We got so excited setting up the VoIP system at my office that we decided to set it up at my home, too.  We didn't have a PBX to worry about so could choose pretty much any hardware we wanted.  We decided on a Linksys SPA921 IP phone.

In the world of all things wireless, it seems that corded phones are marketed at those who can't or don't wish to afford a cordless phone.  Thus, to keep prices low, quality is often low.  For ages, we've wanted a really nice corded phone...but we haven't been able to find one, until now.

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A company that we deal with has been using VoIP for ages and loves it, so we decided it wouldn't do for us not to have the same shiny toys.  The thought of saving $100 a month made things even better.

Looking for Mango's recommended PAP2T settings?  Scroll down.

For those of you who are just joining us, the PAP2T is known as an Analog Telephone Adapter or ATA.  It allows you to use any standard telephone or PBX and route your calls over the Internet using VoIP.  VoIP is typically less expensive than a typical phone line because a VoIP provider does not have to deal with costs of infrastructure such as running phone lines to customers.

The provider that was recommended to us was DigitalVoice.ca.  (Edit: Due to subsequent service quality issues, we do not recommend this provider any longer.  We still recommend the PAP2T very highly.) We bought a PAP2T to test them out and were pleasantly surprised. We had a horrific experience with a different provider called Primus a few years ago, and we expected quality loss at the very least.  Call quality with PAP2T using the G.711 codec was actually better than an analog phone line!

The reason we like this device is that it can be configured to do practically everything but card tricks.  For example, the Linksys/Cisco dial plans are the best we've seen on any ATA.

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Mrs. Mango and I have a diesel Smart car, which I just absolutely love.  He holds a surprisingly large amount of cargo (such as enough equipment for a two-camera video shoot along with the operators), he's all kinds of fun to drive, and as a bonus he's cheaper than the bus.  We've even named him.  Affection aside, I made a Google map with locations of all the Diesel Stations in Vancouver, BC that I could find.  This of course required going to the computer and looking up the map any time we needed gas in an unfamiliar area.  So when I got a TomTom GO720 GPS, I thought it would be a grand idea to create a POI list of the Google map.

As it turned out, this was VERY much easier said than done.

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Well, I've tried CD Stomper, LightScribe, and now this.  My only regret is that I wish I had tried this first!

CD Stomper was...well, paper labels.  'Nuff said.

LightScribe worked relatively well, but it was slow, the media was expensive, and the finished product only looked satisfactory.

The Signature Z1 works like a hot damn!

The Signature Z1 is a thermal printer for CD and DVD labels.  Instead of ink like an inkjet printer would use, it uses a ribbon and heat-transfer technology to transfer your designs to a disc.  And it's FAST!  An entire disc will take less than a minute to print.  There's no worrying about getting a paper label on straight.  And the best thing is, inexpensive, generic, unbranded discs not only work, they're in fact recommended.

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I've been wanting a mixer for ages and finally picked one up.  I chose a Yamaha MW10.  It has a nifty little USB interface that, in essence, allows it to perform as an external sound card - perfect for people like me who previously thought they were destined to a lifetime of less-than-excellent-quality laptop sound.  I was able to install it in no time flat - all that was necessary was plugging in a USB cable.

The mixer is nice and compact - small enough to fit in a backpack if necessary, but big enough to look cool.  And, in the end, isn't that what owning gear is really all about?

I've only attempted to record piano music twice in the last eight or so years, but I decided this would be an excellent way to test out the new mixer.  After much frustration before discovering that my piano (Yamaha P250) liked being recorded in stereo, and NOT under ANY circumstances in mono, I was able to come up with a relatively decent rendition of Dan Hill's "Sometimes When We Touch". I hope you enjoy.