA Times , Tom Zebra (YouTube)

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Los Angeles police don’t want you flying drones over their stations

Trees are the most efficient oxygen-producing mechanisms known to man, so researchers have been trying to replicate them in order to produce breathable air in outer space. Julian Melchiorri, a student at the Royal College of Art, has created an artificial leaf that can produce endless oxygen using nothing more than light and water. The manmade leaves could be a game changer for space exploration, and they could also be used as biological air filters or oxygen producers back here on Earth. Trees do more than create oxygen; many of them also bear fruit. Artist Sam Van Aken has produced an amazing hybridized fruit tree that grows more than 40 different kinds of fruit , including peaches, apricots and almonds. Bees already do a lot of work for humans by pollinating crops and producing honey, but could they build our cities too? A pair of designers suggests that bees’ honey-making glands could be used to produce concrete instead, enabling them to 3D print structures . Even if that plan doesn’t work out, there’s still plenty to be learned from bees. Take honeycomb, for example: A team from the Stanford School of Engineering has made a breakthrough honeycomb lithium-ion battery design that could lead to more stable batteries for electric vehicles . And speaking of electric vehicles, this week Tesla and Panasonic signed a multimillion dollar deal for the world’s first battery-producing Gigafactory . What if you could build an entire house for just $3, 500 ? Architect Nicoló Bini, has developed a novel technique for doing just that — and it involves covering an inflatable balloon with concrete! In other green design news, Turkish architecture firm Autoban recently designed a set of futuristic wooden cocoons for Azerbaijan’s Baku Airport , lending the space a cozy, natural atmosphere. Cozier still, the Hanging Tent Company just unveiled a portable tent that hangs high in the treetops . The spherical tent features circular windows and a wood floor. And a 13-year-old from Georgia successfully built her own tiny house . The mini mansion features a kitchen, a lofted bed and a bathroom with a composting toilet. Looking ahead, Vo Trong Nghia has been selected to design the Vietnam Pavilion at the World Expo 2015 in Milan . The pavilion will be modeled after Vietnam’s national flower, the lotus. And filmmaker George Lucas has hired Studio Gang and MAD Architects to design a museum of narrative art in Chicago. In other green tech and innovation news, Amazon has launched an online store for 3D-printed objects . So far, the store offers 250 products, including pendants, toys, nylon wallets, cookie cutters and bobbleheads. A team from Australia obliterated a 26-year-old record for the world’s fastest long-range electric vehicle last week, traveling over 310 miles at an average speed of 62MPH. (The previous record was 45MPH.) Students from Goldsmiths, University of London created a pair of sneakers that are made entirely from plastic trash found on the beach . The Montreal-based media and entertainment studio Moment Studio has created a luminous forest wonderland in Quebec . A team from MIT has developed a simple graphite sponge that soaks up water and converts it to steam using solar energy. And digital tattoos could soon become a reality : The Silicon Valley firm VivaLnk has partnered with Motorola to offer up temporary tattoos that enable you to unlock your phone with a simple tap. And in case you still need a reason to say goodbye to your incandescent light bulbs, this infographic makes a bulletproof case . Filed under: Misc , Internet Comments

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Inhabitat’s Week in Green: concrete honey, hybridized fruit tree and a $3,500 house

The folks down at the Federal Trade Commission are busy helping all of us these days, whether they’re weighing in on patent disputes or forcing firms to help cover your child’s lack of parental supervision . Today, the FTC charged several companies and individuals with participation in an elaborate shell game from 2010 that was really just a $275 million dollar credit card scam. According to a separate, ongoing lawsuit filed by the Commission, a company called I Works did the stealing, but wouldn’t have been able to take $26 million of the total without the aid of the defendants in this new lawsuit. The unfortunates in question are alleged to have served as the conduit through which all that stolen cash flowed. By providing I Works access to payment networks and multiple accounts, the scheme kept the volume of traffic through those accounts low enough to stay off Visa and MasterCard’s credit monitoring radar. So, while they didn’t actually steal money, they provided the means to do so, and were paid from the illegal proceeds. Several of the accused have already settled up with the FTC, which resulted in a $1 million judgment against them. The remaining defendants face a much stiffer penalty should they lose in court, as the Commission seeks all of the $26 million they helped steal, plus legal fees. Should you be among the victims, I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for restitution — the folks who settled were only able to pay $328, 607.78, so the rest of the judgment has been suspended. Still, we salute the effort, Uncle Sam. May this serve as a reminder for all of us to be careful with the plastic until technology delivers us a more secure way to pay. Credit card theft takes many forms . Filed under: Misc Comments Via: Federal Trade Commission Source: FTC legal complaint (PDF)

