Media Centre bot manages recordings via MSN Messenger
Right, here's another tick in the "You want Windows Media Centre" column for the PVR-searchers amongst us; Casey Chestnut, swell programmer, has made a fantastic MSN Messenger bot that lets you programme your MCE-running computer to record via a conversation online. Considering there are more and more cellphones with a mobile version of Messenger, it pretty much means that wherever you are it'll be possible to update your timer list.
We're not talking simple on/off control, either; the Mobile Record Client lets you review already scheduled recordings, search for new shows by title, actor or keyword, browse by a number of characteristics (e.g. channel, time, rating) and then set the timer either from listings or manually. Conflicts are flagged up and it'll even give the option to record an entire series should you select one episode from it. When Microsoft's Speech Server 2007 is released you'll even be able to tell your PVR what to record.
The Mobile Record Client is a free download with ongoing development.