Recording on an iPod?

Yes, in fact you can record on your iPod. However, there are a few drawbacks. If you're using an older iPod model (non-video model), they can record only 16-bit, 8 KHz files, which is basically telephone quality. This is fine for memos to yourself, but it's not broadcast quality. The newer models can record broadcast quality, but be careful because these high quality files are uncompressed .WAV files. WAV files require a lot of hard drive space and consequently burn through battery power because the hard drive constantly spins during the recording.

To use your iPod for recording, you need to purchase either Griffin's iTalk or the Belkin Universal Mic Adapter. (Note that these devices are not compatible with all iPods.) They're cheap, and they're ultra-portable, so it's not the worst idea to carry one around so that you can grab an unexpected interview when you're traveling.

Of course, if you're feeling brave, some very clever people have figured a way around the crippled recording capabilities of the older iPods. However, this isn't just a special sequence of keys you have to press. If you want to record pristine 16-bit, 44.1 KHz audio, you have to install Linux on your iPod.

Yes, you read that right. Some very clever people have figured out how to run Linux on an iPod, and it includes the ability to record. Needless to say, this is not something your authors can heartily recommend. In fact, forget you even read it here. We don't want any e-mails from people who break their iPods.