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The 13-foot, tear-shaped electric motor boat can accommodate up to five adults in its jacuzzi seating and comes with a gas-powered, ambience-enhancing fireplace. It’s self-cleaning, self-heating, and can cruise for up to five hours on heavily regulated bodies of water.

With its electric engine, the Spacruzzi is a more eco-friendly watercraft option. “Unlike most power boats on the water, our all-electric propulsion and our patent protected electric and propane heating system do not put pollutants into the air or water,” Kanwetz said in a statement.

While it’s not designed to go far, it is simple to operate, and users can always swap out extra batteries for longer fun. “The boat will not travel more than four or four and a half miles per hour,” notes Kanwetz. “It’s about getting to a space, getting comfortable, and just sitting there. If you’ve never driven a boat, you’re an expert after about 30 seconds.”

The company, which manufactures all its Spacruzzis in its Nevada and Montana facilities, uses a patent-pending UV and saltwater filtration system to circulate and clean water throughout the boat, and an onboard gas fireplace to keep the soaking temperature perfectly pleasant. A ladder connected to the back of the fiberglass hull makes it easy to take a dip in the lake when passengers are ready to cool off.

The floating hot tub’s popularity has been explosive ever since its release. Speaking to a Lake Tahoe news outlet in June, Kanwetz said: “We expected to build a hundred boats this year.” But after a 41-day soft-site opening, the company had completely sold out.

“Since we launched, we’ve seen immediate growth in both our rental and direct-to-consumer sales ,and this is continuing to grow,” Kanwetz said in a separate statement. “As you begin to see more rental operations popping up, we expect the awareness of the product to grow on the national level as more people see that this isn’t just a novelty item, but an experience that can’t be matched on the water.”

At just 1,200 pounds, the Spacruzzi is relatively easy to transport. “We have customers putting these boats on a trailer, along with a generator, and taking them to auto races, concerts, you name it,” Kanwetz adds. The vessel’s onboard heater even converts the local lake into a year-round leisure option. “You’re in the lake, it’s snowing. It’s gentile. It’s a mind-blowing experience. It’s really, really cool.”

Spacruzzis sell for about $50,000 and can be ordered on the company website. They’re available for both rental fleet and individual owner options. Buyers can customize the decking, paint, metal, and wood finishes. Further add-ons include shade towers, floating drink caddies, underwater lights, and trailers. Just be ready to wait a little while for yours, since the company says the construction-to-delivery process can take up to 120 days.

The post Floating “Spacruzzi” Hot Tub Takes Luxury to the Lake first appeared on Dornob.

Imagine a device that could suppress these fires before they blossomed out of control, actively fighting them and preventing them from spreading. Such a device could act as an important stopgap measure for homes and businesses and proactively address fires at their source.

Enter high school student Arul Mathur, a New Jersey transplant who moved to California and witnessed firsthand the devastation of the fires, with his family nearly having to evacuate their own home in 2019. As Mathur says, that made it “personal.”

Inspired to come up with some sort of solution, Mather designed “F.A.C.E.,” or the Fire Activated Canister Extinguisher. A new type of firefighting equipment, F.A.C.E. is a completely self-contained device; i.e. no human is necessary to operate it. It’s also heat-activated, akin to a fire alarm, albeit activated with a rise in temperature instead of the presence of smoke. Think of it as a fire alarm version 2.0: easily portable, easily installable, and containing its own fire suppression materials like a super-charged sprinkler.

However, it’s not water that comes from F.A.C.E. when it’s activated, its an eco-friendly fire retardant called Cold Fire that sprays the surrounding area (in a 5-6 foot radius) with the help of a built-in a sprinkler. When F.A.C.E.’s temperature hits 155 degrees Fahrenheit, this glycerin bulb sprinkler is activated, and its little metal canister springs into action like an inorganic mini firefighter. The response is quick, making it an effective way to stop combustion at its source, and prevent potential spreading.

The only human element involved in F.A.C.E. is its simple installation along a home or business’ outdoor wall or fence, and the easy refilling of the fire retardant (if necessary). Once it’s installed, F.A.C.E. is ready to go – you can set it and forget it.

Mathur says the device is meant to give individuals more agency in preventing the spread of wildfires, causing them to be “[less] reliant on the fire department to save their home. Firefighters could [instead] focus on containing the fire, while we, as residents, could control the fate of our property.”

