Crave

This show starts out as the Recycle, Reduce, Re-Use Episode. Shortly into the show, we realize how poorly thought out a theme that was. Wow, it's been a long break.

EPISODE 121

Pee-powered battery (that technically runs on water or juice too) (Thanks Cianna!)

Sega robo-cat will meow, won’t catch mice

Quit smoking or be forced to wear these clothes made from cigarette butts

Breathalyzer key chain lets you see if you’re drunk while on the highway

Recycled condoms used on hair bands???
Snopes confirms this as legit! ACK!

Facebook spoils the free Whopper fun

Microchip Cufflinks

"Should I drive home or not? Luckily I have this useful tool that will make the decision for me."

(Credit: davidsteele.com)

So you're at a party late one night. You really hadn't planned on getting this drunk. Who knows, though, maybe you're not as drunk as you feel. Wouldn't it be great if there was some way to know just how drunk you are before you attempt to drive home?

OK, that was the basic setup right? I throw a hypothetical situation out there and then the next paragraph is supposed to read something like "Well Bob Loblaw feels the same way, and he has a solution for you called X". With this product, though, I feel so conflicted about its usefulness that I feel reluctant to give you the sell, but I guess you have to know what it is, so here goes.

It's actually David Steele (of davidsteele.com), not Bob Loblaw, who wants you to buy a personal breathalyzer called the iBreath. For about $80 it connects to and is powered by your iPhone or iPod and also doubles as an FM transmitter. This allows you to transmit your music to an FM tuner.

I don't know, I really don't know how to feel about a personal breathalyzer. Personally, I never put myself in a situation where I'm driving after drinking anything more than like two beers. For me, that just doesn't happen. I do know people however, who do put themselves in situations like this on a regular basis.

Yes, it could save lives, and any device that could easily save even one life is a device worth existing. My feeling though is if you're the type of person who would drive drunk, wouldn't you do it anyway, no matter what a breathalyzer told you? Most people I know who drive drunk usually "know" what they can handle, and some little device isn't gonna change their minds if it's already been made up.

Also, does it come with other mouthpeices? I mean, cause you know as soon as you whip this thing out at a party or bar, there's gonna be a line of drunk dudes like "dush, you gotta leth me thry sthat".

Could be a great party favor or could actually save lives. In the interest of the holiday spirit, here's hoping it's both.

(Credit: Pink Tentacle)

If you think GPS breathalyzer devices are intrusive, you'll love this next item from Japan. Engineers at iXs Research are developing a talking teddy bear that serves as an in-car navigation system, giving directions while sniffing out any alcohol on your breath with a sensor embedded in its neck, asking "You haven't been drinking, have you?"

As if that weren't irritating enough, this backseat-driving teddy also has sensors designed to detect reckless driving, such as sudden braking and acceleration ("Watch out!"). And as a "bonus," according to Pink Tentacle, the bear will give information about landmarks in the vicinity when his head is patted. We don't know whether to be annoyed or creeped out.

(Credit: AvMap)

This is one of those items that, depending on how it's viewed, is either a testament to progressive use of safety technology or a frightening commentary on the prevalance of alcohol on the road. Or both.

AvMap, an Italian GPS equipment manufacturer, is the second company we've seen in recent months to combine a navigation device with a breathalyzer. This version is the product of a partnership with Peugeot, which has used AvMap technologies in its cars since 2005, according to GPS Business News. It follows a similar device mentioned on Crave a few months ago, from Portugal's NDrive, which reportedly has yet to come to market.

AvMap's model, called the "Geosat 6 Drive Safe," has a 4.8-inch touch screen and can make hands-free calls through its Bluetooth connection, handy when phoning for a designated driver. The breathalyzer is located in the upper right side, which might not seem obvious at first glance. But maybe that's the point: If you have a hard time finding it, the test might not even be necessary.

(Credit: NaviGadget)

Of all the odd combo devices on the road today, this one actually seems to make some sense. Portugal-based NDrive has developed what it calls "the world's first GPS navigation system with a breathalyzer," according to NaviGadget.

There are other car breathalyzers that have been developed, of course, including some that prevent the engine from starting if the driver is past the legal limit. But the built-in GPS system might provide additional incentive for motorists to buy one of these portable devices, which appear to be destined for the European market for 200 euros, or about $297. As for the practicality, it obviously doesn't hurt to have a little help with directions, especially if you've had a few beers and have to hoof it.

(Credit: Volvo Car)

Volvo is offering a tool to help drivers realize when they are too drunk to drive.

Its Alcoguard device tests alcohol levels in drivers and will be available as an option on its 2008 Volvo S80, V70 and XC70 models in Sweden, the U.S. and Europe.

The Alcoguard is a handheld device that wirelessly integrates with the car to prevent drivers over the legal alcohol limit from starting it up. Volvo refers to the device, which must be used within 10 meters (about 33 feet) of the car, as an "alcolock."

Drivers must blow into the device, which is powered by fuel-cell technology, before the car with an alcolock can be started.

"Unlike semiconductors, for instance, fuel cells only react to ethanol and nothing else. In the fuel cell, the ethanol molecules pass through a sensitive membrane and an electrical current is generated. This current is then measured. Higher current means more alcohol in the driver's breath," David Nilsson, technical project manager for Alcoguard at Volvo Cars, said in a statement.

Test results showing more than a 0.2 g/l alcohol level (the Swedish limit) are indicated with a red LED light and the car's engine will not start. The car will start with results below 0.1 g/l alcohol indicated by a green LED and between 0.1 - 0.2 g/l indicated with a yellow LED. The tool can be adjusted by Volvo to meet the blood alcohol limits of specific countries.

Results are stored for up to 30 minutes so drivers don't have to keep retesting every time they turn off the car and then get back in again within a short time span as they would while running errands.

The obvious question is whether drivers can cheat the device. While a drunk driver could theoretically have someone else start the car for them, this would necessitate a sober person enabling the drunk person to drive. A drunk person alone would not be able to get around the system.

"Thanks to advanced sensors, it is not possible to use external air sources such as a pump to cheat the system," said Volvo in a statement.

The feature will be of specific value to fleet-based cars used by companies, municipalities, police forces and taxi services, said Volvo in a statement. It plans to add the tool as an option to its other models by summer 2008.

Nissan announced similar DUI-technology in July 2007.

Fully Loaded?

(Credit: Edmunds)

The likes of Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton might soon find themselves restricted to driving Nissans as part of their parole. The Japanese automaker this week announced that it had started testing an in-car Breathalyzer system that disables a car's ignition if it senses that the would-be driver is over the legal limit.

In a press release that looks suspiciously like it was translated by a software program, Nissan says that the system will be installed on "daily-operating vehicles where the drivers will monitor various factors such as functionality and alcohol-detection reliability." According to Edmunds, Nissan intends to roll the system out in production vehicles in Japan, but there is no indication (yet) that it's destined for the U.S. market.

(Credit: TruTouch Technologies)

(Credit: DrToy)

If you think you can fool a breathalyzer by downing a whole tin of Altoids, don't bother (we have friends who've tried). Besides, testing for alcohol levels by breath may soon be a thing of the past thanks to newer technologies.

Take this machine from a company called TruTouch Technologies, for example, which tests for blood alcohol by analyzing the skin and can yield results in 30 seconds. Uber Review says the technology uses "infrared reflectance spectroscopy," which we're all familiar with, of course.

Just don't mistake it for a toy cash register, or the results could be doubly embarrassing.