Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Emerging Tech
  3. News

Have fun responsibly with the pocket-sized AlcoMate Breathalyzer

Add as a preferred source on Google

It may be hard to believe, but spring break is just around the corner, and with it will likely come quite a bit of partying. So it may be time to consider how to keep ourselves from having a little too much fun. Here to help is the AlcoMate Breathalyzer, a pocket-sized device that can help notify users of when they’ve had enough — or more than enough. Not only is the AlcoMate supremely portable, but it’s also easy to use (which will certainly come in handy for users who are impaired but think they aren’t).

And while most other breathalyzers require periodic re-calibration, addressed by way of mail-in programs, the AlcoMate eliminates this downtime by employing sensors that can easily be switched out by the user, so no matter where you are, you’ll be able to get an accurate reading.

Recommended Videos

Each of the breathalyzers from parent company AK GlobalTech has been tested and approved for accuracy by the Department of Transportation (DOT), as are the sensor modules (which you’ll switch out from time to time to maintain accuracy). Indeed, while other breathalyzers become unreliable in about a year, the AlcoMate comes with Pre-calibrated Replaceable Intelligent Sensor Module (PRISM) technology, allowing customers to avoid calibration altogether.

But wait, you say — I already have a breathalyzer app on my phone. Why do I need a separate device? As it turns out, smartphone breathalyzers do not undergo testing, nor are they approved by the DOT, which means that their accuracy isn’t guaranteed. And when you’re testing something as important as your blood-alcohol content, precision is of the utmost importance.

And if you need further convincing that the AlcoMate is a trustworthy tool to have on hand, it should be mentioned that these breathalyzers are used exclusively by the United States Navy and Marine Corps for personnel-wide alcohol testing. They’re also used in rehabilitation centers, hospitals, and clinics.

So this spring break, add some responsibility to your pocket with AlcoMate.

Lulu Chang
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Google is making Gemini and Search work better with the apps you love
Gemini's guest list is growing, and your favorite apps are invited.
Gemini AI on a phone.

Google has been finding more ways to make Gemini a part of your daily routine, from putting together playlists to ordering groceries through your favorite apps. Now it's expanding those capabilities to more services, with Google Search joining in, too.

The company has announced a new Connected Apps Platform that makes it easier for developers to bring their services to both Gemini and Search. Alongside this, Google is adding new partners to its growing lineup, bringing more of the apps people already use into its AI ecosystem.

Read more
AI bots are now trying to sabotage public health policies, like banning disposable vapes
Thousands of AI bots voted in a public health poll to block sales restriction on disposable vapes. It's like Big Tobacco is back from the dead.
Woman smoking a vape.

In the broad context of AI and its perceived harms, health and medical risks often pop up in the conversation. The warnings even come from frontier AI labs, such as ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Anthropic, both of which have warned about misusing AI to cook up bioweapons. Security experts have already spotted a few such incidents in the wild, especially with the usage of AI models without any solid guardrails. 

Well, it appears that the risks run deeper. As per an analysis appearing in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), AI bots are now being deployed to influence public policies governing health risks to citizens. In this instance, an attempt was made using AI bots to thwart regulations that aim to restrict the sale of disposable vapes, all while disguising the manipulation efforts as a response from real humans. 

Read more
A tiny smartphone gadget can detect some of the nastiest chemicals in your water
Scientists built a tiny smartphone gadget that can spot toxic 'forever chemicals'
Smartphone-connected drinking water safety sensor Featured

What if checking your drinking water for dangerous chemicals were as simple as plugging a tiny gadget into your smartphone? Researchers in Japan have developed a compact sensor that could make that possible, potentially bringing sophisticated water contamination testing out of expensive laboratories and into people's hands.

Scientists at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) have created a portable device capable of detecting extremely low concentrations of PFAS, commonly known as "forever chemicals." The findings were published in the journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics, which demonstrate how an inexpensive sensor and a smartphone could make identifying potentially harmful chemicals in water a lot easier.

Read more