The latest trailer for the Deadpool videogame by High Moon Studios has been getting strong reactions from comic-book fanboys. Some people love it and some people hate it. As expected, the action is big and loud and obnoxious. As expected, Deadpool is also loud and obnoxious. Some feel that he’s too much of an idiot in the trailer, while others feel that Wade Wilson is, in fact, an idiot and acts appropriately in the clip. What do you think? Check out the trailer below and let me know in the comments section (please).
As for me, I understand both sides of the argument. The trailer has some of the qualities people want and expect from Deadpool. As a longtime fan of the comics and character, I can see how some people feel that some of his wit and charm are missing. Yes, he’s supposed to be juvenile, but he’s also supposed to be a clever, fourth-wall breaking, and parodic character. You don’t get that from the trailer, but hey it’s only a trailer, right? Writing should be a huge part of the game and I need to hear more dialogue before coming to a conclusion. Besides, Deadpool feeling up Cable negates any of the trailer’s shortcomings.
What do you think of the Deadpool trailer? Fire away!
A few months ago, I reviewed the Innokin iTaste MVP and walked away impressed. While the device lacked some features that some vapers want in a mod, it still offered great performance and value for the money. I’ve been using Innokin’s latest mod — the iTaste SVD (Superior Vaping Device) — for the last month and find it even more impressive than its predecessor. This is a well-made mod that features quality construction and great performance in a complete kit that’s available for a relatively low price.
What’s in the Kit: The iTaste SVD comes with the mod, two telescoping tubes to accommodate different battery sizes, two iClear 30 clearomizers, three replacement coils for the clearos, an instruction manual for the mod, and an instruction manual for the clearos. This is an especially great kit for new vapers; all you need are some batteries, a charger, and e-liquid to start vaping.
Construction and Build Quality: The iTaste SVD is made primarily from stainless steel. The body is very sturdy, which is to be expected from a stainless steel mod. The lines are clean and the mod is generally attractive. Star Wars nerds will love that it looks like lightsaber. Overall I was impressed by the design and construction of the iTaste SVD. It feels like a high-quality product that should cost a bit more than it does.
It’s easy to assemble the mod and change batteries after putting a bit of Noalox on the threads. I highly recommend using Noalox or another anti-oxidant lubricant with the SVD. It makes the tubes easier to handle and helps extend the life of the threads.
One of my criticisms of the original iTaste MVP is that it didn’t work with all eGo-threaded products. That issue has been addressed with the iTaste SVD. It works well with standard 510 products, as well as eGo-threaded products.
Ergonomics and Design: The mod is slightly thin for a device that uses 18xxx batteries. Depending on the battery configuration used, it can be too long for some users. For single-battery use, it can use 18350 to 18650 batteries. For vapers that want the maximum voltage and wattage range, stacked 18350 batteries are recommended. With a single 18490 battery, the iTaste SVD is longer than many 18650 mods. Using an 18650 or two 18350 batteries gives it borderline comical length.
I’ve been using the iTaste SVD mostly with 18490 and 18650 batteries. While I wasn’t getting the battery life I needed with the former, the size was acceptable. With an 18650 the device was longer than what I like, but not something that bothered me. However, I can see the length being an issue for some vapers that want to use this mod with larger or stacked batteries.
As for the weight, I loved it, even with the 18650. I like heavy mods with a substantial heft, so SVD felt great to me. People that prefer lighter mods might not enjoy how this mod feels. The weight of the stainless steel body combined with the weight of a large battery or two stacked batteries can make this mod too heavy for some people.
Operation: The iTaste SVD can be adjusted from 3.3 to 6.0 volts in increments of 0.1 volts. For variable wattage, it has a range of 3.0 to 15.0 watts that can be adjusted in increments of 0.5 watts. For such a powerful and diverse mod, it’s really easy to use. There’s a firing button, a plus button, and a minus button. The various functions are activated using a combination of buttons presses (which I listed in my preview).
