I was asked to do a little writing for the Ashtray Blog on my thoughts for vaping in 2013. They’ve posted it up along with comments from others you may know in the vaping community. You can see the entire blog here:
Ten Top Vaping Bloggers`s 2013 Electronic Cigarette Predictions
Thanks very much James for allowing me to be a part of that blog!
Here are my (slightly expanded) comments…
What do I think we’ll see in 2013?
As far as the electronic cigarette industry as a whole is concerned, I feel it will continue to grow. It has grown well beyond a fad at this point. That continued growth will, no doubt, come with additional visibility. Hopefully that visibility will remain positive. Hopefully the forces greater than us as individuals will not try to regulate, what many of us would consider a lifesaver, right out of our hands.
But that’s the politics of vaping which I find frustrating and not fun at all. So let’s move to the devices themselves!
Although it’s always hard to speculate the direction any industry will take, I can hope that some of the focus goes towards consistency. I think we already have some terrific devices out there, but most of them are only as good as what you screw onto them. Consistency in THOSE devices is necessary. I’d very much like to see a dry hit, a flooded device, bad taste, or the need to tilt & tip a thing of the past. May they rest in peace right along side my Lipton Tea Bags!
As far as the tech side of vaping, I think we’re already seeing some of it now; the integration of the E-Cig and the PC. The ability to download settings, history, upgrades, etc., to and from your PC and the ability to share that information with others. The PC is just the beginning… I’m quite sure Mac, iPhone and Android apps will quickly follow.
We’ve got Smart Phones, Smart TVs, and Smart Blu-Ray players… the Smart E-Cigs are coming! I wouldn’t be surprised if we start seeing them with integrated mp3 players, cameras, and perhaps even as fully blown Android devices!
True variable voltage and (and perhaps power in the future) is something else we’re already seeing in the Janty MiD “One”; the ability to vary your voltage over the course of the draw. My guess is that we’re going to see more of that.
I also feel we’re going to see a push to return to the automatic switch as the tech improves and more devices attempt to do away with the button (or should I say… “buh-in”).
I’d love to see devices shrink while maintaining the current level of performance of some of the larger devices. This is going to require changes in our power source. Wouldn’t it be great if in the future electric cars used batteries based on advancements generated within the electronic cigarette industry?
Now for some far out predictions and/or pipe dreams:
1) Wicking without a wick… and I’m not talking about dripping!
2) Vaporization without a coil.
3) A true temperature regulated device.
4) China will have native English speakers review their instruction manuals prior to release! HA! 🙂It’s all fun, a bit crazy, exciting, and confusing all at the same time. In the back of my head, I can’t help to think about what all these crazy devices are meant to replace… the very simple cigarette. Will the industry and vapers alike know when enough is enough? My guess is… no… but in a way, that’s what makes it so exciting and yet potentially overkill from those on the outside looking in.
There will be many different types of products for many different types of vapers. It will be an exciting year!
In 2013 I can say one thing with complete certainty. I will continue to be a very proud vaper.
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