I have a bit of a dilemma. I’ve been anxiously awaiting the release of Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition for OS X. It feels like the iPad and Windows versions were released forever ago. I kept getting annoyed when submission after submission was rejected by the Mac App Store. The good news is that it’s available now for OS X through the Beamdog client. The bad news is that I have a bunch of App Store credit, $20 of which was reserved for Baldur’s Gate. Should I be patient and wait for the Mac App Store release? Or should I go with Beamdog? The former would require waiting and cost me nothing. The latter would give me immediate gratification, though I’d be dealing with an unknown client. What to do?!?
Cinful Apple: A lovely, natural apple flavor dominates the taste of this juice, complemented by a bit of cinnamon. A few vendors make apple-cinnamon e-liquids, but many of them taste the way an apple air freshener smells. This isn’t one of those juices. This is a delicious mix that reminded me of baked apples and spiced apple cider. I liked this one a lot.
Heavenly Waffles: This e-liquid is available with a variety of options, including whipped cream, extra syrup, extra butter, and various fruit/nut toppings. I chose extra maple syrup and whipped cream. While it was a very sweet vape, it also had a surprising amount of complexity. You can taste the individual flavors in this mix — waffle, maple syrup, butter, etc. It comes together brilliantly. I would order this juice again in a heartbeat, but probably get the standard maple syrup level and extra butter. While it was excellent the way I ordered it, it’s too sweet for an all-day vape and more suitable for dessert.
Georgia Peach Tobacco: On paper, this e-liquid should have kicked all kinds of ass. HHV makes great tobacco e-liquids and those cats are from Georgia, so they’re certified peach experts (I believe the documentation is posted on its web site). While you can definitely taste a great peach flavor and a nice tobacco, the flavors clashed and left me with an unenjoyable vape. Individually, the flavors would have been great, but together it didn’t work for me. It’s like they were fighting in my mouth. Considering everything else I’ve had from HHV has been very good to outstanding, I was really disappointed in this juice. That said, it was somewhat comforting to know that HHV is mortal and not everything it makes is wonderful for me.
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.
Cinful Apple
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: January 1, 2013 2:12PM
Vaped February 23-27, 2013
Heavenly Waffles
50/50 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: January 1, 2013 2:12PM
Extra Maple Syrup
Whipped Cream
Vaped February 23-27, 2013
Georgia Peach Tobacco
60/40 PG/VG ratio, 6mg nicotine
Uncapped: October 20, 2012 5:20PM
Recapped: October 22, 2012 5:34PM
Vaped February 23-27, 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.
School House Rock is awesome. Star Wars is awesome. Put the two of them together and you get on overload of awesomeness! Here’s a mashup video featuring School House Rock’s “Interjections” song set to scenes from various Star Wars movies. It’s a really well done video that’s funny, cool, and educational all at once. Continue reading “School House Rock / Star Wars Mashup (Interjections)”
ISPs are starting to reveal precisely how they’re going to punish violators of the Copyright Alert System six-strike anti-piracy policy. My favorite punishment, so far, is from Comcast, which will castigate its customers by being dicks. According to TorrentFreak:
After four alerts the ISP will “hijack” web-browsers of suspected serial pirates with a persistent pop-up notification, making it impossible to browse the Internet. The pop-up will disappear after the customer “resolves the issue” with a Customer Security Assurance professional.
Well…that’s one way to do it. For many people, losing Internet service is a worrisome penalty. Adding obnoxious pop-ups to the mix seems unnecessary. It also costs money to implement the notification system and to pay the Customer Security Assurance professionals that respond to appeals. It’s Comcastic!
*sigh*
This whole thing is a fantastic waste of time and money. It’s so frustrating, but hardly surprising, that ISPs are making huge efforts with the Copyright Alert System instead of taking Internet speeds — and technology that would take advantage of those speeds — to the next level.
I wish ISPs had faces, so that I could punch them.
