Month: July 2016

Man May Face Charges for Bringing THIS to a London Airport

GunCellCaseLast year, police departments from around the world were expressing concerns for a "gun shaped" iPhone case that may be mistaken for a real weapon.  Police departments warned that having those types of cases were a "terrible idea" and may put a person in serious danger.

Nevertheless, a London man may be facing charges for carrying such a case when he showed up at a London airport with it on.

In a series of tweets, the Essex police shamed the man, warning everyone that cops have a “split second decision to make” in instances like this. The police also warned that bringing such a case to an airport “makes it much less likely you’ll catch your plane,” while reminding people not to be foolish.

At this point, it’s unclear if the man has faced charges, but the Essex police didn’t rule the possibility out. On Twitter, the department explained that the man could be changed with Sec.5 Public Order, which relates to using threatening words or behavior to alarm or distress. Additionally, the man could face charges for possession of an imitation firearm in a public place.

The Essex police note that the image shared of the back pocket on Twitter is a stock image and that the gun-shaped case was not discovered until a routine security check.

Last summer, police departments in New York and New Jersey warned citizens about the gun-shaped iPhone cases, pointing out that an officer’s job is hard enough without the confusion of wondering if something is a real gun or an iPhone case. The issue many law enforcement officers have with the cases is that the majority don’t carry the federally-required orange mark at the end of their barrel. Many online retailers, including eBay and Amazon, have blocked sales of gun-shaped phone cases because of these warnings from law enforcement.

Using a gun-shaped iPhone case, as pointed out by law enforcement, has potentially fatal consequences in addition to the legal consequences. With such cases being removed from retailers, the problem has significantly subsided in the last year, but as proven by the situation at the London Stansted Airport, it has yet to be totally mitigated.

 

The CPSC is recalling 501,000 hover boards over safety concerns

HoverboardWhen the US government said that there wasn't a safe 'hoverboard' in the land early this year, it wasn't kidding around. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is recalling 501,000 of the self-balancing vehicles over concerns that their batteries will overheat and catch fire. If you own one, the odds are that you're affected: the notice covers models from relatively big names like AirWalk, Razor and Swagway, and Mashable mentions 10 other brands.

This doesn't necessarily mean that you'll have to go without a board. If you have one of the relevant Swagway models, you can ask the company for either a repair (to bring you up to Underwriters Laboratories safety standards) or a credit for a UL-certified model, like the Swagtron T1 or T3. You might be in trouble if you're using anything else, though. The CPSC is asking you to get a full refund from either the manufacturer or the retailer if you own a non-Swagway model, which may be tricky if you bought a comparatively unknown model or went through a tiny online shop.

It's important to stress that the market is turning a corner. Swagway and others are producing safer devices that probably won't be taken off shelves any time soon, so you can likely get a brand new board with confidence. However, the recall is a reminder that the rush to capitalize on the 'hoverboard' craze had some serious consequences, and that riders are ultimately the ones paying the price.

Microsoft is adding wheelchair avatars to XBox


Microsoft is adding wheelchair options for its Xbox avatars, as well as what look like some visual tweaks. Phil Spencer, the company's Xbox head, confirmed that the wheelchair additions were not "far off," after responding to a question on the subject on Twitter. The company's Mike Ybarra then tweeted a "sneak peek" of the update showing two avatars using distinctly Xbox-themed wheelchairs:

The facial features of the two avatars also appear to be more detailed than those of previous models, suggesting that there are other visual updates on the way. Microsoft first introduced its avatars on the Xbox 360 in 2008, steadily adding more customization options, including branded content from games and companies. It's not clear when the next update for the avatars will be available, but the Xbox itself will be getting its next big update with the release of a new slim version in August.

Source: MIKE YBARRA (TWITTER)

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