Raymond Padilla

Vaping Diaries #259: Tobh Mods Jay-Bo Talks Indestructible Atty and More (ECC 2014)

I saved my favorite ECC 2014 interview for last — a fun chat with the excellent owner of Tobh Mods, Jay-Bo. Following the immense success of the Tobh Atomizer, Jay-Bo has a lot going on to cap off 2014. First are a bunch of accessories for the Tobh Atomizer, including brass caps, copper caps, and the slam cap featuring a built in drip tip. The brass and copper caps are unique in that the inside of the cap is stainless steel, which should mollify vapers concerned with their juice touching brass or copper. Jay-Bo now has his own logo, separate from the Tobh Mods brand. The first product under the Jay-Bo brand is the Indestructible Atty, which will be released by Surefire Vapor. Jay-Bo also has a rebuildable tank atomizer in the works, which is fantastic news for vapers that want Tobh Mods innovation in a vaping solution with capacity. As a coffee nerd, I had to ask Jay-Bo about his latest espresso adventures and see how his professional barista skills are holding up.

This is one of those interviews where I kind of forgot I was conducting an interview. Jay-Bo is such a friendly and fascinating guy that it’s so easy to enjoy having a conversation with him and forget to make cogent points. Thankfully, he has a lot going on and delivered information on his newest products in an entertaining way. Yeah, Jay-Bo totally did the job for me in this clip. Ha!

Vaping Diaries #258: Fallout Mods Brian Nashick Interview (ECC 2014)

As a huge fan of made-in-the-USA vaping products, I love Fallout Mods’ attitude. The company is very proud that its products are, “made by us in the USA using materials sourced from the USA.” I love that the company’s 22mm mod is called that “7 Eights” and that it has a t-shirt that boldly states, “7 Eights Not 22mm Because This is America.” Ha! Attitude aside, Fallout Mods makes some fantastic mechanical mods that offer unique features and top-notch craftsmanship. They’re the kind of products that make you want to shout, “Murica!!!”

At ECC 2014, I caught up with Fallout Mods owner Brian Nashick. He spoke about some special edition 7 Eights and Mutant mods the company was selling at the show (California edition, ECC edition, STD edition, etc.). He also revealed some information about future Fallout Mods products, including hybrid drippers, several box mods, and mods that use exotic metals.

Check out my interview with Brian to see what’s going on with this great American vaping company.

Vaping Diaries #257: Los Angeles Vapor Company Eric Trotter Interview (ECC 2014)

It’s always a pleasure hanging out with The Force Vapors CEO Eric Trotter. He’s a fun dude and one of my favorite people in the business to hang with at vape meets. Last time I chatted with Eric on camera, he told me all about The Force Vapors and some of the company’s popular e-liquids. At ECC 2014, he told me about the most recent addition to The Force Vapors — Padme’s Nectar — and his brand new line called Los Angeles Vapor Company.

As a lifelong Angeleno, Eric’s new line of juices is inspired by the city where he was born and raised. Los Angeles Vapor Company is launching with four flavors — Iced T, The Beach, Valley Girl, and Westside. In the video above, Eric details the flavor profiles of each juice and talks about why he started a separate line.

On a side note, as much as I enjoy hanging out with Eric, interviewing him always makes my arm tired. He’s tall. I’m short. You do the math. Next time we film together, I’m going to make him sit down.

Vaping Diaries #256: Perfect Cloudz Mandy Dishler Interview (ECC 2014)

I distinctly remember the first time I tried Perfect Cloudz’s popular Sack Lunch e-liquid. It was in a goodie bag I won at an OC Vape Meet. I dripped a little and was delighted by the peanut butter & jelly flavor. To be completely honest, I immediately thought, “Stoners are going to love this one.” Ha!

