Breathometer

Breathometer
InventorCharles Michael Yim
Inception2013
ManufacturerBreathometer
AvailableNo
Websitewww.breathometer.com

Breathometer was a device that claimed to measure someone's blood alcohol content using their iOS and Android smartphones.[1] However, the app proved unreliable, and was shut down by the Federal Trade Commission.[2]

Company history

Breathometer was founded in 2012 by Charles Michael Yim, a serial entrepreneur who had earlier founded three startup companies including Chatterfly, a mobile loyalty platform for businesses that was acquired by Plum District in December 2011.[3][4][5][6] Yim noted that there were no commercial breathalyzers for the smartphone market, and the only portable breathalyzers commercially available were both expensive and impractical for users to take with them on a night out.[1][7]

The company was partly funded through preorders collected via an Indiegogo crowd-sourcing campaign, which ran until April 2013.[1][8][9] The campaign's original goal was to raise $25,000, but by the time it closed, it had raised over $138,000.[10][11]

In September 2013, Yim appeared on Shark Tank. He originally asked for $250,000 for a 10% stake in Breathometer, but all five "sharks" ended up investing a total of $1 million for a collective 30% stake in the company.[12][13]

Controversy

FTC complaint and product refunds

In 2017, an inquiry by the FTC resulted in a settlement with the company. The FTC charged that the company knew the product frequently underreported BAC levels and knowingly made false marketing claims of accuracy.[14][15] The app was shut down and customers were required to be notified and offered full refunds. According to the complaint, sales of Original and Breeze totaled $5.1 million.[2] Following the FTC controversy, Mark Cuban called Breathometer the "worst execution" in the history of Shark Tank, blaming the founder's mismanagement of funds and being perceived to go on expensive vacations rather than working.[16][17][18]

Products

The Breathometer

The Breathometer was a small device that plugged into the audio jack of a smartphone, coupled with a dedicated app that reads the user's blood alcohol content (BAC).[8][19][20][9] The app utilized the smartphone to provide the processing power, which allowed the device to be small enough to fit on a standard keychain.[8][19] If the user's BAC level was over the legal limit, the app displayed one-click calls to local taxi services, friends from contact lists living close by, or local hotels.[7][20]

Sample beta units were handed out at the 2013 SXSW in Austin, Texas.[7] The app was shut down in 2017 as the result of a settlement with the FTC.[21]

Mint

The company pivoted transforming its technology into a new product to measure bad breath and oral health, called Mint.[22] Breathometer released the Mint in September 2016. Sensors in the device measured sulfur compounds associated with bad breath and that scientists associate with periodontitis aka gum disease.[23] The company partnered with Philips to bundle the Mint with Sonicare oral health products.[24] As of 2021, the Mint is no longer available on its site or Amazon.[25][26]

