The smart LIGHTER that shames you into quitting smoking: £46 gadget tracks how many cigarettes you light up each day

The Quitbit was created by a pair of Boston-based designers



It resembles a Zippo and tracks the number of cigarettes an owner smokes

Each time it’s used, it flags up how long it’s been since the user last lit up

An app also tracks this data over longer periods and is used to set goals

Kickstarter prices begin at $79 (£46), but it will retail for $149 (£88)



Quitbit will be shipped next month and will be available globally

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.

The Quitbit smart lighter, pictured, was created by a pair of Boston-based designers and resembles a Zippo lighter. Each time it is used, Quitbit tracks the number of cigarettes an owner smokes on a small LED, pictured, and will also flag up how long it's been since the user last lit up

THE QUITBIT SPECIFICATIONS

Size: 2.6in x 1.6in x 0.4in (67 x 43 x 10 mm) Battery: Rechargeable Lithium Polymer; lasts one week, or a pack a day Weight: 72g Connectivity: Bluetooth Low Energy (4.0) Compatibility: iOS 5 and later and Android 4.3 and later Prices: Kickstarter prices begin at $79 (£46), but Quitbit is expected to retail for $149 (£88) when it goes on sale in June



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.

The lighter will also flag up how long it's been since the user last lit up, pictured. Quitbit lights cigarettes using a heating element, similar to car lighters. The developers claim the Quitbit will only track the user's smoking, meaning flicking the lighter or sharing it with friends won't impact the tracking

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, pictured, uses Bluetooth and is compatible with iPhone 4S, 5, 5S and Android 4.3 and above. Its rechargeable Lithium Polymer battery lasts one week, or a pack a day

A companion app, pictured, also tracks smoking data over longer periods of time and can be used to set goals, pictured left. The lighter can additionally be put on a timer, or programmed to work for set periods, via the app, pictured right, 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.’