The Golf Channel has a great feature when they profile golfers, it's called " What's In the Bag? "  The pros run down the drivers, wedges, irons and putters that they use when they're on tour.  Sure, swing matters a lot more than equipment, but it's still interesting to see how the pros pick their gear.

A similar site exists online at gdgt. It's a chance for the geek set to show off the tools of their trade and what they depend on.  Superstars like Ryan Block , Leo Laporte and Jason Calacanis all have lockers on gdgt to help you find out what the tech pros pick.

As we head in to the gift giving season, a browse of these superstar lockers might give you some ideas to add to your own arsenal. I've just started up my own locker and thought I'd profile one of my favourite accessories that's not featured on gdgt .

In addition to writing for this blog about technology and trends, I host a daily radio feature called cyberbuzz . It's a 60 second look at the culture of technology and when I worked at a radio station, I would just record my segments in a talk booth.  Once my radio job disappeared, I needed to look for a DIY solution to reproduce a studio quality recording.

It was easy to do with the BlueMic Snowflake Portable USB Microphone.


It plugs in to my USB port, is easily accessible in Garage Band and produces a broadcast quality recording from my bedroom, home office or closet.  I also used it when I was auditioning for the new CBC show Connect with Mark Kelley .  I used the BlueMic Snowflake in the Skype segment and the quality was perfect for the CBC to use on air.

To monitor, I simply plug my iPod headphones in to the jack on my MacBook and tuck the cords under my shirt for a look similar to a monitor earpiece you see news anchors wearing.

If you're doing screencasts, webinars, or online meetings and don't want to have the bulky sportscaster look of over the ear headphones and a mic bar in your face, hanging a BlueMic Snowflake off your Macbook is a simple, easy and affordable solution.

If you're just getting in to podcasting and wanting to have a better studio sound than the simple condensor mic in your notebook, the BlueMic Snowflake is a great starter mic that offers great quality.

My only issue with the Snowflake is that I need to stack it on books or CDs on my desk to get it right in my face for recording sessions.  Perhaps I need to upgrade to the BlueMic Snowball.

Santa?

catch the buzz ... pass it on.