Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook
Angry Dad Shoots Daughter's Laptop ... after she criticized her parents on Facebook »

In Time for Holidays, an iPod Breathalyzer

iBreath taps into growing industry around excessive boozing

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Dec 19, 2008 5:18 PM CST
Email

(Newser) – A new accessory for the iPod aims to cut down on drunk driving, the Los Angeles Times reports. No, not an app that lists lawyers, or one that calls a cab—a breathalyzer. The iBreath plugs into the iPod and, in 5 seconds, gives a blood-alcohol reading. The creator said the device was partly aimed at teens. “They don’t listen to their parents,” he said, “but they listen to their iPods.”

Of course, it wouldn’t work without an incentive, and the iBreath also has a built-in FM transmitter. “We figured, OK, if it's only a breathalyzer, the chances are this thing is coming off the iPod and sitting in the drawer,” the creator said. Opponents question the device’s accuracy and think it provides “a false sense of security.”

An Alcotest 7110 MKIII-C machine.
An Alcotest 7110 MKIII-C machine.   (AP Photo)
Other things an iPod can do include finding a hotel.
Other things an iPod can do include finding a hotel.   (AP Photo)
Firefighters leave the scene where a school bus crashed with a car.
Firefighters leave the scene where a school bus crashed with a car.   (AP Photo)
Bottles of Smirnoff Ice are seen on a cooler shelf at a store in Albany, N.Y.
Bottles of Smirnoff Ice are seen on a cooler shelf at a store in Albany, N.Y.   (AP Photo)
A driver takes a more standard breathalyzer test.
A driver takes a more standard breathalyzer test.   (AP Photo)
An iPod equipped with the iBreath breathalyzer.
An iPod equipped with the iBreath breathalyzer.   (David Steele Enterprises)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 2 of 2 comments
Guest
Dec 20, 2008 10:33 PM CST
Is this going to be a new toy to use on Friday and Saturday evenings by people at bars to see who is more drunk or less drunk? I guess this means that the winner or looser will have to buy a round of drinks for everyone.
Guest
Dec 20, 2008 12:03 AM CST
Brilliant. Really. Finally, a reason to by an iPod instead of a superior, less-expensive MP3 player that already has an FM receiver. Sorry, fankids, Apple's lame and overpriced.

Another look at the iBreath
PC World

Google stops drunk mailing with math test
Ars Technica

How about one for close iPod competitor Zune?
Forbes

 
alcohol • iPhone • Apple • iPod • drunk driving • Mothers Against Drunk Driving • breathalyzer • legal limit

More Newser Stories

iPad, iPhone Ban Overturned

Apple Earnings Soar on Huge iPhone Sales

Beijing Apple Store Egged After Botched iPhone Launch

iPhone's Siri Learning Chinese

Apple's Siri Tells Boy to 'Shut the F*** Up'
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne