The world was doing perfectly well without a lot of things we have today. Sometimes the ideas seen as stupid are what open doors to previously unimagined possibilities and innovation.
And besides that, it's not as though some new technology has been invented here. This is combining well-understood parts together.
Dramatic effect for my DnD campaign.
Preprogrammed maybe, but pulling out your phone to alter the lights after rolling a d20 would offset any added vibe.
The analog solution of having the candles already lit and then, "Poof!", blowing them out as soon as you see that they failed the roll is far superior.
"Pulling out your phone", sure, but if its out already because you also use it for other game related functions...
Probably not cost effective in the long run, but that depends on the cost of labor.
I've developed an app and wait staff tracking system that allows restaurateurs to keep track of where the staff are going to be in the normal course of their duties and find high-efficiency ways to add tasks such as candle extinguishing. During our closed-beta, it turned out that in such restaurants, the staff had to visit each table anyway for the purposes of cleaning and restocking between diner occupations, and again at the end of service; our app ensures they get additional training and reminding to blow out the candle while they're there.
We're opening to investors next week.
I'm sitting down and cuddling and a candle is more than arms length away. I want to light it, but I don't want to stop cuddling or get up. Why would you want a remote for your TV? Same thing.
And the parent commenter's main point was that it opened doors to imaginative ideas, not that this idea itself were practical or useful.
It's also potentially dangerous so that makes it interesting.
Easier to set up than actual lights and creates better ambiance.
Personally, i'll stick with normal candles since I like the tactile and sensory experience of lighting a match and candle.
Art is wonderful. Art at home eventually loses its appeal and becomes more crap to maintain.
As well as the D&D example, I can think of a couple of daft romantic gestures it might enhance. Assuming the target of the gesture is a little nerdy of course, otherwise it might detract from the atmosphere rather than enhance it.