At ECC 2014, I had a fun chat with Perfect Cloudz co-owner Mandy Dishler. She told me about the company’s background, the story behind Sack Lunch, the new Sweet & Sticky e-liquid, and more. As a fan of RY4s, I was particularly interested in Perfect Cloudz’s Sweet & Sticky — it’s like an RY4 with some extra naughtiness. In addition to the traditional RY4 ingredients of tobacco, caramel, and vanilla, this Perfect Cloudz concoction also contains butterscotch and salted caramel.

Check out my chat with Many to learn more about Perfect Cloudz and its vaping e-liquids.

It’s My Birthday, So…Buy a T-Shirt (Please!)

Today is my birthday…and the website is having monetization issues…so I’m busting out the begging cup. As some of you know, I was “exposed” on a recent Breitbart article by some misguided troll that believes I’m part of a secret group of videogame journalists with a left-wing agenda. As irresponsible and inaccurate as that assertion is, the troll has a lot of readers and has managed to rile them up. There have been threats of pranks, hacks, swatting, and more to people on “the list.”

A day after the article was posted, RPadTV received the most fake login attempts in the (almost) five years it has been live. My Google AdSense account was also suspended for unusual click activity; this part has me in quite a jam as website and video advertising through AdSense is hugely important to the site. I’m looking for other solutions, but none of them are as lucrative as Google AdSense…so I’m kind of stuck. (For the record, I have no way of proving the Breitbart clown and his readers are responsible for the site’s current situation, but the timing is suspicious. Also, it appears that I’m no longer on “the list.”)

While I’m figuring out what the hell I can do to monetize the site and keep the content going, it would be awesome of you to pick up one of these RPadTV t-shirts. It would be a nice stopgap solution for the site, help fund my Vapecon USA 2014 coverage, and buy me some time as I move content over to another video service. Plus, it’s my birthday and it would make me happy (yes, that was shameless begging). It would really help the site and me out, AND you’d look awesome in an RPadTV t-shirt. So please, give it some thought.

Vaping Diaries #255: Boomer Tech Chain Reaction & Jigantor Interview (ECC 2014)

At ECC 2014, Boomer Tech was showing of a pair of 26650 mods that will be available at relatively low prices. First up is the Jigantor (not the Jiganator, as RPadholic N8R insisted it was). This mechanical mod features a copper body for maximum conductivity, steel-plated copper caps, a magnetic switch, and a carbon fiber wrap. The Jigantor has an MSRP of $100. On the digital side is Boomer Tech’s Chain Reaction. Using the same tube as the Jigantor, the Chain Reaction has a “backpack” that houses a “CNA” digital regulator. Capable of output as high as 50 watts, the Chain Reaction will be a compelling choice for vapers that want 26650 battery life and a regulated vape for a low price of $125.

Check out my conversation with Boomer Tech owner Brian Skinner to learn more about these stylish and inexpensive 26650 mods.

Vaping Diaries #254: Epic Juice Outbreak Sammie Saing Interview (ECC 2014)

Out of all the booths I visited at ECC 2014, the Outbreak booth was the only one with a zombie-infested maze. A spinoff line of Epic Juice, Outbreak takes advantage of the zombie craze (I blame The Walking Dead) with five e-liquids based on undead themes. Epic Juice sales director Sammie Saing walked me through the new flavors — Agent Green, Contagion, Patient Zero, Serum, and T-Virus — and told me about the inspiration behind these e-liquids. The video above also gives you a quick walkthrough of the Outbreak zombie maze set to Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.”

Coffee Talk #644: Hajime Tabata Has Me Excited For Final Fantasy XV

Millions of Square Enix fans were dazzled by the Final Fantasy XV trailer shown at Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2014 (embedded below). Many longtime fans of the series were disappointed in the last few FF games and believe that Final Fantasy XV will return the franchise to glory. Gamers loved the brilliant graphics and modern gameplay shown in the TGS 2014 trailer, so it’s easy to understand why so many people are excited. I’m quite excited for Final Fantasy XV too, but for a different reason — Hajime Tabata.

