USB Microscopes! Unique Christmas Gift Ideas!
by
Anne P. Mitchell, Esq. - 2 Comments, Last updated
11/08/2006
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Not sure what to give that person on your gift list for Christmas or another holiday? Consider these unique Christmas gift ideas! USB microscopes that magnify things as much as 600x and throw the image on your computer screen! Take a screenshot and post your best magnifications to the Internet!
The latest entry in the USB microscope market is the Thanko DinoLite USB microscope. The Thanko DinoLite is in fact the one which has kicked off the current USB microscope craze, but it is by no means the first.
Unfortunately, the Thanko is currently only available in Japan, so if you have friends or family in Japan who can ship one over to you, you’re in luck (and you can see the Thanko DinoLite Microscope here).
However, a little digging revealed that there are some great USB microscopes available in the U.S., right now. They just haven’t gotten all of the press that the Thanko is getting. And they are less expensive, to boot!
The best of these is the newly released QX5 from Digital Blue. The QX5 is the big brother to Digital Blue’s previous USB microscope, aslo marketed by some as the “Intel Microscope”. ‘
Says the manufacturer, “QX5 Microscope - Digital Blue QX5 Computer Microscope The award-winning QX3 computer microscope has been completely upgraded to the QX5! Explore the microscopic world with the only microscope that connects to a computer. Software lets you view, edit, animate and even measure samples, then create slideshows and videos. The microscope has the mobility to come out of its base for the viewing of larger or possibly live samples in their natural habitats. The new QX5 Computer Microscope now features: 1. Super-brite LED lighting for brighter, longer lasting top and bottom illumination. 2. Higher resolution (640×480) for more detailed images. 3. Video playback now three times faster at 15 frames per second. 4. Sample measurement tools built into the software. The QX5 is not only a microscope though, it also serves as a multi-function digital camera for taking digital still images and creating time-lapse movies. The QX5 also includes photo manipulation software that allows them to create and experiment with special effects and audio effects, which can all be inserted into the same images taken with the QX5. The QX5 microscope is a great item for any child or adult with an imagination, and will keep them happy for a long time to come! Overall design features of the microscope are stylish and simple, yet they take advantage of state-of-the-art video imaging and computer technology allowing amateur scientists to explore their environment with optical microscopy at magnifications up to 200x.”
The QX5 is being marketed by some as a toy, but it is truly a full-fledged USB microscope. And while some individuals are pre-selling it for more than $200, it will be available any day now from Amazon for only $99.00. And while it assumes a Windows system, there is Mac software available for it as well!
So this year, if you are wondering what to give that somebody for Christmas or another holiday gift-giving occassion, consider a USB microscope. I know I’d like one!
For more information click on image:
And if they are out of the QX5, the QX3, pictured below, is a perfectly great one too!:
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Seems the Dino* digital microscopes are not available in the US but they *are* available in many parts of Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The Dino Digital (big brother to the DinoLite) comes in at around €128 (at least for the Portuguese market, I didn’t check the prices for other countries) and can be found by:
1. searching for “Anmo Dino Digital Microscope” using Google;
or
2. visiting the eXpansys site at: http://www.mobileplanet.com/group.aspx, choosing the closest country, and then performing a site search for “digital microscope”.
Now, I wonder if I can persuade Santa Claus to bring one for my 6yo daughter this year… :-)
Comment by John Cullen — 11/8/2006 @ 6:18 am
I bought one of the Intel Microscopes about 3 years ago and it was cool. I gave it too my nieces but had to check it out first. I bought it from some liquidator for about $35. I saw it and thought it might be good. The new one may be better but the $100 price puts it in a different category for me. I won’t pay that to get one for my 3 year old.
Comment by Brian — 11/7/2006 @ 12:26 pm