Best Travel Accessories for PlayStation 4

Whether you’ve got the original model, the Slim or the Pro, if you travel with your PS4 these are the accessories to get.

Traditionally you play your games console at home, that is unless it’s a Nintendo Switch. But, it’s not a totally ridiculous idea that you might want to carry your PlayStation 4 around with you, particularly if you’re traveling on a lengthy trip.

It’s not the most convenient thing you’ll ever do, but with the right accessories you can certainly travel both (fairly) light and have a great experience on the road.

• GAEMS Vanguard gaming environment
• Hori HD portable monitor
• Rolling Gaming backpack
• PlayStaton Gold wireless headset
• Controller case
• Portable hard drive
• Game disc carrying case

GAEMS Vanguard

This big beastly thing is an all-in-one travel solution for your PS4 (and Xbox One if you prefer). It combines a durable, protective case with an HD monitor so you can literally play anywhere you have power.

The Vanguard can accommodate a console with its power cord and controller, and it’s built like an absolute tank. Inside there is LED lighting, which is super important, along with a custom fit foam base and accessory bags.

You’ll also get a sling strap to carry it on your shoulder (it’s going to be pretty heavy) and a remote control, and all in it’s a pretty awesome package for $350. You can pack your console inside with everything you need to play and off you go.

See at Amazon

Hori Universal HD portable monitor

In some markets, this monitor comes with an official Sony PS4 license, but it’s also sold without the logo on the back and is otherwise the same monitor. It’s fairly pricey at around $200, but it has things a number of portable PC monitors don’t that mean you can use it with your PS4.

The biggest of those is the HDMI inputs. Many PC portable monitors hook up over USB, so while they’re cheaper, you can’t use them with the PS4. The Hori monitor has two, so you can switch between your console and your laptop while you’re on the road with ease.

It also has stereo speakers as well as a headphone jack and a really nice carry case to keep it safe. It’s only 720p resolution, but at 15.6 inches that’s not the end of the world, especially for console gaming.

See at Amazon

CTA Rolling Universal Gaming Backpack

If the Vanguard isn’t for you but you still need a great way to carry your console and accessories around, this great backpack from CTA is worth consideration. Because it’s also got wheels, when it’s fully loaded you can drag it behind you rather than destroy your back and shoulders.

It’s big enough to accommodate your console, controller, headset, there’s even a special section to slot your game discs into and keep safe. If you want to carry it on your back, just pop the handle away and stick the dust cover over the wheels to keep your clothes from attracting whatever is on the wheels.

The devil is in the detail and in this bag, you’ll find controller straps to keep them organized and safe as well as a dedicated sleeve for slim model consoles to provide extra padding and stop them from rattling around. There’s also space for a couple of water bottles and a headphone port so you can store your smartphone inside but still listen to your favorite tunes. And all for just $40.

See at Amazon

Sony PlayStation Gold wireless headset

This isn’t necessarily the best headset for the PS4, but for gamers on the go, it’s a great buy. Not only is it an official Sony product with a companion app to manage it on the console, it’s wireless, sounds pretty good and importantly, folds away.

The lack of cables and the fact that it folds up nice and compact and stashes away in the included bag makes it perfect for travel. Whatever bag you’re carrying your gear in, it’ll be able to safely find a home without taking up much space, and it charges from the same cable as your DualShock 4 controller.

It’s also now available at a great price of between $60 and $70. If you want something a little better, Sony also has a Platinum model for $120.

See at Amazon

RDS Controller case

While boring, a controller case is an important and inexpensive way to look after it when you’re traveling. No matter how good your bag is, your controller could easily get damaged during travel, especially the sticks.

For $15 you can get this officially licensed case from RDS that has a thick foam interior with a cutout perfectly designed to hug your DualShock 4.

The hard outer shell will protect against knocks and there’s a useful interior pouch to keep your all-important charging cable. And the logo on the outside looks pretty sweet, too.

See at Amazon

Portable hard drive

At home, you may well have a large, powered hard drive with masses of storage to store your PS4 games on, especially if you have a 1TB console. That’s not going to work very well on the road since it’s probably pretty big and something else you’ll need power for.

A portable USB drive, though, won’t be such a hassle. It hooks up over a single USB cable, requires no external power and will slip inside even a small pocket inside your bag. There are plenty to choose from, including branded game drives from Seagate, and a bunch of small drives in various capacities from Western Digital.

