Looks like The Skyscout Planetarium - A Gadget for Space fans is the kind of device I always wished for, and I found out about it though Eclectic Commons, a blog that I started reading recently, authored by Doc Jon Percepto (Percepto also linked to Webmetricsguru.com - I guess they like Web Analytics over at Eclectic Commons).
"...Although it looks like those lunch boxes parents give their child as they go out the door on their way to school, this gizmo is actually a portable planetarium, retailing for only $400. The Skyscout Personal Planetarium by Celestron “will get you acquainted with the night objects, including the mythology and history behind them, in addition to their name and distance from Earth. Just point and shoot, text and audio will tell you what you see.”
Useful for sailors’ “lost” trying to find their way on the high seas, but they could use a wood or perhaps Melmac bowl, some water and a weak magnet, especially if they want to go due North, or South."
The idea that you can "point" to an object and get information about it's meaning is not new - but so far, little implemented. I'm glad that some of that functionality had be transmitted to an astronomy device like Skyscout Planetarium, as I think this is the trend of the future.
Devices that are useful, that give us information. I wish we had one that you can point to a website and get useful metrics information about it - now that would be something!
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