Yeah, use my phone. 
By David Mantey, Editor, PD&D
Thank goodness this world still has companies concerned about a habitual smoker’s needs. That’s right, Marlboro men and women, throw away your lighters and pick up your phones, because China-based Seabright International has released the world’s first lighter phone.
Now, before we fret over the pros and cons of regular nicotine and carcinogen inhalation, let’s think of every time we needed a light and – as a result of an incredibly successful PR campaign, and a history of illness and disease – nobody was carrying a lighter or matches because if anyone merely suggests a mild flirtation with cancer sticks, they’re banished from the land.
Think of the loose thread, the confidential memo or the fire pit you stumbled upon after drifting into a campground. (Why is it that everyone insists on erecting the perfect fire-producing teepee before consulting with the group to see whether something with a spark is in attendance?)
As hackers worldwide have come to appreciate a decent challenge, the idea has already been floated into the cybersphere suggesting that the new phone is an arsonist’s dream come true.
“What fire?”
“Sir, you didn’t notice the 30-foot blaze behind you?”
“What? No. I was on the phone with my mother. I tell you, if she mentions a grandchild’s love before she kicks one more time, I’m going to …”
“Thank you, sir. You’ve been quite helpful.”
A few minutes under the enclosure with a modification or two, and the phone becomes a flame-producing alibi. Out of the box, the phone seemingly acts similar to car lighters of old, with a faint orange glow strong enough to light a few brown leaves aglow – be them finely rolled in a paper or lying underneath a survivalist’s dry timber.
Don’t worry about taking it on a plane. The TSA allows people to carry one lighter – one less thing to place in the dish as you're removing your shoes and being eyed like a teenager in a high-end fashion store.
A phone with a breathalyzer. A phone with a lighter. Beta-testing in small towns around the world.
The marketing image limits the possibilities – you feature a cigarette and you turn off a majority.
Feature a hunter/fisherman/camper and your product is in greater demand than Sprint Nextel’s direct-connect chirp. Plus, with a lighter and a camera, the user would be able to fill a gallery full of flames.
Personally, I’d take chin or forehead photos as I assisted the lightless masses (as the camera is on the opposite end) and try to sell it to a publisher as an offbeat coffee-table book.
Other than the gold cigarette lighter, the phone features a QVGA LCD, MP3 and MP4 capabilities, Bluetooth transmission, FM radio, a 1.3-megapixel camera and more. Would I be charged minutes for lighter usage? Some hidden flint-sparking fee?
What’s next? Until my phone produces hologram transmissions, and/or performs basic dental and medical procedures, I'm not satisfied.
So, a fire cell mash-up. What do you think? Commercial success? Or impending disaster for those still caught up in firm Aqua Net '80s weave? Comment below.