Man I wish I had had this at the top of Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Best stargazing EVER!!!
Twinkle, twinkle, little star. I finally figured out what you are.
Only once in a blue moon* throughout the history of consumer tech comes a product so nifty you are convinced it cannot be real. Then you quickly glance over to your calendar and realize it's not April 1st. "Damn!" you think to yourself, while reaching for your wallet and mumbling under your breath "Curse you ThinkGeek, curse you!" Packed with the latest in gadgetry including built-in GPS, LCD screen, magnetic north sensors, electronic accelerometers, & complex circuitry,the MySky is far from vaporwear. It's a hi-tech virtual tour guide to your starry skies. Point, shoot, get smarter.
But ThinkGeek, What Does the MySky Really Do?
Glad you asked. Take the MySky out of its package, plug in some batteries, go outside, preferably at night although even when you can't see them, the stars are still there during the day. Now let the MySky figure out its location and time via GPS. There are three different basic modes to using the night sky - Identify, Find, & Guided Tour. In 'Identify' Mode, the default, you will be presented with a real time LCD view of the night sky, complete with constellations. Simply point it to the object of choice in the real sky, and shoot. It will identify! You can also take a 'Guided Tour' of the best objects available to you at the moment based on your location, date & time. Finally, if you want to locate a specific object (planet, comet, galaxy, etc.) - you can navigate through the menus, select the item and your MySky will point out its location in the real sky.
Specifications:
Sights - Illuminated red sights to easily point to objects
Object Database - Database of over 30,000 celestial objects (planets, stars, nebulae, galaxies & more)
LCD - 480 x 234 pixel full color display
Audio - 500+ Audio/Multi-media presentations by NPR Stardate personality, Sandy Wood. Including interesting science facts, mythology, folklore, and astrophotography.
Earphones - Comfortable high-fidelity ear buds included for audio
Storage - 256 Megabyte SD card (included)
GPS - 12 channel GPS receiver
Orientation - Magnetic north sensors
Positioning - Electronic accelerometers to determine tilt/pointing
Night Vision - Optional mode to display screen entirely in red to protect your night vision.
Compatibility - Can optionally control any Meade computerized telescope.
Upgradeable - Software upgradeable from meade.com
Power save features - Advanced power saving features to extend battery life
Batteries - 4 AA batteries required (not included)
Battery Life - Up to 6 hours (normal use)
Instructions - Includes onboard video instructions that are optional for first time use. Also includes a printed instruction manual and quickstart guide along with a CDROM that includes Planetarium software (Windows 98/XP).
Dimensions - Approximately 9" x 2.5" x 7"
Death Ray Mode - Unlock this mode and you may optionally target planets for annihilation..**
* We probably should have said 'Blue Giant' here. Oh well.
** Sorry, this feature is being re-constructed. Don't blame us, blame the rebel alliance.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star. I finally figured out what you are.
Only once in a blue moon* throughout the history of consumer tech comes a product so nifty you are convinced it cannot be real. Then you quickly glance over to your calendar and realize it's not April 1st. "Damn!" you think to yourself, while reaching for your wallet and mumbling under your breath "Curse you ThinkGeek, curse you!" Packed with the latest in gadgetry including built-in GPS, LCD screen, magnetic north sensors, electronic accelerometers, & complex circuitry,the MySky is far from vaporwear. It's a hi-tech virtual tour guide to your starry skies. Point, shoot, get smarter.
But ThinkGeek, What Does the MySky Really Do?
Glad you asked. Take the MySky out of its package, plug in some batteries, go outside, preferably at night although even when you can't see them, the stars are still there during the day. Now let the MySky figure out its location and time via GPS. There are three different basic modes to using the night sky - Identify, Find, & Guided Tour. In 'Identify' Mode, the default, you will be presented with a real time LCD view of the night sky, complete with constellations. Simply point it to the object of choice in the real sky, and shoot. It will identify! You can also take a 'Guided Tour' of the best objects available to you at the moment based on your location, date & time. Finally, if you want to locate a specific object (planet, comet, galaxy, etc.) - you can navigate through the menus, select the item and your MySky will point out its location in the real sky.
Specifications:
Sights - Illuminated red sights to easily point to objects
Object Database - Database of over 30,000 celestial objects (planets, stars, nebulae, galaxies & more)
LCD - 480 x 234 pixel full color display
Audio - 500+ Audio/Multi-media presentations by NPR Stardate personality, Sandy Wood. Including interesting science facts, mythology, folklore, and astrophotography.
Earphones - Comfortable high-fidelity ear buds included for audio
Storage - 256 Megabyte SD card (included)
GPS - 12 channel GPS receiver
Orientation - Magnetic north sensors
Positioning - Electronic accelerometers to determine tilt/pointing
Night Vision - Optional mode to display screen entirely in red to protect your night vision.
Compatibility - Can optionally control any Meade computerized telescope.
Upgradeable - Software upgradeable from meade.com
Power save features - Advanced power saving features to extend battery life
Batteries - 4 AA batteries required (not included)
Battery Life - Up to 6 hours (normal use)
Instructions - Includes onboard video instructions that are optional for first time use. Also includes a printed instruction manual and quickstart guide along with a CDROM that includes Planetarium software (Windows 98/XP).
Dimensions - Approximately 9" x 2.5" x 7"
Death Ray Mode - Unlock this mode and you may optionally target planets for annihilation..**
* We probably should have said 'Blue Giant' here. Oh well.
** Sorry, this feature is being re-constructed. Don't blame us, blame the rebel alliance.
That's truly awesome - but perhaps not $400 worth of awesome. At least in my current financial state of affairs.
~ Member: Tex Murphy's Mutant League, Crazy 888's Chapter~
*Revitalizing Old San Francisco's Chandler Avenue District With Style*
(also known as Steve Douglas, but usually by people less awesome than UTMers)
*Revitalizing Old San Francisco's Chandler Avenue District With Style*
(also known as Steve Douglas, but usually by people less awesome than UTMers)
