Yo-Ju Courtyard House

With a name that translates to "secluded living" in Mandarin Chinese, the Yo-Ju Courtyard House brings privacy to the dense neighborhood of Clyde Hill. The timber-clad dwelling, designed by Wittman Estes Architecture+Landscape, is sited on a high traffic road. A blackened cedar fence creates a boundary between an entry courtyard and the busy street while an opaque facade further shields the interior. Upon entry, the urban surroundings fade away as the rear garden becomes the main focus. Inspired by Chinese landscape paintings, the open living space features floor-to-ceiling windows that wrap around the landscape, blurring the boundary between the inside and the outdoors. This illusion creates a spacious atmosphere with a minimal footprint, allowing for more privacy, views, and increased energy savings, therefore establishing a new standard for suburban homes.

Photos: Andrew Pogue / Wittman Estes Architecture+Landscape

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James Brand Anzick Outdoor Chef's Knife

Most kitchen knives are designed for the kitchen, which means they aren't great for cooking in the field. They're prone to corrosion, bent or broken tips, rolled edges, swollen handles, and more. Created over a period of two years, The James Brand worked hand-in-hand with SITKA STUDIO and SITKA Gear, chefs, and outdoor professionals to create the Anzick. It's built around a MagnaCut blade that balances corrosion resistance with the toughness of traditional high-carbon stainless steel. As a result, it combines the durability of a standard field knife with the functionality of a high-end chef's knife, and looks great, too.

Presented by James Brand.

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Nom Nom Dog Food

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The Daily Upside

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Biofire Smart Gun

Having a gun for home defense can be a good idea — but they need to be securely stored for safety's sake, making them less effective as a self-defense tool than they should be. Biofire is out to change that with its Smart Gun that's always locked but instantly accessible with the owner's biometrics. This 9mm firearm uses an integrated fingerprint and 3D facial recognition system to only unlock if whoever is holding it is authorized to use it, preventing tragic outcomes from a criminal, or worse yet, a child. The system is powered by a high-endurance internal battery that charges on the included Smart Dock, allowing you to leave the gun connected or keep it unplugged in a drawer, closet, or car with the confidence it will be ready when you need it for months at a time.

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