The Janty MiD One is a really powerful and versatile vaping device that’s easily the most advanced I’ve ever used. As far as power goes, it offers variable-voltage performance up to eight volts and variable-wattage performance up to 25 watts. In terms of versatility, the mod holds four profiles that can house different settings. What makes it different from other top-of-the-line VV/VW mods is that it uses a joystick controller and eschews an alphanumeric screen in favor of an LED display that shows colors. It also pairs with a PC app that gives it capabilities that no other vaping device has, as well as a community aspect.
Like I mentioned in Vaping Diaries #30, the MiD One is similar to buying a videogame. When you purchase a game, you get a complete experience that can be enhanced by buying additional downloadable content. The MiD One offers a number of features out of the box, but can be enhanced by purchasing “modules” that give it additional capabilities.
While it’s clearly a unique, powerful, and versatile device, I have no doubt that it will be one of the most polarizing mods of 2013. It’s just so different from anything else and will elicit strong reactions. The atypical controls and the need to use a PC to get the most out of the device will definitely split people. I’m still forming my opinion on the MiD One. For now, here are some impressions of my ten days with the mod. Please keep in mind that this is a prototype, so the aesthetics will definitely improve, while the functionality has a chance to get better.
Build Quality: The MiD One looks like an eGo-style vaping device, but bigger. The body is made from metal that’s coated with a rubberized plastic that has a nice feel. It’s thinner than most 18650 tube mods, which isn’t surprising since it uses 16340 batteries. The device comes with a 4ml cartomizers with a plastic tip, but it can use any standard 510 atomizers, cartomizers, or clearomizers.
For the most part, the unit’s construction is quality. It feels good in the hand and I really liked the plastic-coated metal body. The one thing I didn’t like was the battery cap. It has a stylish Janty logo on it, but the branding makes the mod slightly unstable while it’s standing vertically. It can stand upright just fine, but a slight shake will cause it to fall. Of course the final model will look prettier, but I hope Janty is able to make logo flatter or make the balance more bottom heavy to add stability.
Controls: Vapers online have been blasting the MiD One’s atypical controls (even though they’ve never used them). As far as the prototype goes, it’s not as bad as some people think, but it’s also not as good as it could be. As you can see from the diagram above, the joystick-and-LED combo allows you to do a lot, but it also requires some studying. Some people will pick things up quickly and get used to the system. Others will never get used to it. Memorizing different numbers of button clicks, button presses, and colors will definitely be a deal-breaker for some people. While I understand some of the technical reasons Janty didn’t go with an alphanumeric display, the company would be having an easier time attracting potential customers with a more traditional system.
In the video above, I used the example of checking atomizer resistance. To do so, it’s three clicks to the left to bring up monitoring, followed by one click to the left for the atomizer. The Janty cartomizer is rated at 2.5 ohms, so the display showed two long flashes followed by five short flashes. While it’s certainly not as convenient as having a full alphanumeric display, it was easy enough for me to remember how to check resistance. That said, I totally understand why some people won’t like checking resistance this way.
As for me, I’m still learning the system and there are definitely times when I need to use the chart for reference. Having said that, I’m confident that it’s something I’d get used to with time. As a gamer, I disagree with the use of analog-stick style controller. Controlling the MiD One would definitely be easier with a D-pad style controller. Again, this is a prototype model. Janty still has time to improve the tactility and accuracy of the joystick.
App: As a tech nerd, I love what Janty is doing with this app. It blends powerful features and community. The interesting feature here is creating different variable-voltage or variable-wattage profiles. You can set a timeline as long as 12 seconds and have the voltage/wattage fluctuate as you wish. This makes for some really novel and never-seen-before vaping possibilities. You can do things like increase power with a drag, start at a high power and decrease with time, create a bell-curve like vape, or spike things all over the place. If you’re not the imaginative sort, you can check out profiles made by other vapers and try them out on your device. As a longtime Internet writer that’s a huge believer in online community, I love this feature.
