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Hippest Breathalyzer?

Ipods and iPhones are some of the coolest – and most functional – tech gadgets around, wildly popular among teens and adults in the Broward County area. Even Fort Lauderdale DUI Lawyer William Moore has one. Freelance developers have been designing games and add-on devices for Apple products for years now, like games or FM transmitters that allow you to listen to the contents of your iPhone or iPod through your car stereo. Now, however, one developer has come up with a device he hopes will remove the stigma from using a breathalyzer and prevent DUIs.

The iBreath is probably the coolest breathalyzer anyone has ever used. For $79, you can purchase the handy little attachment and take it along when you go out in Fort Lauderdale. It snaps into the bottom of the gadget, feeding off of the same power supply. A wand extends for you or your friends to blow into; within two seconds, the device flashes your blood alcohol content. If you blow a 0.08 or above, the level at which intoxication is presumed in every state, the device will sound an alarm to warn you against driving. While young partygoers are likely to think the new technology is a fun way to be safer, not everyone is delighted by the innovation.

Critics warn that the iBreath device may lull users into a false sense of security. It might not be as accurate as a police officer’s breathalyzer, which is calibrated regularly to ensure accuracy. It also does not require that the user blow a full, deep breath of air, which could also lower the accuracy. Users could also test their breath prior to driving, without realizing that alcohol absorption could continue for half an hour or more after they quit drinking. Some critics also worry that it could promote underage drinking, although the creators have explicitly stated that they hope it will prevent young people from getting DUIs if they do drink at parties.

Last Call is another recent innovation. The application allows you to input your body size and the drinks you have had to approximate your blood alcohol content. It also provides a list of DUI attorneys, perhaps if your calculation is awry. Drunk Dial takes a page from Google’s Gmail email service, requiring the user to answer math problems in order to make a phone call during late-night weekend hours (Gmail’s “mail goggles” is an optional function).

The manufacturer counters that the device is accurate and Apple-approved. Additionally, it could, they say, prevent DUI arrests and serious DUI accidents. Broward DUI Lawyer William Moore does not advocate using any device in place of caution when drinking.

Fort Lauderdale DUI attorney William Moore is a former prosecutor and public defender. If you have been charged with DUI in south Florida, contact William Moore Criminal Defense, P.A., which has an experienced Fort Lauderdale DUI lawyer with offices in Fort Lauderdale-Dade, Broward, and Fort Lauderdale Counties.

This article should be used for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.

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