Scientists in the U.S. are showing a hand-held device called the SCiO which can psych out that bowl of punch (what’s in there really?) and tell you the content of a canned drink with the push of a button. The new pocket scanner promises to deliver that power by giving the user an instant breakdown of alcohol, sugar, or calorie content before they consume. The USB-shaped SCiO device was launched through a Kickstarter campaign earlier in the week and reached its target within 24 hours, with devices available for as little as $149. The product of Israeli start-up Consumer Physics, it uses spectrometry to read the “molecular fingerprint” of an object, shining near Infra-Red light on it which stimulates the molecules and then records their reactions. An accompanying app then displays the nutrient values on a smart phone, measuring fat, protein and carbohydrate levels to the milligram, as well as overall quality.