The “monitoring” page is really cool too. This lets you see — in real time — the amps, voltage, wattage, and battery life of the MiD One, as well as the resistance of the equipment attached to it. I confess to wasting a lot of time vaping while staring at the monitoring screen, for no other reason except to see what’s going on with the equipment while I’m vaping. It’s good, nerdy fun.
The app is only available for Windows PC. If you’re a Mac user then you’ll need to use Bootcamp or Parallels. Janty has an Android app in the works too, which should be exciting. Since my primary work machine is a Mac, I’m disappointed that there isn’t a native app for OS X. To be fair, when Ovale and Joyetech first released the eVic, the app for that mod was initially Windows only.
Modules: As a gamer, I’m totally used to buying this way. I’m not sure older vapers and/or non-gaming vapers will be as receptive. I like that MiD One owners only need to pay for the features they use. This is a good thing.
My favorite module is “Realtime Vaping Enabler.” This lets you adjust the voltage/wattage on the fly by pushing up or down on the joystick. Janty equates this with taking a longer drag or a shorter puff from a tobacco cigarette. The company totally nailed this one.
Initial Impression: I really love how bold Janty is being with the MiD One. It’s a very different approach to vaping that has more in common with modern consumer electronics than other vaping devices. Electronics have become as much about software and services as they are about hardware. That’s what Janty is trying to serve up here.
The thing with being different is that it draws strong reactions. The MiD One hasn’t even been released yet and people are already drawing conclusions. I’ve used a prototype for 10 days and I still think it’s too soon to conclude anything. Janty still has time to improve the MiD One experience. Right now I think the software and services are there, but the hardware needs some smoothing out. There’s enormous potential with the MiD One, but there’s also a chance that it won’t get realized. I’m excited to see if Janty can bring it all together.
In Batman Incorporated #8, Robin (Damian Wayne) was killed. Batman’s fourth sidekick (and biological son) took a heavy beating, including a sword through the heart and getting impaled by so many arrows that he looked like Robin the Boy Pincushion. You’d think he’s a goner, except…
…this isn’t the first time a Robin has died. Jason Todd (Robin II) was murdered by the Joker, yet he’s prancing around as Red Hood these days.
…Damian’s mom is Talia al Ghul. She has access to those nifty Lazarus Pits that have enabled her father to live for hundreds of years. In fact, she used one of them to bring Todd back to life, so of course she’d use one for her own flesh and blood, right?
Then again, this is Grant Morrison we’re talking about. He’s written some incredible comics over the years, but he’s also written lots of head-scratchers. Who knows what he’s thinking? More importantly, what are you thinking? Will Damian Wayne stay dead? Vote in the poll below and expand on your answer in the comments section (please!).
[poll id=”177″]
On a side note, Robin being dead (even if it’s temporary) annoys me. While I enjoyed parts of the Batman “Death of the Family” story arc, I was disappointed that DC didn’t kill off any major characters. It made the whole event less powerful. Killing off Robin just after Death of the Family arc makes the Joker look like a knob. He spent months tormenting the Bat family and couldn’t kill one of them, yet here’s this new character making an impact by killing Robin. Oy.
Sony Computer Entertainment America is holding a sale for the winners of the 2013 PlayStation Network Gamers’ Choice Awards. There are some fantastic games available at great prices, especially if you’re a PlayStation Plus member. Here’s a sampling of what can be nabbed by you bargain hunters out there.
Journey: Sale Price $10.49, PS+ Price $7.34
The Walking Dead Season Pass: Sale Price$13.99, PS+ Price $9.79
Assassin’s Creed III: Sale Price $49.99, PS+ Price $34.99
Gravity Rush: Sale Price $24.99, PS+ Price Free
Hit the source link below to see all the games that are on sale. If you happen to pick anything up, please let me know. I know that most of you don’t have Vitas, but if you do then you should definitely pick up Gravity Rush. It’s a sweet game and available for free!
