Dynamo

If you are a bicyclist this post may attract your interest. At least, it reminds you the days of pedaling in your childhood when you'd to push the pedals harder to keep your lights on.

Many people do not turn their lamps on when riding bicycles because of the larger energy required to overcome the friction between the dynamo and the front tire. Nowadays, there are some kind of lamps in the market all of them battery-operated as a substitute for the classic dynamo-operated lights. These, however, could not be a good replacement as in contrast to the dynamo types, the new ones are not environment-friendly, you know.

According to The Japan Journal (Vol. 2, No. 5), Aki Denki (an electronics manufacturer) has found a solution to the problems of pedal-pwered illumination. They have produced a generator which has no contact with front tire. "Magical Light" uses three magnets attached to the spokes of the front tire which pass over a generator attached to the forks and generates electricity. The big advantage is that the lights are not filament type but white LEDs with higher effeciency and stronger light.
And the price? Well it is about 36 US$...