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FTC busts up $275 million credit card scam, sues the folks behind it

We’ve heard quite a bit about Mr. Zuckerberg’s plans to bring low-cost internet access to the otherwise disconnected, and today, his social network announced plans to do just that in Zambia. The new Internet.org app allows users to browse weather, health and employment info at no cost. And that’s not all Google Search, Facebook, Messenger and Wikipedia are available as well. Right now, the option is available to Airtel subscribers in the country, but it will roll out to other parts of the world in the future. Cellular service blankets much of the globe, however the cost of the mobile web deters many from opting in. This will certainly help. Filed under: Internet , Software , Mobile , Facebook Comments Source: Facebook

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Facebook’s Internet.org app offers free web access in Zambia

Back when Oculus VR first showed off its second virtual reality development kit, the Facebook subsidiary wasn’t saying anything specific about the origins of its new, higher-resolution screen. But now that that second dev kit is shipping to pre-order customers, the teardowns have begun and we have a better idea of what it’s using: the screen from Samsung’s Note 3 . Not a similar screen, but the screen directly taken from a Note 3 smartphone — an AMOLED pushing 1080 x 960 into each eye. Oculus VR even kept the touch module attached, though we’d strongly suggest against trying to use it while wearing the Rift headset. As iFixit notes, the screen is being overclocked to run a higher refresh rate (75 Hz), which is important in creating what Oculus calls “low-persistence”. Hilariously, when the headset’s taken apart, you can see the directness of the screen’s use, camera-holes and all. Check out the video below for a full walkthrough of the new Rift dev kit. Of course, Samsung and Oculus working together is interesting unto itself. We reported in May that Oculus VR and Samsung are collaborating on another VR headset — “Gear VR” — which Oculus is creating the software for while Samsung creates the hardware. That Samsung is providing the screen for Oculus’ new dev kit looks to be another component of the partnership. Interested in learning more about the second Oculus Rift dev kit? Check out the video below! Filed under: Cellphones , Gaming , Wearables , Software , HD , Mobile , Samsung , Facebook Comments Source: iFixit

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The second Oculus Rift headset uses the Samsung Note 3 screen, literally

Genetic testing firm 23andMe might not be in good terms with the FDA, but it impressed the National Institutes of Health enough for the agency to give it a $1.4 million grant. The money will be used for a two-year project that’ll improve the firm’s web-based genetic database and make data available (anonymously, that is) for use by external researchers. This will also allow the company to look into the association between genes and health conditions, conduct more extensive surveys to collect data, among other things that it details on its official announcement . Haven’t heard of 23andMe before? It calls itself a “personal genetics company” that sells DNA test kits and sends customers back their genetic ancestry information and raw genetic data. It also used to issue health reports that indicate how much you’re at risk for a certain disease (cancer, for instance), but the FDA called the reports’ accuracy into question last year. The company believes this two-year project will ultimately lead to valuable information on thousands of diseases and help improve disease detection and drug development. Filed under: Science Comments Source: Reuters , 23andme , FierceHealthIT

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23andMe gets $1.4 million NIH funding to advance human DNA research

So let’s say that you want to quit your day job and start making indie games. It’s a noble pursuit to to be sure, and with Microsoft’s Independent Developers @ Xbox program for Xbox One , it’s supposedly pretty easy. What Redmond doesn’t tell you, however, is just how much it’ll cost you. That’s where Jamie Fristrom , the developer behind Sixty Second Shooter Prime comes in. On his blog , Fristrom breaks how much everything from URL registration and maintenance ($19) to paying to have the game rated in foreign markets ($2, 042) costs, with the total coming in at $5, 143 — a stark contrast to something like Destiny ‘s $140 million price-tag . He notes that even with Redmond giving away free development kits, Xbox isn’t the cheapest indie platform around but that the costs to publish there were “absolutely worth it.” What’s more, he says that if you choose to skip stuff like releasing in other territories, making a game for under $3, 000 could be totally feasible. Good to know. And even though he’s yet to see Prime ‘s first sales report, Fristrom estimates that given the game’s leaderboard population he’s more than covered the cost of development and even made a living wage. How’s that two-week notice looking now? Filed under: Gaming , Home Entertainment , HD , Microsoft Comments Source: Happion Laboratories

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Making an indie game for Xbox One costs just over $5,000