raymond padilla, Author at RPad.TV

Vaping Diaries #298: Ripple Works Modulo Interview (VapeCon Manila)

There were a ton of box mods on display at VapeCon Manila 2015 and the most unique box mod I saw was the Modulo from Ripple Works. A modular box mod, the Modulo can accommodate dual-18350 or dual-18650 batteries. The battery receptacles can be hot swapped, allowing for some nice versatility. In 18350 mode, the mod measures 65mm high, for a nice and powerful stealth setup. When maximum power and battery life is needed, the Modulo measures 95mm high. While the modular aspect of the Modulo is its most obviously unique feature, I loved its simple and elegant style. Ripple Works co-owner Bong Lising spent some time with me at the show to tell me about the Modulo.

The Modulo’s body is made from T6 aluminum, with delrin inserts that aid in heat dissipation. All the contacts are gold plated, allowing for excellent conductivity and corrosion resistance. The contacts are adjustable, allowing the use of nipple-top and flat-top batteries. Lastly, the firing button is insulated and Bong guaranteed that it won’t accidentally shock anyone.

One of the advantages of the Modulo’s design is that it’s expandable. Bong promised some unique add-ons for the device in the future. While he wouldn’t say exactly what they would be, I’m going to guess that a phone charging module will be released. That seems to be an easy module to make and one that many vapers would find useful. My “wish” module for the Modulo is an SX350 add-on. While I love my mechs, I’ve been vaping mostly regulated devices in 2015 and I’d love to see what Ripple Works can do with the SX350 chipset.

As I mentioned in the intro, VapeCon Manila 2015 was pretty much box mod heaven. I saw loads of cool boxes, but the one I wanted the most was the Modulo. The features are unique, cool, and versatile. The aesthetics very much appeal to me. And it appears to be a well-crafted device. The Modulo is hitting shelves in small quantities now and I hope I can get my hands on one. In Internet speak, “Want!!!”

The Vape 48 Week 4: The Force Vapors Eric Trotter

The Force Vapors CEO Eric Trotter and I chatted back in February for this episode of The Vape 48, filmed at Vape Star Los Angeles. Eric has a number of cool things going on with this company, many of which I’ll get to see next week at The Vape Summit III in Las Vegas. On the juice side, he’ll have two new flavors that will debut at The Vape Summit. The Force Vapors is partnering with Cloud Kicker Society for some excellent t-shirts. Last year, The Force Vapors had some awesome box mods that Star Wars fans loved; I sorta kinda expect an updated version next week…that may or may not appeal to fans of Jedi masters…but that’s just conjecture.

On the juice side, Eric brought SBP by Turncoat Industries. He doesn’t vape a lot of juices that he doesn’t make himself, so I was intrigued by this southern bread pudding e-liquid (and also because it’s southern bread pudding!). My juice picks were a pair of complex and layered e-liquids from Tasty Cloud Vape Co — Stay Gold and Skyline. The former is a mix of apple, caramel, vanilla, and tobacco, while the latter blends pineapple, cake, coconut, and hazelnut. I liked Skyline, but loved Stay Gold.

Wrapping things up with hardware, Eric brought the Vicious Ant VariAnt Ti Slim. A sleek, beautiful, and versatile box mod from the Philippines, it’s been one of Eric’s favorite vaping devices for the last few months. I brought a box mod that’s not nearly as cool, but quite versatile and very affordable — the Sigelei 150. In a very short time, the Sigelei 150 has become one of my favorite “beater” mods.

Check out my full chat with The Force Vapors Eric Trotter below for more details on everything mentioned above. He’s a cool guy that makes some great juice!

Vaping Diaries #297: Psywar Fabrications Interview (VapeCon Manila)

Psywar Fabrications is known for its aggressive products — both in terms of style and how they vape. I’ve covered the company’s Onslaught atomizer in the past and still use it today. At VapeCon Manila 2015, Psywar Fabrications was showing off four new products. The company’s arsenal at the show was comprised of the Assault and Fierce box mods, as well as the Onslaught H21 atomizer and Purge red copper tube mod. Psywar Fabrications designer Manuel Torrejon and marketing consultant Dave Arenaje walked me through the products.

Let’s start with the box mods. The Fierce box mod is made from ironwood and accommodates two 18650 batteries. The bottom caps are easily adjustable with fingers, allowing the mod to use both flat-top and nipple-top batteries. The Assault box mod has the burly looks people expect from Psywar Fabrications. It uses a single 26650 battery and includes an adapter for an 18650 battery. The top of the box has a cutaway for an atomizer.

