Sure, we think the iMac is a nice machine, but sometimes you want to add a PCI card or six, and when the cheapest beslotted Mac starts at a whopping $2,799, mods like Hideo Takano's Mac Pro Mini just make you wonder what could have been. Of course, there are no slots in this bad boy either since it's based around a stock Mac mini with a 2.33GHz processor upgrade, but it is a mighty impressive effort -- actually, check out Hideo's whole Mac Mod Lab site for even more sick Mini mods.

[Via Unplgged]

While we certainly had a fairly solid idea that Apple would be unveiling a new breed of iMacs and a snazzy new set of keys, you can color us mildly surprised to see a Mac mini refresh thrown in for good measure. Available today, the newly revamped minis arrive in two basic configurations, the first of which includes a 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo, 1GB of RAM, and an 80GB hard drive for $599, while $200 more will buy you a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo, the same 1GB of RAM, and a 120GB hard drive. Both units come with Front Row and an Apple Remote, iLife '08, OS X 10.4, a DVI-to-VGA adapter, and the same cute box we've come to know and love. Those looking to CTO can toss in an extra gigabyte of RAM, bump the HDD to 160GB, and throw in one of those oh-so-sexy keyboards while you're at it. Best of all, they're slated to ship within 24 hours.

If you've managed to resist stacking your Mac mini atop, say, six or seven Mac mini-friendly external devices, consider yourself fortunate. If you have, however, it's likely that you'll be ratcheting things up even higher once you see Lindy's Mini NAS, which unsurprisingly fits comfortably beneath your wee Mac and dishes out data over your network. The chassis is compatible with standard 3.5-inch ATA hard drives, sports a built-in FTP server and support for Samba, but only touts a 10 / 100 Ethernet connection. Moreover, users can connect it directly to a computer via USB in a pinch, and while there's no word on this thing arriving on American soil anytime soon, those in England can snag one now for £64.99 ($132).

[Via PCWorld]

Well, we're getting closer to another Stevenote and the Apple rumor mill is at full tilt, so take this one with a huge grain of salt, but the team over at AppleInsider says they "sincerely believe" that the Mac Mini is about to be discontinued. Citing sources for whom they have the "utmost respect," AI says that Apple management was only bending to shareholder demands for a sub-$800 Mac when it developed the Mini, and that the recent release of the Apple TV all but spells the end of significant updates to the lil' bugger. We can see what they're getting at, we suppose: the Mini has never gotten a lot of attention, but the similarly-discontinued products AI compares it to -- the Cube, the PowerBook 2400, and the 12-inch PowerBook G4 -- were all higher-end machines, while the Mini sits at the very bottom of Apple's product line. On top of that, the description of the Apple TV as the "next-generation Mac Mini" strikes us as a little odd, since the Mini was never sold as a media extender (even though you can use it that way) and the Apple TV was never sold as a general-purpose computer (even though you can use it that way). AI does seem pretty confident in the case it's laid out -- but as with all things Apple, only time will tell.

While there's long since been ways to make your Mac mini even more portable, the vulnerability typically increases right along with the downsizing. VictorSystems is out to throw mobility to the wind in exchange for assurance that your precious mini can withstand just about anything the world throws at it. The company has conjured up an entire computer system, peripherals and all, that is based around a mini and its accessories being sheathed in "aircraft grade aluminum alloys made from wrought plates, extruded rails, and finned heat sinks." Attention to detail was crucial, as even the power supply, a flat-panel display, keyboard, speakers, printer, and mouse were also given the ruggedizing treatment for a lengthy stay in the Amazon wilderness (or similar). Unfortunately, the setup doesn't sport a pricetag due to the BTO nature of the company, but if you're interested in removing every ounce of sexiness from your machine in order to carry it through unthinkable circumstances, VictorSystems can apparently do it up.

[Via Slashgear]

So it's true after all, Apple has no magical wand for squeezing unrealistic performance out of off-the-shelf components, but they have managed to put together a halfway decent "Mac" for the price. Tipster Matt wiped his Apple TV's drive and ran a clean install of 10.4.9, just to throw it to the Xbench dogs. It came out surprisingly well, with a 55.75 score, about half that of a medium-range Intel Mac mini. In most operations it actually managed to score fairly close to its taller cousin, just falling behind significantly in certain operations, specifically 3D graphics. Of course, Xbench scores are user submitted and not all that scientific, but it should at least give you a general idea of how this $299 Mac in disguise stacks up.

[Thanks, Matt]

See what you've done, Steve? You've gotten people so whipped up in a froth over your new phone that they're actually baking cakes in its visage. Same with the Mac mini, but it's safe to say that's probably not the first Mac mini cake that's come to be. Now, if you're really into gadget-themed cakes, we'd like to remind you that a little less than a year ago we held a cake contest, remember? Hope you're getting your recipes ready, we may just do another this year.
[Via Digg]

Read - iPhone cake
Read - Mac mini cake

If you're just bound and determined to turn your Mac mini into a home media center then be sure to check the matching enclosures from Japan's Kuroutoshikou. The external cases share the dimensions of the mini for easy stackin' action and come in a variety of configurations, all with space for a single 3.5-inch disk. The ¥2,980 (about $25) GW3.5MM-U2 connects over USB 2.0 for PATA disk expansion; the ¥3,480 (about $30) GW3.5MM-U2/HUB adds a 3-port USB 2.0 hub; the ¥3,980 (about $34) GW3.5MM-U2/S adds support for faster, SATA drives; and the ¥5,980 (about $51) GW3.5MM-U2/LAN comes with an Ethernet port for network accessible storage. Got all that? No problem, you've got until the end of the month before they hit Japan.

