scope

'mySKY' takes aim at the heavens

There are certain unnamed Cravers who, we're told, can sit and stare for hours on end at fake stars and planets projected on the wall. And yet there are others who actually enjoy viewing the heavens in reality outside (gasp). For those brave souls, there are several handheld scopes and personal planeteriums that can help navigate the night sky, including some in alien form.

But Meade's "mySKY" is the only one we know of that comes anywhere close to resembling a phaser. This personal guide to the universe can identify 30,000 objects with its color … Read more

Underwater night-vision magnifying glass

We're no experts on night-vision technology, especially under water, but this is one item that seems to have extremely limited utility. As far as we can tell, the "Marine 2" scope is a waterproof device that provides night vision but with only 2x magnification and apparently no camera.

So unless you're in dire need of doing crossword puzzles or reading something up-close in the pitch-dark seas, we're not quite sure why anyone would want to spend 295 pounds (about $588) for one of these Spycatcher gadgets. Moreover, if this is meant to be a covert … Read more

Night-vision scope lets anyone play vampire

Just when we've managed to suppress the memory of Silence of the Lambs, another night-vision product comes along to start the nightmares all over again. But out of dedication to all the nocturnal Cravers out there, we'll put aside our fears (temporarily) to mention the "SuperVision" night-vision scope, which is supposedly among the most powerful of its kind on the market with better range and resolution than military-grade scopes, as well as an 8x zoom.

But Electronista says it should be noted that it's a handheld device, not one that can be affixed to your … Read more

Samsung phone grows a joystick

As we continue to monitor its evolutionary process in midstream, we observe that the mobile phone has taken another Darwinian step. A species of the Samsung family has just grown a joystick.

The "Optical Joystick" V960 model is being touted as the first mobile phone with said feature, according to Fareastgizmos. It actually behaves more like a laptop touchpad than a console joystick and is designed for menu navigation, not fragging. The phone, which includes a 2-megapixel camera, also features a new "Smart Lighting" sensor that automatically adjusts screen and keypad brightness.

We're not sure … Read more

Digital scope looks like lethal weapon

Good grief, look at this thing. It looks like a shoulder-mounted Stinger missile launcher.

Brookstone's portable VistaPix IS70 Digital Spotting Scope is a combination camera-telescope with a 70mm lens, 2-inch LCD screen and 3-megapixel resolution that promises to magnify images up to 14 times. But be careful where you point this handheld monster. In today's security-obsessed society, police may shoot first and ask questions later.

'Scope' watch is fashion, not function

As fond as we are of new watch designs these days, we feel compelled to voice one minor concern: We can't figure out how they work.

And we don't think we're alone. Our evidence: This "Scope Silver Metal Belt Watch" from AudioCubes offers instructions on how to read the time.

According to the LED watch's product description, "It uses the idea of intersection between the horizontal and vertical lines to mark the time." Um, right. Call us old-fashioned, but we think it's asking a bit much for us to learn how … Read more