Singers and podcasters take note, Blue Microphone recently released the Yeti, an affordably priced premium microphone and the world's first to be THX-certified.

The Yeti is a USB mic, and it offers high quality recording by using Blue's premium condenser capsules in a proprietary triple capsule array. You'll get studio-quality performance with zero latency, amplified headphone monitoring, a microphone mute, and hardware-based gain adjustment.

"Blue Microphones recognizes THX as a benchmark within the industry for professional audio production and playback," says John Maier, CEO of Blue Microphones. "We, are honored to be recognized as their first partner for audio input."

The Yeti will be available in December at Apple, CompUSA, Fry's, Guitar Center, and other consumer electronics shops for an MSRP of $149.99.

There are a lot of eye-catching iPhone and iPod cases out there, but for the most part they look like they were designed for a young, hip audience. Your options can be limited if you're looking for something more on the elegant and graceful side. Two new cases from Griffin, however, are going to change that.

By partnering with design firm Chilewich Sultan, Griffin is launching the Griffin + Chilewich line of accessories. Its first product, the Elan Form Chilewich, is made of woven vinyl and comes in two shades of gray.

The case is built on a polycarbonate shell, which is covered with woven vinyl that has the appearance of cloth. Vinyl yarn has a sheen that cloth doesn't have, however, and is both durable and easy to clean.

The Elan Form Chilewich ($39.99) is available at Griffin's site, as well as the Apple Store and MoMA Design Store.

Call it a portable projector for audio. SMK-Link has unveiled the GoSpeak! Pro, a bizarre-looking folding PA (public address) speaker system that weighs less than five pounds and fits in a laptop bag.

The company designed the GoSpeak! Pro for gatherings of up to 200 people. It contains flat-panel NXT technology SurfaceSound speakers, and works with an optional Audio-Technica Wireless Microphone System. All of the requisite controls, quarter-inch jacks, and AC port are on the back panel.

The GoSpeak! Pro will list for $399, while a version packaged with the Audio-Technica setup costs $499. Look for the GoSpeak! Pro this month in consumer retail outlets, online reseller channels, and direct from the company's dedicated GoSpeak! Pro website.

Looking for an adorable and easily stealable way to consolidate the entire Beatles catalog? Have no fear, EMI has your back. The record conglomerate may still be at odds with iTunes when it comes a digital release for the fab four, but that doesn't mean there aren't, um, more creative distribution methods. Take this new Apple-shaped USB key from the company, which features 14 Beatles albums, 13 mini-documentaries, and all of the requisite art work.

The USB Apple is being released worldwide in a limited edition of 30,000 on December 7th (December 8th in North America). The 16GB Apple offers songs in FLAC 44.1 Khz 24 bit and MP3 320 Kbps. This key will set you back $279.99. You can pre-order it now from the official Beatles store.

iLuv, that is one serious-looking alarm clock you've got there. Is it just me or is there something menacing about it? Maybe it's the devil horns, or the scary tornado warning in the press picture. It means well, though: The iLuv iMM183 has two iPod/iPhone docks, not, presumably, for waking up to two songs at once, but for charging two devices. It also displays National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) emergency weather alerts and includes a weather band radio.

Besides being a weather alert, the iMM183 looks to be a pretty strong small room stereo, as well. It includes an FM radio with six presets, treble and bass control, and a remote. Sure, the $149 price tag is high, and you might need a bigger bedside table to hold this thing, but it's interesting to see the clock radio evolve into a home information center. Just sleep with one eye open, in case it comes after you.

 

HP's reworked MediaSmart home servers now get along better with Macs, function better as photo-video servers within your home on across the Internet, and use faster processors. They will, for instance, automatically convert and rip to the server any DVD video on your PC. Any unprotected DVD, that is. The two models are the MediaSmart EX490, $550 with one 1 TB hard drive and Intel Celeron processor, and the MediaSmart EX495, $700 with a 1.5TB drive and an Intel Pentium Dual Core processor. Earlier versions, including the HP MediaSmart EX487, have won PCMag.com's Editors' Choice award for home servers.

One of the most useful new features is the Media Collector, which searches for and copies over media files across Macs and PCs. But if you've got, say, 12 copies of the same song, it only copies them over twice, once for the studio version that runs 3:51 and once for the live version that runs 4:08, along with pointers to all the locations.

