Hasta La Gadget!

Breathalyzers are tools and they serve one purpose, which is to test the blood alcohol levels of a person to determine if they might be over or under the legal limit, which is why there really is no need to make it look fancy as long as it gets the job done. Then again we suppose it can’t hurt for tools like that to look good, right? Well that’s pretty much what the Lapka is trying to do by creating a rather slick and elegant looking breathalyzer, words which we’d never thought we’d use to describe such a device.

However unlike typical breathalyzers that require a straw like device to blow into, the Lapka does not. Basically you hold the device in your hands and blow into it for four seconds in order to get a reading. There is even an accompanying iOS and Android app that lets you check your levels and provide even further customization options. While we don’t advice you to use this as evidence that you haven’t been drinking, it can be fun at parties and can also be handy to check to see what level you are at, just to get an idea to see if it might be wise for you to keep drinking or to take a break.

Priced at $200, the Lapka isn’t cheap and if you have a minute or so to spare, check out the video above for the rather interesting ad that accompanies it.

The Lapka Breathalyzer Is A Thing Of Beauty original content from Ubergizmo.

CES is an event filled with plastic, metal, and germs, so one tends to take notice when a booth is festooned with wood and apples. Such was the case when we stumbled upon Russian hardware startup Lapka and its array of cute blocks. The Lapka is a strangely beautiful product, and that peculiar sense of wonderment only grows once you figure out what the thing actually does.

Creative Director Vadik Marmeladov refers to the string of devices as a “personal environment monitor” — what starts off as a 3×4 grid of plastic and wood-trimmed cubes soon splits apart to reveal distinct Geiger counter, EMF detector, temperature/humidity sensor modules, as well as a small tool to determine if the fruits and vegetables you’re eating are really organic.

No, really. According to Marmadelov, the concept is actually deceptively simple — the smallest sensor has a metal probe extended from its bottom, and all one has to do is stick it into their food. From there the Lapka module measures the amount of nitrates (commonly found in commercial fertilizers) and alerts you when the nitrates present exceed a certain level.

Of course, this handsomely designed sensor array only measures the environment they’re placed in — they rely on an iOS device and a corresponding app to impart its wisdom to users. I didn’t get a great look at the interface while on the show floor, but some poking around online reveals that the UI is nearly as spartan as the blocks that drive it.

I’m really rather fond of this thing, but the biggest question here is, well, why? The concept itself is just odd enough that the average consumer may shy away from the Lapka. Still, I think there’s reason enough to be hopeful for the Lapka’s future. The Quantified Self movement has picked up quite a bit of traction thanks to the advent of some cheap, pretty activity trackers after all, so maybe Lapka will able to spearhead a Quantified World movement.

In case you’re as perplexed and intrigued as I was, you can score your very own set of iOS-friendly sensors for $220 right here.

Are your curious about your environment? Have you always wanted a tricorder in your pocket? Well, check out Lapka’s iPhone sensors. They will pack a bunch of sensors in a svelte, compact package that you can take everywhere with you.

Lapka Electronics‘ sensors measure everything from your home’s radiation levels to how organic your organic food is. The sensors are plugged into your iPhone via the headphone jack and you can read the measurements directly on the screen using the bundled iOS app. The other included sensors are an electromagnetic field detector and humidity sensor. Lapka plans on adding allergen sensors and fitness trackers once their product is released.

For now, these sensors are still in the prototype stage, but they will be released in December for $220 (USD).

[via Gessato]