This computer microscope allows you to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary for hours of fun and learning. View specimens collected around the house, backyard, your desk, or the fridge. Look at the micro-printing on a dollar bill or examine the traces on your motherboard. This microscope provides you an easy way to zoom in on a wide variety of objects to satisfy your curiosity of the world around you.

Simple plug and play operation with included software that allows you to magnify objects and view them on your PC up to 200X and take snapshots and time-lapse movies. You can also manipulate images with drawing and painting tools. The QX5 microscope is detachable from the stand to allow you to get closer to large objects. (via John Jurgensen/Wall Street Journal)

A really good quality microscope you can plug into your USB port. It then displays the maginfication on your computer screen. Science is officialy cool again and easy too! Great for playing around, or for any kid to learn about science.

For the geek in us all

The USB Microscope QX5 has these great features:

* Easy to use digital microscope
* Take snapshots, video, and time-lapse movies
* 3 magnification levels - 10X, 60X, and 200X
* Super-brite LED lighting for bright top and bottom illumination
* Video playback at 15 frames/sec
* Resolution of 640x480
* Software works with Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP
* Handheld mode allows for expanded viewing possibilities
* Comes with: Microscope, USB cable, Stand, Specimen Jars, Sample Slide, Tweezers, Eye Dropper, Slide Clip, and Software CD-ROM
* Dimensions: 4.75" L x 6.5" W x 10.5" H
* Weight: 1.7lb

Oh. This microscope is more intense for those of you whole love digital microscopic fun! Everything is always more interesting under a microscope. This comes with tools to add to the curiosity!

All the goodness of science with the data going right into your computer... mmmmm. (via SCG)

This microscope is amazing! The picture quality is so good that it was used by quality engineers in the manufacturing facility where I used to work, to investigate and document defects (cracks is tubing, for example). And yet so easy to use.
My kids, 6 and 8, love this!
Try looking at salt (perfect cubes) and sugar (multi-faceted crystals).
Also try to find tiny bugs. Hairs with split ends are also neat.

Our Gift Expert is obsessed with this item. She has gotten everyone else around her obsessed with it too, including her M.D. pals. It can view "things" up to 200x. Yes, that means weird little mites and bugs that live on your skin. And it makes a tiny spider look like the monster spider in Lorder of the Rings. You can spend endless hours looking at everything around you.

You can download the images to jpg formats, print it out, send it to friends or even post it on your blog. A big plus, it does make you want to wash your hands more often. $150

Great for the kids to learn... oh and for you to learn too! (via Kristine)