Though F.A.C.E. is still in the early stages of development, and the prototype needs to undergo more extensive testing before mass production and distribution, the news is encouraging, with Mathur’s Kickstarter campaign well exceeding its $10,000 goal. The estimated retail on each F.A.C.E. unit would be around $120.

https://youtu.be/AOnjjaqIMx8

While not meant to be the end-all solution to wildfires, F.A.C.E. could efficiently and actively delay a fire, giving residents and the community at large time to evacuate or extinguish it before it grows. It could also make small brushfires easier to contain. After learning about the devastating effects of wildfires, student Arul Mathur “knew that [he] needed to do something about it.” And with a blend of creativity, ingenuity, and enthusiasm, it certainly looks like he has succeeded with his design for F.A.C.E.

The post In Your F.A.C.E: Student Develops Supercharged Extinguisher in Response to California Wildfires first appeared on Dornob.

A prototype currently being perfected by a team at Michigan State University, the device in question uses wind for power and includes two sensors that measure carbon monoxide and temperature, respectively. The team plans to add several other sensors to the final design, including a transmitter that will send continual updates on on all vital measurements with respect to the burn.

The device would be a crucial step in early detection, especially in remote areas. It works similar to a smoke detector in the home, except it’s powered by wind movement rather than a battery or other electrical source. This is an essential element since replacing batteries on tens of thousands of forest smoke detectors is both inefficient and wasteful. Instead, study leader and mechanical engineer at MSU Changyong Cao says the device will “generate electricity from the slightest swinging of tree branches.” Using a triboelectric generator, those motions are then converted into power. Cao went on to explain that although the device does require a breeze, fires always create air currents that provide the needed power, even if Mother Nature doesn’t.

In the study, originally published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials, the explanation of how the device works reads a bit like a MacGuyver episode but still translates into basic science. The soda can-sized contraption has cylinders in the top and bottom, one coated with Teflon and the other with a copper film. The two connect with a rubber band while an added weight at the bottom facilitates the swinging motion as the tree branch moves up and down. When the cylinders rub against each other, energy is released.

Durability is key to the success of the project, so the device also has to be both fire and waterproof. It hasn’t undergone actual field tests yet, so there’s still the potential for unforeseen issues with wildlife or natural elements that lead to disruption. Nonetheless, the team hopes the unit can provide detection where current systems have limitations. For example, one commonly used technology is satellites. Satellites provide outstanding and useful imagery when it comes to combatting wildfires, but they’re constantly in motion, which means they can’t hover over a specific area. This makes information intermittent rather than constant. On top of that, satellite imagery can be blocked by cloud cover or a smokescreen created by a raging blaze.

Since this device doesn’t rely on imaging, it’s impervious to those complications. Plus, it can be adapted to serve other purposes, like monitoring air quality and identifying toxic gases. Cao’s team hopes this solution will offer fast, efficient, and inexpensive fire detection that results in saving both forests and homes.

The post New Wildfire Detector Runs on the Swaying of Trees first appeared on Dornob.

Today, their new 3,129-square-foot, 4-bedroom, 5-bath residence serves as a prime example of what’s possible when it comes to building fire-resilient structures. The couple achieved this with the help of architect Andrew Wilt, who designed the luxurious home, and Alliance Green Builders, who constructed it.

According to the home’s official website, “the homeowners, architect, and builders made fire-resistance a top priority incorporated into the architecture and material selection.” Fire-resistant construction materials, including stucco and concrete walls, metal roofing, high-impact windows, and stone and tile ground cover serve to make “Casa Águila” even more resilient.

The single-story ranch-style property, completed in 2016, is named after the golden eagles that soar through the surrounding hills, marking the first house in the entire county to be certified by the Passive House Institute US. Passive home design is a building standard that takes factors like energy efficiency, comfort, affordability, and ecological concerns into consideration — all of which are especially important in Southern California, where drought is ongoing and wildfires cause power outages that can last for days.

Fire-Resistant Architecture

The home’s shell is both energy-efficient and fire-resistant. This one-two punch was achieved with help from the Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home program (ZERH). The wood framing within was treated with borate, a naturally-occuring compound that is commonly used to protect wood from termites, though it also prevents combustion while suppressing smolder.

Additionally, the interior walls and ceilings were fitted with sheets of plastic containing bio-based, phase-changing gel packets, which themselves offer an energy-efficient way to stabilize interior temperatures. More specifically, the gel within them “phases,” cooling the home when it melts and warming it back up when it solidifies.

“Bulletproof” Windows and Doors

You might think that a building’s exterior would be the first thing to catch during a wildfire, but because Southern California’s fierce Santa Ana winds are capable of lifting up debris and breaking windows, embers can actually spark up inside of homes, too. For that reason, Casa Águila has been equipped with Passive House-rated, German-manufactured Unilux windows and doors. The glass on these windows is tempered and protected by a laminated “bulletproof” outer layer, the likes of which should be able to withstand rocks and other wind-blown debris.

