EMONG'S JOURNALS

We so definitely saw this coming. Just last Christmas, every list of top gifts ranked the two-wheeled scooter, or the "hoverboard," as one of the most coveted items in Santa's bag. Kids won't stop yelling to their parents, "Get us our hoverboards!" But the slew of stories about hoverboards catching on fire, airlines banning them on board and causing plenty of injury has persuaded the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to impose stricter rules on the use of these self-balancing boards. Among the new rules is the prohibition of children below 14 years old to use hoverboards, and its use on the streets. According to DTI, effective immediately, the following labels must appear on every hoverboard box sold in the market: 1. This is not a toy. 2. This should only be used by children 14 years old and up. 3. For indoor use only. 4. The battery must pass the standards set by IEC (International Electrical Committee) or ISO (International Standards ...

Expecting an awesome hoverboard this Christmas? Tell your relative not to send them via a US airline -- they've just banned these gadgets on board their flights. On Friday, at least three major US airlines - Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United Airlines -- have enforced a ban against the so-called "hoverboards" amid concerns that the lithium ions batteries of these "self-balancing" devices are fire hazards on their flights. A UK carrier, British Airways, is also set to implement the ban soon. According to an article from CBS News , "the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is currently investigating 10 reports of hoverboard fires in nine states. Many of the hoverboard electric scooters have high-watt lithium batteries, which the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says can start fires in a plane's baggage compartments." Lithium Ions are also used on cell phones and laptops, but they are considered "low-watt" batterie...