By 
If you happen to enjoy going out for a few drinks with friends, you have no doubt at one point or another faced a moment where you had to decide if it was a smart idea to drive yourself home or not. Compounding the issue is the fact that people who have been drinking don’t always deploy the best judgement. Enter Breathometer, a personal breathalyzer that can fit on a keyring and pairs with your smartphone to provide instant feedback on your blood alcohol content.
Currently the subject of an IndieGoGo campaign, Breathometer is designed to work with Android and iOS devices and connects via a phone’s headphone jack. The whole thing is similar in size and functionality to mobile credit card swipers. The ease of use should make it a cinch for the intoxicated to figure out, and future plans could see the accompanying app acting as a taxi-hailing service for the incredibly inebriated. If all else fails, Breathometer at least provides for a few moments of entertainment at a party. Let’s play “Who’s got the highest BAC?”
[via Engadget]
Does it actually work? Or is it like those machines in bars that say you have a 0.01 even after drinking 10 beers?
no. Tons have been on the market for years and all have been proven inaccurate. They also all claim to be more of a “entertainment” gadget, meaning they are NOT liable if the results are inaccurate and you get popped for DUI/DWI.
Or if you wanted one now: http://www.squidoo.com/PortableBreathalyzer
or…if you have to question it, dont drive…
these have been around for years.. including one that hooks directly to your iphone. The main issue with these are they are HIGHLY inaccurate. I would never recommend a “personal breathalyzer” due to their inaccuracy and the fact breathalyzers need to be calibrated often based on usage. This has been proven in numerous studies. I wouldn’t trust a gadget like that to even come within .5 accuracy, and that’s a large scale when it comes to the cops.
I think you mean .05 accuracy.
True BAC devices need regular calibration. The small hand held devices are highly inaccurate. I doubt this is any better……Just a gimmick to ply money from our wallets.
Great to have if you’re Billy Joel.
Or Mel Gibson?
I remember stories from years back where some bars installed breathalyzers which mainly just encouraged patrons to see how high they could go.
Oh good, maybe bars can use this to stop any dumb drunk from causing DUI, DWI, or any accident in the future.
Easy. If you buy one of these, you know you drink too much.