breathalyzer
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Lumen claims a 'single breath' can help you lose weight
Last August Lumen raised nearly two million dollars on Indiegogo for its metabolism tracking device, and now at CES it's ready to show the final consumer product. The plan behind Lumen is that owners will breath einto it multiple times a day, let it measure their changing metabolism -- via carbon dioxide readings -- and (in theory) have a better handle on what workouts or meals work best for them to burn fat. We didn't go mouth-on with the $300 vape-like device, but it's small and pocketable enough to be carried so someone can use it as intended.
The best personal breathalyzer
By Séamus Bellamy This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. After 65 hours of research—which included getting intoxicated at a police station to test personal breathalyzers alongside law enforcement equipment—we're sure the BACtrack S80 Pro is the most accurate, reliable, and easiest-to-use personal breathalyzer that you can buy. We reached this conclusion after conducting research over four years, considering 102 models, and trying 15.
A breath monitor could soon be used to detect the flu
What if you could pick up a device from the drug store that could tell you if you have the flu and save you a trip to the doctor? That's one possibility for a breath-analyzing gadget that University of Texas at Arlington professor Perena Gouma has developed. The device is similar to the breathalyzers law enforcement use to determine if you've had too much to drink. The difference is that it employs low-cost sensors to analyze a person's breath and isolate biomarkers that can indicate whether or not you have the flu.
FTC finds 'Shark Tank' connected breathalyzers are inaccurate
Accuracy is a big issue with wearables and all sorts of connected devices. Despite marketing claims of "government-lab grade testing," the Federal Trade Commission found that Breathometer's app-connected breathalyzers weren't as accurate as the company promised. Government regulators said the company didn't have the scientific evidence to back the claims it was pitching to consumers who were looking for a way to stay safe after drinking.
Stanford has developed a roadside breathalyzer for weed
Blood, breath and urine. These are the holy trinity of determining alcohol intoxication but are virtually useless when measuring the amount of THC in your system thanks the molecule's ability to remain present in bodily fluids for up to a month after consumption. However, a technological breakthrough from Stanford University could soon enable law enforcement to accurately determine how blunted you are as soon as they pull you over.
ICYMI: Lung cancer detector and smart tape measure
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A new device is being tested to detect lung cancer by having patients breathe into it. A new tape measure that syncs to a mobile app can calculate distances by simply running it over an item, or using a laser to calculate height. We are super interested in this AI-written show from PBS, and VR fans might be interested in the news out of the Olympics. As always, please share any interesting tech or science videos you find by using the #ICYMI hashtag on Twitter for @mskerryd.
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.
ICYMI: Pot breathalyzer, VR for pharaoh's tomb and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-979940{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-979940, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-979940{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-979940").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A prototype marijuana breathalyzer came out and oh lord, the glory days are over. NASA's New Horizons spacecraft got the best ever photos of Pluto and these scientists are adorably jacked up about it. And a Swiss motion capture company wants to put sensors and VR headsets together in museum settings to let people explore an ancient Egyptian tomb.
Canadian company is developing a 'breathalyzer for pot'
With cannabis now legal in some form or another in nearly half of the US, states and private companies alike are scrambling for a means of adapting DUI legislation to weed. To that end, Vancouver-based Cannabix Technologies Inc is developing what is expected to be the first "pot breathalyzer." It does exactly what it sounds like: providing law enforcement officials with an instant, handheld means of determining whether a driver is under the influence of cannabis. The device is currently in its prototyping stage and is undergoing in-house testing. However, it's unclear when the breathalyzer will actually get into the hands of cops or whether it will be accurate enough to be of use once that time comes.
Uber's breathalyzer kiosk gets you a ride home if you're drunk
Uber sees its ridesharing service as an ideal way to get you home safely when you're drunk, and it's trying out some relatively unique technology to prove its point. The company recently set up an Uber Safe kiosk in Toronto that gave sloshed Canadians a free ride if they blew into a breathalyzer -- much safer than stumbling on foot or struggling to hail a cab, if you ask us. The Toronto device was largely a promotional stunt, but Uber tells us that it's "thrilled" with the early response and to "stay tuned" for the possibility of more kiosks going forward. We can't imagine that Uber would continue to offer the Safe service free of charge if it catches on, but it's easy to see systems like this popping up in bar-heavy neighborhoods.
