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smoking posts

"Fifty-One" e-cigarette will ensure you have no friends even after you quit smoking

by Laura June posted Nov 12th 2008 at 10:34AM

We've seen e-cigarettes before, and no one was really surprised to hear that inhaling liquid nicotine might not be the safest way to kick the habit. Fifty-One, a new, more cigarette-looking e-cig, claims it's better than previous products because you change the mouthpiece with every use so you're not inhaling old leftover nicotine again and again... plus they've added a fake smoke effect when you exhale, which makes you look and feel cool. Sound safer? Nope, probably not. There are a host of other things just completely wrong with this product: it comes in five flavors (tobacco, menthol, chocolate, vanilla and coffee) and seems to be marketed to only the shadiest sectors of society -- gangsters, card sharks, thieves, private dicks, AKA our kind of people. The starter kit also apparently includes a membership card in addition to all the regular stuff -- batteries, USB charger, poker chips -- and it'll run you a not-so-affordable $149.95, but you can probably score that at tonight's shakedown, right?

E-cigarettes banned in WHO-ville

by Stephanie Patterson posted Sep 20th 2008 at 4:04PM

As it turns out, the World Health Organization (WHO) isn't condoning e-cigarette products -- shockingly -- as some manufacturers might like you to believe. In fact, the lawsuit flag is being waved at a few companies who brazenly plastered the organization's name and logo across promotional material, suggesting an endorsement of the product. The WHO's Douglas Bettcher asserts that the product is untested as a nicotine replacement therapy, stating, "If the marketers of the electronic cigarette want to help smokers quit, then they need to conduct clinical studies and toxicity analyses." So while e-cigs might not carry the same carcinogenic risks as traditional smoking, there are still plenty of health issues surrounding liquid nicotine and all the nasty additives it's served in... and the WHO isn't about to let you forget it.

[Via PhysOrg]

Apple admits to iPod nano smoking and sparks, will replace faulty devices

by Joshua Topolsky posted Aug 19th 2008 at 3:38PM

It's only taken a number of years and some seriously ruined pants -- but Apple has finally come clean on the flammable nature of the first-generation iPod nano, and is now offering to replace the faulty devices. After reports today that two more of the media players had lit up without warning in Japan, the company issued a statement admitting that the nanos do -- in fact -- have battery problems which cause them to smoke or spark and generally burn the hell out of things. In the company's words:

"Apple has determined that in very rare cases batteries in first generation iPod nanos sold between September 2005 and December 2006 can overheat causing failure and deformation of the iPod nano. Apple has received very few reports of such incidents (less than 0.001 percent of first generation iPod nano units), which have been traced back to a single battery supplier. There have been no reports of serious injuries or property damage, and no reports of incidents for any other iPod nano model.

Any first generation iPod nano customers who have experienced their battery overheating should contact AppleCare for a replacement. Any other customers who have concerns about their first generation iPod nano battery should also contact AppleCare."

Well, thanks guys... at least we didn't die.

Ruyan keeps the e-smoking trend ablaze with Vegas e-cigar

by Darren Murph posted Jul 13th 2008 at 11:02PM

Thinking of quitting cold turkey? Good on you. Finding it a bit harder than advertised? Enter Ruyan America, the same folks who delivered the e-cigarette just over a year ago. The new Vegas is based on the same concept -- delivering nicotine to smokers without the harmful toxins that typically follow -- yet it's obviously shaped like a cigar. This disposal product provides around 1,800 mouthfuls of vapor and comes pre-loaded with a 16mg nicotine cartridge. Granted, Ruyan America doesn't claim that this thing will help you quit, but those who'd like to feel suave or give it a go anyway can grab one now for $45 (or a box of five for $200).

[Via I4U News]

Fujitaka readies age-verifying cigarette machines for Japanese launch

by Darren Murph posted Nov 3rd 2007 at 2:24PM

Recall those age-verifying cigarette machines we mentioned last year? Even if not, Fujitaka is getting set to remind everyone in Japan under the age of 20 that they won't be getting their fix unless they've got the face (or ID) to prove it. Reportedly, the outfit is hoping to launch 10,000 or so units -- which range in price between ¥700,000 ($6,070) to ¥900,000 ($7,805) -- within the next year, and each one will feature a camera / face-recognition software in order to determine if the hopeful purchaser is indeed of age. After the "adult recognition" button is pressed, it snaps a photo of the customer-to-be and analyzes certain features to make its judgment, and if it just can't decide one way or another, it'll require a license to be inserted as proof of age. 'Course, one could always enlist the assistance of a nearby 20-something in order to satisfy their urge, but at least this is a step in the right direction to curb underage puffing. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]

[Via Textually]

Next Safety developing nicotine-delivery device to curb smoking

by Darren Murph posted Aug 14th 2007 at 5:55PM

Nah, Next Safety's approach to curbing smoking isn't nearly as fun as puffing on Golden Dragon's Ruyan e-cigarettes, but it just might do the trick. Reportedly, this North Carolina-based startup plans to bring a "nicotine-delivery product" to market which would actually "deliver nicotine to the brain faster and safer than cigarettes," all while protecting children and nonsmokers from secondhand smoke. Interestingly, the pulmonary drug-deliverer (which works similarly to a medical inhaler) is said to provide "a stronger kick" than smoking, but actually administers a smaller amount of nicotine to the body than your average Marlboro. Currently, the firm is hoping to release it into less restricted overseas markets by the year's end, but analysts here in America are questioning its ability to pass through all the red tape required for it to hit our shelves.

