City officials are considering new laws after the fire department counted nearly 200 blazes and six fire deaths this year tied to problems with lithium-ion batteries in such "micromobility" devices.
WHAT ARE THESE BATTERIES? ARE THEY THE SAME TECH USED IN PHONES AND CARS?
Lithium-ion batteries are a Nobel Prize-winning innovation that entered the market in the early 1990s. Hailed as rechargeable, lightweight, powerful, durable and safe, the batteries have been envisioned as a key to greening the world's energy supply by storing energy, including from the sun, wind and other renewable sources.
The technology has woven its way into many people's everyday lives, powering phones, laptop computers, vehicles and more.
WHY CAN THEY CATCH FIRE?
The batteries' electrolyte a solution that lets electrical current flow - is flammable, explains Massachusetts Institute of Technology materials chemistry professor Dr. Donald Sadoway. The substance was chosen for its ability to handle the voltage involved, but fires can happen if the batteries are overcharged, overheated, defective or damaged, for instance.
Over the years, problems have periodically triggered fires involving laptops, cellphones, hoverboards, electric vehicles, airplanes and battery power storage installations. A U.N. aviation agency said in 2016 that lithium-ion batteries shouldn't be shipped on passenger planes.
Denne historien er fra AppleMagazine #576-utgaven av AppleMagazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra AppleMagazine #576-utgaven av AppleMagazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
AFTER DISASTERS, PEOPLE ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO SCAMS. HERE'S HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
During natural disasters like wildfires and floods, scammers often emerge to prey on victims.
START TECH TIP: THE NEW YEAR WITH A CLEAN INBOX
The new year is always a good time to make a fresh start — including with your email inbox. To kick off 2025 with a clean slate, why not clear out all those unnecessary and unwanted messages?
SUPREME COURT SEEMS LIKELY TO UPHOLD A LAW THAT COULD BAN TIKTOK IN THE U.S.ON JAN. 19
The Supreme Court seemed likely to uphold a law that would ban TikTok in the United States beginning Jan. 19 unless the popular social media program is sold by its China-based parent company.
TIKTOK COULD BE BANNED THIS MONTH.HERE'S WHAT USERS CAN DO TO PREPARE
TikTok has cemented itself as a quintessential entertainment app, offering everything from funny skits and makeup tutorials to social commentary and news.
AMAZON IS ENDING ITS 'TRY BEFORE YOU BUY' OPTION FOR PRIME MEMBERS
Amazon is saying goodbye to “Try Before You Buy.”
CAN AI HELP HUMANS UNDERSTAND ANIMALS AND RECONNECT WITH NATURE? A NONPROFIT RESEARCH LAB THINKS SO
Peeps trickle out of a soundproof chamber as its door opens. Female zebra finches are chattering away inside the microphone-lined box. The laboratory room sounds like a chorus of squeaky toys.
AGING WELL MEANS HAVING GOOD BALANCE.HERE'S HOW TO PRIORITIZE IT
Taking a shower. Grocery shopping. Moving around the kitchen. Getting dressed. The underappreciated link between these mundane activities is good balance, which geriatricians say is key to maintaining an independent lifestyle as we age.
NASA PROPOSES CHEAPER AND QUICKER WAY TO GET MARS ROCKS AND SOIL TO EARTH
NASA is pitching a cheaper and quicker way of getting rocks and soil back from Mars, after seeing its original plan swell to $11 billion.
ELON MUSK SAYS A THIRD PATIENT GOT A NEURALINK BRAIN IMPLANT. THE WORK IS PART OF A BOOMING FIELD
Elon Musk said a third person has received an implant from his brain-computer interface company Neuralink, one of many groups working to connect the nervous system to machines.
GOOGLE FACES MORE SCRUTINY AS UK WATCHDOG FLEXES NEW DIGITAL COMPETITION POWERS
Britain's competition watchdog flexed new digital market powers for the first time with an investigation into Google's search and search ad businesses.