No, you haven't seen the last of the iPod Nano 5G cases. iSkin has just introduced two lines as versatile as they are attractive. First up is the iSkin Duo ($29.99, above), silicone cases that come in two styles: frost and ninja. Frost adds a frosty tint that still lets your iPod's color come through. Ninja covers any Nano in sleek black. Both come with a face shield to protect the screen, a removable rotary belt clip, and a charging port cover.

Next up is the iSkin Vibes ($24.99), and it's worth clicking over to see the line. Vibes are clear thin cases in four patterns, letting you see your Nano's natural color with a little pattern added in. They come with a wrist strap and a screen shield. You can pick up an armband ($14.99) at the same time, making the Vibes case perfect for working out.

Are you a mom who wears headphones on your belly to help pass the time for your unborn child? Well, I have good news: "There's an app for that!" It's called iTunes, and you can pair it with the new Lullabelly Prenatal Music Belt, available now for $49 or $55 (with packaged headphones for mom, too). I haven't tried one out yet (know any unborn babies looking for freelance work?), but the device seems straightforward enough--and I doubt your kid will start kicking if the speakers lack rich-sounding bass.

The Prenantal Music Belt from Lullabelly ships in three colors--Pink, Green, or Blue with polka dots--and is available as a Standard Package (speakers only) for $49, or as a Deluxe Package (with a dual earphone adapter and earphones so you can listen along) for $55 from Lullabelly.com.

Shure's SE115  recently joined the realm of iPod and iPhone-friendly earphones. The SE115m+ incorporates Apple iPod and iPhone remote controls and a microphone into its cable. Fully compatible with the iPhone 3GS and the latest generations of iPods, the SE115m+ features three buttons for adjusting volume, audio and video playback, and menu navigation. The mic can be used for phone calls and recording voice memos, as well. Available later this month, the SE115m+ goes for $119.99--$20 more than the non-Apple version of the SE115.

There are a ton of iPhone/iPod speaker docks on the market, but can they match the features on the Yamaha PDX-60? This system comes with a wireless dock that turns your music player into a remote, letting you control what comes out of the speakers as you lean back and enjoy. Even better, it streams uncompressed audio to the speakers, so you'll get the fullest sound possible.

When your iPhone or iPod needs charging, there's a dock on top of the speaker that lets you play music while powering up. A smaller card remote is included for when your iPhone or iPod is docked on top of the speakers. The system includes two 3 ¼-inch speakers with dynamic bass response, and it comes in four colors: black, gray, blue, and pink. Yeah, it costs more than most speaker docks ($299.95), but the convenience just might be worth it.

Bose's Wave Music System, which has a built-in CD player and AM/FM radio, can now stream music from your computer, as well. The upgraded design is called Wave Music System - Soundlink and will be available for $599.90 from the Bose's Web site starting tomorrow. The streaming system utilizes the familiar USB dongle solution, which bypasses the need for WiFi by transmitting an RF-based signal from the dongle to the speaker system. In other words, there's no set-up or software necessary, and it can stream anything your computer plays--it is simply streaming the PC's output.

Bose never confirms behind-the-scenes tech specs, but Creative and Altec Lansing have utilized similar RF-based wireless transmission in the past. Current owners of Wave Music Systems will be able to purchase the Soundlink upgrade kit for $149.95.

Give Mercedes-Benz credit for putting a PC Card slot in the dash of many models. That lets you copy MP3 or WMA music from your PC to a cheap SD or Compact Flash (CF) card, plug it into a cheap PC Card adapter, then plug it into the dash of your not-so-cheap Benz. The adapter (also called a PCMCIA adatper) and a 2GB SD card each cost about $10, although you can pay more. But check out the prices if you order one of each from an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer: $102 for the PCMCIA multi-card reader, $48 for a 2GB Mercedes-Benz logo'd SD Card.

Sonos, manufacturer of the excellent-but-expensive wireless home audio system of the same name, today announced a $400 wireless speaker system. While not cheap, the ZonePlayer S5 is unlike any of the company's other products, which sell in bundles starting at $999. What makes it unique? It's an all-in-one system. Well, sort of. If you own an iPhone or iPod touch, then it is.

They're arty, cleverly designed, and eco-friendly--oh, and they're really cheap, too. These OrigAudio Fold 'N Plays ($16 direct) arrive as two flattened boxes of cardboard with embedded speakers and an attached cable. You fold each into a 3-inch cube and plug the cable into any music player with a headphone jack. Voila, your new audio system is complete.