[Editor’s Note: TLDR is GeekWire’s daily news rundown, hosted by Starla Sampaco. Subscribe to GeekWire on YouTube to catch every episode, check back every weekday afternoon for more, and sign up for TLDR email updates below.]
HaloSource creates lead-removing water bottle: HaloSource is used to finding solutions to clean-water challenges in places like India and China. But when contaminated drinking water in Flint, Mich., became a national scandal, the Bothell, Wash.-based company had a wake-up call and realized they could be tackling the same challenges closer to home. The Astrea water bottle uses three internal filters to trap lead particles. CEO James Thompson said high lead levels are a problem across the U.S., especially for buildings built before 1985, when lead pipes and fixtures were phased out. HaloSource has a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, where you can preorder a water bottle for $45.
Starbucks tests new WiFi sign-up process: Eight years ago, the coffee giant rolled out free WiFi in its coffee shops, and up until this point, all you had to do to connect was accept terms and conditions. Simple, right? Well now, they’re testing a new process. Starbucks is asking customers to type in their email address before connecting in company-operated stores. This has pretty significant business implications — it’s a way for the Seattle-based company to send marketing material to its 60 million customers who visit the stores each month but aren’t part of the Starbucks Rewards program. A Starbucks spokesperson told GeekWire that if you decided to give your email, you should expect to receive newsletters or offers in your inbox about once a week. And if you unsubscribe from newsletters, you’ll still be able to access the WiFi.
Students use the internet to fight for gun control: Young people across the country are using the internet and social media as digital weapons, to push for action on gun control and climate change. This Saturday, in an effort spearheaded by young people, crowds will take to the streets in Seattle and other U.S. cities for March for Our Lives events in support of gun reform. As digital natives, young activists already had media skills and networks online, and apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat have helped thousands of students connect with each other and mobilize at speeds that often surprise adults. Seattle’s March for Our Lives demonstration starts at 10 a.m. Saturday at Cal Anderson Park.
