Introduction to the Cursed Vape

There is a notorious vape in NYC that is said to contain the soul of a Tamagotchi. The twist is that if you stop vaping, the digital pet will perish. It’s a creation that could only be conceived by engineers who have previously worked for tech giants like Meta and defense manufacturer Anduril.

The Origins of the Cursed Vape

This peculiar invention was brought to life at the annual NYU Stupid Hackathon, an event where participants come together to create humorous and absurd projects. The hackathon, which lasted for 12 hours, featured a range of bizarre creations, including a table that wouldn’t stop shaking and a printer that generated legally binding documents for tracking promises. However, the "vape or die" Tamagotchi stole the show.

The Creators Behind the Cursed Vape

The brainchild of former Meta employee Rebecca Xun and former Anduril employee Lucia Camacho, the machine was initially designed to help Xun quit vaping. However, they soon decided to take a different approach, using the concept for a more mischievous purpose. As Xun explained to Washington Square Times, "Originally, the idea was to do this for good, because I would like to quit vaping. But it’s more fun and more stupid if we use this power and harness it for evil and make myself more addicted."

How the Cursed Vape Works

Unlike traditional Tamagotchis, which require various forms of care, Xun and Camacho’s digital pet has a single desire: to be constantly vaping. If the vape is not in use, the Tamagotchi’s face appears on the screen, and it begins to cry, with huge tears streaming down its face. The duo connected a vape to a computer, running a digital pet program, and have since refined their design to create a self-contained version that resembles a block of C4 with a crying cartoon on it.

The Reception of the Cursed Vape

The "vape or die" Tamagotchi was a hit at the Stupid Hackathon, garnering significant attention for its creators. However, Xun revealed to Futurism that the experience had not been entirely positive, as the extensive testing of the device had taken a toll on their health. Initially, Xun had hoped to use the digital pet to help her quit vaping, but the outcome was quite the opposite. As she noted, "Because we tested it so much, we were both diseased from vaping."

Note: An early version of the machine can be seen in a video from NYU students, showcasing the Tamagotchi’s crying animation and the device’s functionality.