Hey guys,

As I can’t code in C++ or anything else for that matter, I am humbled by what you are doing and feel a bit like a fan, telling JK Rolling what ending to write for Harry Potter. But what would be really cool: Is an air quality geiger counter. Using your phones GPS to track your location, it estimates the dose of pollution you have received in your day.

At the point where you have had an unsafe amount of pollution it sends you a text warning, to let you know. At the end of the week it sends you an email summary, with charts showing when your dose spiked into the red, and maps showing your locations at those points.

If you could add your family members to it and elect to send other people a summery. Then people could send their data to their MP and ask them what they are doing about it.

Although I have suggested the route planner myself, I think that is a bit backward. The route planner puts the onus on the individual to “plan” a safe route. A geiger counter, makes it clear that it is the authorities responsibility to control the air pollution.

If you have a route planner, the movement/freedom of the people who are concerned is restricted first. What you want is everyone to have the same freedoms. When people have had their amber warning for the day they may choose to change their behaviour.

Also the route planner approach means people plan a “safe” route and don’t think about it again. A geiger counter, will keep the issue in people’s minds and will keep them informed if their “safe” habits become infringed by more pollution. If a pollution geiger counter got built we could tweet it at and door step politicians with it. You could tell Boris: You can use this App to help keep your family safe from London’s dangerous levels of pollution. Doing it that way, it might get news coverage, and a good uptake.

I spoke two a bloke two weeks ago who made loads of money selling an App. His was a stethoscope. The key to the app going well is getting lots of TV news coverage. The big thing in public health at the moment is for people to “know their numbers”. They mean cholesterol. But particulates is just as important.

If fact: (thinking allowed) there is a guy at Imperial, who wants to develop a public health intervention, based around new technology. He might be interested in this.

Best wishes Alex