FatBurning
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See how much fat you're burning just by breathing out
Using a weighing scale to keep track of your weight is tricky. Your body can lose water, muscle or fat, but the scale simply picks up your overall weight. It doesn't reflect your gym obsession or fat loss with any accuracy. LEVL is a new portable device that analyses your breath to tell you if your body is in fat-burning mode. A white box holds a proprietary nano sensor that checks your breath for the level of acetone, a molecule that your body releases when it goes into fat burning mode, or ketosis. This isn't the first time we've seen tech like this: in 2013, NTT DoCoMo demonstrated something remarkably similar.
NTT DoCoMo's prototype breathalyzer knows if you're burning fat, could toughen-up boot camp
Next time you're back from a run, questioning whether it's been worth the agony effort, you might actually be able to find out for sure. Well, perhaps not the next time, but soon, thanks to a prototype breathalyzer developed by NTT DoCoMo that promises to instantly let you know whether your body is currently burning fat. We've seen the device before, but a recently published journal on its latest test results brings it one step closer to reality. The handheld unit uses gas and pressure sensors to monitor levels of acetone -- a substance created during fat burning, partly expelled via the lungs -- in the breath, and can display fat burning potential on a phone via bluetooth (or cable). The creators tested the prototype on a small group, and found that those who didn't diet or exercise, or did light exercise only, didn't show signs of fat burning, but those that watched what they ate, and upped activity did -- boosting hopes of its real-world use. No word on commercial availability just yet, but we're already wondering if it might up the ante on our potential second income.
NTT DoCoMo's mobile accessories smell your breath, tell you to put the burger down (video)
Sick of your friends saying you look fat in those jeans? Apparently, NTT DoCoMo feels your pain and aims to swap out the peer criticism with smartphone objectivity. Shown off in advance of CEATEC Japan 2011 (an annual electronics trade show), the operator took the wraps off several mobile-based accessories, ranging from gamma ray and UV light monitoring phone cases to a breathalyzer-like add-on for measuring body fat (you paying attention, HTC Rhyme?). There were also a couple of applications on hand for checking photos of food against a calorie database à la Google Goggles, and an AR implementation for weather services on tablets. It's not clear whether the Japanese carrier actually intends to release these innovations to the mass-consuming public, but as with all things tech in that corner of the world, they're sure to get it before we ever do. Jump past the break for a video peek at Nippon's creep towards a Hitchhiker Guide-style wireless world.
