iBece.org

In the beginning, there was the VCR. People would often use it to record their favourite shows to watch again (and again), and some more-technically inclined even mastered its ability to timer record shows when they weren’t around. The picture was wobbly, the tapes quickly piled up, but it was all we had. Mostly though, people were slaves to the networks, and rarely did the VCR feature prominently in day-to-day TV viewing. Then came the Personal Video Recorder (PVR). Mums and wives and other double-X-chromosomed individuals could now program it to record TV with the touch of a button. We could watch what we wanted, when we wanted. We could pause and rewind live TV. We could even do away with all those piles of tapes. Or could we? Sooner or later, as I found out, every PVR (even Foxtel’s very capable iQ) is going to want to be married to a DVD recorder. If you’re starting out on this journey, read on to find out the least painful way to go about it.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been very vocal for a long time about the lack of slim and sexy mobiles. It seemed that for years manufacturers were obsessed with features and devices got progressively fatter and heavier. Nokia, the original champion of sleek (beginning with the 8210), became the worst offender. Even when Samsung and Motorola brought back slim last year, Nokia continued to flood the market with unpocketable bricks. Until now.

The new Nokia 6300, successor to my 6100, is everything that has been missing in Nokia’s line up for the last four years. I’ve held onto my old 6100 for precisely the reason that no other alternative existed. In desperation I had begun flirting with the idea of Samsung or Sony-Ericsson. Finally, Nokia has come to their senses and realised that affordable style (with a compromise on features) is a viable market. I dare say, this will be my next phone. Here is why. Read the rest of this entry »