Perhaps it is fitting that when the economic climate is stormy, people take pleasure in small, modestly-priced amusing things. Or maybe we’re just on a “cute little gear” kick.

Whatever the case, the Mikey iPod microphone from Blue was one of the newer pieces of podcasting hardware that caught our eye at the 2009 NAMM Show this weekend.

Intended for on-the-fly recording of lectures, voice notes, live music, interviews and such the Mikey model features Blue’s stereo condenser capsules, 3-position user selectable gain settings, and a built-in speaker for playback. The user can “fine-tune” the Mikey’s sensitivity to record everything from the barest audible sound to extremely loud sources without losing audio fidelity. The microphone has a user-positionable head which can swivel 180°.

Furthermore, the Mikey also boasts user adjustable gain control, requires no software installation, and can continuously record up to 1.5 hours of audio.

The Blue Mikey works with the iPod nano 2G, 3G & 4G; iPod Classic, iPod 5G, and is compatible with most protective cases. The Mikey has a suggested price of $79.99.