The iTaste SVD has a bright and clear LED display that displays voltage, wattage, battery life, atomizer resistance, and more. The firing button displays green, yellow, and red to give you a rough idea of battery life. Between the simple controls and bright screen, most vapers will find this mod a breeze to use.
Performance and Battery Life: Like the other Innokin products I’ve used, the iTaste SVD delivered consistent output for some great vaping. It worked well with the various atomizers, cartomizers, and clearomizers I put on it. Output remained consistent for the entire life of the battery. For those concerned with safety, the mod has a battery protection circuit and overtime vaping warnings.
Battery life, of course, depends on what you have in the mod. With an 18490, I was getting about half a day of vaping. My preferred 18650 battery gave me a little more than a full day. I appreciate that the iTaste SVD doesn’t come with batteries. It gives vapers the choice to buy the battery size that best suits their needs. Many vendors also package their mods with crap batteries and chargers; hopefully this mod will help vapers avoid garbage products and buy quality products like Panasonic’s excellent 18650s and the Nitecore Intellicharge i4 charger.
Verdict: Innokin continues to impress with its excellent vaping devices. The iTaste SVD is well made, provides satisfying and consistent vapes, and is easy to use. The only major drawback is subjective — some people will find it too heavy and long. Personally, I loved its heft and didn’t mind the length, but understand that some vapers will feel otherwise.
I’ve seen the iTaste SVD listed for $70 to $100. At $70, the kit is an outstanding value. Even at $100, it’s a very good value. Considering that I was very pleased with the iTaste MVP, my expectations for this mod were pretty high. I’m happy to say that Innokin has exceeded my expectations. As long as you can deal with the length and weight, I highly recommend the iTaste SVD.
inXile Entertainment’s Kickstarter pitch for Torment: Tides of Numenera has blown bas its $900,000 goal in less than a day. The game “continues the thematic legacy” of Planescape: Torment, one of the most critically acclaimed PC RPGs of the ’90s. The game frequently comes up in conversations I have with old-school PC gamers, often starting with, “You know, I sure wish someone would make a sequel to Planescape: Torment. That game was the bomb, like Ben Affleck in Phantoms.” While Tides of Numenera isn’t exactly a sequel, the developers appear to be working on something that will make many Planescape: Torment fans happy. Check out inXile’s Kickstarter video below.
Even though I prefer swords-and-sorcery settings, I was totally jazzed by Planescape: Torment’s rich storytelling and deep gameplay. It stood out back in 1999 and there really hasn’t been anything like it since. inXile seems very much aware of the legacy it has to live up to. The company is also passionate about games from that era and has talent that worked on some of the best games from the Interplay/Black Isle Studios days. In fact, several key members of the Planescape: Torment team and writers of the Planescape setting for TSR are working on Tides of Numenera. If anyone is equipped to deliver a thematic successor to Planescape: Torment, it’s these guys.
As of this writing, iNxile has reached $1,217,050 in funding, blowing past its original goal in a matter of hours. In the immortals words of Darth Vader, “Impressive. Most impressive.”
Any of you excited for Torment: Tides of Numenera? Will you contribute some Kickstarter funds?
While I’ve generally enjoyed all the Iron Man 3 trailers that I’ve seen, the latest one is easily my favorite. It’s a wonderful blend of action, drama, and scantily clad Gwyneth Paltrow. I’m certain that most of you will agree that this is the most intriguing Iron Man 3 trailer yet. Check out the clip below and share your thoughts on it in the comments section (please!). Continue reading “Iron Man 3 Trailer Kicks Things Up a Notch”
Alice in Vapeland offers a combination of utterly charming presentation and inventive e-liquid flavors. Let’s start with the packaging. The 30ml glass bottles are covered in bubble wrap and placed in a box with multicolored shredded paper. You just feel happy when you open the box. Each bottle has a cute charm that corresponds to its flavor. Aesthetics aside, the juices are high-quality mixes that feature creative flavors. The three covered in this review are Sweet Tease, Mystic Mandalime, and B/W Cookie. While I wouldn’t recommend them for people that prefer in-your-face sweetness, I really enjoyed these e-liquids. The subtle flavors blend together wonderfully for some really unique juices. Here are the breakdowns and steeping notes.
