Brief - The Hustle

Guess who’s judging your drunken shenanigans?

Written by Caroline Dohack | Aug 20, 2020 8:29:13 AM

Psst. It’s the tech inside your phone.

The accelerometer — the sensor that detects how your phone moves — is already used for tracking fitness and measuring earthquakes. Now a new study says it can pick up on signs you might be sloshed.

Which could help curb drunk driving

The findings say accelerometers are sensitive enough to tell the difference between a walk and a wobble.

Someday, your phone could suggest calling an Uber if it senses you’re getting tipsy.

That’s not the only way your phone can keep you in line

  • Some apps like Quit That! help you track how much money you save by cutting back (on alcohol or anything else).
  • Other apps block you from embarrassing yourself. The Drunk Text Savior app scans your texts and pings you when you aren’t sounding like yourself, and Drunk Mode locks certain contacts — like your boss and your ex — during peak drinking hours.
  • Bluetooth-enabled breathalyzers like BACtrack make it easier to watch how much you’ve imbibed.