References

  1. ^ a b c Lawler, Ryan (April 5, 2013). "The Breathometer Will Ensure You Don't Drive (Or Do Video Interviews) While Drunk". TechCrunch.
  2. ^ a b ""Breathometer" Marketers Settle FTC Charges of Misrepresenting Ability to Accurately Measure Users' Blood Alcohol Content". FTC. January 23, 2017. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  3. ^ Sarah Perez (August 17, 2011). "Chatterfly Launches Mobile Digital Loyalty App". TechCrunch. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  4. ^ Sara Perez (December 8, 2011). "Moms Love Daily Deals: Plum District Raises $20 Million, Acquires Chatterfly & DoodleDeals". TechCrunch. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  5. ^ Timothy Hay (October 18, 2013). "Fresh From Swimming in 'Shark Tank,' Breathometer Raises $2M for Smartphone Breathalyzer". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  6. ^ Jameson Ketchum (March 15, 2013). "Breathometer Helps You Party Responsibly". Substream Magazine. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  7. ^ a b c "Breathometer Helps You Party Responsibly". Substream Music Press. March 15, 2013. Archived from the original on 6 October 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  8. ^ a b c David J. Hill (April 9, 2013). "BREATHOMETER — A BREATHLYZER FOR YOUR SMARTPHONE". Singularity Hub. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  9. ^ a b Dean Takahashi (March 13, 2013). "Breathometer unveils the first smartphone breathalyzer". Venture Beat. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  10. ^ Charles Michael Yim. "Breathometer - A Smartphone Breathalyzer". Indiegogo. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  11. ^ Shane McGlaun (March 27, 2013). "Breathometer blows past funding goal and adds new stretch goals". Slash Gear. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  12. ^ Hay, Timothy. "Fresh From Swimming in 'Shark Tank,' Breathometer Raises $2M for Smartphone Breathalyzer". WSJ. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
  13. ^ "Charles Yim: Breathometer Talks how Indiegogo Lead to Shark Tank – SXSW 2014". Geekazine.com. 2014-03-15. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
  14. ^ "The FTC's sobering truth about Breathometer". Consumer Information. 2017-01-23. Archived from the original on 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  15. ^ "Feds claim Breathometer made false claims about accuracy". RTTNews. Jan 27, 2017. ProQuest 1862151101.
  16. ^ Brian, Greg (November 3, 2019). "'Shark Tank': Mark Cuban Says This Product Has the Worst Execution in Show History". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  17. ^ "The Cast of Shark Tank Reviews Their Favorite Pitches". Vanity Fair. Condé Nast. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  18. ^ Jr, Tom Huddleston (2022-07-22). "Mark Cuban says this was his worst 'Shark Tank' investment ever: 'Next thing you know, all of the money's gone'". CNBC. Retrieved 2024-10-24.
  19. ^ a b "Smartphone breathalyzer tells when you're too drunk to drive". CBS News. March 19, 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  20. ^ a b Eric Griffith (March 29, 2013). "Breathometer Turns Smartphones Into Personal Breathalyzers". PC Mag. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  21. ^ Paredes, Gemma (27 January 2023). "Breathometer Net Worth - One of Shark Tank's Biggest Flops!". Techiegamers.com.
  22. ^ Miller, Marc D.; Jackson, Lonnie; Campbell, Nathan (2020-10-01). "Breathometer: Shut Down by the Federal Trade Commission". Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy. 3 (4): 364–370. doi:10.1177/2515127420916739. ISSN 2515-1274. S2CID 216363434.
  23. ^ Becker, Rachel (2016-11-19). "This smart device sniffed my morning breath to check for gum disease". The Verge. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  24. ^ "Breathometer teams up with Philips to take on bad breath". TechCrunch. 8 September 2016. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  25. ^ "Breathometer Store". Archived from the original on 2017-06-06. Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  26. ^ "Amazon.com: Breathometer, Mint: The Smart Oral Health Monitor, White: Health & Personal Care". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2021-05-28.

Further reading

Read other articles:

Whitesboro, New York

Village in New York, United StatesWhitesboro, New YorkVillageCommercial buildings on Main Street in Whitesboro SealLocation in Oneida County and the state of New York.Coordinates: 43°7′N 75°18′W / 43.117°N 75.300°W / 43.117; -75.300CountryUnited StatesStateNew YorkCountyOneidaFounded byHugh WhiteArea[1] • Total1.05 sq mi (2.72 km2) • Land1.05 sq mi (2.72 km2) • Water0.00 sq mi ...

 

 

Presiden Brasil

Presiden Republik Federasi BrasilPresidente da República Federativa do BrasilPetahanaLuiz Inacio Lula da Silvasejak 1 Januari 2023JenisKepala Negara Kepala PemerintahanAnggotaKabinet Dewan Pertahanan NasionalKediamanPalácio da AlvoradaDitunjuk olehPemilu LangsungMasa jabatanEmpat Tahun, dapat dipilih kembali untuk satu kali masa jabatanDibentuk15 November 1889; 134 tahun lalu (1889-11-15)Pejabat pertamaDeodoro da FonsecaWakilWakil Presiden BrasilGajiR$ 402,151 pertahunSitus webwww...

 

 

Тектоническая карта

Тектоническая карта Карпат Тектоническая карта (Геотектоническая карта; англ. Tectonic map) — разновидность геологической карты, отображающая современную структуру земной коры и её отдельных регионов, а также историю её развития с учётом всех проявившейся режимов. Э...

