Ion USB Turntable

By Scott Tavener

-undertow continues to suck the tangible from the planet, replacing it with invisible punch cards of 1s and 0s. Don't tell Cusack and the other good folks at Champion (I know it's fictional), but Ion has developed an easier-than-aging-debutantes way to convert vinyl music to facsimiled blips. Dust off your record collection, sort through your crates, and lube up your USB port - well, at least ask it nicely.

The turntable converter allows savvy music-lovers, retro holdovers, and light-traveling DJs to streamline their catalogues by dropping the needle and plugging in to create MP3s and CD replicas. On the downside, music sherpas will have to hit the soup lines or wander the dust bowl, but worry not, they're a resilient breed.

Ion's TTUSB turntable is Mac and PC convertible (XP or Vista) and retails for $199.95. Sure, purists and old-school DJs are weeping, but don't let reactionaries tell you how to get your aural fill. -S.T.