The Purge tube mod is made from red copper and features some beautiful engravings. According to Manuel, each tube takes two hours to engrave, making the Purge difficult to make.

Last, but certainly not least, is the Onslaught H21. A “Onslaught Mini” of sorts, the H21 has a smaller designer for improved flavor. The air holes have also been modified for what should be a superior vaping experience. Under the cap, the posts have been improved. After using the Onslaught for several months, I really like the way it vapes and am looking forward to seeing how Psywar Fabrications improved on the design with the H21. Hopefully the quality control issues I had with my unit were addressed too.

Check out my chat with Manuel Torrejon and Dave Arenaje for more details on these Psywar Fabrications products and to see them up close.

Vaping Diaries #296: Highwind Innovative Designs Interview (VapeCon Manila)

As I was walking through VapeCon Manila 2015, Highwind Innovative Designs’ booth caught my eye with a pair of atomizers — the Diferion and Ruzgar. Company designer Rey Panaligan walked me through the features of these atomizers. First up is the Diferion. This rebuildable dripper uses a unique four-post setup and handles airflow in an atypical matter. While flavor fiends should love the way this RDA vapes, cloud chasers will be surprised by the maximum airflow. For an atomizer designed with flavor in mind, the Highwind Innovative Designs Diferion has a lot of cloud potential.

One of the best looking rebuildable tank atomizers (RTAs) that I’ve ever seen, Highwind Innovative Designs’ Ruzgar stands out with its handsome style. It uses a quartz glass tank, allowing vapers to enjoy any type of juice. According to Rey, the Ruzgar uses a leak-proof design and won’t suffer from the spills many RTAs suffer from. Covering it all up is a metal sleeve that gives the Ruzgar a classy appearance.

In an industry filled with many “me too” and copycat products, it was cool to see some unique atomizers from Highwind Innovative Designs. I was very impressed by the looks of the Diferion and Ruzgar, and intrigued by the potential of their respective designs. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on these atomizers to see if they work as excellently as I think they will. Check out my chat below with Rey for more details on these Highwind Innovative Designs atomizers.

The Vape 48 Week 3: Craft Vapery’s Joshua Krane

Here’s a very long and very cool conversation I had with Craft Vapery president Joshua Krane. The chat was filmed at Vape Star LA in late January, but due to several videogame consulting projects and a personal issue that had me out of the country, I didn’t get a chance to edit it until now. I apologize to Craft Vapery and Josh for the delay, but most of all I apologize to you loyal RPadholics because Josh had a lot of excellent things to say in this conversation.

In addition to giving an update on Craft Vapery, Josh spoke about an issue that’s very personal for him — the difference between vapers and people that vape. For numerous reasons, he wants people and companies to make the distinction. You need to watch the video for the full story on that particular topic. Josh and I also spoke about some of the things the vaping business needs to do in order to grow up and becoming more legitimate. Some of the those issues parallel what we experienced in the videogame business (Josh and I are both G4tv alumni). As expected, Josh was an outstanding guest that had loads of interesting things to say.

On the hardware side, Josh brought the Monake Vape Calvert mod and the Praxis Vapors Derringer RDA, while I spoke about the Kanger Subtank. Josh brought a number of e-liquids to talk about — I was particularly grateful to learn about the excellent Njoy Artist Collection. My juice choices were two bottles from Evaper8’s Straight Drippin’ line.

One of the issues that I brought up was being disappointed with vaping coverage on my favorite tech sites. I mentioned The Verge as a tech site that I love, but could be doing better coverage on vaping. Between the time the video was filmed and the time I posted it, The Verge’s coverage has gotten better, but it’s still not great; the site has covered more areas of vaping and in some cases has done a very good job, but some of its stories had poor reporting and there’s a segment of the market that The Verge continues to ignore.

As I mentioned, the video below is long, but please watch when you have the time. Craft Vapery is the best e-liquid subscription service in the business and its president had fantastic things to say in this episode of The Vape 48.

Google Project Fi is a Potentially Awesome Mobile Alternative

Earlier this week, Google announced the upcoming Project Fi mobile service. A unique take on how consumers are charged for wireless connectivity, Project Fi is potentially awesome for some consumers and a novelty for others. Launching exclusively for Google Nexus 6 phones, there are a number of features that make the service stand out. Let’s take a look at them and see if Project Fi is right for you.