See at Amazon

Portable Game Disc Storage Bag

If you have a hefty collection and you want to move it around, this is a pretty good investment. You can toss in all your favorite game discs with their cases. There’s a lot of room inside, enough to fit 20 games, in fact. There’s also an extra storage pouch in the cover of the bag for other miscellaneous accessories.

The case is made of a heavy water-resistant material on the outside, with mesh material lining the inside of the case to help protect your games.

See at Amazon

Keep playing

As you can see here, just because you’re on the road doesn’t mean you have to leave your PlayStation 4 behind. These accessories will let you transport your PS4 with ease, so be sure to grab some before your next trip!

PlayStation 4

• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

Amazon

Prop up your smartphone with this $9 adjustable magnetic desk mount

De-clutter your desk and stay aware of incoming notifications.

While supplies last, you can pick up UGreen’s magnetic phone mount at Amazon for only $8.99 when you enter promo code 87HFODR4 during checkout. This offer saves you $6 off its regular price.

This aluminum alloy stand helps keep your phone viewable while it’s not in your hand. It comes with a metal plate you adhere to the back of your phone which then securely attaches to the magnetic head to keep your device propped up.

It allows for 360-degree rotation so you can find the angle which is most efficient for you, plus it’s compatible with virtually any phone as it doesn’t feature any brackets or arms to get in the way. A silicone pad is built-in on the bottom of the mount to prevent it from sliding around or scratching your desk.

At Amazon, 70 customers reviewed this item resulting in a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars collectively.

See at Amazon

This $13 APC wall surge protector has six outlets and two USB ports

Grab one to protect your gear!

It features six surge-protected outlets and two USB ports to keep all of your gadgets and accessories charged up for just $12.66. The two USB ports provide 2.4A of power to easily charge your phone, tablet, and more.

The SurgeArrest Essential provides 1080 Joules of surge protection and plugs right into your wall so there is no long cable to deal with. It does cover both wall outlets, but you gain six additional ways to charge your gear, so there’s no loss there.

Don’t forget to clip the on-page coupon to drop this down to one of the lowest prices we’ve ever seen on it.

See at Amazon

OnePlus 6 vs. Google Pixel 2 XL: Which should you buy?

The Pixel 2 XL is better than the OnePlus 6 but doesn’t offer the same value. Which one is better?

Six months after its launch, the Pixel 2 XL continues to be one of the best phones available today. Its camera holds up to the best that Huawei and Samsung have to offer, and the software experience is unmatched.

OnePlus, meanwhile, has made a habit out of undercutting traditional flagships by several hundred dollars, and the same is true of the OnePlus 6. The phone features a glass back, a new 19:9 display with a cutout at the top for the front camera module, and a new imaging sensor for the rear camera.

The 64GB variant of the Pixel 2 XL retails for $849, or $320 more than the base model of the OnePlus 6 with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which is available for $529. It’s time to find out if the Pixel 2 XL warrants the premium.

OnePlus 6 vs. Google Pixel 2 XL: Specifications

What’s the same

The OnePlus 6 has a slight edge when it comes to the specs thanks to the generous amount of RAM, but you won’t notice any differences between either device in day-to-day usage. OnePlus devices, in general, are well-optimized, and the OnePlus 6 is no exception. The phone is just as fluid as the Pixel 2 XL, and you’re not going to see any slowdowns whatsoever.

OnePlus has also done a remarkable job with OxygenOS in recent times, striking the ideal balance between customizability and a clean user interface. OxygenOS also picked up iPhone X-style gestures at the start of the year, and they’re included out of the box on the OnePlus 6.

What’s different

There’s a stark difference between the two phones when it comes to the design side of things. OnePlus has switched to a glass back with the OnePlus 6, and Google offers a ceramic coating over a metal back with the Pixel 2 XL. The Pixel 2 XL is the gripper of the two on account of that ceramic coating, and far less prone to fingerprints. The OnePlus 6 with its Gorilla Glass 5-encased back is a smudge magnet.

Things are different up front as well. The OnePlus 6 has a notch at the top of the display — designed to maximize screen real estate — and the Pixel 2 XL does not. The result is that the OnePlus 6 offers a larger display in a smaller body, but the net gain is offset by the fact that there’s an unseemly cutout on the screen.

