The DS-50 is specifically designed for creating and listening to podcasts. It can record at CD quality (also known as a 44.1 kilohertz sampling rate) and connects to any PC with a USB cable. It can also play back MP3 and WMA files, allowing it to double as an audiobook reader and music player.
The recorder's microphone can clip to a tie or lapel, allowing the recorder to remain unobtrusive. Its 1GB of memory can hold around 275 hours of audio at average quality. Voice prompts describe current settings and audibly confirm commands.
The DS-50 also has less expensive kin: the DS-30 with 256 megabytes of memory, and the DS-40 with 512 megabytes.
While almost anything can record audio these days, only the DS-50 can do it while nestled discreetly in a pocket.
FOR THE WELL-DRESSED IPOD, A LEATHER JACKET
Like reggae? Encase your iPod in Rasta colors. Rooting for Manchester United or the Giants? Get an iPod case in your team colors. Vaja offers its i-Volution cases in thousands of color combinations, all in Argentine leather.
The i-Volution cases start at US$70 and cover the front and back of the iPod. They include click-wheel protectors and cutouts for the iPod's ports.
Available styles include the SP, with a sporty racing stripe (US$90); the World Cup (US$90), which comes in any of 31 combinations; and the Leather Suit (US$70), which covers the iPod in a tight sheath of cowhide. With the SP and Leather Suit designs, a buyer can choose an iPod color, base color and stripe color, and preview the finished product online. Vaja can also laser-etch one line of text on the back for US$10 or a graphic for US$30. The cases are available at www.vajacases.com.
Vaja makes cases for other devices, including the Creative Zen and Microsoft Zune, as well as a Palm Treo case with silver accents.
A GUITAR THAT PLUGS INTO A COMPUTER
With the right equipment, future guitar virtuosos and Stairway to Heaven fanatics don't have to be chained to bulky amplifiers in the basement to practice and record their riffs. Hammacher Schlemmer offers the PC Recording Studio Guitar, a six-string electric instrument that comes with a USB port to connect it directly to a PC or Mac.
Once the guitar is plugged in, the computer's sound system serves as an amplifier. The guitar draws all the power it needs from the USB cable, and it comes with recording software to create digital audio files.
The PC Recording Studio Guitar, available for US$200 at www.hammacher.com, is a solid-body model with 22 frets, a maple neck and three single-coil pickups. It includes a standard 1/4-inch jack for plugging into a regular amplifier, in case you are interested in more traditional ways of making music. For those who need to practice quietly, the guitar has a stereo headphone output that lets you hear your session while connected to the computer.
RSS