Do you use Foursquare, Facebook Mobile and electronic cigarettes? Blu Cigs announced this week they're bringing a model to the electronic cigarette market that kind of combines the three into the first true social networking experience for e-cig users.
One of the reasons smokers keep smoking is the social aspect. I've heard from several people that the hardest part of quitting was, for instance, cutting out the helpful one-on-one career-related conversations they had when out on smoke breaks with higher-ups at work. Like Facebook or Twitter, Blu's new "smart packs" send signals to people with a common interest (electronic cigarettes.)
The kits will run $80 for five e-cigs, and in a manner similar to Foursquare, will vibrate and flash when you come close (within 50 feet) to another person with a socially-enabled Blu Cig. The charging packs will also emit a signal when users pass a location that sells Blu refills and accessories, an option that is useful but also innovative- do any of your other devices so proactively help you use them efficiently?
Blu founder Jason Healy explains that social e-cig doesn't just tell you that another user is nearby- it will eventually integrate with an app to allow you to create a profile and share information more robustly:
The reusable packs, which serve as a charger for the cigarettes, can be set to exchange information about their owners, like contact information on social networking sites, that can be downloaded onto personal computers...
Later versions will be tethered to a smartphone through an app, allowing more options for real-time communication, Mr. Healy said. The company also plans to develop a system through which the packs will monitor how much people are smoking and report back to them — or to their doctors.
Healy described to the NYT a phenomenon with which many e-smokers are familiar- being asked for an impromptu product demo by passersby and interested smokers:
“You’ll meet more people than ever, just because of the wow factor... It’s like with any new technology.”
Would you be interested in an e-cig with social networking capabilities? Do you think this functionality pushes e-cigs to a new level?
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