The Pixel 2 XL may not have a cutout, but its screen issues are well documented, so you’re effectively making a compromise with either device. At least on the OnePlus 6, you can mask the cutout via the settings.

While the OnePlus 6 is resistant to the splash of water, it isn’t certified for dust or water ingress. On the other hand, the Pixel 2 XL is IP67 rated, which means it’s safe to use in a pool. The Pixel 2 XL also has stereo speakers at the front, and while the OnePlus 6 leverages Dirac’s Power Sound to boost the volume from its single speaker, it isn’t quite as loud or detailed as that of the Pixel 2 XL.

However, the OnePlus 6 does have a 3.5mm jack, giving it a distinct leg-up over the Pixel 2 XL in the audio department.

Which should you buy?

Like previous launches, OnePlus has managed to offer a device that delivers 90% of the same user experience as devices that cost several hundred dollars more. The OnePlus 6 builds on that by offering a more premium chassis, upgraded internals, and a 256GB storage option.

I’ll delve into the battery and camera comparisons early next week, but from a value standpoint alone, there’s a lot to like on the OnePlus 6. The phone will go up for sale starting May 22 in North America, and from May 21 in India.

OnePlus 6

• OnePlus 6 hands-on preview
• OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5T: How much changes in six months?
• OnePlus 6 vs. OnePlus 5: Should you upgrade?
• These are the official OnePlus 6 cases
• The OnePlus 6 doesn’t work on Verizon or Sprint
• Join the discussion in the forums

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL review: The new standard
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

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MrMobile can’t get his head around the LG G7

Part 1:

Part 2:

The LG G7 is tough to wrap my brain around, even given the space of two videos in which to do it. On the one hand, the G7 packs some truly compelling differentiators: the old reliable wide-angle camera on the back; the new Boombox speaker system rumbling away beneath the Raspberry Rose paint; the return of both IP68 ingress protection and MIL-STD 810G ruggedization. On the other hand, it’s shaved off some battery in the transition from the previous generation; traded OLED for LCD; and sacrificed the G6’s distinctive look and feel for a just-another-notched-phone aesthetic that’s fine … but really no more than that.

So is it worth your money? That all depends on what the price tag says when it comes to US carriers in June. I do some speculating in that department at the end of Part 2 – but until then we’ve got a lot of impressions to cover, from the offset earpiece to the still-there headphone jack. Join me for MrMobile’s two-part LG G7 review, stretching from the shores of Jeju Island to the back alleys of Google I/O! Then check out the full Android Central coverage here on the site.

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Here’s how to get 25% off almost 200 Osprey products at Amazon

Amazon is offering 25% off a huge selection of Osprey items. Osprey is a brand that rarely goes on sale, and with 195 items to choose from, this is definitely a deal worth checking out.

For instance, the Osprey Farpoint 40 Travel Backpack is down to $119.95. That’s the best price it has been on Amazon since last November. It has 4.6 out of 5 stars based on almost 500 customer reviews, and I personally would highly recommend this bag to anyone. It’s the perfect carry-on size, and it saved my life on a multi-flight vacation where I didn’t want to check any bags. There are compression straps on the inside and outside, and you can convert it from a backpack to a duffel bag at a moment’s notice. It has a few different harnesses that are adjustable for different body types, and there’s a built-in laptop sleeve, too. If you only ever buy one travel bag, it should be this one.

If you don’t need something super heavy-duty, this $49 Osprey Daylite Plus Daypack is awesome and highly-rated. It has tons of storage and different organization options, and it can hold 20 liters worth of stuff. It’s perfect for your everyday carry and then some. A slightly beefier option, the Osprey Nebula Daypack, is down to $84 from an average price of $90.

Finally, this Osprey Men’s Flapjack Backpack is another standout deal. It is on sale for $77, which saves you over $20 off the normal price. Positive customer reviews and a ton of color options seal the deal for this style. It has a zippered top pocket, reflective graphics, tons of quick-access features, and a dedicated laptop/tablet sleeve. It’s a great option for more stylized daily carry needs.

Do yourself a favor and check out the entire sale. Whether you’re on a long-haul flight or commuting to work, there’s something in this selection for you.

See at Amazon

Top 5 Google Tasks tips and tricks for staying productive

Google Tasks is an incredibly basic taskmaster, but you can make it work for you.