Self-Sufficient Means Natural-Disaster-Ready

Casa Águila’s average annual savings compared to that of a standard new home (due primarily to energy efficiency) is $11,700. All California DOE ZERHs are evaluated using the California Energy Design Rating (EDR), and this home received an incredibly low EDR of -92.

A 360-square-foot solar thermal collection system on the roof provides the home with radiant floor heat and hot water. With climate change in mind, two backup systems have been put in place to provide air and water heating and cooling. Builder Jeff Adams explains: “the system has been designed for a climate that could be dramatically different in 100 years or more.”

Drought-resilience and water self-sufficiency were achieved using five 10,000-gallon rainwater-collection tanks. Four more 10,000-gallon tanks collect storm water, while a fifth additional tank collects graywater from the washing machine, sinks, and showers. This water is filtered and reserved for irrigation and fire-suppression purposes. Blackwater from the kitchen sink and toilets is released into a septic tank before being aerated, filtered, and pumped into a final 1,000-gallon tank (also for irrigation use).

474 square feet of photovoltaic panels have been employed for electricity, each of them maximizing efficiency even on the rare cloudy days. The hill above Casa Águila is the site of the home’s other energy-collector, a helical, 45-foot-tall, 3.2-kW wind turbine. In total, the residence runs off of twenty twelve-volt solar batteries and can generate power for over twelve hours a day.

In 2016, the home gained LEED Platinum status and won the 2017 Department of Energy’s Housing Innovation Award. The homeowners continue to innovate and educate their community through home tours and workshops.

The post Casa Águila: A Resilient, Self-Sufficient Solution to Wildfires first appeared on Dornob.

Though Dorsey’s eponymous studio is based in Dallas, Texas, he more recently opened up a Los Angeles outpost in hopes of broadening his horizons. These newfound coastal surroundings, as well as the “anything is possible” attitude so prominent in California, seem to have played a big role in shaping his new collection, whose diverse pieces are near-direct reflections of the state’s awe-inspiring topographies.

STRIKE offers us six bold sculptural designs — Calistoga, Laguna, Malibu, Ojai, Sausalito, and Sea Ranch — each available in nine types of marble and limestone: White, Poseidon, Pewter, Nero, Montclaire, Danby, Cream, Charcoal, and Breccia Nuvole. On top of that, each fireplace can be adorned with one of three types of finish. And while that may sound like a lot of options to choose from, you can rest assured that every piece in this collection is refreshingly textural, unapologetically modern, and undeniably thought-provoking.

“A lot of traditional fireplaces are already available, but there were hardly any modern options at all,” Dorsey explains. “I started designing my own streamlined fireplaces for interiors projects and expanded upon that for the line.”

“People are more interested now in stones that have a lot more texture and movement of pattern,” he adds. “Breccia Nuvole gray marble is one of my favorites, because it looks like lava stone, especially when it’s given a rough finish.”

Hailing from Tennessee, Dorsey’s passion for architecture began early on, eventually leading him to pursue a degree in architecture and, after that, a career in hospitality design. He’s since overseen projects like clubs, hotels, airplane interiors, and luxury residences — all worth a collective $2 billion.

The designer’s website notes that “his aesthetic is best described as ‘relaxed luxury,’ which is defined by a quiet palette, custom furnishings with handcrafted details, meaningful objects, and a true sense of the people who live there. He believes furnishings should be impactful without being overwhelming, and rooms should flow and transition seamlessly.” This style is evident in Dorsey’s interiors projects, too, whether it be his ultra-beachy “Surf Shack” retreat in Dallas’ Forest Hills neighborhood, a super sophisticated, LA-inspired “La La Land” home, or a graphic wonderland of a Hamptons Showhouse.

In a recent interview with California Home Design, Dorsey expounded further on his distinct brand of “relaxed luxury,” explaining that for him, “relaxed luxury is the idea of living casually with things a person loves to touch and feel in a way that is approachable and not precious. Relaxed luxury is understated. Often quiet, it can go unnoticed, but the user with a discerning eye will appreciate the details and the soothing feeling. Relaxed luxury is achieved with custom furnishings incorporating handcrafted details, meaningful objects, and a true sense of the people who live there.”

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Throughout it all, kitchen design has evolved based on trends and needs. What once was a rustic and functional part of the home, is now a vital space for entertaining, gathering, and food exploration. Of course, other rooms in the home have also undergone changes with the introduction of things like indoor plumbing. But the kitchen has perhaps seen the longest list of innovations in the form of appliances, structural requirements, and interior design.