Billing — The aspect of Project Fi that seems to be getting the most attention is its costs and cost structure. The price is split into two parts. The mandatory basics cost $20, which includes unlimited domestic calls, unlimited texts (international included), inexpensive international rates, WiFi tethering, and coverage in 120+ countries. After that, customers select their data packages, which cost $10 per GB. The cool part is that the cost of unused data is credited to the customer’s account after each billing cycle. So if I have a 3GB plan and only use 2GB, my next bill will have a credit of $10. Overages are billed at the same $10 per GB rate, pro-rated, so a 350MB overage would cost $3.50. Project Fi plans do not require contracts and, as expected, the usual taxes and fees will be charged.

Network — Domestically, Project Fi will use a combination of the Sprint and T-Mobile networks. Between the two, consumers in large cities should have ample LTE coverage. Phones on Project Fi will automatically select the network with the best coverage at the given time. For those in rural areas, the use of these two networks could be a deal breaker. It all depends on how strong coverage is where you live, work, and play. For me, T-Mobile coverage is very strong in Los Angeles, while Sprint pretty much blows. In many rural areas, these networks are very weak compared to AT&T and Verizon.

WiFi — Project Fi will rely heavily on WiFi connectivity to complement LTE coverage. Calls can be made over WiFi, with Google promising seamless handoffs of calls transitioning from WiFi to LTE and vice versa. I’m curious to see how the software solution works, as current WiFi calling handoffs work well, but not quite great. Consumers can choose to receive their Project Fi calls on their phones (duh), computers, or tablets.

International Coverage — Google claims that Project Fi users will have coverage in 120+ countries. There are a few caveats though. Data rates are “limited to 256kbps (3G)” and call costs could add up if users aren’t careful. International data usage in countries where Google has roaming agreements is deducted from the user’s monthly bucket. For business users that need to reachable 24/7, the international roaming is potentially awesome and much cheaper than what the incumbents charge. Personally, I’d rather use a local SIM card so that I can have 4G data, but understand that some people need their phone number active at all times.

My Take — While I’m greatly intrigued by Project Fi, it’s not something that I care to try straight away. First off, I’m not high on the Nexus 6 — at all. I expect the service to be limited to Nexus phones for the next year or so (at least) and am more interested in the rumored Nexus 5 v2. As far as network coverage goes, most of the places I travel to domestically are covered nicely by T-Mobile, while having Sprint as a backup is nice a nice feature to have. The international coverage isn’t for me, since data is more important for my needs than having my domestic number reachable. I always go with a local 4G SIM when I travel abroad.

Even though Project Fi isn’t right for me at this time, I absolutely love what Google is trying to do with this service. Most American telecommunication companies suck. The prices (for single-line plans) are expensive for what’s delivered. Project Fi’s relatively inexpensive and easy-to-understand pricing is refreshing to see. Between T-Mobile’s aggressive initiatives and services like Project Fi, I hope the American mobile market gets the shakeup that it sorely needs.

Oh yeah, for people on family plans, Project Fi isn’t nearly as compelling. There are some great family deals out there and they make Google’s pricing seem banal.

While I’ll be watching Project Fi with great interest, I’m content with my iPhone 6 Plus on Verizon for personal/work use and my Nexus 5 on T-Mobile ($30 plan!) for Android work projects. What do you guys and gals think about Google’s service? Any of you thinking of requesting an invite? Do you think Project Fi will change the American mobile telecom market? Or is it another pie-in-the-sky initiative from Google? Leave a comment and let me know (please!).

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Better Than Batman vs. Superman Trailer (Dawn of Justice)

As some of you know from the RPadTV Google Hangout, I wasn’t a fan of the recently released Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer. It did absolutely nothing for me. It didn’t show me anything new (control your photo leaks, Warners!) and it didn’t get me more excited for the movie. It was two minutes of banality. Thankfully, the crews from How it Should Have Ended and Screen Junkies have whipped up videos that are far more entertaining. Continue reading “Better Than Batman vs. Superman Trailer (Dawn of Justice)”

Vaping Diaries #295: Smiley E-Liquid Stephen James Interview

An atypical Southern California juice company, Smiley E-Liquid stands out with its easy-to-follow menu and straightforward juices. While many SoCal juice companies use complex formulas and ornate names (that sometimes have nothing to do with the actual juice flavor), Smiley’s offerings are easy to understand. Jolly Apple tastes like an apple Jolly Rancher candy, Vanilla Dream tastes like vanilla, Morning Espresso tastes like coffee, etc.

