Podcasts, those audio recordings of your innermost thoughts that you share with every Internet-connected person on the planet, are easily done with a hodgepodge of hardware and software. But they're most easily done with M-Audio's Podcast Factory ($180), which has everything you need to record and edit your podcasts and post them as MP3 files on podcasting sites. You get a microphone, a tabletop mike stand, a mike cable, a Fast Track interface box, a USB cable, and PC/Mac software. Of course, the software does the heavy lifting: with simple mouse clicks, you can record, cut, copy, splice, mix, add sound effects, and change pitch or speed. You can also use this rig as a front end for any other kind of recording project. So punch the clock at the Factory, speak directly into the mike, and send us your link.
