you won. we can shutdown the net for today.
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It being on fire is the only way anyone is ever going to look even remotely cool riding one of these things.
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Screw how it looks. Is it useful as a more comfortable/more efficient/faster alternative to walking?
There are a variety of indicators that this video is fake.
While there are certainly instances where hoverboards of this exact model have had batteries overheat and even catch fire, that is not what happened here.
The first indicator that this is not a legit unboxing is in the packaging. This particular type of hoverboard, (which is the most prevalent right now) does not come inside its bag. It also does not come with the rubber-like strips already put on the top of the device.
The device does not âcharge all nightâ it actually charges for less than 2 hours and then the light indicator on the charging box goes from red to green. At that point it stops charging, like your smartphone does when it reaches 100%.
Another indicator this is fraudulent is in his behavior on trying to use the device. The way these behave is you must push the on/off button, a loud sound and lights are shown that the device is working properly. It is not possible to ignore this, because you simply can not stand on it when it is not powered on.
Anyone smart enough to edit a video with this much care would know that they have missed steps, and not repeatedly try to get onto the hoverboard in the off state.
While this may be good for pageviews on boing boing, and reinforce a funny idea castigating this device and those who might try them, the amplification of obviously fake content pulls down Boing Boingâs own credibility.
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Itâs not fake. If it was fake, it wouldnât be so boring. A video of a device bursting into flame shouldnât be so dull.
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Considering itâs immobile and engulfed in flames, Iâd say no.
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Oooh, do tell! 
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Copper foil is just a copper foil. Could be handy as backing for electroforming - cover with a mask and let more copper grow on it by electrolysis on the unmasked areas - voila, parts.
The microporous separator is fairly inert chemically. I tried using it as a membrane for electrolysis of water for hydrogen/oxygen, but it could probably be used also for a chlorate cell.
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Seems like an accelerant was used. As if gas or lighter fluid was poured on the outside of the casing.
So youâve bought every single variety of cheap Chinese hoverboard from ebay? Youâre sure none come in the bag? And that thereâs no way for an ebay seller to have opened the package and put it in the bag? He does admit to buying it form ebay (common for the shoddiest of products), and just about anything can happen to it from the factory from there even if no manufacturer were to bag it before sending it out.
The lowest end donât cut off the charge voltage. Your smartphone has an advanced power management IC and system, these most commonly have the most simple of current-follower charging circuits. They can overcharge, but this failure is not indicative of an overcharge failure. Besides that, he states he didnât read the instructions, as many people wonât do either, because the device seems intuitive enough. Most people will think âit will surely be charged if I leave it plugged in overnightâ when dealing with something with a battery.
Again, if heâs trying it out on intuition and not reading the manual he wouldnât know about the sound and lights. We have enough stuff in our lives that turn lights on and off when needed, that just wonât register. I donât see why you canât keep your balance on it when the power is off either; youâre balancing on a pivot; not a hard thing for people to do for short periods (he does fall off it a few times).
Whereâs your evidence for that? He even admits in the comments to not reading the instructions and he wasnât sure what was going on. For one, just because someone knows how to edit a video well doesnât mean they know how a hoverboard works and should be operated. It has abso-fucking-lutly nothing to do with being smart or anything like that; itâs experience domains; and they surely do not overlap. Even then if you take a look at my previous posts on this and why I donât think itâs fake, you can see that I got some things wrong with battery chemistry (not my experience domain; something I have not a lot of knowledge about), but the rest of what I said about the electronics is correct (that is my experience domain, being an electrical (not chemical) engineer).
I know thereâs a lot of hate for these devices, but I do have one serious question for you; are you one who likes them and/or uses them? Iâm genuinely curious here to see where the people stand who are calling it out as fake or not. But, from an engineering perspective this failure mode is completely plausible.
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Thanks for the info on the cells; chem isnât my strong suit. 
Iâd still be cautious about tap water around cheap electronics that have such low impedance power circuits because they usually have fuckall for clearance, a little bit of water can bridge them quite easily. Although, from your info itâs probably moot since it sounds like it was the battery going anyway.
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Chem is fascinating. I spent way too much time in that field.
There is quite some research out there in the field of lithium battery electrolytes. Quite some potential in ionic liquids as nonflammable, nonvolatile electrolytes.
True, but with enough water we get just warm water (and possible considerable damage of the electronics, and electrolysis-eaten circuitboard). The specific heat of water, and especially of boiling it off, is HUGE. The hydrogen bonds have quite dramatic effect that gives water properties one wouldnât expect at the first sight from such a small lightweight molecule.
Edit: Also, check out this book, or at least its table of content.
The low-molecular weight carbonates are what makes a punctured Li-poly cell smell like sort-of-fruity-acetone.
Electrolytic capacitors usually have water-based electrolyte. They can explode but not in a cloud of fire. At least not usually.
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Actually, this is how the tesla debacle happened on I-70 outside Denver. After the battery compartment was ruptured by a metal bar laying in the highway, the vehicle caught fire. Driver told me the Fire Dept., upon arriving at the scene, sprayed water on the car and it proceeded to arc out onto the guardrail a good 2-4 meters away. So, no, itâs not a good idea. In fact, there are more safeguards in place, gfci, grounds, & breakers attached to grid infrastructure, than the capacitors & batteries in stand alone devices. If you decide to pour water on it and become the ground, good luck. It will feel like a knife cutting into you first. Then, it will burn.
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I donât think Omike was equating a low-power device like a hoverboard to your burning Tesla for a single second.
Of course huge batteries with unreasonable amounts of stored energy will burn and kill. Even small ones with moderate amounts will, given improper conditions.
Maybe he forgot his â/sâ, or you just didnât see the transparent one there.
Anyway cool story, bro! Lots of similar tales from paramedic friends.
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There will be interesting situations with chlorine clouds liberated when an electric car gets sufficiently immersed in seawater.
The submarine crews learned what happens in such situations, sometimes the hard way. Now itâs time for us landlubbers to share the fun.
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Because a Tesla car has a battery the size of a hoverboard.
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The batteries donât even contain that much of energy. 20 kilowatt-hours equals some 2.5 kg of hard coal, or 1.7 kilogram-of-oil-equivalent. Or 17 kg of TNT (isnât this a bit too much? But you wonât get the battery to release it in a milisecond timespan anyway).
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The first step is unboxing the fire extinguisher. Duh.
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Well, I guess there is truth in advertisingâŚ
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