6 quirky but useful internet buys

NYU Girl 1 (mumbling almost incoherently): I’m not drunk! NYU Girl 2: Yes, you are! You’ve had like 10 beers! NYU Girl 1 (still mumbling): Yeah, 10 … minus 10 … The next time you have this late night argument with a friend, you’ll finally have the proof to back it up. Thinkgeek.com’s AlcoHawk Digital Alcohol Detector is both portable and accurate, the site claims. After you breathe through its folding mouthpiece, the device displays your blood alcohol concentration on a two-digit LED screen. The response time is just five seconds, and a one-year warranty guarantees long-term accuracy. Carry it in your pocket or on your keychain and you’re ready for the weekend. [Full Story]

Source: Washington Square News – Forget books and shoes – March 10, 2008

Imagine the ease of carrying a tiny breathalyzer in your pocket wherever you go. At only 2 inches tall and weighing only a pound, you can carry it with you wherever you go. If such is the comfort that you have been aspiring for, look no further! AlcoHawk Pro is a professional digital breathalyzer that you can carry in your pocket. This portable alcohol screening device can be easily operated with a single button. [Full Story]

Source: Breathalyzer Review – Review of AlcoHawk Pro Breathalyzer – May 22, 2007

As the sleekest model in the line, the cell phone-sized AlcoHAWK Slim uses a sensitive semiconductor oxide sensor to quickly test for the presence of alcohol.  The screener’s foldable mouthpiece and light weight make storage easy.  Slender yet sturdy, the AlcoHAWK Slim is made from impact resistant ABS material for increased durability.

To operate the AlcoHAWK Slim, users must wait at least 20 minutes after their last beverage and food consumption to ensure proper testing.  Then, users simply press the button on the small handheld device, wait for the blinking red light on the screen to turn into a solid red light and blow into the mouthpiece until the unit emits a beeping sound.  In just five seconds, users will see their BAC reading on the LED screen to indicate the presence of alcohol.

“We received such a positive response from consumers who previously purchased AlcoHAWK’s to monitor their friends and family members that we wanted to create an updated version that fits easily into pockets and purses,” said Q3 Innovations, LLC Chief Executive Officer Brian C. Eddy.  “The AlcoHAWK Slim provides users with a sleeker design that should appeal to the gadget lovers at CES.”

The AlcoHAWK Slim (MSRP, $69.95) comes with a one-year warranty, three mouthpiece covers, the quick start guide and user’s manual.  For more information, visit www.q3i.com.

Don’t wait for the police to test your bloodalcohol level; do it before getting in the car with the AlcoHawk. The device registers levels up to 0.10 percent (way above the legal limit), and it fits on a keychain. Q3 Innovations also has developed a ThermoHawk touchless, infrared thermometer that’s just as portable. [Full Story]

View a PDF of the article: Cool Gadgets from the CES Tech Show – St. Louis Post-Dispatch – January 9, 2006

Carrying around a breathalyzer is like talking too much about your ex on a first date – ill-advised and likely a deal breaker.

But, while it’s easy to joke about people who own a product such as Q3 Innovation’s Alcohawk Elite, isn’t it better to admit needing a second opinion rather than lurching behind the wheel on intuition alone?

Source: The Montreal Gazette – Portable breathalyzer – November 7, 2005

When you think you can drive home, but your friends say you can’t, we have one good way to settle the score. Take a nice long breath into the pocket-sized Alcohawk and get the real results. This portable, personal breathalyzer enjoys a good party, but puts safety first. So should you.

View a PDF of the article: 944 Magazine – Life of the Party – Breathe Easy – November, 2005

Just pucker up and blow.

That’s all you need to do to take advantage of a new gadget that might come in handy when you’re wondering whether either you or your companion should be driving home from the party.

The Alcohawk ABI is a hand-held digital breathalyzer that advertises itself as “the only FDA-cleared screener on the market.”

A “state of the art semiconductor oxide sensor” on the gadget allows you to test your personal fumes or those of your family or friends in three seconds, according to Alcohawk press materials.

The device runs on a 9-volt battery (included) or plugs into a car dashboard power source.  Its “one button and blow” operation can read blood alcohol up to .40 — which, by the way, is over the New Jersey limit of .08.  The Alcohawk is about $100 on line at Target and The Sharper Image. — Kathleen Shea

View a PDF of the article: The Star-Ledger – Portable breathalyzer gets FDA nod – Feb 23, 2005