Interviews Archives - Page 14 of 25

Vaping Diaries #236: Cartel Mods Gino Litonjua Interview (ECC 2014)

Cartel Mods is one of my favorite American hardware manufacturers in the vaping business. From the first time I saw Cartel Mods hardware, I was enamored by the company’s build quality and workmanship. At ECC 2013, I met the company’s main man — Gino Litonjua — for the first time. I’ve chatted with him a few times on camera since then and it was nice to celebrate our “on-camera vaping anniversary” (that’s a real thing) at ECC 2014.

Cartel Mods had a lively booth at the show, with a “Wheel of Fortune” game where contestants could win a Cartel Mods mechanical mod or atomizer for only $10. The company also released a brass version of its Cartel Boss 26650 mod at ECC 2014. Also on display, was the Stillare v3 — Cartel Mods’ first tri-coil atomizer. Gino gave a great explanation of the benefits of tri-coil atomizers and how the Stillare v3 offers a great blend of intense flavor and heavy vapor.

Lastly, Gino spoke about a new laser-engraving process that Cartel Mods will be using in products released later this year. By manipulating the machine settings, he was able to achieve engravings of different colors. The winner right now seems to be the red engraving.

To learn more about what Cartel Mods is up to, watch the ECC 2014 video interview above.

Vaping Diaries #235: OneUp Vapor Dustin Chang Interview (ECC 2014)

OneUp Vapor is one of the most popular e-liquid brands at one of the vape shops I frequent (the excellent Vape Source in Koreatown). Whenever I drop by, I almost always see someone pick up a bottle of OneUp Vapor’s Jamba Drink e-liquid. At ECC 2014, I dropped by the company’s booth and chatting with sales & marketing exec Dustin Chang. He told me how the company got started and spoke about the OneUp Vapor style of making e-liquids. Dustin also went over several of the company’s flavors and gave details on two upcoming OneUp Vapor e-liquids.

At the show, the company launched its newest flavor — Strawberry Churros and Ice Cream. OneUp Vapor’s Churros and Ice Cream is already a hit and I’m sure that adding strawberry to the mix will delight vapers looking for a fruity dessert e-liquid. Check out the video above to learn more about OneUp Vapor, hear more about some of its popular flavors, and see what’s coming next.

Vaping Diaries #234: Vaping Utopia Kavish Mehta Interview (ECC 2014)

Vaping Utopia e-liquids are a great choice for vapers that love to blow clouds and/or enjoy subtle flavors. As someone that normally dislikes juices with artificial and overpowering qualities, I enjoyed several Vaping Utopia flavors. At ECC 2014, I caught up with company owner Kavish Mehta to get an update on utopian happenings. First up, due to customer demand, he’s switching from the stylish glass bottles to plastic bottles that are more functional. Vaping Utopia also had special edition bottles of its popular mango e-liquid, Shangri La, available at ECC 2014.

Lastly — and most importantly — Kavish gave me a “world exclusive” (Geoff Keighley™) on four of the flavors Vaping Utopia has in development. Two of them are fruit flavors. Kavish seems really confident that his strawberry-guava blend will be a winner and also has high hopes for the lime-coconut e-liquid. Since 2014 has mostly been about savory dessert e-liquids for me (with a healthy dose of naturally-extracted tobaccos, of course), I was excited about Vaping Utopia’s dessert flavors. On that front, Kavish has a tres-leches banana-coconut medley that sounds amazing, as well as vanilla Dole whip with organic honey.

While I’d love for all four of those flavors to be released, Vaping Utopia is currently committed to launching two of them. So leave a comment below and pester the company on social media about the in-development flavors you’d like to see. If you’re undecided, do me a favor and vote for the dessert flavors.

Vaping Diaries #233: Innokin Paul Aaron Hare Interview (ECC 2014)

One of the most interesting booths I visited at ECC 2014 was Innokin’s. The company had a wide variety of vaping products geared towards all sorts of vapers. Thankfully, Innokin chief marketing officer Paul Aaron Hare was on hand to walk me through them. The venerable iTaste SVD is getting updated through a partnership with the excellent Evolv Vapor. The iTaste SVD 2 uses a custom chip called the DNA Experience. One of my favorite things about Innokin is that the company isn’t afraid to take design risks, as seen in the iTaste 134 and iTaste VTR. That tradition continues with the Arachnid and Clockwork mods (both prototypes) displayed at the show. RPadholic N8R and I were both smitten with Innokin’s copper mod, codenamed Torch. This beauty features a Statue of Liberty engraving, which totally appealed to the New Yorker in me. The 134 series is going mechanical, with the 134 MX-M and 134 MX-Z models. Lastly, Innokin had a new rebuildable atomizer called the Exthermal, which resembles a beehive or a ray gun, depending on your point of view.