Mr. Tabata was the director of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. As I mentioned in Coffee Talk #286, Crisis Core was the last game I loved. The storytelling, gameplay, graphics, and music delighted me completely. For the type of videogame experience I adore, Crisis Core was just about perfect. When Mr. Tabata was installed as the new director of Final Fantasy XV roughly two years ago, my interest in the game went from “excited” to “OMG can’t wait!!!” With all due respect to former FFXV director Tetsuya Nomura, who has had a legendary videogame career himself, I’m way more excited about a Final Fantasy game with Mr. Tabata in charge.

There are other incredibly talented people working on Final Fantasy XV too. Kazushige Nojima is the game’s main writer. His scenario credits include Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. Composer Yoko Shimomura is writing the game’s music. Her awesome tracks can be heard in Street Fighter II, numerous Kingdom Hearts games, several Mario & Luigi titles, and more. I’m hoping that all these talented people come together to form an unforgettable videogame.

While I enjoyed the Final Fantasy XIII games more than most, they certainly didn’t entertain me as much as FFX, FFVI, FFV, FIV, and FFVII (probably in that order). Loads of gamers have blasted the FFXIII games, going as far as saying that the titles tarnished the series’ reputation. Many of these gamers loved what they saw in the TGS 2014 trailer and are dreaming about Final Fantasy XV reestablishing the franchise as the king of RPGs. As for me, I’m just dreaming about a Tabata-directed Final Fantasy game. Hopefully it won’t turn out like Final Fantasy XII; originally directed by one of my all-time favorite developers — Yasumi Matsuno — the game’s creation was a disaster and the end product…wasn’t the best.

Anyway, check out the Final Fantasy XV trailer below and let me know what you think. Do you like what you see? Do you think the game will be a triumphant return for the series? Leave a comment and let me know (please!).

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, cherishing Derek Jeter’s last days as a professional baseball player, your favorite Fappening photos, or being threatened with “swatting,” Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Vaping Diaries #253: Vapor Shark rDNA Oscar Rodriguez Interview (ECC 2014)

Vapor Shark is known for its affordable box mods that use the outstanding Evolv Vapor DNA variable-wattage chips. At ECC 2014, I met up with wholesale director Oscar Rodriguez to talk about the company’s latest products and to hear the story behind the Vapor Shark submarine. The highlight of the company’s booth was the Vapor Shark rDNA box mod. This product features the DNA 30 chip and runs on a single 18650 battery. The rDNA has several optional accessories to protect the mod and extend its functionality. The Shark Skin products are similar to silicone phone cases; they’re great at protecting the mod, while also changing up its looks. In Oscar’s words, Shark Skins are fantastic for, “Protecting your predator.” Ha! One unique feature of the rDNA is the optional wireless charging dock. This uses inductive charging and gives vapers the convenience of charging a battery without having to take it out of the mod.

As for the submarine…this is something that you have to see for yourself. Watch the video above to see the submarine and hear about its formidable capabilities, as well as to hear the latest from Vapor Shark.

Vaping Diaries #252: Johnny Ugly Vapor Interview (ECC 2014)

One of the newest and most unique e-liquid companies from Southern California is Johnny Ugly Vapor. The company uses an old-school style and awesomely atypical packaging that immediately grabs your attention. Inside the bottles, Johnny Ugly Vapor uses a coffee, candy, and cake system to make its juices. As someone that identifies coffee, candy, and cake as his three “food groups,” I was intrigued by the Johnny Ugly Vapor approach to vaping e-liquids. At ECC 2014, I met up with Johnny Ugly himself to talk about his company. In addition to describing his flavors and teasing his next one (Monster), he spoke about his background in fashion and love for the Rat Pack. Those two elements are apparent in the style he’s going for with Johnny Ugly Vapor.

Check out the interview above to learn more about Johnny Ugly Vapor, see its unique bottles, learn about its flavors, and hear about what’s coming next.