While many vapers enjoy Smiley’s straightforward approach, these juices were made with mixing in mind. The company offers something called the Juice Bag, which includes a 15ml bottle of Vanilla Dream, six smaller bottles of Smiley’s other flavors, two mixing bottles, and a recipe card. The card has a number of recipes that were concocted by Smiley employees and fans of its juices. While you can enjoy a single Smiley flavor on its own, the Juice Bag allows vapers to craft more complex juices. Adding a social twist, vapers that come up with unique blends can email their recipes to Smiley and have their formulas included in upcoming cards.

I’ve had a number of Smiley juices on their own and played around with my own mixes (for the record, most of my blends sucked). While I generally enjoy complex and layered e-liquids, I completely understand and appreciate the company’s approach. At two of the vape shops that I frequent, these juices are wildly popular. At one store, Smiley’s savory flavors (Vanilla Dream, Morning Espresso) are very popular. At Vape Star LA, where the interview below was filmed, Smiley’s candy flavors fly off the shelves.

Check out my chat with Smiley vice president Stephen James to learn more about the company’s approach to juices, learn how the company got started, hear descriptions of some of its flavors, hear about upcoming seasonal releases, and learn about the Juice Bag product.

Vaping Diaries #294: Vicious Ant JC Reyes Interview (VapeCon Manila)

It was a pleasure checking out Vicious Ant’s new products at VapeCon Manila 2015. Vicious Ant has been one of the most popular Filipino vaping companies in America for quite some time. With products like the Prodigy atomizer, VariAnt box mod, and Goliath RDA. It’s easy to understand why.

First up, JC showed me the Prodigy, which is a hybrid atomizer specifically designed for the Phenom mod. In addition to its distinct looks, the Prodigy has a swiveling top cap, that allows for easy dripping. Instead of taking off a top cap or drip tip to refill, a simple swivel will do. This is particularly useful in crowded situations where you might lose a top cap or drip tip (i.e. being drunk in a busy bar). As a vaper that’s clumsy, I thought the Prodigy’s top cap design was brilliant, though I wish the atomizer came with standard 510 threading.

For vapers that like insane power, the VariAnt is one of the best box mods around. This bad boy can hit up to 350 watts. While I rarely venture beyond 40 watts, several of minds cloud-blowing friends love hitting triple-digit wattages. The VariAnt is perfect for fogging up a room.

An ideal complement to the VariaAnt or any 26650 mod is the Goliath RDA. This large atomizer accommodates up to eight coils, allowing vapers to create some insane builds. It looks perfect on the VariAnt, but also looks great on 26650 tube mods.

During the interview, JC mentioned the possibility of a DNA40 add-on for the Phenom. That product has been released since the interview and is called the Phenom Evolution. You can learn more about it, as well as the Prodigy, VariAnt, and Goliath in the VapeCon Manila 2015 video interview below.

Coffee Talk #652: Random Thoughts on Daredevil (Netflix)

After a trio of binge-watching sessions, I finally got around to finishing Daredevil on Netflix. The first of several direct-to-Netflix series of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), all 13 episodes of Daredevil were released on the streaming service on April 10, 2015. A few of you RPadholics and many of my friends binge-watched the show over the release weekend, but I spaced out my viewing sessions (partially to savor it and partially due to other commitments). After finishing Daredevil and thinking about it for a day, I’ve come to the conclusion that I really, really enjoyed the series, but absolutely love what it does for the MCU. I’ll break down my likes and dislikes below, but first a bit on why I love what Daredevil means for the future of the MCU.

As I mentioned, Daredevil is the first of several Marvel series coming to Netflix. For various reasons, the company chose Netflix to highlight its “street level” superheroes. Following Daredevil, Netflix will have shows starring Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron First. While the Avengers combat alien invasions, Captain America battles giant Nazi organizations, and Thor faces off against demigods, the street level heroes fight everyday crime. Daredevil beats on muggers, Luke Cage fights gangs, Jessica Jones has a private investigation firm, and Iron First has girly yellow slippers. I love that this facet of Marvel is being explored. While these heroes aren’t as powerful as a Norse god or a man in billion-dollar armor, they’re easier to relate to and arguably more interesting because of their vulnerabilities. The street level heroes are a brilliant contrast to the Avengers and help diversify the MCU.

I also love that all 13 episodes were released at once on Netflix. Yeah, you don’t have the weekly water-cooler chats about the show, but I love that I can watch as much Daredevil as I please whenever I please. People love to binge-watch these days and being able to binge-watch a brand new show is very, very cool.