Innokin has long been my favorite vaping company out of China and it’s continuing to broaden its reach. The company has always excelled with beginner and intermediate devices. Its variable-voltage and variable-wattage devices have been strong too. It’s great to see the company branching out with mechanical mods and rebuildable atomizers, both of which should appeal to advanced vapers. Throughout the entire product line, Innokin offers relatively low prices and solid build quality. While so many Chinese vaping companies pump out clones, it’s great to see a company like Innokin working on original products that are great for all sorts of vapers. Be sure to check out the video above to see Innokin’s latest and greatest, as described by the company’s chief marketing officer, Paul Aaron Hare.

Vaping Diaries #232: D2 E-Liquid Dillon Dygert Interview (ECC 2014)

As a fan of complex dessert e-liquids, I was happy to meet D2 E-Liquid (pronounced D-Squared) president Dillon Dygert at a recent United Vapers event. The company currently specializes in bakery and dessert juices with a lot of layers. After chatting with Dillon at ECC 2014, I was even more impressed by D2 E-Liquid. I love how the company emphasizes safety; throughout the D2 E-Liquid juice-making process, all the ingredients touch glass. It’s more expensive to produce e-liquid this way, but ensuring that all the ingredients stay in contact with glass (and never touch plastic) prevents contaminants from seeping into the juice. This pricey process delivers purity of flavor and a higher level of safety.

As for the juices themselves, D2 E-Liquid started with two flavors and released one shortly thereafter. At ECC 2014, the company launched a new flavor. Watch the video above to learn all about D2 E-Liquid’s four flavors, how the company got started, how it produces its juice, and more.

Vaping Diaries #231: Hot Import Nights and Surefire Vapor at ECC 2014

Out of the 30+ interviews the RPadTV crew filmed at ECC 2014, my chat with Surefire Vapor co-founder Mike McNeely and Hot Import Nights CEO Michael Munar was the only one that was crashed by several beautiful models. That, my friend, is a lovely thing. If you’ve been paying attention to Surefire’s marketing efforts then you know that the company is branching out like no other vaping company by pursuing crossover relationships. Mike and Michael talk about the collaboration between Hot Import Nights and Surefire Vapor, how the two communities intersect, and more. At ECC 2014, Surefire showed off the 26650 King Kong Mod. At the next Hot Import Nights event in San Pedro, CA, the company will debut the dual-26650 Suicide King Mod.

I’m a fan of Surefire Vapor on several levels and one of the reasons I appreciate the company is that it’s helping advanced vaping become mainstream. While you can see products like Blu and Njoy in several mainstream settings, the same can’t be said for vast majority of advanced vaping devices. Yes, getting exposure through Hot Import Nights is fantastic for Surefire Vapor, but it’s also healthy for the vaping business as a whole. Getting more and more people exposed to high-end mechanical mods, rebuildable atomizers, etc. is a great thing for the entire vaping industry.

Anyway, I’m sure that many of you will be watching the video just to see Lilly Evans, Mis Morning Star, Victorya Van Tran, Sally Mia Kior, Diamy Att, Kairi Dreme, Gwendolynne Gee, and the the other ladies. Oh yeah, there may or may not be a couple of cameos by a certain Calivapers personality and a certain Surefire exec too!

Vaping Diaries #230: Cuttwood Austin Hopper Interview (ECC 2014)

Cuttwood is one of the fastest-growing e-liquid companies in vaping. Earlier in the year, it had a hugely popular hit in Unicorn Milk, but there was also some controversy about titanium dioxide found in the juice’s coloring. At ECC 2014, I caught up with Cuttwood president Austin Hopper to learn how the company got started, how he dealt with the Unicorn Milk situation, the company’s current lineup, and the upcoming Boss Reserve line. Despite the titanium dioxide issue, Cuttwood has become wildly successful, according to some numbers I was given from a third party (seriously impressive).

