This Startup Wants to Bring Personal Breathalyzers to the Masses The BACtrack Vio is a keychain-sized breathalyzer alongside which users can track their intoxication levels via a smartphone app.
By Geoff Weiss
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Here's a sobering business concept: a San Francisco startup called BACtrack wants to bring personal breathalyzers to the masses.
The company announced yesterday the launch of a new keychain-sized breathalyzer device called the BACtrack Vio, which syncs with users' smartphones to wirelessly track blood alcohol content. It is priced at $49.99 and displays its findings on companion apps for a wide array of Apple and Android devices.
The aim of BACtrack is to "ultimately help consumers better understand how alcohol affects their bodies and also make smarter, more informed decisions," said the company's founder and CEO, Keith Nothacker.
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The app, which the device accesses via Bluetooth, prompts users to guess their levels before taking a reading so that they may better gauge their intoxication tendencies over time.
Users can also look back on their readings and attach pictures and notes, or share their stats on social media.
BACtrack was founded in 2001 and in 2013 launched its debut product, BACtrack Mobile. The larger device -- which is about half the size of an iPhone -- uses police-grade technology to measure blood alcohol levels. It is priced at $149.99.
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