Michael Berk

As you might have gathered from the headphone roundup we did a couple of weeks back, there's probably never been a better time to be into personal audio. With a whole new breed of enthusiast listeners out there, rabidly interested in headphones and the accessories that make 'em a better experience and willing and able to upgrade given the relatively low cost of admission, a host of audio firms new and old have been churning out new and innovative 'phones and accessories so quickly that it's been a little difficult to keep up. Taking a look at the landscape of affordable (let's say under $500), you'll find that afistful of new headphone amps and DACs are bringing once-esoteric features to the masses, at down-to-earth prices.

Steve Jobs can go ahead and add another notch to his belt. The Flip camera is the latest casualty of the smartphone's charm offensive and ever-expanding role in our lives; it now joins Microsoft's Zune in the dustbin of history.

VUDU debuts on the iPad today, though not quite in the way you'd expect. You won't find a VUDU app in the App Store - and for good reason.

Following on last month's release of six Blue Note/EMI jazz classics in brand-new high-resolution versions by HDtracks, the label, this week sees the release (again in fresh remasters, by Alan Yoshida and Robin Lynn, from the original analog tapes) a couple of gems recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in 1