In addition to Unicorn Milk, Cuttwood currently has Monster Melons and Sugar Bear in its lineup. The former is obviously a fruit flavor, while the latter is a milky cinnamon e-liquid that’s reminiscent of sweet cereal. Austin didn’t reveal all the details on Boss Reserve, but noted that it has hazelnut flavor and a smokey taste.

The Cuttwood booth was really hopping at ECC 2014. The company drew thousands of fans with free juice, caps, t-shirts, and more. While I’ve met hundreds of friendly people in the vaping business, Austin is one of the most gregarious I’ve encountered. It was fun chatting with him as I learned more about his company. While I’ve enjoyed Unicorn Milk and Sugar Bear, I’m really looking forward to Boss Reserve. From the way Austin described it, the flavor profile seems right up my alley.

Check out the ECC 2014 clip above to get to know Cuttwood and Austin Hopper.

Vaping Diaries #229: The Stash Box DNA 30 Donny Sirivisut Interview (ECC 2014)

Evolv DNA 30 box mods are all the rage in 2014 and the coolest one I’ve seen — by far — is The Stash Box. Made from aircraft aluminum and utilizing a design that houses an atomizer within the mod’s body, The Stash Box is rugged yet light. Its novel design makes it stand out, while also making the mod extremely functional. While there are several box mods that allow vapers to enjoy the benefits of the excellent DNA 30 chip, I haven’t seen one as unique and stylish as The Stash Box. At ECC 2014, I caught up with the mod’s creator, Donny Sirivisut, to learn more about the mod and its design. Donny also teases some details on his next project — The Smash Box. This collaboration with Mankos Mods will have similar features to The Stash Box, but with a wood body.

Now please excuse me, as I go dream about a custom Stash Box with an RPadTV logo engraved on it….

Vaping Diaries 228: Five Pawns Black Flag Fallen Interview (ECC 2014)

Five Pawns is one of my favorite e-liquid companies in vaping. I enjoy the complexity and layers of many Five Pawns juices and really appreciate how the company pushes the envelope on the juice side of the vaping business. Coming in December 2014 is the company’s Black Flag Fallen. At ECC 2014, Five Pawns founder & president Rodney Jerabek told me about this exciting e-liquid. While he wouldn’t reveal all the details of the ingredients at this time, Rodney spoke about some of the core flavors of Black Flag Fallen, such as espresso and black truffle cream. He also spoke about the black-and-chrome box and bottle design, which retains the Five Pawns style while also standing out. Lastly, Rodney talked about a contest-like bottling program for the first run of Black Flag Fallen. Similar to the phenomenal Castle Long Reserve, a single barrel of Black Flag Fallen produces 134 bottles of e-liquid. In a single batch, 133 bottles of Black Flag Fallen will come in clear glass bottles, while one comes in a frosted black glass bottle. If you happen to snag the black bottle then you’ll get a special treat from Five Pawns. It’s like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but with vaping!

Watch my chat with Rodney to learn more about Black Flag Fallen’s flavor, packaging design, and more.

Fenix Rage Preview Interview With Ted Lange

If you’re looking for an old-school hardcore platformer then you should definitely check out Fenix Rage. The game is being developed by Green Lava Studios and published by Reverb Triple XP. Fenix Rage is a relentlessly difficult platform game that’s extremely addictive and has lots of replay value. Some gamers that have watched videos of the game believe that it’s the next Super Meat Boy.

In addition to the brutally challenging main game, there are a few things that help Fenix Rage stand out. If you get tired of dying, you can take a break with the game’s arcade mode. This mode contains a number of diversions that use the same game mechanics and controls of the main game, but without the supremely challenging difficulty. If you want an under-the-hood view of Fenix Rage then you’ll definitely want to check out the “Fenix Box” levels. These levels give you a stripped down look of the game, showing off its tight controls and precise hit detection. Lastly, Fenix Rage makes outstanding use of cookies. Confections are collected in the game and play a part in the story. Actual cookie recipes and baking instructions can be unlocked in the game. One of the developer’s sisters is an avid baker and contributed her recipes to the game.

Check out the interview above with Reverb Triple XP executive producer Ted Lange. He provides copious details on Fenix Rage. For additional info on the game, be sure to check out the Fenix Rage coverage on PaulSemel.com.

A nifty side note about the game — some of its character and level designs were influenced by SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron. I totally forgot about that cartoon until Ted mentioned it. Good times.

Fenix Rage will hit Steam and other PC digital distribution platforms on September 24, 2014. The game will hit the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles in early 2015.