Lifesaver: clean water, one bottle at a time

Too much of the world lacks access to clean drinking water. Engineer Michael Pritchard did something about it — inventing the portable Lifesaver filter, which can make the most revolting water drinkable in seconds. An amazing demo from TEDGlobal 2009.

With cutting-edge nanotech, Michael Pritchard’s Lifesaver water-purification bottle could revolutionize water-delivery systems in disaster-stricken areas around the globe.

My 2 cents: Distributed rules! Think about it. Globalization, division of labor, parallel processing in computer chips, routing of data packets, and so forth. Let me call it a LifeSaver approch to delivering clean water, one bottle at a time. You can get clean, sterile drinking water when and where you want it. Way to go!

Hans Rosling on HIV: New facts and stunning data visuals

Hans Rosling unveils new data visuals that untangle the complex risk factors of one of the world’s deadliest (and most misunderstood) diseases: HIV. He argues that preventing transmissions — not drug treatments — is the key to ending the epidemic.

As a doctor and researcher, Hans Rosling identified a new paralytic disease induced by hunger in rural Africa. Now the global health professor is looking at the bigger picture, increasing our understanding of social and economic development with the remarkable trend-revealing software he created.

Shai Agassi: A bold plan for mass adoption of electric cars

Forget about the hybrid auto — Shai Agassi says it’s electric cars or bust if we want to impact emissions. His company, Better Place, has a radical plan to take entire countries oil-free by 2020.

Carlos Ghosn, CEO and President of Renault of France and Nissan of Japan, said:

“Hybrid cars are like mermaids. When you want a fish, you get a woman. And when you need a woman, you get a fish.”

Shai Agassi, who used to be the heir apparent at SAP AG and whom I had the privilege to meet in person three times, wants to put you behind the wheel of an electric car — but he doesn’t want you to sacrifice convenience (or cash) to do it.

Shai’s business model falls under what I call the “Land of Free” category where doing something makes more sense than ownership. On the other side of the scale, you can find the “Highland of Premium,” where owndership (or having something) and experience count.

For more ideas on the different business models, check out my post:

Flip Bell Curve; Meet Warshaw Curve!