We've looked at what's inside e-cigars and our Mark Wilson has even tried them out, but what's the point of using a $200 gadget that's as unhealthy (or worse!) as the real thing?

The FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation, Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis (DPA) came our with the following conclusions as a result of its analysis of e-smoking devices available on the market:

• Diethylene glycol was detected in one cartridge at approximately 1%. Diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze, is toxic to humans.
• Certain tobacco-specific nitrosamines which are human carcinogens were detected in half of the samples tested.
• Tobacco-specific impurities suspected of being harmful to humans-anabasine, myosmine, and β-nicotyrine-were detected in a majority of the samples tested.
• The electronic cigarette cartridges that were labeled as containing no nicotine had low levels of nicotine present in all cartridges tested, except one.
• Three different electronic cigarette cartridges with the same label were tested and each cartridge emitted a markedly different amount of nicotine with each puff. The nicotine levels per puff ranged from 26.8 to 43.2 mcg nicotine/100 mL puff.
• One high-nicotine cartridge delivered twice as much nicotine to users when the vapor from that electronic cigarette brand was inhaled than was delivered by a sample of the nicotine inhalation product (used as a control) approved by FDA for use as a smoking cessation aid.

Let's review: the device that's supposed to help you get healthier and save money by quitting smoking is more likely to worsen your addiction, be more harmful to your health, and be an even bigger waste of money. [FDA via Instead]

Over at Instructables, there's a step by step on boring a cigar, treating its surface, and then loading it with a fiery LED along with a USB stick. The result is a classy cigar USB dongle that can possibly lead to computer mouth/throat cancer. But don't feel bad for your laptop, it'll turn obsolete well before its needlessly induced nicotine addiction claims its life. So you'll thoughtlessly drop your computer in a retirement home (a landfill disguised as a recycling center) from where it will spend the rest of its days doing its damnedest to poison you back. [Instructables via Geeky Gadgets]

By NJoy, the NROBO is a disposable cigar that's good for 1,500 puffs. It's automatically activated when you take a puff, vaporizing an internal nicotine/water solution. The air resistance is just right, though the flavor is somewhere around 1/1000th of a normal cigar. (Then again, the odorless smoke is something that most people around you will appreciate.) You can pick up an NROBO soon for about $40 if you're interested in fellating a robot without all the cleanup.

The product is called Marlboro Intense, and it's being test marketed in Turkey.

While a normal cigarette measures 8.5cm, the Marlboro Intense is just 7.2cm long. If it takes the average person 7 minutes to smoke a cigarette, our middle school math tells us that the average Intense would take just 6 minutes to enjoy (we calculated the time saved at 63 seconds).

We're not going to end this with a snarky, anti-smoking comment. That shit is like crack nicotine to the smoking crowd. We'll just observe how interesting it is that the miniaturizing trend (that could probably be best credited to consumer electronics) has made its way to tobacco products. [timesonline via dvorak][photo]

After all, don't we all smell like tobacco after a good night of partying anyway? I always considered that odoriferous menthol coating on your skin to be free with the purchase of enough drinks—a sort of invisible car freshener for your body, or 25-cent bowling bathroom cologne without the need for spare change.

I remember when taking a girl to a bar and getting her drunk used to mean something—and condoms were something you just pretended to wear. But give me a tobacco AND tequila AND rufie flavored condom...and that's a complete night on the town. [hindlatex via theregister]

Locking cigarette case [Red Ferret]

The Vapir website is a little harsh on the old buzz, though, because it starts talking to you and you're like "Whoa" and then you hear that it's the website and you're like "Oh." [Thanks, Guy Who Sent This To Me.]

Product Page [Air-2]

UPDATE - An IMterview with CuteNJGuy (Are there any? I guess there's one.)

cutenjguy
The Vapir Vaporizer that you are showcasing on the main page does not work.
1) It takes forever to heat up to the desired temperature
2) Once reached, you can vaporize once and then it needs to reheat

johnbiggsny
what did you, er, vaporize?

Cutenjguy
herbs

johnbiggsny
did you pay for it?
or just try it?

Cutenjguy
paid for it and then i resold it on ebay
this one is much better http://www.storz-bickel.com/en_home.htm
works like a dream...
ive had it for 3 months now and its incredible

Reader Alex concurs.