Sweet Tease: This a lemon iced with a wonderful sweet tea flavor that’s complemented by the perfect touch of lemon. I really loved this flavors blend of sweetness and tanginess. It comes together so nicely, but I just wanted more flavor all around. While I definitely enjoyed this e-liquid a lot, I’m certain that I would have been over the moon about it with extra flavoring. This one was just a bit too subtle for me, but still fun to vape.
As far as heat goes, I liked this one best in the 7.0 to 7.5 watt range, which is slightly lower than what I normally use. While the flavor was good at higher wattages, the warmer vape made it slightly strange. I’m pretty sure it was a mental thing. The warmer vape turned iced tea into…tea tea?
Mystic Mandalime: A wonderful blend of mandarin orange and lime, this juice serves up a lovely sweet-and-sour flavor. The mandarin orange and lime complement each other perfectly. This was definitely the sweetest of the three, but still subtle compared to many juices I’ve tried. I was impressed by how this e-liquids bursts with flavor without drowning you with sweetness. This was my favorite of the three by a hair.
B/W Cookie: I had high hopes for this one as a transplanted New Yorker that has been searching for a good black-and-white cookie in California for 13 years. This juice is definitely more chocolate than vanilla. The vanilla flavor is there, but it’s more complementary. This is a mildly sweet juice that’s very flavorful. At lower wattages (7.0 to 7.5), I was getting a chocolate liquor taste. At higher wattages (8.5 and above), I was getting a toasty chocolate taste. Either way, the flavors were fantastic. Along with Mystic Mandalime, I loved this juice.
Steeping Notes
On the advice of Wlad from Ahlusion, I’ve been trying a new steeping method starting December 27, 2012. When the e-liquids arrive, I leave them uncapped for five minutes. Previously, I left them uncapped for about two days. After the liquids are given a few minutes to oxidize, the caps are put back on. The bottles are shaken every day for at least two weeks before vaping.
Sweet Tease
House PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: January 4, 2013 12:22PM
Vaped: February 28, 2013 – March 5, 2013
Mystic Mandalime
House PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: January 4, 2013 12:22PM
Vaped: February 28, 2013 – March 5, 2013
B/W Cookie
House PG/VG ratio, 0mg nicotine
Uncapped: January 4, 2013 12:22PM
Vaped: February 28, 2013 – March 5, 2013
Review Process (Updated February 17, 2013) RPad.TV e-liquid reviews focus on the flavor of the e-liquids, since throat hit and vapor production can be altered by the PG/VG ratio and nicotine level selected. Each juice is vaped over a period of days in an atomizer, a cartomizer/tank setup, and a clearomizer. The exception is naturally-extracted tobacco (NET) juices; since those are known to clog up cartomizers quickly, those are vaped in atomizers and clearomizers.
Square Enix has announced that Thief is in development for PC and next-generation consoles. The game is a “reinvention” of the classic PC titles made famous by Looking Glass Studios. I’m sure that some of you aren’t old enough to remember those games (stop making me feel old!); they were critically lauded and worked on by several notable developers, including Warren Spector, Ken Levine, Doug Church, Seamus Blackley, and Randy Smith. The game is now in the hands of Eidos Montreal.
Here’s what Eidos Montreal general manager Stephane D’Astous had to say about the reboot:
We’re handling a precious gemstone with Thief. Fans remember the original games very fondly and we want to preserve that essence which we have excellent experience of doing at Eidos Montréal, whilst also introducing Thief to a brand new, next-generation, audience. Our goal is to deliver the fantasy of being Garrett, the master thief, and we’re building this game around that core experience.
Thief was a groundbreaking first-person game. Prior to its 1998 release, first-person games were mainly shooters, with an emphasis on action. Thief brought smarter sensibilities to the mix, adding in several adventure and role-playing elements. It changed the perception and expectation of what these kinds of games could be. It sounds kind of quaint in 2013, but 15 years ago this was a big deal.
