E-Cigarettes

I have been perpetually intrigued by these electronic cigarettes ever since Myrrh pointed out to me their existence. One maker of electronic cigarettes has evidently equipped them with a social networking feature:

"The new 'smart packs,' which will go on sale next month for $80 for five e-cigarettes, are equipped with devices that emit and search for the radio signals of other packs. When they get within 50 feet of one another, the packs vibrate and flash a blue light.

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."

...

"Think of it as social smoking for the social networking era"

...

"Marketers think people want more devices to link to each other."

Can you imagine? It sounds to me slightly like those vibrating disks that chain restaurants give you to hold while you wait for your table.

Mitchell's Tocqueville would roll over in his grave: all of these de-linked democrats turn to technology to re-link them together.

What a silly technology, though--it serves almost no purpose except to let you blow smoke and help placate oral fixations (gum, anyone?).