The investigators on both CSI and CSI: Miami have the ProScope HR in their toolkits, but that doesn't mean fictional forensic analysts get to have all the fun. The same handheld microscope is sure to be a favorite gadget of private investigators, biology teachers, amateur scientists, and inquisitive kids. Plugging into your PC or Mac's USB port, this updated version of the original ProScope has a 1.3-megapixel imager, compatibility with both Mac OS X and Windows XP, and the ability to take both 1,280 x 1,024-pixel stills and 320 x 240 video. You can snag it now with a 50X Lens for $350. (If you already have the original, the updated base sans lens will run you $240.) To my amusement, the ProScope HR website also offers a variety of free downloadable lessons covering everything from, "The Great Garden Dilemma," to the renowned, "Case of the Falling Gargoyles." With a curriculum like this I really wish I could go through middle school all over again! — Elliot Black

Everything USB, via Übergizmo