By David Ponce

This is not a new product, but we just now came across it. It’s called the Abyss Board and we think that’s a terrible name, but what it does is kind of interesting. The board features two side-mounted rotating fins with an opening for your forearms and hands. You tie the board to the back of a boat with some length of rope and tell your driver not to exceed 10 mph (16 km/h). You then dive. The fins allow you to navigate the underwater world with relative ease as the forward momentum and substantial drag of water will make them act like wings. The manufacturer describes the feeling as one of personal flight:

Command the board to dive beneath the surface, perform barrel rolls, fly upside-down, carve and return to the surface with total control. Imagine fighter jet maneuvers combined with underwater exploration.

Well… we’re not going to kid anyone. It does sound like some bit of fun, but not the $395 kind of fun the company hopes we’ll dish out.

Hit the jump for a video of the board in action and links.

[ Product Page ] VIA [ Gizmag ]

A couple of years ago I was taken aback that someone was selling a yo-yo for $460. It was nice and all, but $460? Well that seems like a steal now since this model, the Nostalgia, is hand-made by world champion yo-yo builder Shinobu Konmoto and sells for somewhere in the neighborhood of $5,000, or ¥400,000.

Don’t get too excited when you’ve finally scrimped and saved enough to order one though, because they take 6 months to complete! And, just like buying an expensive DSLR doesn’t guarantee you Ansel Adams quality photos, don’t expect to be the next Tom Smothers when this thing finally arrives. In fact I’d use those 6 months of waiting to get really, really good at yo-yo-ing, since you probably don’t want to risk any incidents while using this one.

[ Nostalgia Yo-Yo ] VIA [ Design Blog :: SPGRA ]

Daytime running lights on cars and motorcycles have been shown to increase visibility of other vehicles resulting in less accidents. Since bicycles share the same road space it makes sense for them to have similar safety lighting. Reelights are the world’s first battery free bike lights that function at no extra cost to the user. Typically a dynamo is used to power a battery-less light but they require friction from the tire to spin a generator which means extra effort on the part of the rider. (Not a lot mind you, but I’m sure over time it adds up.)

Instead, the Reelight uses a set of 2 magnets that mount on the spokes of the bike tire. As the wheel spins the magnets pass the light which is mounted on the axle in a fixed position. Inside the light there’s a wound copper wire that in conjunction with the passing magnets produces an electrical current powering the LEDs. The light also includes a capacitor that will ensure it’s always on even when you’re not pedaling like when stopped at a traffic light.

The Reelight SL120 bike light kit which includes a white head light, a red tail light and 4 magnets is available on the company’s website for about $53.

[ Reelights ] VIA [ Smart Stuff ]