Bike tail lights come in many shapes and sizes, and we see a lot of them at DT. The newest one to hit Kickstarter this week is the FAST Smart Tail light. It’s smarter than some, dumber than others, but offers some cool features at a competitive price, and so it’s going “fast.”
First and most obvious are the 8 RGB LEDs. Traditional tail lights are red, and technically that’s what the law requires in many states. Take a look at the local legislation and see if you need to program at least some of the lights to stay red. In any case, you’ll have the freedom to do so using the FAST’s iOS or Android app. The pattern thing is admittedly pretty cool, even if you have to keep the main or central color red.
One of the Fun And Smart Taillight’s main smart features is fall detection. Sensors within the light detect when the bike goes horizontal and send an alert to your emergency contact. The app relies on the fact that most of us try not to lay our bikes down, simply because this can lead to scrapes and scratches to the paint.
The FAST tail light uses the same hardware for its anti-theft alarm. If someone jostles or moves the bike, the light will send an alert to the app, as long as you — or your phone — are within 20 meters. There’s an on-off switch on the light, but this is disabled when the alarm is activated and only the paired app can turn off the light’s alarm. The mount is a standard strap affair that is adjustable for many sizes of seatpost, which made me wonder if a thief couldn’t just take the light and keep walking. But at least you’ll know it’s gone right away.
As for its actual functionality as a light, one advantageous feature is that it can turn on automatically when night falls. With the ISO-Auto function active, light detection sensors will turn the tail light on when night falls. Considering that dusk is one of the most dangerous times to be on the road (as well as the time when you’re more likely to forget to turn it on yourself), that’s a convenient feature.
Battery life is up to 60 days in standby mode, in case you don’t take the bike out for over a month. Even at its brightest solid setting it should last 10 hours. BLE doesn’t drink too much energy, nor does it have built in GPS to further use and abuse the Li-Ion battery.
All of these stats are pretty cool, but they’re almost becoming expected of smart tail lights at this point. And as it is, we could hope for a light-intensity increase when we brake, or a GPS module in case the bike is stolen with the light attached.
The FAST team is planning on developing more apps in the future, including a nightlight/alarm. When DT suggested a Morse code translator, Carl Qin, the FAST Team’s electronics engineer responded, “We think Morse code is a very interesting idea … I think it’s doable with a pre-set message like SOS … We also think the LED and sound could be used for other applications and we’re looking to make it easier for users to customize.” We’ll have to wait and see what materializes, but at least there’s the possibility of more to come from FAST, with developer support.
That said, bike tail lights with FAST’s features are usually way more expensive than what the FAST team is asking. The super early birds were only $15, and the next tier is $19, both of which are pretty good deals on a customizable smart light.
FAST is seeking $20,000, with the Kickstarter campaign set to end October 9, and the early deals/steals are going fast. If there aren’t any of the $15 lights left, consider grabbing a double set for $36. The full price after the campaign is over will be $39 for one light and mount. The FAST comes in black, chrome, and clear, all with the same rainbow LEDS. The lights are set to ship November of this year.
The domain of wearable devices has grown by leaps and bounds, not just in terms of mass adoption, but also owing to some astounding innovations. Wearable heart rate sensors can now measure everything from heart rate and blood oxygen levels to ECG in form factors ranging from a watch to finger rings.
These sensors, however, come with an inherent set of problems. Motion artifacts arising from movement or vigorous activity alter the blood flow and affect their accuracy. Optical heart rate sensors (photoplethysmography or PPG tech) also struggle with darker skin tones, tattoos, or even body placement.
There’s grooming, and then there’s grooming with intention. If your current routine feels more like a chore than a ritual, it might be time to rethink your tools. The Chairman™ Pro Package from MANSCAPED® is a full-face grooming system that doesn’t just clean you up—it sharpens your whole look. Right now, it’s available for $169.99 (11% off the usual $189.97), and you can drop that price even further to $159.99 when you subscribe to the Chairman Pro Package + Peak Hygiene plan. Throw in free shipping, and it’s a solid deal on a seriously well-thought-out kit.
One kit. Total control.
At the heart of the package is The Chairman™ Pro Electric Foil Shaver, MANSCAPED® top-tier tool designed for guys who want versatility and comfort in equal measure. This isn’t your dad’s shaver—it comes with two interchangeable SkinSafe® blade heads: a four-blade foil for smooth, clean-shaven skin, and a stubble trimmer that nails that 5 o’clock shadow look without wrecking your neckline.
Want a little definition without going full lumberjack? The included two length-setting stubble combs help dial in the perfect length. With FlexAdjust™ Technology that adapts to every jawline and a precision trimmer edge for hard-to-reach spots, this thing is engineered for the real world—where your face doesn’t grow hair at perfect right angles.
On today’s special edition of You Asked, we tracked down each of our editors and put them on the spot to find out what they thought was the most impressive thing they saw at CES 2025 in Early January. Let’s find out what they had to say.
Panasonic Z95B
There’s been some really cool TV tech at CES, but the thing I’m most excited about is the new Panasonic Z95B. Instead of the regular OLED display structure we’ve seen in recent years with MLA technology, this uses a four-layer panel structure. It features individual red, green, and blue layers (two of the latter) for the emissive light.