NEW YORK — Companies have started adding the ability to communicate wirelessly to an increasing range of devicestablet computers, cars and refrigerators. Now they are doing it with cigarettes.
Blu, maker of electronic cigarettes that release a nicotine-laden vapor instead of smoke, has developed packs of e-cigarettes with sensors that will let users know when other e-smokers are nearby. Think of it as social smoking for the social networking era. “You’ll meet more people than ever, just because of the wow factor,” said Jason Healy, founder of Blu, who didn’t appear to be making friends as he exhaled the odorless vapor of an e-cigarette at a coffee shop recently.
On sale next month for $80, the “smart packs” of five e-cigarettes 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 New York Times
