There’s a new handy little device for people who like to drink but want to be safe about it. The Breathometer, which is currently for sale through a campaign on Indiegogo, was built to use the processing power of your mobile phone to provide an affordable way to allow users to check their blood alcohol content. And I got to take it for a spin.
Breathometer founder Charles Michael Yim said that he had tried a few different consumer breathalyzers and found none of them were all that convenient. They were too bulky, too expensive, and cumbersome in terms of having to calibrate them. Most people are probably not aware of the availability of consumer breathalyzers, and so Yim and his team decided to make a device that was more affordable and accessible for the average consumer.
The Breathometer is available as part of an Indiegogo campaign that the company is running now through April 13. It’s structured in a way that how soon you’ll receive a device depends on how much you contribute. So someone who contributes $100 will be part of the company’s first drop-shipment of the device in July, whereas someone who puts in just $20 shouldn’t expect the device before early next year.
I had a few drinks ahead of the interview, to try the thing out for myself, and, well, for science. What I found was that the Breathometer was accurate in establishing that Yim was stone-cold sober, while I blew a 0.04. And while that means I was probably ok to drive, maybe I shouldn’t have been conducting a video interview under the influence. Whew. Check out the full video above!