I've had an Elgato TV tuner stick attached to my iMac and before that to a Mac Mini for a couple of years. But last week I upgraded to the new Elgato Diversity which, despite being little bigger than a USB memory stick, contains two separate tuners so you can record two programmes at the same time. 
The updated software now includes a form of series link so you can automatically record every transmission of a particular show. There's even a setting to get the tuner to ignore repeats. So far, everything has worked well and I am building up a store of shows which I can copy to my MacBook Pro for when I travel. Another useful benefit is the free year's subscription to the German programming guide, tvtv. I've subscribed for a number of years and found it useful. When away from home you can access the tvtv site and tick off the programmes you want to record. Every hour or so the Elgato software on the home computer checks for updates and adds any requests to the schedule. Last, but certainly not least, the Diversity transforms my 24in iMac into a fully fledged television with all the facilities you'd expect from a dedicated set. Buying the Elgato Diversity has stopped me from upgrading my Humax HDD recorder which, with its 160GB disk and annoying clicking noise, is nearing the end of its life. I now feel confident in using the Elgato system which brings greater flexibility, particularly in choice of disk storage and the ability to back up and copy programming.

The new Cinema 24in Cinema display arrived at the nerve centre and is now resplendently established next to my MacBook Pro. It's taken the best part of two months to get the two together, despite ordering them on the same day. But it's worth it. I now have an identical set-up to that demonstrated in Apple Stores worldwide for the past three months. My MB Pro sits on the excellent Griffin Elevator stand which raises the computer to just the right height to sit alongside the Cinema Display. The new LED display is brighter than my previous 20in unit and makes full use of the 1920×1200 resolution (compared with 1440×900 on the adjacent Pro). The whole set-up is amazing and I'm enjoying moving windows around the two displays. I'm using the larger screen as the workbench and "parking" other windows on the Pro's screen. This is ideal for keeping an eye on the progress of backups, the state of the Mail window or other less-used apps. A bit plus point of the new LED display is the simple single cable which serves the magsafe power, USB and display sockets on the left-hand side of the computer. This makes for efficient and sightly cable management; it also leaves the standard power unit as a spare for travelling. You can leave it in the bag so you don't forget it. It's the nearest we've had to a true docking station for the MacBook line and, so far, it is an ideal arrangement for me. 

Another small point on data security: the disks in the new unibody MacBooks and MacBook Pros are very easy to remove since they sit inside the new compartment housing the battery. It's a few seconds' work to whip out the drive and this is something that could happen to you, even if a thief leaves the computer. As always, the information on the drive is probably worth more to you than the computer itself. So this is another reason to use PGP whole disk encryption. A stolen HDD is absolutely useless if it is encrypted.

Back in October I was sitting on an Athens tram (pre riots) listening to one of those excellent podcasts from Victor Cajiao's Typical Mac User. This particular podcast centred on data security and whole-disk encryption from PGP. Most of us are a bit slapdash when it comes to protecting our private information. And the modern laptop can contain tons of useful stuff, from bank statements to passwords–even your address book. In fact, if you lose an unprotected laptop these days it is very simple for someone to steal your identity. Even our Government has been adept at losing unprotected laptops on trains or from cars. 

So Victor's timely words were comforting and I have since been mulling over the pros and cons of whole (or full) disk encryption. This is a method of encrypting the entire hard disk, including the boot sector, so that it is virtually impossible to access without the all-important private key. I'm assured that James Bond would have problems. I have now taken the plunge and installed PGP Desktop  on my new MacBook Pro and everything went according to plan, just as Victor promised. The 140GB of data on my 320GB disk took about seven hours to encrypt, so I left it running overnight. 

This morning all was finished and I took the fateful step of rebooting. My heart missed several beats when the PGP box was the first thing to come up on the screen. I entered my private key, a passphrase which I can remember but which is quite complex, and was delighted (if a bit surprised) that it was accepted and start-up continued in the normal manner. According to Victor and the various threads I've browsed on the PGP forums, encryption is entirely transparent while the computer is running: No loss of speed, no problems with software. And yes, before you ask, I did do a complete backup before installing PGP. PGP Desktop cost me about £100 and I'll be reporting on progress over the next few months. 

I have now acquired my second iPhone, linked to a contract with Vodafone Greece (the local Apple partner). This time I chose a white one to differentiate between the Greek phone and the black O2 London phone. On balance, having played with both, I think I prefer white. Somehow the phone looks slimmer and sleeker. 

The arrival of the new aluminium MacBooks and upgraded MacBook Pros makes the choice of a new mobile computer even more difficult. In the past I've had MacBook Pros, in both 15in and 17in format, and one black MacBook. Currently I'm using a MacBook Air which I bought earlier this year, just after the introduction, and I have been very satisfied. I opted for the 64GB solid-state disk, the first time I've experienced this form of storage in a laptop, and I appreciate the silence, the quick wake from sleep and the subjectively quicker start-up time. 

Using the internet can counteract the age-related physiological changes that cause the brain to slow down, according to a report from the University of California. It is already accepted that tasks such as crossword puzzles stimulate and exercise the brain and keep the effects of ageing at bay. 

Am I alone in wondering about the effectiveness of Bluetooth headsets? I've been trying out the iPhone Bluetooth headset and love the design and the nifty way of charging via the combined iPhone/headset adaptor cable. It works well, although I have experienced some of the problems I've noticed with previous in-ear bluetooth devices. Callers often claim they cannot hear you properly. You do have to shout a bit. I have also never liked the multi-function single button–one press for this, two quick presses for that. I'm often left wondering just what is happening and what I've initiated.

I have tried the Apple device over several days but am not convinced that it is for me. I feel a bit nerdy wearing it in my ear and, frankly, it isn't all that secure. I can imagine it falling out and getting lost. I actually prefer the standard wired headset/microphone which comes with the iPhone. At least I can listen to music or a podcast and select a call easily. And callers are not always complaining. I have now improved on this by the purchase of the Sennheiser iPhone earphones. They are very comfortable, the sound is great and the microphone (with activation button) is very conveniently placed on the cable. Also, I have the feeling that it is less nerdy to appear to be listening to an iPod than to be ever ready for a phone call by wearing a bluetooth device.