Breathometer is a portable breathalyzer that analyzes the users' breath for blood alcohol content. The device plugs into an iPhone for display and readout, with the intent of informing the user of their BAC so they can make a more informed decision about whether it is safe for them to drive or not.

breathometer
The device is available on Indiegogo, a crowd funding platform, for $20. At that price, the Breathometer has an estimated ship date of January 2014 for most funders, though some higher funding levels may get their units earlier.

Breathometer is both a device and mobile app that will transform iPhone and Android smartphones into a breathalyzer. Breathometer provides options beyond informing users of their impaired state and plans to connect to local transportation services to quickly connect with a cab or taxi. Upon launch, Breathometer will be available at Breathometer.com, the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Breathometer will be FDA approved and is patent pending. It is ideal for anyone who enjoys even a casual drink, as just one drink can affect judgment or the ability to drive safely. The company will make Breathometer available in Summer 2013, anticipating that the affordable price combined with a quality equivalent to current consumer breathalyzers will encourage widespread use and help grow the market for such devices.

Top Rated Comments

snoopjonny Avatar
144 months ago
This will only be used by college kids to see who can get a higher "score".
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justperry Avatar
144 months ago
Anyone who needs this device already went too far, just don't drink before driving, that's it.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Schmitty11 Avatar
144 months ago
Imo, if just the bouncer at a bar had this, many drunken idiots could be kept off the roadways. Love the idea.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dukebound85 Avatar
144 months ago
Imo, if just the bouncer at a bar had this, many drunken idiots could be kept off the roadways. Love the idea.

This idea is hardly unique nor new.

You can go to bed bath and beyond and pick up a 15 dollar portable breathalizer that does NOT require an iphone right now
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TallManNY Avatar
144 months ago
I suppose it would be useful for peace of mind, especially if you were out trying some new beers or ales with unknown alcohol content.

Not everybody at 0.08 or the old standard of 0.1 is impaired to any real degree. There's some interesting YouTube videos of people testing their driving with objective standards and it really varies from person to person.

If I blew a 0.04, and 20 minutes later saw it drop to 0.03, I'd feel pretty comfortable about driving and not risking a DUI. Theoretically I can still be arrested, but the likelihood of conviction greatly decreases when the state can't prove you hit the per se limit. If it climbed to 0.05, I'd wait longer and test again.

I've used something similar and it is useful for folks to understand what the legal limits feel like. In practice even two pints will put you over the lowest legal limit, three and you are definitely there. Most likely your driving skills are not impacted in any significant way. (Note that every rural and suburban town in the country has bars and basically every single patron has no option but to drive home from that bar at the end of the night. So millions of folks are drinking and driving in this country every day.) Above the point were you are a significant safety risk you (a) should know you are impacted and (b) should know that if you get pulled over you will get DWI that will result in you losing your license in many states. A DUI will also haunt you for years in terms of job applications, insurance, or the ability to rent a car.

So this really isn't a physical safety test as it is a legal safety question. But play around with something like this a few times and you will know the answer to the legal question. And the answer to that is that basically the standards are set so low that you are in trouble if you have had anything beyond a second beer. And if you are small or drink the beers quickly, you could pull a DUI on just two beers.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WestonHarvey1 Avatar
144 months ago
Huh? Open containers are illegal
I didn't say drinking WHILE driving. "Drinking and driving" is a well-understood idiom meaning "drinking prior to and sufficiently proximate to the driving event that alcohol remains detectable in the driver's blood".
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...