[Via Impress]

Ok, so it's not exactly a Mac Mini mod -- it's just sitting there -- but this so-called "Music Machine" is in a class of DIY projects all its own, taking an antique most wouldn't think of altering and ripping its guts out, stuffing it instead with recording and computer gear. At the core is the aforementioned Mac mini (a 1.42GHz model) complimented by a 17-inch LCD, a Lexicon Omega audio interface, built-in Klipsch Promedia Ultra 2.0 speakers, and an MXL 2006 Cardioid Microphone, plus a number of other peripherals. Alas, it seems the original piano keys didn't quite cut it -- they've been replaced with a Studiologic TMK-88 MIDI keyboard, but maybe that'll be remedied in the next version; the person behind this bit of retro goodness is selling the whole shebang on eBay to help fund a new-and-improved rig. Things don't look to have gotten off to the best of starts, however, with the starting bid still untouched at a hefty $4,000.

We know Epson's engineering team prides itself on cranking out the tiniest, most miniscule products they possibly can, and the company has veered from the printing / scanning world for a bit to unveil its Endeavor ST100 "micro PC." While the Endeavor NA101 did its wee thing on the laptop side, the ST100 packs an Intel Core 2 Duo (T7200, T7400, or T7600) processor, ATi's Radeon Xpress 200M graphics chipset, up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, 40GB to 160GB SATA drive options, and a dual-layer DVD burner. It also sports a ho hum port assortment including VGA, audio in / out, Ethernet, 56k modem, and six USB 2.0 ports with a pair of them being on the front panel. While it doesn't quite undercut the Mac Mini's 6.5- x 6.5- x 2-inch enclosure and 2.9-pound weight, this PC weighs in at just over five pounds while boasting a 7.28- x 7.68- x 2.95-inch package. Those looking for an ultraportable desktop on a budget shouldn't find much to complain about here, as the ST100 starts at just ¥59,850 ($508), but we're sure adding a speedier CPU and gobs of RAM will ratchet that right up.

[Via Akihabara News]

DIY Mac projects are always a iffy proposition. Not only does Apple make its products more difficult to rip apart than most, the sight of a dissected MacBook or iPod is often enough to make some of the more faint of heart readers break out the smelling salts. Not so for 123Macmini member Anthony, who looked at a mini and a G4 Cube and decided that they must be made one. The goal being, apart from the deserved bragging rights, to add a TV tuner and an expansive 3.5-inch 500GB SATA hard drive more suitable for a media PC than the mini's comparatively puny 2.5-inch drive. The TV tuner turned out to be the easiest part, with Anthony simply opting for Elgato's external EyeTV Hybrid unit, but the rest of the project is definitely a don't-try-this-at-home deal, with modifications aplenty right down to the power supply cables. Still, for specs like these in a genuine Apple box, it's about your only option at the moment -- at least until Apple maybe, possibly fills in the gap itself. Check out a couple more pics of the action after the break, then click through to the source for the complete blow-by-blow account.

[Via Digg]

Peter Green is to Mac Minis what Ben Heckendorn is to gaming consoles, and Mr. Green has apparently one upped himself yet again by creating an even more compact alternative to throwing down for a shiny new MacBook. While Peter has apparently been too busy basking in his own glory to update his site with the juicy details we all crave, the Portable Mac Mini MK III has been spied by aminorjourney's wondering digicam, and judging solely by the looks of things, we dig it. Peter has seemingly crafted a portable enclosure that houses Apple's smallest Mac, a Li-ion cell that "lasts about three hours," and slapped a svelte touchscreen on the outer casing to get your computing on sans a mouse. While we're sure you're craving that case dimension and LCD contrast ratio info, you'll just have to live with photos for now, and be sure to click through for more live action shots of the MK III doing its thang.

If you've been looking for an IP-PBX solution for your biz but have been dissatisfied by the lack of potential lawsuit-inducing options, then Berlin-based 4S newcom GmbH may have just the gear for ya. It's newly announced "iBlue" is an IP-PBX system consisting of the company's own 4S IP PBX software, a Mac mini, and an iPod shuffle, which should be enough to get you up and running with some SIP-based VoIP in no time. The shuffle part of the equation is unfortunately less exciting than you may think, with the now-dated player simply serving as a glorified software-delivery device -- though as our pal Om says, it sure helps grab some attention. Sweeting the deal, 4S is also throwing in five snom300 VoIP phones, with the software licensed for up to 250 users and 30 parallel calls. If that works for ya, you'll be able to grab an iBlue for a cool €3,000 Euro when it launches November 6th.

[Via GigaOM]