Category: Interviews

Vaping Diaries #112: Poet Electronic Nectar Randy Freer Interview

Out of all the e-liquid companies I chatted with at ECC 2013, POET (Pursuit of Excellent Taste) was one of the most impressive. The company takes a complex and culinary approach to making e-liquids. POET juices are not single-note flavors, but complex blends of multiple tastes. For example, POET CEO Randy Freer described his Americano Ciambella as his “morning drive.” It features maple, coffee, and tobacco flavors, as if you were munching on a maple bar, sipping a cup of joe, and smoking a cigarette during a commute.

In the video interview above, Randy talks about the company’s start, his philosophy on juice making, the POET lineup, and what’s next for the POET. I tasted several new e-liquids at ECC 2013 and POET’s were some of the most memorable. I’m really looking forward to seeing how this new company develops.

Vaping Diaries #111: Marie Alvarez ECC 2013 Interview

While I was filming an interview on the Vapor Bombz Omega, I noticed that my buddy Marie Alvarez was working at the booth. Naturally, I had to get her on camera for one of my favorite interviews of ECC 2013. Marie Alvarez is a model that has done a lot of work for vaping companies. Some vapers see her photos and don’t believe that she’s really a vaper. I promise you that she’s a vaper. She rocks a bedazzled Innokin iTaste MVP and loves pastry juices. Watch the video above to learn more about Marie Alvarez, where you can see her, what types of juices enjoys, what types of e-liquids she hates, and her current favorite (hint: it’s from Epic Juice).

It was fun goofing off on camera with Marie Alvarez (btw Marie, I won!) and chatting with her. However, being on camera with a beautiful Latina gave me flashbacks of working with Ruby Lopez at Yahoo! *sniff* (I miss you Ruby!) So yeah, check out the interview above and be sure to follow Marie Alvarez on Instagram. She’s cool peeps!

[B-roll photos by https://www.facebook.com/bgatebphoto]

Vaping Diaries #110: Cartel Mods Gino Litonjua Interview

Cartel Mods is a relatively new maker of mechanical mods that’s taking a luxurious approach to vaping. At ECC 2013, I caught up with Cartel Mods’ chief mod maker Gino Litonjua to talk about how the company got started, its philosophy of mod making, the unusual quality of its stainless steel, and upcoming additions to the Cartel Mods lineup.

While most stainless-steel mechanical-mods are made with 303, 304, or 316L stainless steel, Cartel Mods uses the more expensive 904L stainless steel. This is the stuff that Rolex uses to make its watches. When you hold the Cartel Mods v1 in your hand, you can immediately feel the difference between it and a mod made from 300-grade stainless steel. It feels posh and menacing at the same time. It’s obviously an exquisitely crafted mechanical mod, but the heft…kind of makes you want to punch someone while it’s in your hands (remember, one of my fantasies is beating someone up with a Maglite).

Anyway, it was fun chatting with Gino and learning more about Cartel Mods. He’s a cool guy and a skillful DJ. Check out the video above to learn more about his up-and-coming company from Southern California.

Vaping Diaries #109: Dr. Mike’s Rad Vapors Interview

Dr. Mike’s Rad Vapors makes some really inventive juices and has a cool story behind. At ECC 2013, I caught up with Dr. Mike’s Rad Vapors CEO Strek Gauthier and COO Dr. Mike Gauthier. The company offers some unique combinations like Honey-Q (honeydew and cucumber) and Chocolate Bacon. The story of Dr. Mike’s Rad Vapors starts with a traumatic event; Strek had a stroke due to cigarette smoking. He changed his lifestyle and turned to vaping. His father is a doctor with extensive aerospace experience. Strek worked for his father in aerospace for years. Father and son have teamed up together for Dr. Mike’s Rad Vapors.

In the interview, Strek and Dr. Mike talk about the company’s history, the Dr. Mike’s Rad Vapors approach to making juices, the sophisticated branding that was inspired by wine, and more. It was great meeting them and getting to learn more about the company’s juices, but to be honest, I was biased going into the meeting. Anyone that’s enough of a genius to combine chocolate and bacon is cool in my book.

Vaping Diaries #108: Electric Angel Owner Mika Kananen Interview

Here’s an interview with Electric Angel Owner Mika Kananen from ECC 2013. Kananen talks about the special edition EA Mods and the upcoming Invictus vaping device. The limited edition Electric Angel EA Mods include an adorable owl model, a Movember edition, and a brass leopard-print mod. The Invictus is a very different vaping device that combines features of mechanical and digital mods. It doesn’t follow Ohm’s law and it works with atomizers as low as 0.3 ohms. The Electric Angel Invictus aims to offer the power and versatility of mechanical mods with the safety, regulated power, and variable voltage/wattage features of digital mods. As a fan of Electric Angel and the Finnish sense of humor, it was fun chatting with Mika and hearing about EA’s upcoming products.

