To address America’s shortage of ventilators, last Sunday, President Trump tweeted:

Encouragingly, the next day Autoblog reported that “General Motors and medical equipment maker Ventec are speeding up efforts under a partnership code-named “Project V” to build ventilators at a GM plant in Kokomo, Indiana, to help combat the coronavirus outbreak.

GM said on Monday that work at its Indiana plant, which makes small electronic components for cars, is part of the effort to expand ventilator production. Sources said the GM-Ventec project is known internally as “Project V.”

The White House was supposed to announce the GM/Ventec venture on Wednesday. However, as the Times reports, “word suddenly came down that the announcement was off.”

The decision to cancel the announcement, government officials say, came after the Federal Emergency Management Agency said it needed more time to assess whether the estimated cost was prohibitive. That price tag was more than $1 billion, with several hundred million dollars to be paid upfront to General Motors to retool a car parts plant in Kokomo, Ind., where the ventilators would be made with Ventec’s technology.

Government officials said that the deal might still happen but that they are examining at least a dozen other proposals. And they contend that an initial promise that the joint venture could turn out 20,000 ventilators in short order had shrunk to 7,500, with even that number in doubt. Longtime emergency managers at FEMA are working with military officials to sort through the competing offers and federal procurement rules while under pressure to give President Trump something to announce.

The President did have something to announce, the next day (i.e. last night). Last night, the President said on Fox News:

“I don’t believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators. You go into major hospitals sometimes, and they’ll have two ventilators. And now all of a sudden they’re saying, ‘Can we order 30,000 ventilators?'”

The 30,000 number refers to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s estimate of how many that state will need. It now seems in doubt as to whether they will get them.

Issinova, the Italian 3D printing company that used digital fabrication to save the day at an Italian hospital, has come up with another brilliant innovation. The doctor they previously collaborated with, Dr. Renato Favero, “shared with us an idea to fix the possible shortage of hospital C-PAP masks for sub-intensive therapy, which is emerging as a concrete problem linked to the spread of Covid-19: it’s the construction of an emergency ventilator mask, realized by adjusting a snorkeling mask already available on the market.”

Decathlon’s standard Easybreath snorkeling mask

Issinova studied the idea and reached out to sporting goods company Decathlon, who makes the Easybreath snorkeling masks in question. Unlike with the ventilator manufacturer, who was unable to share the CAD files of their part due to medical regulations, Decathlon “was immediately willing to cooperate by providing the CAD drawing of the mask we had identified. The product was dismantled, studied, and the changes to be made were evaluated. A new component was then designed to guarantee the connection to the ventilator. We called the link Charlotte valve, and we quickly printed it using 3D printing.”

Easybreath with Issinova’s 3D-printed “Charlotte” valve

The prototype was tested at the hospital and deemed a success. Issinova then patented their connecting “Charlotte” valve, not to profit off of it, but to be sure the design is kept free. “We clarify that the patent will remain free to use, because it is in our intention that all hospitals in need could use it if necessary,” they write.

About that “if necessary” bit: Issinova stresses that the hacked scuba mask is not a certified biomedical device. This is an Oh-shit-the-patient’s-gonna-die-because-we-don’t-have-any-actual-masks device. Issinova designed their component so that hospitals in short supply could buy the off-the-shelf scuba mask, 3D print the connecting valve and use it to save someone’s life.

You can find the files to print the valves here.

In the coming weeks, we’ll likely need to see more innovation like this. If you’ve got access to rapid prototyping and some design skills, please consider reaching out to your local hospital to see what they might need–and think about what other industries you might be able to connect them to. The snorkeling connection was a great insight.

Dezeen promotion: the Axia collection from Australian brand Phoenix is a set of ultra-thin minimalist taps for architecture fans.

Available in finishes including chrome, matte, black and brushed nickel, the taps are a “fresh take on modern minimalism” according to the tapware and bathroom accessories brand.

It took two years for designers to hone the Axia collection’s streamlined profile.

“Our challenge was how to achieve a 6.5-millimetre-high super lean outlet through a one-piece casting,” said Phoenix senior designer Ban Liu.

“This results in a strong signature of machined in detail with a precision control aesthetic,” added Liu.

The wall-mounted tap, which breaks away from traditional tap design, is the highlight of the Axia collection.

Designed to appeal to architecture fans, the long, thin spout cantilevers out from a slim metal fixture. Its tap handle sits to one side on a diagonal.

This shape was informed by the way a single piece of metal bends.

The mixer tap handles have an outer dial that rotates around a fixed central face. Temperature is indicated by two fine lines, one blue and one red, at a 45 degree angle to each other.

