There are a large number of anti-smoking applications in the iTunes App Store. The one that really caught my eye was iDontSmoke by Ciderware. Applications that count how many cigarettes you have not smoked since quitting are very common. iDontSmoke extended this idea very well and was more than just a cigarette counter. Upsettingly, it seems that this app is no longer available in any of the app stores, although the Web site is still alive and well.
So, what are you missing out on?
Using a system of customizable goals, iDontSmoke allowed you to monitor your progress in giving up smoking in terms that you could relate to directly. It was possible to set up goals that were time, quantity or money based. For example, you could monitor your progress towards the goal of all nicotine having left your body in two days. Another goal could be saving enough money to buy a new MacBook, or simply not smoking 1ooo cigarettes.
The main display showed the number of cigarettes not smoked since quitting, the time without smoking, money saved, and your progress towards your next goal. Below this there was a counter showing the calculated number of smoking related deaths in the world since you quit, and health information about the hazards of tobacco.
I really hope that this application comes back at some point. It included all of the features that I would have wanted in an app that helps me quit smoking, but implemented in an innovative way that I had not considered when I was pondering the creation of just such a program. I have E-mailed the creators and will update this post when I hear from them.
Did iDontSmoke help me give up smoking? Well, no. However, it was the most richly informative of all similar applications that I tried and I can hardly blame the writers of the application for my own lack of willpower! I will be keeping this one around for my next attempt, and I would give it a full five stars out of five.
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