There's been a few new things appearing around here lately. First off, i got a new keyboard for Trogdor (our desktop machine). The old one was really getting on my nerves: not being able to type fast because of a combination of my poor finger-movement skills and the fact that the keys weren't reliable if you didn't hit it 100% in the right place with the right amount of force in the right direction.

In keeping in the same style as the old one (which I actually like), I picked up the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard, which keeps the laptop-styled keys, but with the added bonus of awesomely cool illumination. I still have to get used to it, but hopefully now my in-game texts and chats will actually start making sense to my fellow online gamers, nt lkie befre. (pun intended).

The other new thing is that we are changing our home-telephony Voice over IP (VoIP) provider. We've been with Engin the past 3 years, but i was getting a bit ticked off at having to pay $10 a month just to access their service when many other providers don't charge an access fee and have similar, if not cheaper, call rates.

I did some digging around, and decided on switching to Pennytel. With them I have no access fees, no minimum commitment, and their call rates are awesome (8c untimed to any landline across the whole country, and 10.5c/min to mobiles). Strangely though, it is actually cheaper for me to call a mobile phone in Cyprus (at 5.75c/min) than an Australian one!

The process hasn't been smooth, but you've got to expect that with electronics and computing, especially if it is saving you a heck-load of money. I'm pretty sure we've ironed out all the bugs now though.

There is some other very noteworthy stuff happening, but nothing I can blog about in this public forum at the moment.