'mySKY' navigator
(Credit: Discovery Communications)
Phaser remote
(Credit: Phone Phun)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 LCD and 500 audio descriptions using a built-in GPS receiver, according to Red Ferret. It may seem a bit pricey at $400, but consider this: The same company also makes a 500-pound star gazer for $60,000.
(Credit:
Fabstuff)
As fellow Craver Caroline McCarthy is off on other assignments, we've been asked to fill in on some of her regular beats. No, it doesn't involve wine or beer. Or still more wine and beer.
In this case, it's something that combines two other of her favorite topics, stuffed animals and planetriums. (We don't ask questions.) The "Twilight Turtle" looks like a regular plush by day but, by night, its plastic shell turns into a planetarium that projects the night sky onto any ceiling.
It comes in white, green or blue, colors that researchers say have "relaxing, rejuvenating and calming qualities," according to Uber-Review. If only they came in 'gwins, we'd have a trifecta.
(Credit:
Caroline McCarthy/CNET Networks)
If you've ever thought that planetariums would make really good nightclubs--and not just because you're nostalgic for the days of Dark Side of the Moon laser shows--you're not alone. Digital-hipster hub Flavorpill is throwing monthly parties this summer at the Rose Center for Earth and Space at New York's American Museum of Natural History, and CNET News.com was there to capture the action at the June edition (which took place last Friday). There was plenty of DJ music, dancing, and fun people--and plus, I can now tell you that it is really, really awkward to almost spill your drink on a 5-billion-year-old meteorite.
For more photos, click here.
The egg-shaped planetarium
(Credit: CNET Asia)This is it--the call to arms. For some time now we've been warning of impending doom brought by the evil egg empire, and the final hour is upon us. And the source of their unholy power is now clear: outer space.
They are descending first in Japan, as we found out from our brethren in CNET Asia, through egg-shaped planetariums distributed by Segatoys. The "Homestar Pure" (even the name smacks of alien brainwashing) can project an estimated 10,000 stars onto any ceiling at the mass-market price of $83. It's only a matter of time before reports of ovum constellations begin to trickle in.
(Credit:
Laser Stars)
About a month ago, we wrote about the HomeStar Pro Planetarium, which uses LEDs to project the night sky on your ceiling. Here's another one for the astronomy buffs: Laser Stars, a projector that beams star and cloud formations onto your wall or ceiling of choice with laser technology and holographics. For those of us who live in brightly lit cities where we can't really see any real stars at night, it's a cool idea.
The Laser Stars projector looks to be less for nuts-and-bolts astronomy buffs than for people who just like to look at a pretty night sky, as its description doesn't say anything about specific constellations or seasons. But at $180, it costs quite a bit less than the LED projector, which goes for about $350.
(Via geeksugar.)
(Credit:
AudioCubes)
I guess there are a lot of things you can do with a home planetarium projector, like the HomeStar Pro Planetarium that I read about on Uncrate. You can use it to create spectacular ceiling art for your next party (just make sure nobody spills anything on the $350 projector), or to woo that cute astronomy geek next door. Or, you could (gasp) actually learn about the night sky. It's got all kind of cool stories behind it, you know, like science-y stuff and mythology and whatnot. For real.
But, since it's Monday morning and I've already had three cups of the strongest coffee that I could find in the office, I'd prefer to focus on the product name. HomeStar? You think maybe it can project the Trogdor the Burninator constellation on my ceiling? I've always wanted to know whether that was visible in the northern night skies in the winter. It's be a total bummer if it were one of those sidereal arrays that you could only see in the Southern Hemisphere. Maybe I should e-mail Strong Bad about it.
Lame reference, I know, but I reiterate: it's Monday.
(Credit:
Brookstone)
Usually when we think of GPS, it means a technology that's used to locate things on Earth. We often forget that satellites can be pointed in other directions, toward other planets.
That's particularly valuable if you're like us and can't find the Big Dipper to save your life. The "SkyScout Personal Planetarium" from Brookstone can do a lot more than that, with a database of more than 6,000 planets, stars and constellations, and a red arrow on the "viewfinder locator" pinpoints what you're looking at. Making stargazing even easier is its size: The SkyScout weighs less than a pound and includes stabilization software in case your wrist muscles get tired holding it up too long.
It isn't the cheapest toy at $400, but that's peanuts compared with the big bucks you'll get for the photo of your first UFO spotting.
- prev
- 1
- next