Interested in tracking this unique evolution, the creative team at HomeAdvisor recently did a deep dive into the past 500 years of kitchen design. They then put together a digital compilation of all the changes they observed over that time.

For accuracy, the HomeAdvisor team worked with noted historians Sara Pennell, Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Greenwich and author of The Birth of the English Kitchen, and Nancy Carlisle, Senior Curator of Collections at Historic New England. They then began with a kitchen in England circa 1520, moving to America as the new world evolved and bringing the interiors all the way into modern times.

The first example is a 16th-century Tudor manor kitchen (1520-1620), whose cold stone walls are counterbalanced by the warmth of the multifunctional fireplace. Cast iron frying pans and a quintessential cauldron above the fire show the nature of cooking during these times, while ceramic pots, the primary means of storage then, line the shelves. Nearby, a wooden trough functions as a bread-making station.

Next, the 17th-century Late Stuart-era kitchen (1680-1720) boasts improvements in overhead candle lighting, storage, and display options. Teacups grace the space as afternoon tea becomes more common, and a cast iron coal gate makes the hearth more efficient to use. Another new device called a mechanical roasting jack was set up with a series of pulleys and weights that would automatically turn the spit inside the hearth, freeing up the cook for other tasks.

With the 18th-century Colonial Williamsburg kitchen (1720-1780) comes another light fixture upgrade and the advent of tile flooring, along with newer hearth features such as a swinging iron crane used for supporting Dutch ovens and other cookware.

The 19th-century Victorian-era kitchen (1870s) features the very obvious addition of modern cabinetry used for storing food and other cooking implements. Another innovation is the wood or coal-burning stove as a replacement to the traditional hearth. Not only is this form of cooking infinitely more efficient, but it also spares the cook from stooping over the fire. The kitchen sink was another enhancement of the century, although it still wasn’t the critical component it is today. Ceramic is still the storage option of choice, although much of it is now housed inside the cabinets.

In the 20th-century fitted kitchen (1960s), electric appliances and other conveniences finally enter the scene. An electric refrigerator offers storage for perishable goods, and the gas range modernizes the cooking experience. Plus, new materials for counter and floor coverings make the space easier to clean. Even small appliances such as toasters and coffee pots change the face of the kitchen during this time.

Jumping into the 21st-century designer kitchen (2020), we see ultra-efficient and streamlined design coupled with copious entertaining and gathering space.

Check out a visual compilation highlighting all 500 years of kitchen design with HomeAdvisor’s official video on its evolution.

All photos and videos courtesy of HomeAdvisor

The post HomeAdvisor Looks Back on the Last 500 Years of Kitchen Design first appeared on Dornob.

In the world of hospitality and travel accommodations, the competition is fierce. The 2019 edition of the Sleep & Eat design event highlighted some of the most impressive innovations in that sector, all of which are expected to be coming to a hotel near (or far from) you in the next few months. The show took place on November 19th and 20th at London’s Olympia London exhibition center, awing both visitors and industry leaders with interactive displays and notable keynote speakers. In particular, these pieces and guestroom sets stole our hearts:

Miaja Design Group’s

Camping Experience Illusion

It was extremely easy to feel like we had one too many cocktails in this lounge design filled with murmurs of a forest and an exotic floral aroma wafting all throughout. On top of that, the stools here were topped with wood and surrounded a faux fire displayed in a realistic-looking fire pit. The art on the walls rounded out the camping motif for a beautifully uniform effect.

twenty2degrees’ Double-Duty Guestroom/Party Suite

Sometimes you feel like resting, and other times only a party can make the night complete. All the conventional furnishings in this guestroom set can be hidden, even the custom bed, leaving lots of room for mingling and maybe even a little dancing. When the party’s over, it’ll only take a few minutes to pull out all the creature comforts you might need for a good night’s rest. And that line for the bathroom? It’s for the Negroni cocktails flowing from a handy tap hidden inside.

Megre Interiors’ Flower Power VIP Lounge

This year’s Sleep & Eat VIP Lounge was adorned in a bold floral fabric that inspired smiles and good vibes. Just to make sure everyone got the “love and communication” message, a fire pit with faux flames was also artfully incorporated into the room.

Hat Design’s Flexible Guestroom Installation

If you ever wished you could get all your wants and needs met without leaving your hotel room, you’re closer than ever to having that fantasy come true. This guestroom has just about everything you could imagine, including a wardrobe, storage area, vanity, shower, table with stools, TV, and even a private gym. When you’re ready to retire for the evening, just push it all behind a curtain and climb into a round bed you can easily move around as you please.

