The autumn TV schedules are causing me a bit of a headache. Do I watch Hex or Carnivàle, The West Wing or Stargate Atlantis (or Champions League Football), Long Way Around or Spooks? The TV companies are really battling for viewing figures this season. Something has to give...

It's time to turn to toys. I need some sort of hard disk recorder that can record the programmes that clash. As I have a Sky subscription, it's a bit of a no-brainer, it has to be a Sky+ box. They have also just released a new version with 160GB (80 hrs) storage and a subscription deal that makes it only £150 more expensive than the standard model.

A couple of clicks on a web site, Google AutoFill for the credit card details and it'll be here next Friday. Sweet.