Hi all,
Not to promote a specific product, but we had also the same general
disappointment with the Griffin iTalk mic for previous iPods. 
I'm pleased to say the new Belkin TuneTalk Stereo is finally available from the
Apple Store for Education @ $59.00. I tested one over the weekend and am pleased
with the quality of audio I got.

Belkin's site says they are coming
<http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=277661> 
but Apple has them available now:
<http://store.apple.com/1-800-780-5009/WebObjects/EducationIndividual.woa/602400
4/wo/vtZn2ot9JQWj2wCwNX2wchovXSz/4.PSLID?mco=60B6E300&nplm=TG217LL%2FA>
Info from the site:
>Conveniently capture all those important lectures and interviews in stereo on
your iPod with the Belkin TuneTalk Stereo. You can then review your CD-quality
audio notes later by using your earbud headphones or computer.
>
>Features
>
>    * CD-quality stereo recording
>    * Charge while recording with included cable
>    * Compatible with most cases
>    * External microphone adapter (3.5mm stereo)
>    * One touch navigation for quick memos
>    * Hands-free recording with included stand
>    * Real-time adjustable gain for changing noise levels
>    * Clipping indicator 
>
>Specifications
>
>    * Dimensions (LxWxH): 1.22 x 5.51 x 5.51 in./3.1 x 14.0 x 14.0 cm
>    * Weight: 3.5 oz./99.8 g 
>
>Warranty
>Three years 

Another site has provided more specific details of the recording quality (and
there are a ton of other products for iPod fans to drool over on the page):
<http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/articles/comments/macworld-expo-2006-report-pa
rt-1/>
>We tried two recordings on the device: $E3high$E4 and $E3low$E4 quality. High
quality was 16-bit stereo, 44.1KHz, with a bitrate of 1411kb/sec
(10.3MB/minute), while low quality was 16-bit monaural, 22.05KHz, 352kb/sec
(2.6MB/minute), both in uncompressed
>.WAV format. Audio samples from the device were nearly indistinguishable from
each other, at least from what we could hear on the show floor through Shure
E2cs.

Gus 
_______________________________________
Gus Leonard
Language Laboratory Coordinator
School for World Languages & Cultures $F0  Building 48-119 $F0 California State
University, Monterey Bay $F0 100 Campus Center $F0 Seaside, CA 93955 $F0 Email:
[log in to unmask] $F0 (831) 582-4446 $F0 http://LanguageLab.csumb.edu |
http://tinyurl.com/8ou73.
President, SouthWest Association for Language Learning Technology $F0
http://www.humanities.uci.edu/hirc/SWALLT/


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