Maria Tibblin & Co.’s Double-Duty Divider

No matter who you’re sharing a room with, there usually comes a time when you both just need a little alone time. This bookcase does double-duty as a room divider that gives you just enough privacy without any feelings of isolation.

Wilson Associates’ Hub Lounge Lighting Fixtures

When business meetings and seminars start to wear on your soul, the gentle radiance of round “Eclipse” wall pendants softly illuminating soothing colors in your room will help calm you down. The coolest thing about these lights is the fact they’re painted the same exact hue as the wall, allowing them to “disappear” when they’re turned off.

Luis Eslava’s GRADIENT Room Dividers

Nothing ruins the ambiance of a large room like bulky room dividers. These lovely specimens made of small anodized aluminum links come in eight versions, lighting up whatever room they’re in as two pure colors play off their reflective surfaces.

Photos courtesy of InteriorDesign.net

The post 7 Standout Designs From This Year’s Sleep & Eat Hospitality Event first appeared on Dornob.

It’s always been a bit of a guessing game as to when and how to evacuate an area. Over the years, firefighters have implemented a variety of tactics to gain insight on the behavior of wildfires. For example, the Los Angeles Fire Department and other agencies send up drones to identify hot spots and use planes loaded with cameras and infrared sensors to map out the perimeters of a blaze. They also rely on supercomputers to process data that can help with the task.

“We’re always looking for innovative ways to get better intelligence, and it all comes down to enhanced situational awareness,” says LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas. “That’s what we train our firefighters: when you’re on the fire ground, you got to be aware of what’s going on to make good decisions.”

But as of this September, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Ventura, and San Diego counties have a $4.5 million tool at their disposal. A pilot program called FIRIS, or Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System, is now being tested in California as a way to better coordinate firefighters’ collected data for quicker and more accurate fire forecasting. In this way, FIRIS produces nearly real-time fire perimeter maps just minutes after planes arrive on sight.

To pull information together, a supercomputer called WIFIRE, located at the University of California, taps into weather reports, wind conditions, information about vegetation that can act as fuel for the fire, census data to understand population sizes and structure layouts, and topographic maps to produce a projection of the area where the fire is most likely to burn. The resulting computation provides an estimation of where the fire will burn for the following six hours without intervention. This allows any agencies battling the blaze to deliver a swift response, and also gives them calculated information about timing and location for optimum evacuation protocols.

The output from the supercomputer is coupled with infrared scans from planes that both confirm the data and provide additional information to the Southern California Wildfire Fusion Center, which acts as a coordinating hub for intel. There, it is circulated to the fire chief, the command post, local law enforcement agencies, elected officials, and the general public. It is then uploaded to the LAFD website, where residents can find all the necessary evacuation information. Following the initial response, new tests are run every few hours to see if there have been any changes in the forecast, with planes returning to the area three to four times a day to gather real-time data.

Of course, making these types of estimates about where the fire will turn next is not a new tactic. In fact, the majority of the tools being implemented have been used for a very long time in the war against wildfires. The difference is that instead of hours wasted scouring reports as they come in from different sources and making guesses based on terrain shown on topo maps, WIFIRE and FIRIS produce more accurate results within minutes.

The company behind FIRIS, Intterra, hopes the technology will save money and resources, improve communication, and most importantly, save lives. In the future, Intterra says its system will be able to help predict fires before they even happen, using the information gathered regarding weather, wind, topography, and vegetation.

The post New Technology Improves Forecasting for Path of California Wildfires first appeared on Dornob.

If your outdoor tastes, in food and fire, run to the more rustic, on-the-move variety, this ‘Spare Tire Mount Braai’ steel barbecue grate from Front Runner will definitely fill the bill. It’s simple, stainless steel construction is light, unfussy – no messing about.

Discreet and portable, it stores over your spare tire! The three steel legs latch onto the tire, and it looks pretty sharp. For around $100, it can also double up as an outdoor table.

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The post State of the Art Outdoor Fireplaces & Grills first appeared on Dornob.

In hopes of alleviating some of this devastation, former MythBuster Jamie Hyneman has recently designed and built a brand new kind of driverless vehicle: a firefighting tank fitted with massive water containers that can be piloted remotely to roll directly into flames.

The Tank

The idea for the remote-controlled, self-cooling, fireproof tank first came to Hyneman in 2003, when he was hired to build a soda-vending robot for a 7Up commercial. More specifically, he engineered a vending machine on tank treads that rolled up to people and aggressively shot cans of 7Up at them. Those tank treads made him think “surface area” and eventually turned his attention to fires. His next idea was that the treads would be continually doused with water as the tank rolled over the flames. That engineering began with a M548 tracked cargo carrier that Hyneman bought in 2017, which, at 14,500 pounds, is still light enough to be relocated via airlift.

