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Tape recorders killed off those record-your-own-voice booths, in which people recorded a message or song on a wax record disc. But VM Communications of the UK wants to revive the idea (WO 03/034357). Its new booth is a mini TV studio with camera, microphone, hard disc recorder and lights. For a fistful of coins, the system offers a choice of pre-recorded background locations for a cheesy video greeting. Your recording is played back from the hard disc for your approval, and then burned on a blank CD or DVD. The disc is spat out of a slot – ready-packed for posting.