[Business Insider UK] Danish researchers have designed a filter that removes dangerous exhaust fumes from the inside of your car

Researchers in Copenhagen have created a market-ready anti-pollution filter designed to quickly remove nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter from inside vehicles.

They say the Airbubbl is the first technology shown to effectively remove nitrogen dioxide and other traffic pollution from inside cars.

Project lead Professor Matthew Johnson, from the University of Copenhagen, told Reuters: "When you’re in your car you’re directly in the lanes of traffic and taking air into the car from the exhaust of cars in front of you. This means there are greatly elevated levels of air pollution inside of a vehicle. We’ve measured them in London. They could be between 40 and 20 times above the accepted exposure limits for both nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter."
Read the article here

[Air Quality News] Art installation to recreate air quality of four cities

An interactive art installation coming to London this month is aiming to offer a unique insight into how air pollution affects residents in cities across the world.

‘Pollution Pods’ will be on display at Somerset House in London from 18 April – Earth Day – until 24 April and will simulate air quality and climate conditions in five regions.

Designed by British artist Michael Pinsky and using technology from the air quality tech firm Airlabs, the installation has been commissioned to test whether art can change people’s view of air pollution around the world, the designer claims.
Read the article here

[Business Green] Fashion forward: Stella McCartney opens doors to London’s ‘purest’ shop

Luxury designer’s new global flagship store features cutting-edge air filtering technology so shoppers can browse in the cleanest possible air

London’s fashionistas will soon be able to hit the shops without fear of the capital’s poor air quality with the launch of designer Stella McCartney’s new global flagship store and its claims to boast some of the ‘purest’ air in London.

The new store, which opened today on Bond Street, is fitted with state-of-the-art air filtration technology to tackle traffic fumes from the busy road and any residual airborne pollutants.

[Secret London] This Chilling Installation Will Recreate The Pollution In Different Cities

Visitors will start in Tautra, a small peninsula in Norway, which contains the cleanest air. This first pod will use Airlabs technology to remove all harmful gases, meaning the air will be totally – and noticeably – pure. The next four pods will emulate the polluted environments of London, Beijing, São Paulo and New Delhi. The air will be an accurate, yet safe, representation of what it’s like to breathe in the air in these cities.

The installation was designed and created by British artist Michael Pinsky, and it’s the first time these pods will come to the UK. Once inside the pods, there will be screens with stats about the air you’re breathing in, so you’ll be able to compare them. For example, London’s air doesn’t quite meet the World Health Organisation’s recommended standard, but it still significantly cleaner than New Delhi’s.
Visit Secret London to read more

[The Independent] Earth Day: Technology designed to clean air in schools and hospitals trialled in London ‘pollution pods’

Londoners have a rare opportunity to sample the “cleanest air in the UK” in an installation that recreates the best and worst polluted places on Earth.

Constructed by artist Michael Pinsky, the Pollution Pods use technology that strips harmful substances from the air, creating breathable oases in the hearts of otherwise filthy cities.

Developed by Denmark-based company

[Huffpost UK] Stella McCartney Has Opened Shop With ‘The Purest Air In London’

A new Stella McCartney flagship store will offer ‘the cleanest air in London’, thanks to its use of nano-carbon filter technology that will clean pollutive chemicals from the air.

The central London store will be the first to use air filter technology in a building, which can remove 95% of air pollutants and harmful gases. And not a moment too soon, seeing as London reached its annual air pollution quota within just a month this year.

Shockingly, the air on the ground floor of stores on Oxford Street – which is just around the corner to the new Stella McCartney store on bond Street – had similar pollution levels to the air outside. The research by

Smartmatic CEO at The Spectator’s ‘5 ideas to change the world’

“If we look back in history, we’ll see that in each era, technological and scientific change gave birth to new forms of social and political organizations and new forms of governance,” said Antonio Mugica, CEO for Smartmatic, during his intervention at the ‘5 ideas to change the world’ event organized by The Spectator.

During his presentation, entitled “The Future of Democracy is Digital”, Mugica emphasized the role technology will play in creating new forms of governance. “In the future we will see a lot more participation, higher engagement and people will be more involved in decision making”.

As CEO of SGO and Smartmatic, Antonio Mugica has been actively involved in the development of innovative technologies to improve elections, increase participation and bolster democracy.
Read the entire article here

SGO announces $3 million seed funding round to launch eVote

SGO announced today a $3 million seed investment in eVote, a web and mobile platform designed to enable people and organizations to think, decide and act together.

Located in New York, eVote is currently in beta and working with a select group of clients across multiple consumer industries. eVote will be available to the public later this year.

“It’s rare to have a trifecta of an innovative business idea, experienced team, and the opportunity to create a meaningful impact,” says Peter Espersen, CEO and Co-Founder of eVote. “From my experience in leading Lego’s Digital Innovation and Crowdsourcing to nurturing big ideas across multiple incubators, eVote is the first technology platform that’s able to harness digital voices into actions and business decisions.”

eVote’s applications span private and public sectors for businesses and consumers. SGO is a strong partner whose shared vision and deep expertise will fuel eVote’s ability to inform, gather and make changes together.

“SGO looks for tools and solutions that will expand the infrastructure for democracy in the 21st century. The U.S. market is ready for something new and eVote has great potential to transform how societal challenges can be addressed,” says Antonio Mugica, CEO of SGO and Smartmatic.

Early access sign-up is available on www.evote.com

[CNBC] How the selfie could make elections safer

The selfie, the act of self-portraiture which once threatened to spawn a society of narcissists, could be the key to a more politically engaged electorate, according to one technology company aiming to make the voting system more secure and democratic.

Smartmatic, a world-leading election technology firm, has designed a new app which enables people to vote using a selfie for authentication.

Verifying facial biometric data against government-issued ID documents, the software allows users to register and cast their vote via their mobile phone from any internet-enabled location.
Read the article here