The Funding

By 2015, Hyneman was working on a prototype. Financial backing came in 2016, when he met Palmer Luckey at a venture capitalist’s picnic. Luckey is the founder both of Oculus VR, which he sold in 2014 for $2.3 billion to Facebook, and Anduril Industries, an innovative outlet for defense contract projects that apply virtual reality. To prep the tank for Anduril’s technology, Hyneman brought on Jim Newton — an advisor on MythBusters who went on to found the TechShop maker spaces — to devise, program, and build a network of necessary sensors and microcontrollers.

“Sentry,” which Hyneman’s team finished building in late August 2018, towers about 12 feet tall, boasting a highly-reflective aluminum surface and two five-hundred-gallon water tanks. Professional-grade water monitors are able to raise, lower, pivot, and empty the tanks in under five minutes. A tailored heat-resistant suit that Hyneman calls “fire jammies” blankets the whole vehicle.

The Rainstorm

“When you have instead of a truck a tank and instead of a driver a remote pilot, you can charge through the wall of flames,” says Luckey. “You can crush smoldering debris like tinfoil.” That may sound like an awesome vision, but solving the problem of fireproofing a tank filled with wiring, servopneumatic valves, batteries, sensors, and pumps requires even more new solutions.

Cue the incorporation of a rainstorm inside the tank. A 50/50 coolant mix of glycerin and water sprays down the entire interior continually, draining down into a bilge and transferring its heat to the thousand gallons of water in the tanks. It can then be pumped back up and continually reused. of course, the tank is also meant to carry people. “If you go in here to get rescued,” Hyneman says, “you come out like you’ve been in a spa.”

In late September 2018, Sentry arrived at Anduril HQ in Orange County, California, to work out the VR kinks and begin field tests. According to Luckey, Sentry will eventually drive autonomously using Anduril’s Lattice AI sensor networks. Remote operation will make full use of VR, with sensors streaming views of the area to firefighters’ headsets and smartphones.

Hyneman remains cautiously optimistic about the project, stating: “It’s conceivable that [Sentry] would be autonomous at some point, but then it’s conceivable we’ll have people on Mars before long, and that AI is going to do us all in. That may well happen but not right now. The fires are right now, and remote control is right now.”

The post MythBuster Jamie Hyneman Builds a Driverless Wildfire Tank first appeared on Dornob.

Yes, the foam — which is similar in composition to the fire retardant used in handheld fire extinguishers — has been significantly improved since it was invented in 1902. And the axe that we see the firefighters carrying, dubbed “Pulaski,” was updated with an elongated handle after an ergonomic study helped its designers better understand how to reduce fatigue. Still, significantly newer technologies like satellite imaging have yet to be implemented successfully.

There are a few reasons that the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) seems so slow to introduce truly sophisticated technology. For starters, planning requires extensive collaboration between members of Congress, forest management, and eye witnesses on the ground. Congressional-level efforts to allocate more money to technology are already underway, as more money is consumed by the increasing severity of the state’s wildfires. Ralph Gonzales, the Fire and Aviation Portfolio Manager at the U.S. Forest Service’s Technology and Development program in San Dimas, California, also explains that the state doesn’t “want to introduce unintended consequences.”

So while many elements found in the following technologies are not brand new, what is new is the concept of bundling them together for use in firefighting, with a focus on early detection, mapping, and improved helicopter performance.

FUEGO: Early Detection of Wildfires from Space

FUEGO is a collaboration between UC Berkeley (led by Carl Pennypacker, an astrophysicist at the Lawrence National Berkeley Laboratory) and Fireball, a Reno-based company headed by CEO Tim Ball, who himself boasts almost a decade of firefighting experience and a doctorate from Stanford.

The project’s crowdfunding page reads: “Using modern digital technology, FUEGO [Fire Urgency Estimator in Geosynchronous Orbit] will utilize platforms at various altitudes to detect wildland fires very early, measure wildland fires with high precision and specificity, and then feed such results into modern fire simulation programs.” While the system is still being developed, the team envisions something along the lines of geosynchronous satellites and aerial drones integrated with existing piloted aircraft and fire towers. Sensors and infrared cameras would aid in spotting wildfires before they became too difficult to control.

Currently, wildfires are most commonly reported by witnesses on the ground, and less often by airplanes or weather satellites. Pennypacker says that the usual half-hour response time could be cut down to two minutes or less with FUEGO. Before that can happen, however, funding will have to be procured for the up-to $300 million satellite needed for the system. The team has even started entertaining the idea of a partnership with the US Defense Department, which already uses similar satellites.

