US: The Smart Lighter that Shames You into Quitting Smoking

Source from:  Mail Online  05/14/2014

There are already devices that track your steps, weight and calories, but the latest gadget flips health tracking on its head by monitoring how many cigarettes you have.

Instead of encouraging people to smoke more, the smart lighter has been designed to shame them into quitting by revealing the true extent of their habit.

Called Quitbit, the device resembles a Zippo lighter and each time it's used, it records the number of cigarettes the user has had and how long it's been since they last lit up.

A companion app will also track this data over longer periods of time, and can be used to set goals.

This app can also reveal how much money has been spent on cigarettes, or subsequently saved by cutting back, and helps smokers learn at what times during the day they are smoking the most.

Progress can then be shared with Quitbit's community or with friends on Facebook and Twitter.

Quitbit was created by Boston-based designer Ata Ghofrani.

It lights cigarettes using a heating element, similar to car lighters, and the electronics count each cigarette that is lit. 

A small LED display on the front of the Quitbit shows the number of cigarettes, and the duration since the last cigarette.

Ghofrani said he developed the Quitbit to only track the owner's smoking, meaning flicking the lighter or sharing it with friends won't impact the tracking.

He did not explain how the device does this, however.

The lighter can also be put on a timer, or programmed to work for set periods to help smokers cut back during the day, for example.

Quitbit uses Bluetooth and is compatible with iPhone 4S, 5, 5S and Android 4.3 and above.

The Quitbit team was founded by Ghofrani and Kuji Nakano.

The pair said: '[We] had the idea behind Quitbit when Ghofrani was trying to quit smoking last year.

'When smoking before class, Nakano asked Ghofrani how much he smoked that day.

'When he wasn't sure [we] started to track their smoking and became frustrated with the existing ways to learn about their smoking habits.'

The pair have set up a Kickstarter campaign to fund production of the Quitbit. They are looking to raise $50,000 (£29,600) by 11 June and have currently achieved just over $10,300 (£6,100). Enditem