[ ] To aid with inspection of test and assembled boards I'm going to order one of these USB Microscopes. It looks pretty nice for checking PCB traces and IC pins, and my eyesight is not what it was (as I realized while looking at some boards that I got yesterday). For $60 it seems like it'll be worthwhile.
I have used a very similar model. They're certainly adequate for spotting solder bridges on SMT devices. I found the LEDs a bit harsh and the image quality a bit lacking, though this is likely unimportant for your usage.