[Via MedGadget]
Read - New nicotine-delivery device is safer than smoking, NC company says
Read - Next Safety's Pulmonary Drug Delivery System

It has a name, part II: "smexting"

by Chris Ziegler posted Aug 10th 2007 at 2:28PM

It turns out that cleaner air and healthier people aren't the only side effects of a "No Smoking" sign. A wide-reaching ban on smoking in enclosed places just went into effect on July 1st in the UK, and in the two weeks following, carrier Orange reported that 7.5 million more messages were sent on its network than in the two-week period the month prior. Analysts (who apparently are responsible for researching these sorts of trends) suggest a couple explanations: first, smokers freshly ousted outdoors to get their smoke on need something to do to pass the time -- out comes the phone, and, well, you know the rest. Secondly, smokers that are working on quitting as a result of the ban are turning to texting to give their fidgety, nerve-wracked fingers something to do and to seek support from friends. The behavior, which arguably didn't need a name, is being called "smexting." Looks like the money saved on cancer sticks is going straight to the carriers -- but hey, at least it's a little safer (or not).

[Via Techdirt]

USB e-lighter concept could fire up your next carton

by Darren Murph posted Jul 11th 2007 at 9:22AM

Those trying to kick the habit should seriously consider looking away. The e-lighter concept, designed by Tao Ma, looks to come in black or white motifs, and can apparently fire up your next cigarette with nothing more than the mere 5v current from your nearest USB port. As these things typically go, not much information beyond that is readily available, but Tao does mention that reservations could be fielded if this type of habit-supporting device suits your fancy. Click through for a darker shade.

[Via EverythingUSB]

Continue reading USB e-lighter concept could fire up your next carton

Smoking Jacket catches smoke, darkens symbolic lungs

by Darren Murph posted May 22nd 2007 at 6:46AM

We've seen jackets that alert you when approaching uncomfortable scenarios, light up on demand, and track the poor soul trapped within, but Fiona Carswell's iteration does a number on smokers who don't mind warning labels. Similar in craftiness to the Ruyan e-cigarette, the Smoking Jacket sports a stylish white exterior with a pair of symbolic lungs and a sophisticated internal tubing system. The aptly-dubbed "visceral, absurd information displays" morph from pristine air containers to dark, murky caverns as smokers blow excess smoke into a tube located in the collar. The one-way air valve traps smoke in the lungs, creating a relatively repulsive sight in the eyes of both onlookers and smokers alike. Of course, Fiona can't promise that such a dramatic effort will faze the hardcore puffers, but trying to continually ignore the disgusted faces looking your way as you walk by would be challenging indeed.

[Via WMMNA]

Golden Dragon's Ruyan e-cigarettes deliver nicotine sans toxins

by Darren Murph posted May 10th 2007 at 10:29AM

While overseas firms like Thanko and SolidAlliance are kicking out random bits of fun that surely generate a solid profit, China's Golden Dragon has probably found the real road to riches with its toy. The brilliant Ruyan e-cigarette purportedly "feels like a cigarette and looks like a cigarette, but it isn't bad for your health." The battery-powered device is used exactly like a typical, harmful cigarette, but rather than delivering tar and toxins to the lungs along with nicotine, the poisons are stripped away and doses of nicotine are still provided. Interestingly, the company claims that its product is simply the best way to kick the habit, but if these things actually do what they claim, it honestly seems like a marvelous ploy to get folks to shift their funding from tobacco-based cigarettes to the Ruyan. The gizmos are already available in China, Israel, Turkey, and a number of European countries for around $208 apiece, and while profits have "more than doubled" in just a year's time already, bringing this thing to the US would certainly provide a few early retirements.

[Via TheRawFeed]

Smoking kills Internet2

by Nilay Patel posted May 3rd 2007 at 10:40PM

Say what you want about net neutrality, at least the Internet hasn't been taken out by a hobo. Unlike the regular Internet we all use everyday, which was originally designed to ~~distribute the AACS hex key~~ withstand a nuclear attack, Internet2 is designed primarily for speed -- up to 9.08Gbps in most recent tests. All that juice comes at the price of redundant network links, though -- which means the whole thing got taken offline last night when a homeless man threw a cigarette onto a mattress under Boston's Longfellow Bridge, starting a blaze that eventually melted the fiber-optic link between Boston and New York. While initial estimates called for a service outage of 1-2 days, quick-thinking techs were able to get service going again in just 4 hours. Good thing, too -- if the panic that sets in around here when our DSL goes out is any indication, with the kind of bandwidth these guys were missing out on, there must've been wailing in the street.

Read - El Reg's coverage
Read - Internet2 Network Upgrade Team blog

Nokia 6280 overheats, erupts in smoke on video

by Darren Murph posted Feb 17th 2007 at 8:25PM

We've seen dozens and dozens of aftermath photos from laptops and other random batteries suddenly possessing violently explosive tendencies, but we all know full motion video is more satisfying than simple stills. In this particular case, we're thrilled that the smoking, fizzing Nokia 6280 was filmed while in a location where humans couldn't be harmed, and initial reports are (unsurprisingly) tagging the battery or charger as the culprit. The 3 customer reported that his new handset "began fizzing white smoke" just hours after switching it on for the first time, and Nokia is reportedly investigating the issue. Of course, this isn't the first time a Nokia battery has been blamed for a fire, but unlike the previous case, we kind of doubt the firm will get off as easy here. So if you've actually hung around to read this far, we'll let you get to the fun stuff now, so go on and hit the read link for the final moments of the mobile's smoky death.

[Via Inquirer]