Here is an idea that originates in a conversation with my former colleague Deborah Siegel.
Smoking is now prohibited in all bars, clubs, restaurants etc. Some have a smoking area, but not all. And these smoking areas are usually very smelly, uncomfortable and unfriendly. This results in lonely people outside on the streets, smoking a cigarette which they can barely enjoy.
Smoking should once again become a social event. With the help of RFID techniques, we can make this happen. Worldwide!
TO DO:
– Create a social network site (name suggestions: smokers lounge/ smokers club/ network/ league of smokers/ smokers united) where smokers create online profiles for themselves. The exact info (i.e. favourite brand, favourite cigarette memory etc.) to be determined later.
– Cigarette brands provide smokers with a RFID tag with a box of cigarettes (this costs nothing and can also contain a brand logo/ name of the website etc.)
– These RFID tags should be connected to a user profile, this can happen at ‘hotspots’ like a tobacco shop or at a festival etc. etc. etc.
– Bars, clubs and restaurants etc need to be provided with a RFID tag reader by cigarette brands.
– Whenever you go there and feel like a cigarette, check in using you RFID tag, and the system will generate a smoking buddy for you, notifying you through a simple screen (again provided for by cigarette brands) displaying your and your new buddy’s profile pics.
– The website will keep track of all your new smoking buddies so you can hook up with them later, if the cigarette encounter was successful.
Of course the really cool places to go could provide for all of this themselves…
Obviously this could also be done with a simple iPhone app, using the GPS coordinates of the smokers and alerting them of smokers in their proximity, displaying profile pics. Can someone please build that app? Chesterfield? Marlboro? Lucky Strike?
/*mnmrl*/ 