The FAA isn't worried about your portable battery charger

Tuesday's FAA safety recommendation of not packing spare batteries got us worried; how could we survive a long flight without our precious electronics?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday urged airlines to tell their passengers not to pack spare lithium-ion batteries because of a fire risk. Unfortunately, it wasn't clear exactly what was being defined as a "spare" lithium-ion battery.

Naturally, one would assume "spare batteries" would mean the portable chargers many carry to keep devices topped off would be banned, considering they, like most of our electronic devices, use lithium-ion batteries. Without a backup device, a long flight — like Singapore Airlines' recently resurrected nonstop 19-hour flight from Singapore to New York — would be nearly unbearable. A backup charger is the most reliable way to guarantee your device has power. Read more...