Google Tasks has been around for years and years, but it’s finally received the beginnings of an upgrade with the redesign of Gmail and the launch of a standalone Google Tasks app for Android and iOS. Google Tasks is minimalistic in looks and in features — especially compared to Google Keep, which is part to-do list, part note-taking app, and part inspiration board — but there are a few ways to help it keep you on-task and hitting your deadlines.

Download Google Tasks (free)

Make a dedicated list in Google Tasks for high priority items

Currently, you can’t assign any task a higher priority than the others. If you want to keep your high-priority items front and center, you’ll have to go a slightly different route: make a high-priority list. Google Tasks allows you to create different lists for your tasks, so keeping the important tasks in a separate list can help keep them front and center so you complete them first.

Tap the three-line menu icon in the bottom left corner of the screen.
Tap Create new list.
Title your new list **High Priority.

Tap Done in the top right corner.

Keeping your tasks separated into different lists can also help you keep those plans for that secret surprise birthday party on-track, or keep your tasks for your passion project from interfering with your work deadlines. You can also most tasks between lists easily from the Task edit screen to regroup and re-prioritize as you go.

Subtasks and descriptions

When you make a task, all you really have to give it is a title, but Google Tasks has two tools that can help keep together thoughts or needed items for your tasks. Tasks can have subtasks, meaning you can have a Grocery Shopping task with subtasks for each of the items you need, marking them done as you put them in your cart at the store. Tasks can also have descriptions, which allows you to give details about the matter at hand for easy reference while you’re completing your tasks, such as an address for errands you need to run, ingredients for a recipe, or plot points for that short story you’ve been meaning to work on.

Subtasks are easily seen below a task in the list view, but descriptions are limited to the first two lines of text under the title. For the rest, you’ll have to open up the Task Edit screen. Subtasks are dated independently of their main task, and while for multi-day projects and events, this can be a good thing, but it can also split up your task and subtask when sorting Google Tasks by due date.

Clean it out regularly

Google Tasks allows you to check tasks off easily, but they still hang around in the Completed section. While a list full of completed tasks feels pretty satisfying, cleaning it out will make your list easier to navigate and free up more space for newly completed tasks. You can even batch delete completed tasks:

Tap the three-dot menu in the bottom right corner of the screen.
Tap Delete all completed tasks.

Tap Delete to confirm the deletion.

Google will move the completed tasks to the trash, which you can still access on the old, original Google Tasks website if you accidentally just deleted a task that wasn’t quite as completed as you thought.

Give everything a due date

We’re all busy people, and so we’ve got a lot going on. Not everything has a hard and fast due date in life, but you should date every task in Google Tasks anyway. Dating a card will give you an extra reason to get it done before the date you set, but it also ensures that if you sort your tasks by due date, you don’t get a massive pile at the bottom of the list.

Another way to use the dating system is to date every task you make with today’s date, so that your tasks are listed in a “first in, first out” format when sorted by date, which can help you avoid letting older tasks be ignored for newer tasks near the top of the list. Unfortunately, cards can only get a day assigned to them, not a date and time like Google Keep’s task reminders.

Send feedback for the features Google Tasks still needs

Google Tasks is a no-frills to-do app, so there are plenty of features that it could still use, such as the priority levels we mentioned before or Google Assistant integration. This is still a very new app, as far as Google apps go, so not only is feedback appreciated — it is encouraged. Here’s how to give feedback in Google Tasks:

Tap the three-line menu icon in the bottom left corner of the screen.
Tap Send feedback.
Type your feedback into the Write your feedback text box. If you don’t want screenshots or logs from your device to be sent with the feedback, uncheck Include screenshot and logs.

Hit Send in the top right corner.

Feedback will be sent to the Google team that is responsible for Google Tasks and then filed or responded to accordingly. As you use Google Tasks more, you’ll likely have more feedback to give, so give Google your opinion of its app early and often if you want to see changes.

Your turn

What tricks have you developed make Google Tasks work for you? Are you rocking a plethora of categorized task lists, or do you keep everything together? Are you a sub-tasker, or do you prefer to put your lists in the description? Let us know in the comments.

App Store Developers Form a ‘Union’ Ahead of WWDC Calling for Free App Trials, Better Rates

A group of App Store developers calling themselves “The Developers Union” today published an open letter to Apple asking the company to commit to allowing free trials for apps and a “more reasonable revenue cut.”

