Hasta La Gadget!

There are a number of turntables that are USB-enabled and will help you archive your vinyl to mp3 and save it on your computer’s hard drive, but this iPod Turntable from Sharper Image removes the middleman – your computer – from the process entirely. Simply plug in your iPod Touch or iPhone to the dock on the left side of the turntable, put your record on the platter and start playing, and the turntable automatically converts the audio to mp3 and stores it on your iPod or iPhone.

The iPod Turntable is also USB enabled so you can use your computer or record to your computer if you choose, but a computer isn’t required. The turntable also comes with conversion software you can use when you have it plugged into your computer, and a stereo audio-out jack so you can listen to your records through external speakers while you save them to your iPod, and a stereo input so you can import other audio sources.

For DJs who take a pair of iPods and a laptop to their gigs, this gadget may be a must-have.The iPod Turntable can be yours for $199.99 retail price.

Mac fans, you don’t need to wait for the Mac to include USB 3.0 support. Thanks to a little storage company named LaCie, you can have it now. LaCie has introduced a USB 3.0 driver for Mac OS, bringing transfer speeds that are two times faster than FireWire 800. You can download the driver here, then use it with LaCie’s USB 3.0 expansion cards. Check your compatibility with USB 3.0 first, install the peripherals, then download the driver.

The LaCie USB 3.0 PCI Express card lists for $49.99, while the LaCie USB 3.0 ExpressCard/34 goes for 59.99. Once you’re set up, you can transfer to externals like the LaCie 2big USB 3.0, the LaCie Minimus, the LaCie Rugged USB 3.0, and the LaCie Rikki USB 3.0.

If you didn’t know that Apple made servers and a server-class version of Mac OS X, no one could blame you; the XServe isn’t exactly on the front page of Apple’s Web site, and the company has always positioned itself as a consumer electronics brand first and a business brand second.

Still, Apple’s XServe line of servers had a fairly large footprint in companies that rely on Apple hardware and software and wanted an easy way to manage an office full of Macs, and in the federal government where XServe clusters and supercomputers aren’t terribly uncommon.

Even so, all good things must come to an end, and Apple announced today that they would stop selling the Apple XServe as of January 31, 2011, although the company is committed to supporting its customers and XServe owners for the foreseeable future.

Apple did say they have no plans to stop selling or supporting Mac OS X Server however, and suggests that if anyone needs OS X Server, they suggest they consider installing it on a Mac Pro or pick up the highly rated Mac Mini with Snow Leopard Server bundle.
 

Sorry Americans, but this Election Day will give you no joy if you’re in the market for a new Mac Mini. Apple has quietly cut the price of the bring-your-own-keyboard-and-monitor Mac around the world, perhaps as a pre-emptive apology for whatever result the polls bring this evening. Most of Europe got a 100 EUR price break on all models, and the UK saw a 50 GBP cut to the base price of each model, which brings the lowest-end Mac Mini to 699 EUR (approx $980 USD) and 599 GBP (approx $960 USD) respectively.

Whether the price drops are indicators that Apple will reduce prices on the Mac Mini in the United States in the near future remains to be seen, but if you’re abroad and interested in an entry-level Mac with some really impressive features and is also GreenTech Approved, now might be a good time to pick one up. You can read our review of the latest Mac Mini over at PCMag.com.

An e-mail from Sanho Corporation CEO Daniel Chin announced this morning that HyperMac, the embattled external battery company sued by Apple in September, would be rebranding itself as “HyperJuice” as part of that ongoing legal wrangling with Apple. At issue are the MagSafe connectors used in its HyperMac external battery packs for the Mac and the dock connectors used for the iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

The company also used the opportunity as a reminder that they would stop selling their HyperMac external battery packs with MagSafe connectivity to MacBooks and MacBook Pros entirely at midnight tonight, November1st. HyperJuice will still continue to sell the battery packs alone, just without the Apple-specified power-connector that will hook up to your Apple laptop’s MagSafe charging port. Whether the company will survive at all in the long run or smooth over relations with Apple remains to be seen, but if you’re looking for a HyperMac external battery pack for your Macbook or Macbook Pro, tonight’s your last chance to get one.