Uber teams with a breathalyzer company to tackle drunk driving
Many will tell you to take a cab home if you're too drunk to drive, but that can be expensive -- wouldn't it be more effective to hail a ridesharing car instead? Uber and Breathometer, a mobile breathalyzer company, think so -- they're teaming up to promote Uber as a safe option for getting home when you're sloshed. To start, Breathometer's app will give you a free Uber ride (up to $20) if it's your first time. If you're an experienced Uber passenger, you can still get a free lift if you're one of the first 100 people to order a ride through Breathometer's software. And if you don't get a gratis trip, you'll still get a 10 percent discount on a Breathometer device if you buy it before March 7th. This isn't the largest offer, but it could make a difference if you'd otherwise be tempted to take the wheel after a boozy party. [Image credit: Getty Images]
One day, your voice could keep you from driving drunk
Smart breathalyzers have long tried to help people deal with the serious issue of drunk-driving. But, ultimately, those options won't physically prevent anyone from getting behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol -- much like the Ignition Interlock Device provided by some states in the US do. To aid with this deliberate problem, researchers from Germany have came up with the Alcohol Language Corpus, a database made up of drunk speech patterns, the first of its kind.
Police to publicly shame drink-drivers on Twitter this Christmas
They're cruising the streets for embarrassing tweets. It's no secret that every year, the number of people driving under the influence of alcohol shoots up around Christmas. As part of its yearly crackdown, police in Sussex and Surrey are taking to Twitter to document the alcohol-related arrests they make on the road. Each snippet mentions where and when the motorist was pulled over, but also, more importantly, their name if they're eventually charged. Those who were stopped last year aren't getting off lightly either; officers are reportedly putting up posters to show exactly where motorists were caught over the limit.
Drink-testing the BACtrack Mobile breathalyzer
Drinking and driving is something that should never be done, but all too many people have "one too many" alcoholic beverages at their local bar or sports venue, then get behind the wheel to drive home. While many of these folks may never get pulled over, they're still endangering themselves and others. Since it's difficult to judge just how impaired you might be after imbibing a few brewskies, people take a lot more chances than they should. That's where BACtrack Mobile (US$149.99) comes in handy. It's a pocket-sized calibrated breathalyzer that syncs over Bluetooth to an app on your iOS device to warn you of when you should call a taxi or ask a friend for a ride home. Specifications Dimensions: 1.75 x 2.75 x 0.63 inches (44.45 x 69.85 x 16.0 mm) Weight: 1.7 ounces (47 grams) Battery: Rechargeable with included micro-USB cable Sensor Technology: Xtend electrochemical fuel cell Warm-up time: 10 seconds Blowing time: 5 seconds BAC range: 0.000 to 0.400 percent BAC Compatibility: iPhone 4s, 5, 5s, 5c; iPad 3, 4, Air; iPad mini, iPad mini with Retina display, iPod touch 5th generation Design Highlights The BACtrack Mobile is a small, discreet white box that fits into its own little carrying bag that can be placed into a pocket or bag before heading out. The device is designed with a semi-transparent channel that makes it easy to see some of the interior electromechanical components as well as LEDs that indicate what's going on. The BACtrack Mobile can be blown into directly, or you can use a small mouthpiece for sanitation if you wish to share your device with your drinking buddies. All of those mouthpieces are the same opaque white color, which would make it somewhat difficult to figure out which one needs to be used by what person, so I personally wish they'd make them different colors. Charging is done through a micro-USB port on the bottom of the device, and when plugged in, a pair of blue LEDs pulse to tell you that charging is underway. Those lights turn to a dim steady blue when the device is fully charged. Once you're ready to test just how wasted you are, you load the free BACtrack app onto your iPhone and then pair the device via Bluetooth. Functionality Highlights Pairing is quick and painless, done from the app rather than requiring a trip to Settings. When you're ready to check your BAC, you press a button in the app, watch a countdown "clock" spin down while the device preps itself, and then blow into the BACtrack. You need to puff for about five seconds, and the app lets you know when you can stop. You'll also hear a small "click" from the device itself. Within several seconds, the BAC level is displayed in the app. Just how accurate is the BACtrack Mobile? The company notes that the device uses "police grade" Xtend Fuel Cell Sensor Technology to make the measurements, and offers a high level of accuracy and consistency. To ensure that it maintains that professional level of accuracy, BACtrack recommends sending the device in for a recalibration every six to twelve months. This review was a first for me -- the first time I got a buzz on for TUAW! To test the device under real-life conditions, I split a bottle of Cambria Chardonnay with my wife, then later had a nice glass of Pinot Noir to bump up my BAC, and then finally topped off the evening (and went into the danger zone) with a shot of Limoncello. The three glasses of wine were split over about a three hour period, and when I checked my BAC the first time, it measured at 0.049 percent -- just below the level (0.05 percent) that would put me into the Driving While Ability Impaired (DWAI) zone under Colorado state law. The app allows you to tag drinks (a good way to remember what you've downed during a bender), add photos, and even take notes. You're required to wait 15 minutes after eating or drinking anything before doing a test in order to make sure that the BACtrack Mobile doesn't see the residual alcohol in your mouth and cause a false high reading. That 15 minutes also allows the alcohol to be absorbed into your bloodstream... So I drank the shot of Limoncello and then waited the appropriate amount of time. The second reading, unsurprisingly, came in at 0.053 percent. Had I been driving instead of performing the tests in the safety of my own home and if I'd been stopped by law enforcement officers, that would have been enough to have put me into DWAI territory. The app can tell you how long you'll need to wait until your BAC is back to zero, showing a chart that can also let you know when it is safe to drive. You can also choose to share your BAC results publicly, privately, or keep 'em to yourself. The private sharing just puts a pin on a map along with your level of inebriation -- the BACtrack WorldView page shows just how wasted some people will get (either that or they didn't wait 15 minutes before blowing into the BACtrack's mouthpiece). Conclusion If you like to have the occasional drink or two and then get into your car, BACtrack Mobile can help keep you and others safe by ensuring that you're not driving while impaired or under the influence. Think that the $150 price tag is expensive? Think again -- the cost of a first-offense DUI (driving under the influence) can run anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000 in legal fees and higher insurance rates. BACtrack Mobile is an highly accurate tool that can help you make the decision to give your keys to a sober friend or take a taxi home. Rating: 4 stars out of 4 stars possible
Livr is my most fav app 4va LOL im drunk (update: sober up, it's fake)
If you've heard one too many gripes about your boozy postings, don't fret -- there'll soon be a like-minded social app for you. It's called "Livr," and you won't even be able to log in without a smartphone breathalyzer confirming you've tippled enough. In fact, the higher your BAC, the more app features are unlocked. Those include a crowdsourced "truth or dare" game and hotspot map that shows the location and sobriety of other users. You'll even be able to drunk-dial random Livr folks, simulating the types of encounters you'd normally have at a bar (sans the possibility of getting punched). After a questionable evening, whatever happens on Livr can stay on Livr, thanks to the "Blackout" button that deletes all evidence of your misdeeds. We're not sure if this is one of the best or worst ideas in recent memory, but in any case, prepare your actual liver -- the app will arrive to Android and iOS sometime in the spring. Update: Gizmodo's knocked the beer goggles off our faces, revealing that Livr is almost certainly a hoax. We'd apologize for the misinformation, but we're going to blame this one on the alcohol -- we told you we were drunk.
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.
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.
Tokyoflash intros Kisai Intoxicated watch with a built-in breathalyzer (video)
Many partygoers want to keep their alcohol in check, but we don't know many who want to lug around a dedicated breathalyzer, no matter how small it may be. Tokyoflash may have found a happy medium for those drinkers by tucking a breathalyzer into its new Kisai Intoxicated watch. Blow into a sensor and the LCD will change to a color reflecting the alcohol intake: green is sober, yellow is buzzed and red is well over the line. There's also a mini-game to test reflexes in those less-than-certain moments. Buyers seeking some temperance in their lives will want to act quickly, however -- Tokyoflash will only sell the Kisai Intoxicated at a discounted $99 price during its first 48 hours on sale.
Breathometer: A would-be breathalyzer accessory for iPhone
Breathometer wants to be the first breathalyzer that works in tandem with your iPhone, making it easy and convenient to breathalyze yourself, or a friend, to see if your blood-alcohol level is above the legal driving limit. With a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, Breathometer has been designed to be compact and unobtrusive, small enough to conveniently fit on your keyring, but within easy reach when you need it most. Plugging into your iPhone's audio jack, the Breathometer automatically works with the companion app. All you need do is blow into it to identify your blood-alcohol concentration (BAC). The Breathometer app will also keep a record of your BAC, "so you can be sure to allow for the proper amount of time to pass before you think about getting behind the wheel." The Indiegogo campaign opened today, with pledges of US$20 or more to secure yourself one of the first Breathometers.
Breathometer lets phone users keep alcohol in check from a keychain (video)
Who knew that smartphone owners were suddenly such temperate drinkers? Just days after Alcohoot unveiled its take on a phone-friendly breathalyzer, Breathometer is here with its own way to watch our tipsiness. The namesake, FDA-approved gadget will plug into the headphone jack of an Android or iOS device and warn if our blood is too alcohol-rich, all while staying small enough to fit on a keychain. Plans are underway to eventually let soused users hail a taxi from the native app. The Breathometer won't be available until we're at the height of summer party season, but it should be cheap enough to eliminate any excuses: its Indiegogo campaign is asking for just $20 to secure a Breathometer alongside a pledge, or less than a good night out.
