Filed under: Gadgets
Cellphones the new breathalyzer?
Could the police one day use cellulars to detect alcohol? According to sibling site Engadget Mobile, the mobile company NTT DoCoMo has developed a cellphone that has a built-in breathalyzer. Originally designed for bus, taxi, and truck drivers, the sensor detects and measures the amount of alcohol present in the driver's breath and transmits the information to their supervisor. It wouldn't be a great leap for the technology to be offered to police or to parents who could verify if their children have been drinking simply by calling them. [Source: Nikkei.net via picturephoning via engadget mobile]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
PJ 4:10PM (6/20/2006)
Okay, so then does it become illegal to let your batteries run down? Or not have a cell phone with you at all times, or not cough up $50 a month to Verizon? *Shudder*... I don't like where that train of thought is going.
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Chris 4:30PM (6/20/2006)
I don't see what your talking about, yes it would be against policy for say a taxi driver to let their batterys die. However, i don't really see what it would be of use for police, unless they decide to start prohibition again. :]
Chris
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PJ 4:42PM (6/20/2006)
Ssh. Don't interrupt me. I'm playing conspiracy theorist. :-)
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Karl 4:46PM (6/20/2006)
So, does the phone automatically call the cops if you happen to have a little too much? That would go over like the Gatzos. What if you're calling for a ride? Or better yet, what if it's just malfunctioning? Don't make me dig up the TV set sends int'l distress frequency stories.
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Elliott 4:49PM (6/20/2006)
By "police" I would guess he meant probation/parole officers who have the right to monitor the BAC of convicted criminals.
Don't want to be monitored, don't work for a company that requires it and don't get arrested for drunk driving.
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Scott 4:59PM (6/20/2006)
The is usable for everyone. This could one of the single greatest additions to the phone ever. Think about it. The end of the dreaded drunk dial. No more calling ex-girlfriends at 3am. No more embarrassing conversations the next day explaining why you had to ask Sally at 2am why she was such a prude when you dated since you heard she was giving it up now. This phone could block out all phone numbers but 911 and cab companies if it detects you are drunk. We all could have used this.
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Robert Aitchison 5:37PM (6/20/2006)
So does that mean the designated driver also gets to be the designated breather?
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Joel 6:59PM (6/20/2006)
What about just displaying the results to yourself if you've just had two or three to see where you are? I'd get something like that right now...
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shiznannigan 8:58PM (6/20/2006)
So put a piece of Saran Wrap over the phone. Sound goes through, air does not. Presto, hacked.
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hmmm 9:01PM (6/20/2006)
ok when mommy and daddy call and your busy playing drunk girl, you simply hand the phone to someone sober and let them blow into it, if your a drunken cab driver ( poor riders ) make your riders blow for ya ! unless of course this new phone has built in DNA dectection.... love the pic there's nothing funnier then a bunch of boozed up asian people !
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gbh 1:46AM (6/21/2006)
Yet another indicator that Orwell was right, he just was a bit off on the date.
The the thing that always makes me worry about (what little is left of our) freedom - is how many pathetic people will always be happy to trade liberty for the illusion of a bit more safety.
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anahit 3:27AM (6/21/2006)
This isn't Orwellian and cops will still test alcohol level at the precinct.
First, getting a blood alcohol machine certified in court is a pain. I can't speak for other jurisdictions but our Intoxlilyzer 5000s are accepted evidence--the only issues are user control and maintenance. New measuring devices face immediate, big legal hurdles.
Also, before one gets their breath tested there must at least be a 15 minute waiting period where the cop watches making sure the mouth doesn't experience something that may produce improper breath results, i.e. gum, burping, etc. If you have to wait that long in the field it's easier just to take them to the precinct.
If someone takes a breath test, the cop already has probable cause anyway. The breath test is just additional evidence for court and not necessary for arrest since they've already made observations and hopefully done field sobriety tests.
So it's unlikely this gadget will change how drunk driving investigations happen. It might be decent for pre- or concurrent sobriety field test purposes, where it would help generate probable cause.
Orwellian? It wouldn't change people's legal rights even if it were common with police, so no liberty's being "traded". Breath tests are not compelled. Don't want to take one? Then refuse.
If it's used by private employers that's their problem--it's not the government doing it. With mass transit, drivers/operators generally have lesser/fewer rights due to their jobs' nature. The breath testers again wouldn't change rights.
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anahit 3:29AM (6/21/2006)
Just to quickly add: what I said only applies to my particular state and, to a lesser degree, my county. Other states can do things differently, though not by much.
Therefore please don't necessarily think what I said is verbatim in your neighborhood.
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gbh 10:39AM (6/21/2006)
Ananhit, I assure you it will be used in an Orwellian fashion. It'll take a while and be gradual, but it ALWAYS happens.
Perhaps you've missed the data mining of domestic phone numbers without warrants. (tip of iceberg) Perhaps you've missed the fact that the Supreme Court ruled that sobriety checkpoints are legal - even though there is NO probable cause to think someone is drinking. (Even more scary, that ruling was made before the last few neo-nazi appointments.)
Don't get me wrong, drinking and driving is bad. It can be very dangerous. But direct observation by a PO and subsequent testing (quick FST) will easily nail the drunks who cause accidents. Throw in patrol video of the suspect driving and audio/video of the FST, slam-dunk case.
Here's what will happen if these phones spread around...Some cute little upper middle class blonde teenager will get killed as a result of a drunk driver. She'll have the usual telegenic mom. One who has nothing to do but remind the American public how tragic her daughter's death was. And why we should all give up some more freedoms, "because we just can't lose anymore Caitlyns".
It'll be all about "saving lives". An argument that, sadly, works way too well in America - especially on stuff that doesn't really matter. "Don't worry about the societal consequences (costs and deaths) of having millions uninsured, we might save a thousand lives by impinging on everyone's freedoms..."
Yes it's hard to lose loved ones. But, the rest of us should not be subject to unconstitutional searches, just because something bad could happen.
We can tie in the GPS tech already in your phone to tell us that you were in a bar. We can take your credit card record and see you spent money. We can take your library record and see you were researching Scotch. We can tie this into your vehicle ignition. Blow clean in your phone, or it won't start. And the police will be automatically summoned.
There's now many states moving to .008 BAC being legally iontoxicated. Despite the FACT that almost all of the DWI accidents are caused by folks who are WAY over the old "dangerous" .010 standard.
Psychological prophylaxis. It has predictable, and predictably bad, outcomes for freedom.
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Ray David 2:25PM (6/21/2006)
#6 I actually think it might be kinda cool. No more trying to EXPLAIN a drunk dial to an ex GF/BF. It could possibly be written off as "ahhh... he/she was drunk." hahaha
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anahit 4:55PM (6/21/2006)
GBH, your histrionic predictions and approach do your argument a severe disservice.
I say that because we're on the same "side". I also have severe issues with the gradual erosion of individual rights (even though I have rounded law enforcement experience), but I don't believe in making overblown assertions to support them. Then I'd be no better than MADD, which is now a harping caricature.
I'm afraid I don't have time for a long post but suffice to say your "neo-nazi[sic]" crack is indicative.
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tworzenie stron 2:19PM (7/23/2006)
very interested theme; I will back, thanks!
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