Now let’s move on to some random thoughts (binary style!) about Daredevil. I know that many of you have finished the show already and I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. Please share them in the comments section. Now activating binary mode. (Activate your spoiler shields!)

Good: I’m sure some parents’ and/or Christian groups will be appalled that I’m celebrating Daredevil’s violence, but that aspect of the show was unique compared to the violence in the MCU movies. Sure, Cap, Thor, and the gang take their fair share of punches, but the violence in Daredevil is far more bone-crunching. There are several episodes where you think the hero’s powers aren’t enhanced senses, but the ability to absorb a decade’s worth of ass-kicking in 30 minutes or less. Daredevil takes several beatings throughout the 13 episodes and unlike a Norse god getting smacked by a frost giant, you can imagine what those beatings were like.

Daredevil gives as good as he gets too (otherwise, he’d be dead after two episodes). The beatings Daredevil doles out are straight-up nasty and Kingpin’s use of a car door makes me a little bit scared of my Ford Focus Electric. Appropriately, the street level heroes face street level violence.

Bad: Television shows have a certain rhythm, usually planned around commercial breaks. Since direct-to-Netflix shows don’t have such annoyances, the directors are liberated. In some cases, the unusual pacing can be pleasantly surprising. In others, there are dull stretches. While I liked Daredevil’s lack of predictable beats, there were several episodes that could have been better with more traditional pacing. Sometimes giving directors and editors freedom isn’t the best.

Good: Kingpin absolutely ruled. Between Vincent D’Onofrio’s performance and the material he had to work with, this version of Kingpin is my favorite live-action portrayal of a comic-book villain ever. I’ve never watched a villain so nuanced and layered. D’Onofrio’s Kingpin was powerful, gentle, ruthless, caring, maniacal, child like, romantic, and sadistic. Sure, he had 13 episodes to develop the character, but his performance was flat-out impressive no matter how you slice it. It’s awesome how you can find be terrified of Kingpin in one scene and feel sorry him in a scene where he’s on an awkward date.

Bad: While Kingpin owned and the supporting cast was strong, I found Charlie Cox a little bland. In the comics, I enjoy reading as much about Matt Murdock as I do his alter ego. In the show, I couldn’t wait for Murdock to put on his costume and kick some ass. Part of it has to do with Cox’s stupid grin, which is just asking to be smacked. It’s not that he was bad; I just found the rest of the cast more entertaining.

Good: As I mentioned in the last paragraph, the supporting cast was strong. My favorite episode was probably the seventh, which featured Daredevil’s trainer Stick. I love this character in the comics and was thrilled to see him on television. Scott Glenn’s interpretation of stick was lots of fun.

A close second was the tenth episode, “Nelson vs. Murdock.” In the previous episodes, I enjoyed Elden Henson’s version of Foggy Nelson, but he killed it in this one. It would have been easy and lazy to rely on Foggy purely as comic relief. Having him challenge Matt — questioning his existence as Daredevil and their decades-long friendship — made for a powerful episode.

Good: There were lots of cute nods to fans of the comics. I loved the crack about Vanessa dating a guy that wore white suits with purple cravats (Kingpin’s traditional outfit in the comics). Mentions of the Greek girl Matt dated in college set the ground for a future appearance by Elektra. While Karen Page was victimized throughout the series, the use of heroin in the show made me worry that the writers will follow the books and make her an addict in the future. While they were forgettable asides for people new to Daredevil, they were also nice bits for longtime fans of the character to hear.

Bad: As expected, Daredevil took a few episodes to come together. The first few episodes ranged from decent to good. It wasn’t until the fifth episode that Daredevil really took off.

Good: Rosario Dawson is amazingly sexy.

Bad: Poor Ben Urich. I was hoping to see him in the upcoming Spider-Man reboot, but his MCU version is no more. (Note to RPadholic Smartguy: Why aren’t you complaining about Daredevil Ben Urich being black?!? :p)

Good: I loved the way that the first season ended. Ultimately, it was about Wilson Fisk throwing away his altruistic (though misguided) side and truly becoming the Kingpin, just as much as it was about Matt Murdock finding his way (and an honest tailor) and fully becoming Daredevil. It was a great build that left me wanting more. On a side note, I’ve always wondered why other superheroes never messed with Daredevil on April 1, replacing his red costume with a turquoise and fuchsia getup…but perhaps that’s just me.

Good: While I wouldn’t go as far as saying that Daredevil is the best part of the MCU (which some others have proclaimed), I very much enjoyed the show and love that it laid the groundwork for future street level exploits. Bring on ~~Jewel~~ Jessica Jones!