For bathtubs, the wall set can also come without the diagonal tap handle. Wall handles are available separately, and a single large dial can act as a handle for a shower.

There are no levers on the basin mixer from the Axia collection. Instead, the single dial tap is placed on top, completing the slim cylindrical column.

The Axia collection tap cartridges are sourced from Europe made from a high quality brass, and come with a lifetime replacement warranty.

Axia has won several design accolades, including a 2020 Red Dot Award as well winning Best of the Best, a 2020 iF Design Award and a Good Design Award.

Phoenix was founded in Australia in 1989 by Brian Wansbrough, and came under new management in 2005. Its other collections include Radii, which has minimal, cross-shaped taps with lowercase sans serif “hot and cold” etched on one tine.

For more information about the Axia collection by Phoenix, visit the brand’s website.

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The coronavirus outbreak has dealt a huge blow to production companies specialising in film. We explore the impact of cancelled shoots and what it means for the industry

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Founder Genki Ito wants to eliminate intimidation and encourage education around the Japanese tipple

Two years ago, Genki Ito walked into an entrepreneur class called Technology Feasibility at the University of California (USC) as he worked on his MBA. For his final project, he developed the concept for an online platform to sell the largest selection of sake in the United States. The result is Tippsy Sake, a subscription service that not only delivers the Japanese tipple to your door monthly, but also provides plenty of guidance and information, so you learn as you go.

Ito’s connection to sake began with his family. Born and raised in Nagoya, Japan, he remembers his parents drinking sake on special occasions. “We use to have a New Year’s celebration at my grandma’s place,” he tells us. “My dad and uncles would drink a lot of sake. They would offer me a taste when I was very little. Typically in Japan, sake is a drink for celebrations. People buy expensive food and sake. You don’t drink wine to pair with the traditional New Year food. It is always sake.”

Then, when Iko moved to Hawaii (after a stint in Tokyo) and worked for importer Wismettac Asian Food, he began to further his appreciation for and understanding of sake. One of their clients, Marukai, hosts seasonal festivals. “We poured a lot of sake for them,” Ito says. “That’s when I tasted really authentic, quality sake. I would take a sip and be surprised how pure and delicious it is. It completely changed my perception of sake.” It was at one of those events 10 years ago that Ito tried his favorite sake: Kudoki Jozu. “It is sweet and robust, with apple aromas and banana. It’s an aromatic ginjo,” he says. “I like to drink it a wine glass.”

While at USC, it dawned on him that although growing in popularity, “sake still seemed very foreign to many people.” The mission for Tippsy became immediately clear: to offer customers access to high-quality sake and helpful information. “Many people don’t know where to start when they want to order sake,” he says.

Each month, Tippsy delivers three small bottles of sake along with the details on breweries and style and tasting notes. They are careful to select tipples with varying flavors and characteristics, giving customers a broader understanding of sake, and helping them discover their own taste. “Once they recognize what they like,” Ito says, “They can keep the card and go to our website and order a bigger bottle.” The Tippsy site is also home to heaps of useful tips and stories. Ito and Tippsy’s creative director, Michi Kurisaki, bring together content from experts in the bar world, as well as wine and sake sommeliers. Everything from an introduction to sake, to etiquette, important definitions, descriptions of rice polishing ratios, varieties, storage tips, serving suggestions and food pairing ideas.

Over the years, Ito has tasted hundreds of sakes and draws upon his experience, but also frequently converses and visits with industry experts. “When I had the idea to start this company, I connected with breweries in Japan to get some help. Hakkaisan brewery is one of the most prestigious breweries in Japan in Niigata. They said they could help. The Toji’s [aka master brewer] name is Mr Nagumo.” Ito flew to Japan to visit Nagumo and learn more about the sake-making process. “We visited their rice field before harvest—it was beautiful,” he tells us. “We went trekking to see the water source they use for their sake. I had a few drinks with the brewing master over dinner. We had a great experience there.”

Tippsy started off with 200 sakes from 60+ breweries and now have around 250, but Ito says he plans on adding more—many of which are difficult to purchase. “Our customers like the surprise of the subscription box,” Ito says. “They want to open it each month and see what is inside.”

The April Tippsy box features three sakes: Fujuku Blue from Hyogo Prefecture, Denshin “Yuki” from Fukui Prefecture, and Kamotsuru Nama-Kakoi Junmai from Hiroshima. 

For all of his focus bringing sake from Japan to the United States, Ito will always honor sake-brewing history and cultural traditions. After all, his sake journey is personal. He tells us, the last time he was in Nagoya with his family, he visited his grandparents. “I drank some sake with my grandma.”

Images courtesy of Tippsy Sake