HARDWARE
The Gist: Thar She Blows!
$200
I'm standing on the pier in Monterey, California, with Panasonic's Digital Fish Finder in hand. The device - reportedly the smallest of its kind - uses ultrasonic beams to calculate water depths of up to 70 meters and determine where fish can be found.
The 14-ounce Fish Finder looks like an oversize yo-yo; one disc is a detachable transducer that floats, the other, which is not waterproof, houses the electronics. The two are connected by a 7-meter-long cable, which winds around the base for storage.
The units are only available directly from Japan, so the instructions are written in kanji. But don't be put off - with just one button, it's easy to use. Simply click, and the unit cycles through three screens showing the depths of big fish, small fish, and a graphical representation of the underlying seabed.
In addition to feeding you, the finder can be used to navigate around water hazards or track a scuba diver.
Panasonic: +1 (212) 371 5447, www.panasonic.com.
STREET CRED
Airgo
The Dream Machine: J.C.R. Licklider and the Revolution That Made Computing Personal, by M. Mitchell Waldrop
Video Game Enhancer
San Francisco City CarShare
Silent Hill 2
Programming:1
3Com Wireless Bluetooth PC Card
ReadMe
Music
KEYKatcher
Dead Reckoning: The New Science of Catching Killers, by Michael Baden and Marion Roach
Blood: The Last Vampire
Just Outta Beta
Digital Fish Finder
Evolution
Contributors