Sonic Lost World Video Interview

Here’s a video interview and screenshot gallery of Sonic Lost World for Wii U. Sega of America associate brand manager Aaron Webber chatted with me about Sonic’s new enemies (The Deadly Six), new gameplay elements, mixing classic Sonic gameplay with those new elements, cooperative play, tie-ins with the Nintendo 3DS version of Sonic Lost World, and more. Some of the more interesting features include the parkour system (Sonic will no longer come to a dead stop!) and power-ups influenced by the excellent Sonic Colors.

As someone that grew up with old-school Sonic games, I’m always apprehensive about new twists to the old formula. However, Sonic Lost World looks like it has enough classic elements to satisfy longtime Sonic fans and several new features that will appeal to modern gamers.

After you’ve watched the video, please be sure to check out PaulSemel.com’s excellent preview of the game.

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Vaping Diaries #107: Vape Syndicate Interview (ECC 2013)

Watch Vape Syndicate CEO Adam Tout talk about the new Guardian titanium hybrid mod, the company’s drip tips, and the Vape Syndicate juice lineup in this ECC 2013 video. This interview was suggested by my pal “Uncle” on ECF and I’m super-happy that he hooked me up with Vape Syndicate. The company’s juices have a loyal following, with lots of people saying that Vape Syndicate’s Throat Yogurt is one of the most unique RY4s on the market. The titanium and brass drip tips looks sweet. And the Vape Syndicate Guardian hybrid is just…wow. My favorite way to describe this made-in-the-USA titanium hybrid is star-spangled awesome. To top it all off, Adam is just a really cool guy and it was fun hanging out with him at ECC 2013. Thanks again “Uncle”!!! Continue reading “Vaping Diaries #107: Vape Syndicate Interview (ECC 2013)”

Vaping Diaries #106: Epic Juice Interview (ECC 2013)

Here’s an interview with Epic Juice CEO Arthur Han from ECC 2013. The company’s juices are super-popular at the Los Angeles vape shops I go to and its Airheadz flavor is a favorite over RPadholic N8R. Arthur goes over the company’s history, the Epic Juice approach to making e-liquids, the Epic Juice menu, and what flavors are coming next. Stay tuned for an Epic Juice review in the near future. Continue reading “Vaping Diaries #106: Epic Juice Interview (ECC 2013)”

Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians Preview/Interview

Last week I caught a demo of Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians, a unique platform/music game developed by Threaks and being published by Reverb. Executive producer Ted Lange took me through the game and chatted with me after the demo. Beatbuddy features a story by Rhianna Pratchett and music from Austin Wintory (Journey). Lange described the game as being “familiar and different.” It has platform elements that will instantly feel familiar to gamers that have played loads of Mario and Sonic games, but also has a distinct art style and makes very unique use of music.

Beatbuddy stars a globular hero named Beat. He’s one of three musical spirits, along with Harmony and Melody (though he totally looks like a water-type Pokemon to me…perhaps Manaphy’s cousin). The evil Prince Maestro wants to enslave music, while the ethereal music spirits think that music should be free for everyone. It’s up to Beat to lead the charge and liberate music. (Rumor has it that Beat, Harmony, and Melody are in cahoots with Kim Dotcom.)

As I mentioned in the intro, the game features unique use of music. Each level’s track is broken up so that different objects and enemies represent different musical instruments. For example, a menacing creature will pulsate to the rhythm of the track’s bass drum, while obstacles will move in time with the hi-hat. As Beat moves closer to a particular enemy or object, the corresponding instrument’s sound will become louder. The music — and the individual instruments that make the track — define the level as much as the art and layout. It’s a unique twist that adds a cool layer of interactivity.

The game’s art is beautiful and distinct. In an age where 3D rules the roost, it’s refreshing to see a videogame with hand-painted art. The color palette and style give the game a charming look, while the use of layers gives it a pseudo-3D feel.

Check out my interview with Ted to learn more about the game. As a fan of old-school NES and SNES platformers, as well as a fan of music games, I’m really looking forward to Beatbuddy. After you’ve watched the vid, leave your thoughts on the game in the comments section (please!).

Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians will be released on August 6, 2013 for Windows PC, Mac OS X, and Linux for $14.99.

E3 2013: Wolfenstein — The New Order Interview

I stopped by Bethesda’s E3 2013 booth to chat with MachineGames gameplay designer Sabine Rösgren to talk about Wolfenstein: The New Order. The game is set in an alternate version of the ’60s where the Nazis won World War II. Naturally, it’s up to William “B.J.” Blazkowicz to save the day. Wolfenstein: The New Order combines gameplay elements from the old-school Wolfenstein games with modern touches like laser weapons and giant robots. Check out the video above for more details from Rösgren. And yes, I totally bombed this interview because I instantly had a major, major crush on Sabine. Bethesda needs to warn people before they have to interview dreamy Swedish women that sound like Bjork.