The new mySKY (Meade, www.meade.com, $399) is a terrific way to learn about the night sky – the stars, planets, constellations and much more. A hand-held instrument that looks much like a sci-fi ray gun (complete with lighted sights), mySky performs two basic functions--Identify and Locate.

In the Identify mode, just sight on an object in the night sky and pull the trigger; mySky will then check its database of 30,000 objects and display the name of the object on its 2.25 inch color LCD screen. Additional selections allow you to read about the object or hear a narration that includes more information. In many cases, a picture of the object is also displayed.

In the Locate mode, select the object (star, planet etc.) you want to find from four categories of objects: Solar System (ours, including the planets, moon, asteroids), Stars (lots of these), Deep Sky (nebulas, clusters, galaxies and more), Constellations (88 including star maps). The screen then shows a view of the sky in the direction you happen to be pointing and displays an arrow. Point mySky in the direction of the arrow until a cross-hair and circle appear, align them, and you’re pointing at your selected object. If the object is not "out" tonight, a message tells you so.

A fascinating as well as educational feature is the Tour mode. mySky guides you through a list of interesting objects "out" in tonight’s sky (based on your time and location) and offers text and entertaining narration about each as you locate it. Also included is the AutoStar Suite Astronomer’s Edition CD that contains a wealth of visual and factual information.

mySky is a bundle of hi-technology incorporating a 12-channel GPS receiver for locating your position on this earth and providing time and date info and magnetic sensors to determine the direction you are pointing the device. A supplied SD memory card contains the database and other information used by the device. The card can be updated using the Internet. A Nightvision option toggles between full color or red on the display (red preserves night vision). The brightness of the screen and sights can also be set for comfortable viewing levels. If you have a Meade Computerized Telescope, connect mySky to it and the ‘scope will point to your selected object.

We found mySky comfortable to hold and worked right out of the box, finding several objects and identifying others. We also found the narratives, especially about the Constellations, very interesting.

EZDigiMagic CD Burner (Axxion, www.ezpnp.com, $259) is a quick and easy way to backup or archive digital photos directly from your memory card--at home, in the car, on vacation, anywhere, with no computer needed. The device burns your photo files onto a CD using the incorporated CD burner. Memory cards supported are CF, SM, MS/MS Pro, MMC and MicroDrive.

The device backs up about 650MB of photos on a CD. If your memory card holds more, burning automatically spans several CDs; just slip in another blank CD to complete the operation. You can also backup more than one memory card per CD; just plug in the next card when told by the unit. A DVD version that holds about 4.7MB is also available. The LCD display on the unit is used for control and status only--there’s no display of the photos themselves, nor do you have any options for culling out unwanted photos; everything gets copied, even music or document files. The unit can also serve as an external CD burner or a card reader when connected to a PC via a USB port.

EZDigiMagic CD Burner can be powered by the included AC adapter, optional rechargeable NI-MH batteries or an optional car adapter. We found the unit fussy about batteries. Several of our freshly-recharged NI-MH sets gave a low battery signal immediately on turning the unit on, and only one set would power EZDigiMagic CD Burner for about three CD burnings before quitting. Using the AC or car adapter is recommended. We burned 500MB of files in about 5.5 minutes. Verifying the CD took about 3.5 minutes (verifying is optional but recommended).

Included with the unit are light versions of Nero media management software and PowerDVD6 DVD playing software. Also included is a stylish carrying case that has plenty of extra room for the accessories and extra CDs.