The Japanese toy manufacturer Sega, who has brought us home planetariums like the Pure Mini and the Spa, has now released a second edition of the popular HomeStar Pro model.

It is the ultimate version of the previous HomeStar and HomeStar PRO, you can have more stars, ultra bright and a sharp starry sky in your home.

Also, it comes with full moon disk for your project in the ceiling.

Product Features

• SEGATOYS HOMESTAR PRO 2nd contains 6 Lens while HOMESTAR only contain 4 lens. The sharpness of HOMESTAR PRO is improved.
• SEGATOYS HOMESTAR PRO 2nd utilize 3W White LED while HOMESTAR use 1W White LED for projection. HOMESTAR PRO is 3 times brighter than the project of HOMESTAR
• SEGATOYS HOMESTAR PRO 2nd comes with new FULL MOON and EARTH Projection Disk
• Number of Stars: 10,000
• Projection Distance: 10 ft (around 2m-2m30cm)
• Projection Angle & Focus: Freely Adjustable on shooting angle 0-90 degree.
• Diurnal Motion Function: Revolve Counterclockwise(imitate the movement of the stars in the Northern Hemisphere)
• Shooting Star Function: Projects Shooting Stars at random intervals.
• Starry Software Tray: Changeable for different Starry disks.
• Light Resource: High brightness White LED to avoid heat and provide clear and sharp image.
• Timer Function: Allows you to program the planetarium before you go to bed to switch off automatically once a certain time has elapsed.
• Power Source: AC(100~240V, 50/60Hz)
• Colors: MAT SILVER or MAT BLACK
• Light Weight Design
• HxWxD(approx.): 15.9cm x 14.3cm x 15.1cm

The Sega Toys HomeStar PRO 2nd Edition (21st Century Home Planetarium) is available over at the Toys Brando website for $224.90.

This talking USB earth globe connects to your computer and allows you to download weekly updates about nation states, governments, political boundaries, culture etc.

30 learning activities with facts about countries geography, currency, political leaders, history, language, and population are narrated in a clear digital voice. Once a category is selected on the control panel, users place the stylus on a country to listen to up-to-date global info, or they can compare the currency, population, and travel times of two countries by moving the stylus between the two nations.

Young geographers test their knowledge in “Find” mode; the globe asks up to four players to find countries, capitals, and cities, and users r ace against the clock to locate the correct locations with the stylus. Simply connect the included USB cable to a PC running Windows Vista or XP and access the manufacturer’s website to download current statistics and world news; download service is free for the first year ($14.99 per year thereafter).

The Always Current Talking Globe measures 14(H) x 12(W) x 12(D) inches. The product is available from the Hammacher Schlemmer website for $179.95.

Looking pretty much like this levitating globe from Deal Extreme, but with one bonus feature; this scale model of Earth also comes with a 4-LED lamp.

The Floating Global with 4-LED measures 10.50 cm in diameter and hovers in midair using electromagnetism. The product is available from the Gadget Brando website for $26.

We have already covered a couple of products like this – the Electromagnetic Earth Globe and the Illuminating Electromagnetic Earth Globe.

Unfortunately, there is not much information available about this levitating globe. We’ll just have to assume it uses electro magnets, as with the others.

Judging from the product photos, it looks like the chrome ball at top features a built-in standard magnet (see picture below) to make sure the globe doesn’t fall when you cut the power.

The blue and silver earth globe hovers in midair between a black stand and a lamp-looking curved chrome bar, with the magnet ball at the end.

It measures 7.05 x 2.32 x 7.68 inches and weighs 29.7 oz. The product comes with a 110V AC adapter and is available from DealExtreme for $37.

Just because you are walking around on Earth doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some of the awkwardness of being in space.

Grab yourself a pack of freeze-dried Astronaut Ice Cream ($6) and find out if astronauts also can experience a good ol’ brain freeze once in awhile. Choose between chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.

The Neapolitan ice cream is freeze dried removing water by lowering the air pressure to a point where ice shifts from a solid to a gas. The ice cream is placed in a vacuum chamber and frozen until the water crystaliszes. The air pressure is lowered, creating a vacuum, forcing air out of the chamber; next heat is applied, vaporising the ice; finally a freezing coil traps the vaporised water. This process continues for hours giving you the perfect space food!

Remember the Electromagnetic Earth Globe from yesterday? It turns out the same company has yet another cool desktop gadget in the same genre.

Electro magnets makes the Illuminating Electromagnetic Earth Globe ($61) float in midair inside the black/chrome arch. The classic colored earth globes measures 11 cm (4.3 in.) in diameter.

Here’s your chance to add a little David Blaine feel to your desktop (if you ever wanted to do that). The cool looking black and chrome Electromagnetic Earth Globe ($137) measures 11 cm (4.3 in.) in diameter and will float in midair using electro magnets. It’s also possible to give it a spin and watch the world go round and round for a long long time…

(Via TFTS & Sci-Fi Tech)

From Columbus comes this beautiful series of illuminated globes. The 16in. (40 cm) large globes are absolutely weather-proof and have been specifically designed for outdoor usage.

Available in four different models with a price of $294 each:

• EnviroSphere Outdoor Physical/Political Globe
• TerraSphere Outdoor Physical/Political Globe
• The Cosmos Outdoor Constellation Globe
• New Moon Outdoor Moon Globe

(Via Stuart Witts)

The Think The Earth’s WN-1 Earth Watch ($594) features the effect of the earth floating inside the frame, making a full revolution once a day.

At the edge of the globe there are small indicators to tell you the hours and the minutes. The 45 mm crystal that covers the earth of the titanium watch is made of super tough Hardlex.

WN-1 is water resistant to 100 meters (109 yards) and can easily be customized to serve as a desk clock.

Watch Northern Hemisphere or WN-1 was created by a team of artists and designers from Japan with the manufacturing assistance of Seiko Instruments Inc… The movement is Quartz with a custom set of 3 reducing gears in the drive train and is powered by a 10 year Lithium battery. The black band is made of “Sophista”; a sports type synthetic fabric with exceptional wear and comfort… The Think the Earth project is a non profit organization founded to promote Earth awareness and provide aid for distressed children.

(Via technabob)