Avalanches are a serious and palpable threat in mountain regions throughout the world; more people than I want to think about in my life have been affected directly or indirectly by them– most certainly a byproduct of where I’m from. A lot of research has been done with avalanches, and the studies have found that a vast majority of deaths occur not upon impact, but after burial. Swiss mountaineering gear maker Mammut took a step in the right direction with its Barryvox avalanche transponder this year. Not only does the Barryvox transmit a signal for the location of a buried individual, but it also displays pulse and respiratory data about the victim. In a situation where there are multiple people buried, a device like this makes it easier for rescuers to make the tough decision of who to rescue first. We’ve seen a lot of innovation in this field in recent years (e.g. the Avalung), and hats off to Mammut for continuing that trend.

Melding ideas present in Wikipedia, The Anarchist’s Cookbook, and principles of environmental responsibility, Howtopedia was set up by a Swiss nonprofit organization as a wiki-style do-it-youself “collaborative platform for practical knowledge and simple technologies, (i.e. technologies that require no complex machine, that are easily explainable and usable by individuals or small communities) for a sustainable and ecological future.” Somewhat analogous to the new industrial revolution I wrote about recently, the folks behind Howtopedia “are convinced that sharing low-tech know-how across borders and organisations is essential for an independent and self-sufficient form of sustainable development.” Their library of wiki articles has grown in number to 169 (as I write this), and I look forward to monitoring the growth of this forward-looking wiki application.

Via WorldChanging

Great clock made from the display of an old taxi meter– the buttons set time as well as switch the display between time, date and temperature. Add a nice wood finish and voila, a one of a kind taxi meter clock. Check out some more pictures and the other awesome clocks at decny. Anyone know where to find old taxi parts like this? What a fabulous idea. Via MAKE

The last time I was at Costco, I picked up the 60-roll pack of bathroom tissue, a 10 pound bag of trail mix, and 6 tubes of Crest Whitening. What I’m getting to here, is Costco is not the place most people go to find design items. While I’m still a little skeptical of the materials used in the White Ultimate Swivel Room Divider ($3600 at Costco), I thought the concept was interesting. One side of the unit is an entertainment center where you can hang your flatscreen and store your other electronics, and the other side has shelves where you can put all of your junior golf trophies, um, I mean rare vases and glass menagerie. This concept intrigues me because it offers you the ability to rotate looks in your living area– a place where many spend a lot of time, and the appearance of which tends to get bogged down with monotony.

Via Gizmodo

Our survey is in full swing and more than 350 folks have taken 5 minutes out of their day to tell us a little bit about themselves and why they read JoshSpear.com. They’ve also automatically all been entered to win a set of Star Wars Mimobots, Vaja iPod cases or the new super-fresh Nooka Zub watches. Well? What are you waiting for? Join in on the fun and go fill it out already!

Sinclair Scott Smith has taken quite the view of the tool industry with his Master’s program project Capital Tool Co. The project adheres to Sinclair’s academic specialization, which is to explore social representation in the field of industrial design. Capital Tool Co. is based on the premise that the U.S. market for tools is segmented to the point that there are really two distinctive groups of people buying hammers, pliers, tape measures, and the like — professionals and homeowners — and Sinclair has carved out a spot in the market for fashionable, pricey tools for people who seldom use them. When you visit Sinclair’s website, you can flip through his project pages to see in more depth how he analyzed the Capital Tool project– interesting stuff.

The SuckUK Tubemap Wallet– albeit way thicker than something I’d ever carry (I’m addicted to my MAKR wallet), is a pretty unique solution to subway navigation. The wallet, made of top-notch leather, serves as not only a place to store up to eight credit cards (who the hell has eight credit cards, and why?), but also as a fold-out see-through window for an ID, and a cash sleeve. The magical piece is that the entire wallet unfolds to reveal a full-color high resolution map of either the London Tube or NYC Subway. Via Something Glorious

When we were in Detroit for the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), we saw our fair share of beautiful cars. Among those we saw, the Aston Martin line-up especially stood out. We were, however, not at the unveiling of the Rapide Concept. But upon seeing photos of the outside and inside of the Rapide, the car jumped abruptly toward the top of my dream list. With classic Aston Martin styling employing state-of-the-art technology and a magnificently tailored interior that screams individualism, this car will make you shiver. Check out Automen to see a wealth of Rapide photos.