A few people have asked me why I don’t vape on camera while reviewing e-liquids and e-cigarettes. I recently had a fun conversation on the matter with ECF user MLT910. It was a good question to ask and it was fun thinking about the answers, since they’re things that I take for granted. While one of the reasons I don’t vape on camera is aesthetic, there are several more that are technical. The short, catchall answer is this: it looks dumb and doesn’t tell the viewer anything. If you want a longer answer then here are four reasons why I don’t vape in my reviews.
1) It Looks Stupid — This is purely a matter of opinion, but I think that people look silly when they’re vaping in videos. Many people, myself include, make funny faces while vaping. They’re almost as bad as orgasm faces. It’s awkward and unnatural, and makes videos longer than they ought to be. To be fair, I have used coverage of Raina vaping in a few of my reviews. She’s super cute and most people enjoy looking at her. Most of the reviewers I’ve seen on YouTube…not so much.
2) Equipment and Setup — The main reason people want to see people vape on camera is to get an idea of an e-liquid’s vapor production, but I don’t think vaping on camera delivers that information. There are so many factors that determine vapor production: percentage of vegetable glycerol (VG), the device being used, the voltage or wattage setting, etc. You have to be using the same exact setup as the reviewer — hardware, e-liquid PG/VG ratio, voltage/wattage — to get an idea about the vapor production. Even then, there are technical reasons why this info isn’t conveyed.
3) Compression — Many e-liquid reviews on YouTube are simple webcam recordings that use low-quality video as the source material. My videos are filmed on a pretty good consumer-level HD camera. No matter the source, the videos are compressed when they’re edited. They’re compressed yet again when YouTube processes them. There’s so much detail lost that I don’t think it’s meaningful for an e-liquid reviewer to vape on camera and say it represents a juice’s vapor production. What the reviewer sees while filming is very different from what the viewer sees.
4) Lighting — This is the biggest issue to me and one that most viewers don’t think about. Lighting makes such a huge difference with video. Unless a reviewer’s videos are filmed in a studio under the same lighting conditions, showing vapor is largely meaningless. Again, many YouTube reviews are recorded on a webcam in a person’s room. Vapor in the same room can look very different when recorded under different conditions. The number of lights on, using different types of lightbulbs, the amount of sunlight, the reviewer wearing a white shirt that throws off the camera’s white balance, and more will alter the appearance of vapor. I would bet that most YouTube e-liquid reviewers don’t even think about this.
Additionally, light can be manipulated. Generally speaking, 100 percent VG juice has the most vapor production. With the right lighting, I can make vapor from 100 percent PG juice look just as cloudy.
Conclusion: Considering all the different factors and the way many YouTube e-liquid reviews are recorded, I don’t see a point of vaping on camera. I look silly enough as it is and don’t need to look sillier by vaping in videos. Most importantly, I don’t think it adds anything to reviews. It’s just a waste of seconds that does nothing to inform the viewer.
Thanks again to MLT910 for inspiring today’s Vaping Diary!
Hey guys! Sorry I’ve been MIA today. I’m working on a really complex video piece (and by complex, I mean that I don’t have the equipment that would make this project easy). For now, would you kindly play a game with me (in addition to ShufflePix)? Let’s create some RPad.TV-themed memes using the infamous panel of Batman slapping the bejeezus out of Robin. I’ve posted a really basic example above, but I’m sure you guys and gals will come up with funnier stuff. The meme creator is here. Game on!
My friend Tim posted a link to this sweet alteration to The Powerpuff Girls opening theme. It has Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup decked out as different Avengers! Watch cute versions of Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor do battle with Powerpuffed versions of Galactus, Magneto, Thanos, and more. It’s an adorable clip that should being a smile to even the most jaded comic-book fanboy. Continue reading “Powerpuff Avengers Opening Theme”