TT pistol

TT33 redirects here. For the Theban tomb, see TT33 (tomb). Semi-automatic pistol TT (Tula Tokarev) TT-33TypeSemi-automatic pistolPlace of originSoviet UnionService historyIn service1930–presentUsed bySee UsersWarsSee ConflictsProduction historyDesignerFedor TokarevDesigned1930ManufacturerTula Arms Plant, Izhevsk Arsenal, Norinco, Femaru, FB Radom, Cugir Arsenal, Zastava Arms, FÉGProduced1930–1955 (in Soviet Union)[1]No. built1,330,000VariantsTT-30, TT-33,...

 

 

Antena 1 (Portugal)

Radio station by the Portuguese public broadcasting entity Rádio e Televisão de Portugal Antena 1Broadcast areaPortugal - National FM, AMFrequency87.7 – 106.7 MHz, 630 - 1287 kHzProgrammingFormatFull-Service, ACOwnershipOwnerRádio e Televisão de PortugalHistoryFirst air date4 August 1935; 88 years ago (1935-08-04)Former namesEmissora Nacional Programa 1 (1935–1975)RDP Programa 1 (1976–1981)Technical informationTransmitter coordinates38°45′35″N 9°07′04″W&#...

 

 

Celebrate (Mika song)

2012 single by Mika featuring Pharrell WilliamsCelebrateSingle by Mika featuring Pharrell Williamsfrom the album The Origin of Love Released15 June 2012Recorded2011GenrePopLength3:05LabelBarclayCasablancaSongwriter(s)Pharrell WilliamsMikaBen GarrettProducer(s)Peter HayesNick LittlemoreMika singles chronology Elle me dit (2011) Celebrate (2012) Underwater (2012) Pharrell Williams singles chronology Here Ye, Hear Ye(2011) Celebrate(2012) Blurred Lines(2013) Music videoCelebrate on YouT...

Женская национальная баскетбольная ассоциация

Женская национальная баскетбольная ассоциация Вид спорта Баскетбол Основание 1996 Основатель Дэвид Стерн Страна  США Количество команд 12 Руководитель Кэти Энгелберт Слоган Watch Me Work Чемпион(ы) Чикаго Скай (1) Максимум титулов Хьюстон Кометс, Сиэтл Шторм, Миннесота Линкс (...

 

 

Gerd Faltings

Gerd FaltingsGerd FaltingsLahir28 Juli 1954 (umur 69)Gelsenkirchen-Buer, Jerman BaratKebangsaanJermanAlmamaterUniversitas MünsterDikenal atas Konjektur Mordell Tinggi Faltings Teorema hasil kali Faltings PenghargaanMedali Fields (1986) Keanggotaan Guggenheim (1988)Penghargaan Leibniz (1996)Penghargaan Internasional Raja Faisal (2014) Penghargaan Shaw (2015) Medali Cantor (2017)Karier ilmiahBidangMatematikaInstitusiInstitut Max Planck untuk MatematikaUniversitas BonnUniversitas Princeto...

 

 

William Powell

William Powell William Horatio Powell[1] (Pittsburgh, 29 luglio 1892 – Palm Springs, 5 marzo 1984[2]) è stato un attore statunitense. Indice 1 Biografia 2 Filmografia 3 Doppiatori italiani 4 Riconoscimenti 5 Galleria d'immagini 6 Note 7 Altri progetti 8 Collegamenti esterni Biografia William Powell nacque a Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania, da una famiglia agiata. Contravvenendo all'ambizione paterna, che lo avrebbe voluto avvocato, decise di fare l'attore e, all'età di 18 anni...

It's My House

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: It's My House – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (April 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message) 1979 single by Diana RossIt's My HouseSingle by Diana Rossfrom the album The Boss B-sideSparkleReleased20 October 1979Recorded1979GenreR&Bdi...

 

 

River Cam, Gloucestershire

River in Gloucestershire, England This article is about the river in Gloucestershire. For the river in Cambridgeshire, see River Cam. River CamThe River Cam near Cambridge (Gloucestershire)Location within GloucestershireLocationCountryEnglandCountiesGloucestershirePhysical characteristicsMouth  • locationGloucester and Sharpness Canal • coordinates51°44′38″N 2°22′48″W / 51.7438°N 2.38°W / 51.7438; -2.38Discharge...

