Marty McFly never had to worry about exploding hoverboards.
I'm Bridget Carey, this is your CNET update.
This year's hot holiday gift is just way too hot for some companies to touch.
And by hot, I mean fire and explosion go boom hot.
You may know it as a hoverboard, or a balance board, But there are now some safety concerns with these mixes between a skateboard and a Segway.
In some models the lithium-ion batteries are catching fire and it could be because some are poorly made.
Overstock is no longer selling hoverboards and it appears that Amazon is pulling some of these hoverboard products Until the sellers can provide documents that prove they need safety standards, one popular brand called Swag Way shared a statement with a few media outlets about this.
Swag Ways cost around $400 and they're cheaper than most high end brands that can go for around $1500.
But, there are knockoff's being sold for $300 or $200 and you need to stay away from those.
The government is now getting involved.
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission is currently investigating these products after reports of hoverboard fires and several major U.S. airlines Are now also banning it from carry-on or checked baggage, in fear of them catching fire.
If you want to be safe, remember that a price that's too good to be true, usually is.
And, you may want to buy directly from the manufacturer's website to check that it meets Safety standards and if there's a warranty.
Because the higher quality brands that go through safety checks do offer warranties.
Now also watch the weight limits.
And don't ride if you weigh more than the limit.
And if you do it get one for a gift Please, take it slow.
He needs more practice.
And there's another big tech gift expected to cause some drama this year.
Drones.
If you get a drone as a gift, you're gonna need to register it with the government, and this is not just for new drones.
It applies to anyone who already owns one.
The federal aviation administration said that US residents.
Must register drones online, and you can as early as next week Monday.
It's free if you register by January 20th.
But after that, there's a $5 fee.
Failure to register your drone can result in a fine, even if it's a small quadcopter you only flying in the backyard.
It applies to anything weighing about 1/2 pound to 55 pounds.
There are fines if you don't register.
A civil penalty could be as high as $27,500.
And there's a time limit.
For anything purchased this week or earlier, you're gonna have until February 19th.
And you have to renew the registration every three years.
Yeah, that's another $5.00 fee each time.
The FAA is doing this to keep a tighter watch on how people are using the air space.
Because this year the FAA had more than 1100 reports of potentially unsafe drone use.
That's it for this Tech News Update.
There's always more at CNET.com.
From our studios in New York, I'm Bridget Carey.
[MUSIC]
