Techie Gift Guide - Page 3

Bushnell 100 x 4.5" Compact Reflector with 1.25" Optical Format Voyager Series Telescope
$194.95
Available at Global Mart

This year has been an extraordinary one for amateur astronomers: great meteor showers, uncommonly good views of Saturn, and more stuff happening in the sky every day.

Stay tuned to developments in your neck of the universe with this compact telescope. It's easy to carry, simple to set up, and has a 100- by 4.5-inch reflector. A precision rack-and-pinion focuser will sharpen even the gassiest of nebulas. It comes with a shoulder strap and can be mounted to a tripod (not included).

$200 to $500

Philips Pronto Intelligent Remote Control
$299
Available at Crazy Eddie

For an over-the-top, fully programmable, infinitely customizable, expandable, backlit, remote control with docking station, check out the Pronto. If there's anything else you want in a remote, then you should relax a littleyou're too picky.

Handspring Visor Platinum
$299 (no shipping charge)
Available at Handspring

This mighty successor to the Palm Pilot has all the right specs: 8 MB of RAM, a backlit screen, IR, an expansion slot, a USB cradle, and is only $299. Better than that, it's twice as fast as the Visor Deluxe, comes with a sleek new shiny look, and lets you plug in an ever-growing list of cool gadgets.

Say no more!

Night Owl Cyclops Pro
$299
Available at Amazon.com

This monocular night vision scope is so good, it'll give you an unfair advantage over bad guys. If your company is plagued by security leaks, arm a couple of your IT staff with the Cyclops. Tell them to go out in the alley behind your HQ, drop a few spicy server logs on the ground near the garbage, and then take up strategic recon posts. The dumpster divers won't stand a chance.