 

 

WD 1145+017 b

Exoplanetary object orbiting around WD 1145+017 WD 1145+017 bArtist's impression of a minor planet (center) being vaporized by its parent star, similar to the WD 1145+017 system.Discovery[1]Discovered byK2 (Kepler) missionDiscovery date21 October 2015Detection methodTransit methodOrbital characteristicsSemi-major axis0.0054 AUOrbital period (sidereal)4.4989±0.0001 h[2]0.187454(4) dStarWD 1145+017Physical characteristicsMean radius~200 km[2]Mas...

United States Space Surveillance Network

SSA system Part of a series on theUnited States space program NASAU.S. Space Force Human spaceflight programs Mercury Gemini Apollo Skylab Space Shuttle Shuttle–Mir International Space Station Commercial Crew Constellation Artemis Lunar Gateway Robotic spaceflight programs CRS Explorers GLS Large Strategic Lunar Orbiter Lunar Precursor Mariner Mars Exploration New Millennium Pioneer Planetary Missions Discovery New Frontiers Solar System Exploration Planetary Observer Ranger Surveyor Vangua...

 

 

Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing

1982 remix album by Soft CellNon Stop Ecstatic DancingRemix album by Soft CellReleasedJune 1982Recorded1982Genre Synth-pop dance[1] Length27:53LabelSome BizzareProducerMike ThorneSoft Cell chronology Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret(1981) Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing(1982) The Art of Falling Apart(1983) Singles from Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing WhatReleased: August 1982 Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing is a 'mini' or 'remix' album by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell, released in the United Kingdom ...

 

 

Совокупный спрос

Совоку́пный спрос (англ. aggregate demand) — макроэкономический показатель, спрос на конечные товары и услуги всех макроэкономических агентов в определенный промежуток времени и при определенных уровнях цен. Содержание 1 Функция совокупного спроса и её основные параметр�...

Otto Braun (communist)

German communist writer (1900–1974) Li De redirects here. For the Tang dynasty prince, see Prince Zhanghuai. This article is about the Comintern adviser in China. For the Prime Minister of Prussia, see Otto Braun. For the German poet, see Otto Braun (poet). This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this ...

 

 

Holy Name of Jesus

Christian devotion For the feast day, see Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus. Holy Name redirects here. For other uses, see Holy Name (disambiguation). IHS monogram, with kneeling angels, atop the main altar, Church of the Gesù, Rome In Catholicism, the veneration of the Holy Name of Jesus (also Most Holy Name of Jesus, Italian: Santissimo Nome di Gesù) developed as a separate type of devotion in the early modern period, in parallel to that of the Sacred Heart. The Litany of the Holy Name is a...

 

 

Grand Prix automobile de France 2008

Grand Prix de France 2008  Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours Données de course Nombre de tours 70 Longueur du circuit 4,411 km Distance de course 308,586 km Conditions de course Nom officiel Formula 1 Grand Prix de France 2008 Date 20 au 22 juin 2008 Météo Sec, puis pluie fine en fin de course Résultats Vainqueur Felipe Massa,Scuderia Ferrari,1 h 31 min 50 s 245 (vitesse moyenne : 201,608 km/h) Pole position Kimi Räikkönen,Scuderia Fer...

From Dead to Worse

The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's notability guideline for books. Please help to demonstrate the notability of the topic by citing reliable secondary sources that are independent of the topic and provide significant coverage of it beyond a mere trivial mention. If notability cannot be shown, the article is likely to be merged, redirected, or deleted.Find sources: From Dead to Worse – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January...

 

 

FC Shakhter Karagandy

Kazakh football club FC Shakhter redirects here. For other uses, see Shakhtar (disambiguation). Football clubShakhter KaragandyFull nameШахтер футбол клубыFootball Club ShakhterNickname(s)Шахтерлер (The Miners)Founded1958; 66 years ago (1958)GroundShakhter StadiumKaragandy, KazakhstanCapacity19,000ChairmanErlan Urazaev[1]ManagerKonstantin Yemelyanov (Carateker)LeagueKazakhstan Premier League202310th of 14WebsiteClub website Away colours Thir...