Collector: A Geographic Information System Mapping App

Collector is an app developed by Esri, a company that specializes in information management. With a user-friendly interface that takes advantage of the built-in GPS hardware we all have on our smartphones and tablets, the app allows firefighters to download maps and work offline. As soon as they have cell service, their data is uploaded. They are then able to see a fire’s size and location, as well as any structures and roads in its vicinity.

Collector runs off the GIS (Geographic Information System): a multi-layered approach that efficiently stores and analyzes spatial data. The system allows firefighters to measure the acreage of affected areas, share photos, get directions, and track containment progress.

The hope here is that GIS tools like Collector could eventually replace radio communication for both aircraft and ground crews. Lisa Elenz, the Assistant Director of Capabilities, Development, and Integration for the Forest Service’s Fire and Aviation Management Division, explained: “We’re trying to expand our ability to access information off-aircraft, download it while they’re still in the air, store it, and make it searchable for analysis and documentation. We want to improve situational awareness so we have better information for line officers, decision makers, and crews on the ground.” Cal Fire has been using the app since 2014 to help map wildfire damage.

Black Hawk “Firehawk” Helicopters Carry More Firefighters and Water

In the summer of 2018, the City of San Diego’s Fire-Rescue Department received an S-70 Black Hawk helicopter from the Lockheed Martin company Sikorsky. LA County Fire Department has also started replacing their aging, Vietnam-era “Super Huey” helicopters with Black Hawks.

San Diego Fire-Rescue Air Operations Chief Chuck Macfarland states: “Never before has the City of San Diego operated as large and as powerful a helicopter as the Black Hawk, which can accurately place almost three times more water on a wildland fire in a single drop than our current fleet. By hitting wildland fires aggressively in their initial stage, we will be able to keep fires small.” The Black Hawk, now dubbed the Firehawk, can carry up to 11 firefighters and all of their gear. The aircraft boasts an 1,000-gallon (8,000-pound) belly tank, extended landing gear and rescue hoist, and a retractable snorkel. In comparison, the existing fleet of Super Huey helicopters can carry just eight firefighters and about 360 gallons of water or foam. Among other functions, the aircraft’s digital cockpit allows for precision hover, and its digital moving map is able to pinpoint precise location and destination. It’s easy to see why adoption of this particular technology is so attractive to fire departments.

“We’ve got a new dynamic in the landscape,” says Edward Struzik, author of Firestorm: How Wildfires Will Shape Our Future. “We’ve got heat drying up the forests, extending droughts, providing more fuel for ignition. The heat drives winds like the Santa Anas even harder than in the past.” The Forest Service currently has 80 people doing research and development, much of which focuses on the incorporation of new technologies. Here’s hoping these innovative measures provide at least a little relief to the increasing intensity of California’s wildfires.

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Nowadays, we tend to rely quite heavily on the use of technology, which itself is unquestionably making our lives much easier when it comes to performing everyday tasks. But is it also making us lazier? Are we steering away from our initial hopes for and ideas of quality?

“Preparing and cooking food symbolizes one of the turning points of human evolution, when man became a social and cultural being,” explained the Tel Aviv-based designer. “Nowadays in the kitchen, the modern cook surrounds themselves with advanced technologies, utensils, and products — requiring minimal effort and no processing — providing immediate results.” The objective is to encourage users to appreciate the ancient and early cooking processes that began this evolution.

Drawing a connection between the old techniques and our modern ones, Shem Tov’s designs focus on the relationship between man and machine, in terms of both the interaction and the final result. For this collection, she wanted the designs to require more physical work during food preparation so that they could more accurately mimic the amount of effort and time it took our ancestors to produce the same or similar meals. She studied the history of said utensils from antiquity all the way up to present day, highlighting the products that she felt best represented the basic actions required to make the food.

Shem Tov ended up with three key products: a millstone for grinding wheat and grains, a mortar and pestle for grinding and milling herbs and spices, and hot stones for warming, cooking, and baking. All of the utensils were carved from raw Yarka stone via sandblasting. Collated from the northern regions of Israel, this natural hard stone is coveted for its texture and ability to preserve color over a long period of time. The Roots millstone design is the same as its primitive counterpart when it comes to functionality, though it can be customized to adhere to the requirements of the modern user. Comprised of two stones (one that rotates on top of the other), it can be tightened or loosened as necessary to adjust the grain thickness.

“The main idea was to look at the [cooking] process not as a constraint but as an experience with progressive stages,” she explains, “as a process that takes time and personal involvement until you reach the end of it.”

