See Me, Hear Me

I need to produce audio and video podcasts for my company, but we're not Mac people. Are we screwed?

From the company that makes Avid professional video-editing software comes the consumer-friendly Pinnacle Studio MovieBox Plus ($150), which lets you create and edit videos on your PC. As with any application of its ilk, there's a bit of a learning curve--but the features it packs in, such as superimposing one video clip onto another (it even comes with a green screen like the ones weathermen use) and adding surround-sound effects, make it more than worth the time to read the manual. And the hardware for importing video and audio will spare you multiple trips to Radio Shack to pick up some esoteric connector to hook your camera to your PC. --Michael A. Prospero
www.pinnaclesys.com

Every device now has a built-in camera. Which one uses it the best?

The Samsung SCH-A990 ($350 through Verizon ) seizes on the new trend to use camera phones horizontally. Its screen flips on its axis to convert the phone to full-on camera mode and show off its 3.2-megapixel lens. Camera controls are fairly easy to manage, too, from light sensitivity to metering and resolution. Its 80 MB of internal storage lets you record about 25 minutes of movies, which you can show off on its crisp screen or on a TV through the included connector. Oh, and if you don't fill up all the memory with video, you can play MP3 files, too. --MAP
www.verizonwireless.com

What's a good replacement for Apple's lousy iPod earbuds?

A "mass market" version of its $900 custom-fit offering, Ultimate Ears' triple.fi 10 Pro noise-canceling earphones are equally comfortable but cost a slightly less-ridiculous $400. The three drivers (two bass, one treble) within each earbud produce a you'd-swear-you-were-there experience. In one recording of Beethoven's Ninth, I could even hear the musicians turning the pages. Van Halen sounds nice, too. --MAP
www.ultimateears.com

What's the best camera for launching my new sideline as a photo blogger?

The Nikon Coolpix S7C ($350) lets users email crisp, high-resolution (7.1 megapixel) pictures or upload them to a Web site via Wi-Fi (unfortunately, only in the United States). Our favorite feature is its vibration reduction, which means that if you snap a photo from a moving car, a roller coaster, or a bucking bronco, you'll be just as satisfied with the image as you would be if you'd taken three hours to set up a tripod shot. --Kathryn Tuggle
www.nikonusa.com

I want my speakers to make a design statement. What do you recommend?

This eye-catching cherry bomb of a sound system isn't just an innovative place to put your newest house plant. At first glance, this system might seem a little too big, but there's no wasted space here. The Geneva Sound System XL ($1,099) packs two tweeters, two woofers, and two subwoofers into a 2'x2' cube, and tops it all off with a digital hi-fi 600-watt amplifier. The sound quality on this behemoth (also available in black or white) is worth the money. Play your favorite bass-heavy song first, and you'll quickly be hooked. --KT
www.genevalab.com

What's the latest must-have media player to make flight time fly by?

The 60 GB version of the Creative Zen Vision W ($399) can store 240 hours of video--enough for the first two seasons of Lost and the entire Sopranos series (twice). At 4.3 inches across, it has a refreshingly wide and bright screen, and its support of an astonishing array of audio and video formats (although, notably, not Apple's ) means that it will play pretty much anything you download. Our only caveats are that it uses an old-school format to get additional storage for your content, and, at 10 ounces, the Zen Vision sits in your pocket like a rock from a Zen garden. --MAP
www.creative.com