Remember kids, smoking isn't glamorous - even if the cigarettes are fake

The actress appeared on Mondayâ€s “Late Show with David Letterman” touting an electronic cigarette called a “smoke stick.” {NYDailyNews}

Electronic cigarettes are apparently the latest trendy gadgets for smokers trying to quit. The official brand name for one is SmokeStik, and according to the Web site for the product, it works by recreating the entire smoking experience, including an exhaled “smoke-like vapor,” so would-be quitters do not feel as though they are missing out on their cigarette breaks. Apparently the SmokeStik (or eCig) contains no tobacco or tar and is free of over 400 other chemicals in traditional cigarettes that are known to cause cancer. It is also produces no ashes or stubs.

Here is where the SmokeStik loses us: Liquid nicotine, propylene glycol and food grade flavorings are heated up by the gadgetâ€s battery to create a mist for the user to inhale and exhale. We do not understand how it is completely harmless for the smoker as he or she is still inhaling nicotine. In fact, he or she is also still exhaling nicotine as well, making it harmful and annoying as second-hand smoke too. It certainly seems much safer than a traditional cigarette, but if the goal is to quit using nicotine entirely, the SmokeStik does not seem like the best option.

Perhaps the product is meant to work like a nicotine patch, which puffers trying to kick the habit wear to gradually wean their bodies off of the substance. In this case, the SmokeStik should come with some sort of instructions on how to slowly lessen usage to fully quit smoking. The brandâ€s Web site, however, touts it as a permanent replacement for traditional cigarettes.

The SmokeStik Web site also contains phrases such as “appears safe” and “more extensive experimental trials are needed.”

SmokeStik is not the only brand offering electronic cigarettes, and some versions of the product claim to be nicotine free.

If you are thinking about trying one out, however, you should know that the Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated any eCigarettes for safety and effectiveness but found in limited studies that some electronic cigarettes claiming to contain no nicotine did in fact include the substance. {FDA}

The FDA also just announced this month that five American companies, including E-CigaretteDirect LLC, Ruyan America Inc., Gamucci America (Smokey Bayou Inc.), E-Cig Technology Inc. and Johnsonâ€s Creek Enterprises LLC, have received warning letters for violations including unsubstantiated claims and poor manufacturing.

The governmental organization also worries that young kids may think eCigarettes are a way to look cool without the harmful effects of smoking, but the nicotine in the products may still lead to addiction.

What is most bothersome about this situation is that Heigl and Letterman made light of the product, and many desperate-to-quit smokers may buy these gadgets without knowing the risks. Heiglâ€s late night puff with Letterman may have looked cool, and it sure was better than if she had lit up a traditional cigarette, but the actress would do better to call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or go to smokefree.gov for sound advice on how to quit smoking.

Blue-Ray DVDs? Wii consoles? Going Rogue?  Nope. Amazon released a press release today stating that the Kindle, the incumbent eReader facing competition from Barnes & Noble’s Nook, is currently its top dog.

Thanks to a recent international launch and a price cut, the Kindle is, according to Amazon Vice President Ian Freed, “flying off the shelves.” But how fast it’s flying is still cause for speculation, since Amazon has yet to release any hard sales numbers to the public.

Plus, as Gizmodo writer John Herrman points out,  it’s easy to make a bestselling item when you have a monopoly on the device.

Of course, being #1 on Amazon is still no small feat – we’re just anxious to find out how the Kindle will fare once (and if) B&N gets their act together to promote/distribute their much spiffier Nook. 

Read More {Gizmodo}

Read More {Mashable}

Read More {CrunchGear}

Check out GeekSugar's Cyber Monday Deals Guide

If you’re feeling overwhelmed about where to start (the internets is a big and scary place, after all), let us recommend a few sites that have already done the work for you.

 For Gadgetry and Techie Goodness: Check out Gizmodo and CrunchGear

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Video game giant Atari has joined hands with Project Runway production company Weinstein Co. in order to create a series of games based on the hit reality show.  Details are still being ironed out, but players will engage in the same activities as show contestants — albeit virtually — including designing garments, determining hair and makeup styling, and even utilising the Wii balance board to simulate walking down the runway.

No word yet whether Tim and Heidi will make it into the final game, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed and hope virtual Tim is as lovably stern as his real-life counterpart.

Read the full story {Gamespot}

Read the full story {Gizmodo}