iG.STUDiO: Ilya I. Gerasimenko

I absolutely love this little gadget. It does what it says it does, and does it very well. You just have to know what to expect. In my testings, the device recorded the sound of saxophone equally well through the internal and external microphone (I used Shure SM58, just because I have it, I would imagine that the quality can only be better if one uses more advanced studio recording equipment). The recording of a full range performance through the internal mics, taken from the middle of the small auditorium, came noticeable dry on the bottom, just as one would expect from a small handheld mics; once again, using a high-end external mic would definitely improve the results. The recording of the same performance from the mixer's "line out" was absolutely perfect: I use backing tracks and play live over them; the backing tracks sounded identical to the original ones, and our playing and singing over them was captured just as it was going into the system through the stage mics

I do hate the annoying gnome, but that's not the reason. We (my wife and I) just had a very strange and unpleasant experience with online booking through Travelocity. It started in a pretty normal way—on Friday she booked a flight for her father, who doesn't have a computer, so she usually does it for him, I printed the e-ticket, put it into an envelope, mailed it to Cincinnati, where he resides, and we went on with our life. That wasn't it, though. Next day, in the evening, my cellphone starts ringing, I cross the room to pick it up, it stops. Missed call. From... let me see... a person named "0050". Not that I know anybody by that name, and no voicemail message left. Whatever. Back to dinner. Three hours later I go to the computer to check email, to find three messages from memberservices@travelocity.com First message - at 6PM (about 24 hours after original booking): 1."...For the protection of our valued customers, all reservations are subject to review by

I seriously think that LOST is a phenomenal show, being made by the group of individuals who have balls of the size of melons. The latter is the only explanation of the confidence they exude when faced with necessity to further develop the convoluted story lines of the plot which a) never existed b) collapsed several times already during previous attempts to develop what never existed to start with and c) still not coming together (really? alternate reality is the cheapest cop out there is, next to the person waking up and realizing that all of it was a dream...). I can only admire the commitment of that team, and extend my deepest sympathy to the writers who actually have to put words on paper, and make them sound natural without conveying any sense (which looks more and more like a policy of the show, like "no direct question should be dignified with an answer, ever" or "if in doubt, make a character tell a random lie or cry")—amazing writing indeed.