The group says that it is first aiming to get Apple to implement free trials for all apps in the iOS and Mac App Stores by this July, with plans after that to advocate for other changes.

We believe that people who create great software should be able to make a living doing it. So we created The Developers Union to advocate for sustainability in the App Store.

Today, we are asking Apple to commit to allowing free trials for all apps in the App Stores by the tenth anniversary of the App Store this July. After that, we’ll start advocating for a more reasonable revenue cut and other community-driven, developer-friendly changes.

The initiative is led by Brent Simmons (MarsEdit, Vesper, and NetNewsWire creator), Jake Schumacher (App: The Human Story documentary maker), Loren Morris (product designer), and Roger Ogden (software designer).

The Developers Union is not a “trade union” in the traditional sense of the word, but it is aiming to bring developers and supporters together to advocate for App Store changes.

In an interview with WIRED, the team behind The Developers Union said the aim is to gain a thousand members this week and 20,000 by early June, when the Worldwide Developers Conference takes place.

“It’s a non-union union in a way,” Morris, the product designer, said when reached by phone. “I’m not super interested in creating a traditional union; I’m more interested in bringing the voice of indies back into the spotlight and this is a step in that direction.”

Free trials for apps in the Mac and iOS App Stores have been something that developers have wanted implemented for years. Right now, apps that offer subscriptions are able to provide customers with free trials before requiring payment, but for apps that do not have a subscription offering, there is no way for a free trial to be offered.

This is a major downside for apps that are on the more expensive side that people might not want to purchase without trying first, and it has been a major issue for Mac App Store developers in particular.

The Developers Union is hoping to persuade Apple to expand free trials to all apps, not just those that offer a subscription-based service. Free trials also must include an authorization for payment at the end of the trial, something developers would also like to see eliminated.

Revenue sharing, another topic the group hopes to broach with Apple, could be trickier than convincing the company to implement a free trial feature. Apple currently receives a 30 percent cut of all revenue developers earn from the App Store, and the App Store makes up a huge portion of its services business.

Apple has, however, made some tweaks to its revenue split in recent years. For subscription apps where a customer maintains a subscription for more than a year, developers are entitled to an 85/15 split, with Apple taking a 15 percent cut rather than a 30 percent cut.

The Developers Union has not yet outlined specific changes it would like to see to Apple’s revenue sharing scheme as the focus right now is on recruiting new members and pushing the free trial agenda.

At the current time, just over 60 apps and 50 people and are supporting The Developers Union, but more developers are likely to join as word spreads. Both developers and non-developers can sign up on the Developers Union website to support the initiative.

Tag: App Store
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LocationSmart Bug Provided Easy Access to Real-Time Location Data of Millions of Phones

Robert Xiao, a computer science student at Carnegie Mellon, recently discovered a vulnerability in LocationSmart’s website that made the real-time location of millions of phones readily available to anyone with the knowhow.

For background, LocationSmart is a company that collects location data of mobile customers from major carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile in the United States, and then sells it to other companies for a range of purposes, including compliance, cybersecurity, and proximity marketing.

Up until the vulnerability was discovered, LocationSmart offered a trial webpage that allowed anyone to enter their phone number, confirm the request via SMS or a phone call, and view their approximate real-time location.

LocationSmart’s since-removed trial page via Krebs on Security
The problem, as Xiao discovered, was that the webpage had a bug that allowed anyone with the technical skills to bypass the phone number verification process and view the real-time location of any subscriber to most major carriers in the United States, in addition to Bell, Rogers, and Telus in Canada.

In a blog post, Xiao said the bug essentially involves requesting the location data in JSON format, instead of the default XML format:

If you make the same request with requesttype=locreq.json, you get the full location data, without receiving consent. This is the heart of the bug. Essentially, this requests the location data in JSON format, instead of the default XML format. For some reason, this also suppresses the consent (“subscription”) check.

Upon discovering the vulnerability, Xiao immediately contacted the US-CERT to coordinate disclosure, and shared details with Brian Krebs, who published a story with further details on his blog Krebs on Security.

Xiao told Krebs that he was able to obtain the approximate longitude and latitude of five different people who agreed to be tracked, coming within 100 yards and 1.5 miles of their then-current locations, all in a matter of seconds. LocationSmart plotted the coordinates on a Google Street View map.

