MINI-SCANNER TELLS YOU WHAT’S IN YOUR FOOD INSTANTLY

An Israeli start-up has launched a pocket device which analyzes instantly the composition of food, drink, medication or other objects. Consumer Physics says its SCiO tool sends data on the chemical makeup of a substance to the user’s smartphone, where a variety of applications will present the results. It is “the first molecular sensor that fits in the palm of your hand,” says Dror Sharon, co-founder of the firm. Users will be able to see how many calories are in the burger on their plate, what is in their drink, or if that jacket is really leather. The SCiO does not need physical contact with the substance being tested because it uses a beam of light in what is known as Near Infrared Spectroscopy. Each molecule interacts with light to create a unique optical signature, which can reveal an object’s chemical properties, such as moisture, fat or sugar content. By examining, for example, the sugar content of a tomato on the supermarket shelf, the system can determine how ripe it is.
* Crap! No more fooling the ladies with a cubic zirconia!
* So we now have the Tricorder from Star Trek. And still no hoverboards.
* And no, I don’t count those lame one-inch-off-the-ground fan-driven planks as hoverboards.
* It sounds cool, but I think we have to take points off for the awful name.
* SCiO. Is it “sigh-oh”? “Sky-oh”? Do the letters stand for anything? Could it be any more awkward to type, with three capital letters and a small “i” in the middle? Would it have killed them to give it a name that tells you what it does, like the “Scan-O-Matic”?
* Seriously – “Soap on a Rope.” Now THERE’S a good name.
* For god’s sake, never use it on a hot dog.
* There’s so many mystery items in there, the machine will explode.
* The best part: You can find out which bars water down their drinks the most.
* I wonder what happens if you point it at a mirror?
* This could really help unless you don’t want to know.
* How am I supposed to enjoy a burger knowing what’s really in hamburger?
* Great. So the science that allows us to study the chemical makeup of a distant planet is now being used to analyze whether a leather jacket is real?
* I’ll tell you how new this is: The government hasn’t even figured out how to use it to take more of our freedom yet.