Those really bright lights are LED lights basically. More and more lights are being made that way. I actually bought my husband a cheap but nice LED light that you put around your head so that he could work on the insides of his computers and I have found that putting that baby on a helmet works out well. I will probably buy myself one as well.

As for the blinky lights, I think they are good when you are on a road with lots of cars. It probably is a little overkill for a trail but I'm all about being seen when there are cars around.