Any of you remember those early Thief games? If so, are you looking forward to the new one? If not, are you at all intrigued by Square Enix’s announcement?
Back in November 2012, I wrote about Green Throttle Games. The company is being headed up by the guys that helped start the Guitar Hero craze. For its next act, CEO Charles Huang and crew want to turn your Android phone or tablet into your new videogame console. Unlike several of its competitors that are using Android and mobile chipsets to create dedicated consoles, Green Throttle is offering an app and a controller to complement phones and tablets people already have. That’s what the Green Throttle Arena app and Green Throttle Atlas controller are all about.
To give you an idea of how the Arena software works, check out VentureBeat’s video below.
What do you think of Green Throttle’s system? For you Android users out there, it this something you’d buy? For you iOS fanboys, do you think Apple will do something similar with a Bluetooth controller and an enhanced version of Game Center?
Word on the street is that Google will be launching a shopping service with same-day delivery called Shopping Express. According to TechCrunch, Google’s service will be slightly cheaper than Amazon Prime and will allegedly include several well known retailer partners (Target, Walmart, Walgreens,Safeway, and more). Would you be interested in this service? Or is Amazon Prime’s two-day delivery good enough for you?
As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of Amazon Prime. I’ve been a member since the program started and I’ve been thrilled with the value. As an old-school Prime member, I enjoy the service primarily for its fast delivery, but there are many new customers — particularly Kindle Fire owners — that love Prime for its “free” digital media library. While Google Shopping Express will reportedly be cheaper than Amazon Prime, there hasn’t been any mention of a digital media component. The focus appears to be on same-day delivery, as opposed to Prime’s two-day delivery paired with a digital library.
However, Google has digital goods in place and it would be easy for Shopping Express to compete with Amazon Prime feature-for-feature. If Shopping Express offered same-day delivery and a large library of streaming media from Google Play, then it woud truly belong with us among the clouds (Lando Calrissian) be an Amazon Prime killer. If it doesn’t have a digital media component then the “Amazon Prime killer” label many are using is somewhat inaccurate.
Hmmmm, all this talk of same-day delivery is giving me flashbacks to Kozmo.com. My friend James and I totally abused the service when we were living in San Francisco. It was awesome getting same-day delivery of food, drinks, music, adult movies, and more. Have any of you enjoyed services that offer diverse goods online and deliver them the same day you order? Is this something you want or are you cool with old fashioned shopping? Should Google Shopping Express have a digital media component? Or should it focus on delivering your stuff hella fast? Shout it out in the comments section (please)!
March is going to be an outstanding nerd month. On the videogame front, there’s a ton going on with titles like Tomb Raider and BioShock Infinite leading the way. On television, millions of people are counting down the days until March 31, 2013. As some of you know, that’s when the season premiere of Game of Thrones hits. The extended trailer below hints that the third season will have as many epic moments as the first two. As a mark for the books and the TV show, I’m so looking forward to another batch of Game of Thrones episodes.
Check out the clip below and let me know what season three happenings you’re looking forward to. While dragons are always fun, for some reason I can’t wait to see the scene with Brienne in the bear pit. That should be cool.
March is going to be a great month for videogames, with loads of great franchises coming in like a lion. Kicking things off is Tomb Raider. Lara Croft’s return has been getting some great reviews and there’s just something comforting about having her back in the gaming world. MLB spring training is underway, so baseball fans will want to pick up MLB 13 The Show and MLB 2K13. Since my beloved Yankees are old and broken down, the videogame version of the team is probably the closest they’ll get to the world series. If you need to get your ninja on, then Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 is your game of the week. Has a recent overdose of Twilight given you the urge to slay bloodsuckers? Thankfully, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Mirror Fate is here. Lastly, Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk will bring a smile to those of you that miss quirky Japanese RPGs with turn-based combat.