The mortar and pestle were designed to replicate their ancient counterpart quite simply, merely consisting of a stone surface and a pebble. The stones, on the other hand, are to be heated in the oven and placed on an external surface once they’ve reached an appropriate temperature for cooking, baking, and warming food. Shem Tov explains that she wanted to bring the idea of fire into the modern kitchen by designing these. Two handles are attached to the stones so that they can be arranged in a pyramid shape when baking thinner bread. Similarly, they can also be opened out flat to preserve the food’s temperature.

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Yes, the flamethrower made available through Musk’s The Boring Company — named for the act of boring holes, as opposed to the absence of fun — is indeed real. The tech billionaire demoed the device on Instagram, and it functions pretty much exactly as you’d expect, looking a bit like a modified airsoft gun with a torch attachment. The company made 20,000 flamethrowers available for $500 a pop plus taxes and shipping, and they all sold out almost instantly, netting a cool $10 million in sales. Buyers could also choose to add a Boring Company-branded fire extinguisher to their order “for exorbitant amounts of money,” which seems like a pretty good idea.

Of course, the stunt also generated its fair share of outrage. Customs agencies immediately stated that they wouldn’t allow the shipment of anything called a “flamethrower,” prompting Musk to rebrand the product as “not a flamethrower.” California state assemblyman Miguel Santiago of Los Angeles even drew up legislation to ban its sale, citing concerns about wildfires and the flamethrower’s potential use as a weapon. Nevertheless, orders are set to start shipping this spring.

It’s not like Musk is a stranger to controversy or wild ideas. In December 2017, he lit up the night sky over California with a surprise SpaceX rocket launch, prompting some Angelenos to think that aliens had finally landed on Earth. Then he shot his own personal Tesla Roadster into space from the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket with a mannequin named Starman in the driver’s seat. That shiny red car is currently at the beginning of its first 18.8-month orbit around the sun.

Shooting a car into space may seem like exactly the sort of hair-brained thing a young, exorbitantly wealthy CEO would do in his free time, but Musk’s flamethrower stunt could have a potentially revolutionary impact down here on our own planet. If completed, The Boring Company’s 60-mile-long system would become one of the United States’ largest underground transportation networks and help alleviate L.A.’s notorious traffic congestion. The company is currently digging test tunnels.

“To solve the problem of soul-destroying traffic, roads must go 3D, which means either flying cars or tunnels. Unlike flying cars, tunnels are weatherproof, out of sight, and won’t fall on your head. A large network of tunnels many levels deep would fix congestion in any city, no matter how large it grew (just keep adding levels). The key to making this work is increasing tunneling speed and dropping costs by a factor of 10 or more – this is the goal of The Boring Company. Fast-to-dig, low-cost tunnels would also make Hyperloop adoption viable and enable rapid transit across densely populated regions, enabling travel from New York to Washington DC in less than 30 minutes.”

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The post And Then There Was Fire first appeared on Dornob.

The force doesn’t officially awaken until December 2015 (when the new movie drops), but in the meantime, Star Wars fans all over the world can geek out with these epic outdoor fireplace designs inspired by Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, Terminator and more.

Alex Dodson, a schoolteacher in England, is the creative force (pun intended) behind these cool fire pits. He handcrafts the creative wood burners from old LP gas cylinders. And voilà, they become fierce and fiery stoves. The magic happens in his spare time, so be patient when you order one from abroad.

“Each of our Star Wars wood burners is handmade to order with great attention to detail. Steel made, any of our designs can be personalized for that special touch. Our themed wood burners and fire pits are sure to bring the wow factor to any garden or outdoor space. No room outside, why not enquire about our indoor bio ethanol range.”

Besides Darth Vader, Dodson has also made Boba Fett, Storm Troopers and R2D2 along with Batman, Ironman and other characters from superhero movies and galaxies far, far away. The artist says custom designs and commissioned work is welcome, so start thinking about the personality you’d like to be spewing fire in your backyard and place an order.

Each stove takes about ten hours to make. According to Dodson, his Boba Fett was “power welded, cleaned and painted in a day.”

“At Burned by Design we create custom themed wood burners based on characters from pop cult classics from the world of entertainment. Each burner is hand built and steel fabricated with great attention to detail. We are more than happy to take on private commissions and help take your design ideas through to completion. Each of our burners can be personalized for that special touch making it the ultimate gift. We are always developing new ideas so please get in touch with your designs ideas.”

“All of our creations are designed and fabricated by Burned by Design Ltd here in the UK. There is a lead time for each project so if you need something for a special event or occasion please let us know in plenty of time so we can meet your deadline.”

More info on U.S. prices and international shipping costs at www.facebook.com/BurnedbyDesign

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