Not only useless, but 99 cents too.

As demonstrated by many iphone app developers, people will pay $0.99 for just about anything. One of the first apps I downloaded was the Zippo lighter. It's a digital cigarette lighter that flickers when you move your phone. It came free with 28 different "skins" for your lighter, which will come in handy when you open the app once every 3 months because you're really bored.

I noticed in a recent Adweek column that Zippo has started releasing new skins for $0.99 each. They feature Harley Davidson, Ozzy Osbourne, Bob Marley, The Who and other crap. The reason I'm posting about this is because it was smart, if maybe a little obvious, for Zippo to start making money off of this.

I guarantee anyone who bought the bought the Bob Marley one was stoned at the time. Not because its Bob Marley, but because they paid $0.99 for a picture of him that also has a flickering flame.