“I stumbled upon this almost by accident, and it wasn’t terribly hard to do,” Xiao said. “This is something anyone could discover with minimal effort. And the gist of it is I can track most peoples’ cell phone without their consent.”

Xiao said his tests showed he could reliably query LocationSmart’s service to ping the cell phone tower closest to a subscriber’s mobile device. Xiao said he checked the mobile number of a friend several times over a few minutes while that friend was moving. By pinging the friend’s mobile network multiple times over several minutes, he was then able to plug the coordinates into Google Maps and track the friend’s directional movement.

It’s not clear exactly how long LocationSmart has offered its trial service or how long it has been vulnerable. Krebs linked to an archived version of the website that suggests it dates back to at least January 2017.

When reached for comment via phone, LocationSmart’s founder and CEO Mario Proietti told Krebs that the company was investigating.

“We don’t give away data,” Proietti said. “We make it available for legitimate and authorized purposes. It’s based on legitimate and authorized use of location data that only takes place on consent. We take privacy seriously and we’ll review all facts and look into them.”

A spokesperson for AT&T told Krebs that the carrier “does not permit the sharing of location information without customer consent or a demand from law enforcement,” while Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile all pointed towards their privacy policies.

LocationSmart was already in the news prior to this relevation. The New York Times last week reported that Cory Hutcheson, a former Missouri sheriff, was charged with using a private service called Securus, which obtained data from LocationSmart, to track people’s phones without court orders.

Those headlines are what prompted Xiao to poke around LocationSmart’s website and ultimately discover this vulnerability. However, while the page has been taken down, it’s unclear what steps will be taken next if any. At least one U.S. senator has urged the FCC to enforce stricter privacy laws on carriers.

More Coverage: A bug in cell phone tracking firm’s website leaked millions of Americans’ real-time locations by ZDNet’s Zack Whittaker

Tag: security
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Another smart luggage startup packs its bags following stricter airline rules

Smart-luggage maker Raden has suddenly ceased operations. It’s the second startup to fold in the wake of stricter rules put in place by airlines concerned about the safety of the bags’ lithium-ion batteries.

American Airlines, Delta, and Alaska Airlines imposed new rules in January saying that if the battery is built into a piece of smart luggage and cannot be removed, it won’t be allowed onto the aircraft. United and Southwest Airlines followed suit a short time later. If the battery is removable and the smart-luggage is heading to the hold, it needs to be separated from the luggage at check-in and taken into the cabin.

Smart luggage offers a range of battery-powered tech that can include anything from GPS capability so you don’t lose it, to built-in digital scales so you don’t exceed your weight limits, to a motor that turns it into a scooter so you can whiz through the airport to your gate.

While Raden’s smart-luggage does use removable batteries, the strict rules have made travelers more wary about purchasing such items, devastating what until recently was a steadily growing market.

New York-based Raden posted a message on its site this week explaining the situation. It said that all existing shipments have been processed for delivery, but it can no longer process returns, exchanges or repairs.

Customers can still travel with their Raden cases “with the batteries simply removed as directed by each airline,” the now-defunct company said in its message, which also noted that its companion app will continue to pair with its smart bags.

Focusing on the reason for its closure, Raden said: “The changes in policies concerning batteries in luggage in December by all major airlines severely impacted the usefulness of our products, their value to our customers, our business performance, and ultimately the ability to continue operating.”

Raden’s demise comes just weeks after a similar outfit, New York-based Bluesmart, ceased operations. Bluesmart said the new rules imposed by airlines placed it in “an irreversibly difficult financial and business situation.”

Due to the fire risk that comes with damaged or poorly made lithium-ion batteries, the power source has been a serious concern for airlines ever since the technology was introduced.

The smart cases aren’t the first gadget to be targeted by airlines, either. In 2016, the U.S. Department of Transportation banned Samsung’s troubled Galaxy Note 7 from being taken onto aircraft, and before that, so-called hoverboards faced the same action after batteries inside a number of the personal transporters suddenly exploded.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Airline smart luggage ban will be a real headache for travelers
• Bluesmart Cabin 22 Hands-on Review
• This is the moment a portable charger caught fire in a plane’s overhead bin
• Incase’s ProConnected smart carry-on is a rolling power station for hungry devices
• The best smart luggage