BACtrack unveils Apple Watch band with built-in blood alcohol monitor
The newly announced wearable BACtrack Skyn comes with Apple Watch strap options, allowing a user to easily check their blood alcohol content from their wrist on the go.
The BACtrack's new Skyn model comes with both a wristband and also Apple Watch strap options, and it's expected to cost roughly $99 when it hits the market in the second or third quarter of this year.
BACtrack Skyn can help users not only track their blood alcohol content "passively, accurately and near real-time," but also give them a glimpse of how their body metabolizes alcohol and when they are within sobriety range again.
Users can also set an alarm or a vibration to be notified when their BAC is above the legal limit. Generally, the wearable will show users how their blood alcohol content is changing while they drink, and can gives an idea of where their levels will end up after their last drink.
According to the BACtrack team, this real-time monitoring could allow for many new research and treatment opportunities. The company believes its more automated hardware will provide more reliable data than existing methods, which require self reporting and breath tests.
The BACtrack Skyn can also track usage of an additional person. This week's announcement at CES did not mention support for Apple HealthKit, but the BACtrack app and previous hardware do integrate with HealthKit.
The company's existing portable iPhone- and HealthKit-connected BAC level monitor, the BACtrack Mobile Smartphone Breathalyzer, was reviewed by AppleInsider. We were surprised by how deep the iPhone integration was implemented.
The BACtrack's new Skyn model comes with both a wristband and also Apple Watch strap options, and it's expected to cost roughly $99 when it hits the market in the second or third quarter of this year.
BACtrack Skyn can help users not only track their blood alcohol content "passively, accurately and near real-time," but also give them a glimpse of how their body metabolizes alcohol and when they are within sobriety range again.
Users can also set an alarm or a vibration to be notified when their BAC is above the legal limit. Generally, the wearable will show users how their blood alcohol content is changing while they drink, and can gives an idea of where their levels will end up after their last drink.
According to the BACtrack team, this real-time monitoring could allow for many new research and treatment opportunities. The company believes its more automated hardware will provide more reliable data than existing methods, which require self reporting and breath tests.
The BACtrack Skyn can also track usage of an additional person. This week's announcement at CES did not mention support for Apple HealthKit, but the BACtrack app and previous hardware do integrate with HealthKit.
The company's existing portable iPhone- and HealthKit-connected BAC level monitor, the BACtrack Mobile Smartphone Breathalyzer, was reviewed by AppleInsider. We were surprised by how deep the iPhone integration was implemented.
Comments
apple should integrate this into the Watch!
Pretty good vote of confidence -- granted, this is will be a miniaturized version of the device that won.
However, there are elements of it that surprised me beyond the obvious "Am I good to drive?" scenario. If you really wanted to get metrics on how your body absorbs alcohol and how quickly it leaves your body, this is an extremely valuable tool. In that respect, it's really no different than any other "quantified self" health product.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/12/07/review-iphone-connected-bactrack-mobile-breathalyzer-with-healthkit-support
I'm OK with that.
But I'm going to side with you on the basis of experience. My wife and I go out for dancing & drinks approximately every other week. We usually leave our car at home and take Uber to the club instead, because we know we are going to be drinking and don't want to be tempted to drive the car back home. However, sometimes we do drive to the club. On these occasions, we always take a high end portable breathalyzer with us so we can monitor our BAC and make good choices later. Whenever we take the breathalyzer out of my wife's purse in the club, the folks we are with become very intrigued. It's like a novelty, and they all want to try it numerous times throughout the night. (Of course we try to sanitize the breathing tube before passing it on, lest we pass too many germs.) Anyway, my observation has been that the general awareness of the group is increased, and curiously enough I see a correlation: far more people we are with Uber home on those nights than on others.
Obviously it wouldn't be so easy to pass around the watch. But the point remains that I believe the general awareness of the wearer and perhaps his/her close companions (even if they don't use the watch) is increased. The cautious thought is simply brought to mind, and that is helpful.
I agree with your thought that everyone who drinks could use this capability, but I would have characterized it as a "gives you some mental comfort card" rather than a "get out of jail free card". Like the criminal DUI attorney said above, "To be safe drinking at dinner and knowing you're ok to drive would be great." That's mental comfort. But "get out of jail free" implies some legal leverage, which a personal breathalyzer will not have when placed up against a professionally calibrated and administered breathalyzer test. If the latter says you are over, then you are likely going to face the music regardless of the former says.