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Alcohoot smartphone breathalyzer shipping now for $119
It's no match for knocking back a few Diet Cokes in lieu of libations before getting behind the wheel, but if you can't avoid having a beer or two before driving home, getting a read on your blood alcohol content is an absolute must. Alcohoot, a smartphone-powered breathalyzer, will help you gauge your BAC and put a stop to further consumption before things get out of control. The $119 device, which boasts "police-grade accuracy" and plugs into your handset's headphone jack, is shipping now. Alcohoot is significantly pricier than competing products, such as the $49 Breathometer, but co-founder Ben Biron promises professional accuracy, assuming you keep up with the requisite annual calibration (to speed things up, you'll get a new device each year with a shipping label to return the old gear, for a $30 fee). The bundled Android and iOS apps will show you open restaurants within walking distance so you can soak up that booze with some greasy grub, a link to Uber and even a tool to track your consumption throughout the night -- though nothing quite spoils the mood like whipping out a breathalyzer after every drink.
GRID 2 BAC Mono Edition is £125,000
You might be thinking that some countries use commas instead of decimal points, but the headline above does indeed say one hundred and twenty-five thousand British Pounds ($188,700). You might also think that's awfully expensive for the special edition of a racing game (any game, really), but allow us to put things in perspective. The GRID 2 BAC Mono Edition isn't so much a special edition of a game as it is a luxury sports car that happens to come with a game. Specifically, the BAC Mono Edition comes with the Mono, essentially a street legal formula racing car. Also included is a racing suit and helmet, a copy of GRID 2 and a PlayStation 3 on which to play it. According to BAC's website, a Mono with no frills has a base price of £96,495 ($145,919), and that's before throwing in VAT. Only one copy of the BAC Mono Edition is being manufactured, making it something a collector's item. You can place your pre-order exclusively with GAME. Oh, and shipping is free. Not to be left out, Best Buy is hosting a special edition of GRID 2 in North America. It includes the IndyCar DLC pack and retails for $59.99. GRID 2 comes out next week.%Gallery-189346%
GRID 2 Mono Edition: buy a £125,000 racing game, get a supercar for free
While we like our collector's edition games, there's no question that even the better bundles are full of knick-knacks we'll use just once or twice. No one will say the same for Codemaster's GRID 2: Mono Edition, though. The UK-only bundle includes the GRID 2 racing game, a PS3 to play it on... and a very real BAC Mono supercar. Whoever buys the £125,000 ($188,700) kit will get to both pick up the 280HP single-seater as well as customize it at the BAC factory, including the racing suit for those inevitable track days. With just one instance available for GRID 2's May 31st release, the Mono Edition bundle is more of a promotional stunt than a business strategy -- but it might be the only special edition where the extras are more exciting than the game itself.
GoPro's WiFi BacPac and Remote available for helmets and wrists everywhere (video)
We all know how annoying it is when you're trying to land a tre flip, and trigger your GoPro at the same time. That's no doubt why they came up with the WiFi BacPac and remote combo we saw at CES. Well, they are finally out in retailers in the US, Europe and internationally online. So double-corkers and megaloopers alike can finally control their favorite helmet cam, literally, on the fly. Not only will you get the remote convenience for $99, but smart-phone (Android and iOS) viewfinder capabilities too. A new software update will also let you stream directly to the web. Kickflip over the break to see three-times X Games skateboarding gold medalist Ryan Sheckler put the kit to the test, in a way most of us never will.
First Look: Got Your BAC for iPhone/iPod touch
If you frequent the bar, or just like to have the occasional drink, then a new iPhone application has Got Your Back. As a matter of fact, that is the name of the application; except it is spelled BAC (as in Blood-Alcohol Concentration). With this application you will know exactly when you should call a taxi.When you first launch the application, you'll enter some personal information, like age, weight, and gender, so the application can calculate your BAC correctly. The main display shows four drinks on a table. You can change the type of beverage by double-tapping and selecting a different one -- the icon will also change. Each time you drink a beverage, you drag the icon off the table and onto the screen. The BAC, Carbs, Calories, and number of drinks will be updated in the top-left corner of the screen. As you add drinks, these numbers will increase. The red line across the screen indicates the legal limit -- when you're above this line, a new button will appear called "call a taxi." When tapped, this button will launch the Maps app and search for taxis. I love subtle UI features, and this application definitely has some: from the icon sets for beverages, to the sloshing liquid when you tilt the iPhone. The application is really great, and I would love to see the developer create a caffeine calculator that does the same thing. I would like to see the ability to input a number for a designated driver, that way you don't have to fumble through your contacts or call a taxi. Got Your BAC is available from the App Store for $2.99 (US). And, remember, the best thing to do is to not drink and drive. %Gallery-37758%
