Had One Too Many? iBreath Turns iPods, iPhones Into Breathalyzers
David Steele Enterprises, a Newport Beach, Calif.-based online retailer, this week released the iBreath, a $79 accessory that connects to Apple iPods or iPhones and allows a person to exhale into a retractable blow-wand, much like a field sobriety test. Results are displayed on an LED screen and a reading of 0.08 or above sets off an alarm on the iBreath.
"We don't want people to think that this makes it all OK," said Don Bassler, CEO and founder of David Steele Enterprises, to The Los Angeles Times. "But it's a safety device that we hope people will use, and it may save lives."
"The idea of an iPod-compatible breathalyzer is terrific, especially for people who like to have a drink or two after work," said Joseph Melilo, a retired New York police officer, in a statement. "It can't be any easier than blowing into the tube and looking at the sensor."
According to a representative from David Steele Enterprises, iBreath does have the seal of approval from Apple and is compatible with the iPhone, iPod Nano, iPod Classic and iPod Touch. The product specs indicate the iBreath can offer results in five seconds with 0.01 percent accuracy.
The iBreath isn't the only iPod and iPhone accessory designed to prevent bad by-products of holiday mirth. There's Drunk Dial, for one, which tests mental capacity with a quick math test to prevent people from making drunken phone calls. And for iPhone services, there's Taxi Magic, which connects the iPhone directly to dispatch systems in 26 U.S. cities.