I had previously used the Griffin iTalk for the G3 an G4 iPods and while an excellent product, the sound quality was 8 bit and the range was approximately 6 feet.The Tune Talk is a significant a step as the change from the original iPod to the video iPod.Sound Quality - Excellent. With the autogain off the recording is completely hiss free. With autogain on some his and distortion is introduced but it is acceptable. Stereo separation is good, excellent when you consider how small the microphone is. The two quality settings - high and low - correspond to 44.1 kHz (CD quality) and 22 kHz.Format - the files are in the WAV format and run about 10MB per minute I high quality mode. These can easily be converted in to mp3 or any other format.Features - The built in Autogain makes recording in large rooms or even outdoor settings practical. I have used it in small classrooms (10 person), large auditoriums (90 person) and outdoor theaters (200+ people). The quality is exceptional considering the small size. There is also an external input for either an microphone or line input (1/8th inch stereo) that allows your iPod to serve as a storage device for a higher quality recording setup. I used a direct input from one iPod to another using a male/male cable and there was no noticeable loss of quality. I am sure if you put the recordings on an analyzer you would see a difference but my ears couldn't tell. I have used this to digitize old analog tape recordings with excellent results.Controls are minimal. Plug it into the dock connector and your iPod automatically goes to the record menu. Press the Play/pause button and you begin recording. Once recording begins the center button acts as a pause. Once your are done, scroll the clickwheel to "Stop and Save." When the save is complete, you go to a menu with your recording. File names are a date/time stamp. If you have the Tune talk already attached but you are doing something else (listening to music) you can go straight to the recording menu by pressing a button on the left of the Tune Talk. On the bottom along with the autogain and line input is a mini USB connector that allows you to power your iPod while recording. Recordings eat battery life fast. At full power you can get about 90 minutes of recording from a battery. After hat you run the risk of running out of juice during the disk write operation. Belkin includes the cable (nice) and a plastic holder that allows hands free recording (also nice).The uses for the Tune Talk are only limited by your imagination. I use them in an education setting for spoken homework and recording lessons. I have also used them to record meetings, record plays and even notes to myself. The Tune Talk would make an excellent device for an on the fly Podcast. Combined with Apples GarageBand you could record, mix and post a podcast in a matter of minutes.Highly recommended.