Nifty Invention of the Time

[forsyth]

The Lifestraw

Basically, it's a portable water filter and bacteria-killer built into a sturdy straw to be carried, and costs about $2. Besides the uses for hiking and things, think of mass deployment in Africa and with disaster relief stuff.

Go science.

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Comments

[h371x.livejournal.com]

I think I have a couple of these, actually, from when I was doing survival stuff. They cost me $7.

- h3l!x

[forsythferret.livejournal.com]

That sounds about right, actually. $2 or so for production costs, add on a bit for profit for the maker, then transport, and packaging would put it up to probably around $3.50 wholesale, maybe a bit more, and most retail (except clothes and food) tends to be 40%-50% markup to pay the rent and employees and advertising and profit and so on. Obviously for things like massive distribution for aid purposes, the profit part would be severly cut down. Plus there's probably more refinements and economies of scale that'd bring the price down a little.

But still, they're teh nifty.