Gamers may remember Contra and the famous Konami code, shared by friends playing video games together in living rooms all over the world. Entering this secret code at the title screen would grant extra lives and give players a boost so they could beat some of the most challenging games.
Contra by Konami (1988)
This secret code gave those that knew it an advantage in the game and respect from their friends. Leaked by chance and spread by word of mouth, the Konami code quickly became a part of our lives and a legend in the gaming industry. Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, START the Konami code is now a part of popular culture and a symbol of gaming.
The code to unlock the new generation of vape technology
You may be wondering why I am writing about this secret code in an article about new vape tech. It's because Innokin, one of the leading e-cigarette brands, recently sent me a prototype of an unreleased new vaporizer, with a secret that reminds me of the Konami code from the game industry.
The vape that Innokin sent to me is still an engineering prototype. I was told that the final product name has not been decided yet and 'Find F' was written on the side of the prototype. Interestingly, this product has a hidden function named 'Fø' that is locked. 'F' is described as a new generation of e-cigarettes with unprecedented vape technology, never seen before in the industry. It's true, the most exciting feature of this vaporizer is locked and requires a code to activate it.
The user interface to unlock the F0 mode
Why locking the new vape technology behind a code?
This made me curious, why would a e-cigarette include an unlockable secret code challenge? On the one hand, I was surprised by Innokin's creativity and for being bold enough to apply a game tactic to a vaporizer. This is the first product that I know of in the e-cigarette industry. What is the purpose of this? Is it a marketing strategy to get more attention or to show off the importance of a new feature? Will vapers enjoy this challenge?
I asked the team at Innokin why they locked the new technology behind a secret code. They replied that it was all about the launch of this revolutionary vape tech and they wanted to give something fun for the industry and vapers.
How to Decode it and "Find F"?
"This new function is a bonus for vapers," said the product's developer, Dr. Ivan Zhao. "It is completely different from existing vape products on the market. The product is an exceptional vape product even without this locking new function, of course, with the code, you will gain access to the new generation of e-cigarettes with exciting new advantages for vapers. There are three main ways to get the code, one way is to decode it by yourself. The code is not very difficult and can be found with some ingenuity. Vapers who are interested in solving the code by themselves can challenge themselves and have some fun. Secondly, Innokin will release the code on Social media and in forums where you can work with the vaping community to discover the code. The third is that this new technology will unlock automatically after using the device, so you only have to vape to activate the bonus Fø mode.”
What does the F stand for?
On the other hand, what is this F that would define it as the next generation of vape technology? What does F stand for? Future? Fortune? Flavour? First? Fun? It's kind of like buying a blind box, what kind of mystery is inside?
As an experienced vaper, I hope that this new technology greatly improves the performance of e-cigarettes. I haven't received the code from Innokin yet, I'm going to try to solve it by myself and see if I am lucky enough to find the "Konami secret" of this new vape technology. Find F. What is it? I'm excited to find out.
This article is also available in Français.
