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What is a hoverboard

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What is a hoverboard?

Enough has been said about how the hoverboard is known by many different names and no one really knows what it should be called. You are reading this because you want to know about the hoverboard that everyone’s buying – a board with two wheels that uses sensors and gyroscopes to stay balanced and is operated by an electric motor.

The hoverboard could be described as an electric two wheeled self-balancing personal transportation board. What a mouthful! It’s the hoverboard, simple, and you know what we are talking about.

A more technically accurate definition will be – A hoverboard is an intuitive, advanced technology personal transportation product that utilizes dynamic balancing principles based on calculations of the rider’s center of gravity and moves through the use of gyroscope and acceleration sensors.

There are two parts to answering the question ‘What is a hoverboard?’.

First, we will look at what a hoverboard looks like, its main parts, what it basically does and its accessories.

The second part is to get into the technology and ideas that go into making a hoverboard.

We will start with the first part.

This is what a typical hoverboard looks like, and the call-outs tell you the terms which describe its main parts.

Plastic Outer Body – Usually made of high quality ABS plastic, the outer shell is hard but light. The coloour and surface is prone to scratches and damage.

Wheels with built-in motors – The wheels of the hoverboard have the motors inside them, which are controlled by the foot boards near the wheel.

Foot-boards – The foot boards are pressure sensitive and use electrical pressure sensors to increase and decrease the speed of the wheels.

LED lights – The LED lights come one when a foot board is in use, and make the hoverboard rider more visible to other traffic at night.

Remote – The typical remote has a lock and unlock option.

Power switch – The power switch is used to turn on the hoverboard, to switch to learner mode and back, and to calibrate it.

Charging port – The charging port is where the external charger has to be plugged in to charge the hoverboard.

Charger – The charger is an important part of the hoverboard as faulty chargers can be the cause of fires in hoverboards, due to over charging.

Fender protectors – The fenders that cover the wheel are the first part of the hoverboard that gets scrated or damaged. Putting some simple rubber fender protectors can keep your hoverboard looking new and unscratched for a long time.

Hoverboard Carrying bag – A good quality carrying bag will allow you to easily carry the hoverboard in places where you cannot use it.

Helmet – Any helmet that protects the head is a good idea, you can use a skateboarding helmet while hoverboarding.

Knee and elbow guards – Knee and elbow pads are a good safety measure as they are the places most prone to injury.

Battery level indicator lights – This is very important as the battery suddenly dying down might throw a rider off the hoverboard.

To answer the second part of ‘What is a hoverboard?’, we need to look inside the hoverboard.

The first hoverboard prototype was seen in a kickstarter project of 2013 and was created by Shane Chen, a Seattle engineer. Chen was issued a patent in 2014 for the hoverboard. The company was Inventist, and that original hoverboard is known by the brand name of Hovertrax.

Here is a diagram of that original hoverboard.

After making a few hoverboards, Chen placed an order with a Chinese manufacturer, and from there it spread like wildfire all across the Chinese electronics manufacturing industry. Now in the Shenzen technology zone itself there are more than a thousand manufacturers making hoverboards.

These manufacturers range from small one room units to large organizations like CHIC. Incidentally, CHIC is the same Chinese company that has bought the original patent from Chen and plans to make huge inroads into the hoverboard manufacturing industry.

This photograph shows a hoverboard with its cover off. The main components inside the hoverboard are shown with call-outs.

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This shows you the difference between a good quality circuit board and a low quality one. Usually the blue and green ones are better quality and the bright garish circuit boards are low quality.

Blue and Green circuit boards imply better quality

Bright garish coloured circuitboards are of a low quality

You can see the battery in the picture below. It has a white label on it, and if you read it carefully, it will give all the specifications and also the brand of the battery. This hoverboard has a Samsung battery. The hoverboards have a lithium-ion battery of around 37 volts. They are big batteries, but just to bring it to scale, a Tesla S vehicle has a lithium-ion battery of 375 volts.

This hoverboard has a low quality Chinese battery, and the text on the label is Chinese.

This is what a genuine Samsung battery looks like.

The motors of the hoverboard are inside the wheels. Here you can see the motor inside the hoverboard wheel.

The foot boards control the speed and direction of rotation of the wheels.

The main chassis of the hoverboard is formed by two solid metal pieces joined by a rotating shaft. It is the heaviest part of the hoverboard.

This video shows a hoverboard being taken apart.

This video explains how the foot pads control the speed and direction in which the wheels rotate.

For more on hoverboards have a look at one of these sections:

Which is the best hoverboard?

How much is a hoverboard?

How to ride a hoverboard?

Hover Board – the new way to travel and 10 reasons why it is so popular

Hover board or hoverboard is a word that is becoming increasingly popular all over the world. The reason is the exciting new personal transportation board that has come into the market.

The hover board which is more frequently written as one word, hoverboard, is a two wheeled self balancing electric scooter board. This is what it looks like and these are its main parts:

The hover board is different from a Segway or an electric scooter. All of these personal transportation products work on a similar principal, that it will have wheels, will be electrically powered and will have gyroscopes to keep the balance. The form factor differs quite a bit, from the original Segway design with a tall handle, to the NineBot with a knee operated lever, to the one wheel to the hoverboard.

Here is a cool graphic showing the main types of options that exist in the self-balancing electric scooter marketplace:

From all of these, why is it that the hover board has become a sensation. The Segway which also works on similar principals has been around for some time but it never really picked up in popularity. Some companies like Lexus and Hendo are trying to make hoverboards that actually hover over the ground, but they are limited by where they can hover and how much they cost. The Lexus hoverboard needs a magnetic surface to hover and the Hendo requires a particular kind of surface. Their costs are enormous, and they are not going to be commercially manufactured for a long time to come. No truly hovering board has been made, that can hover on any surface. Nor are the boards which do hover metallic surfaces at a price that is within reach of most people.

The hover board gives the feeling of hovering over the surface for the rider and is available at a very reasonable cost. All in all, it is awesome because of many reasons.

10 reasons why the hover board is so popular

It is relatively cheap, costing anywhere between $ 200 and $ 1800.
It is small in size and can be easily carried.
It looks fantastic compared to the others in the category.
It does not have any handles or other controlling features, making it compact and sleek.
It makes the rider look like he or she is gliding, and gets a lot of attention.
It looks like great fun, and the actual hoverboarding experience is even better.
It is easy to learn and once you understand how it works, it is quite intuitive to ride.
It has a short charging time, between 60 to 120 minutes.
A full charge will have it running for six hours or about 15 kilometers on average.
It has been endorsed and flaunted by celebrities of every genre – Wiz Khalifa, Mike Tyson, Jamie Foxx, Lily Allen, Jennifer Lopez, Usain Bolt, Caspar Smart, TY Dolla Sign, Justin Bieber, Kylie Jenner, Chris Brown, Skrillex, Rapper Kid Ink, Shemar Moore, Tyga, Kendall Jenner, Ruby Rose, John Legend, Matt Paris, Jessica Alba, Cash Warren, John Wall, Willie Cauley-Stein, Film Director Casey Neistat, Composer Austin Mahone, Musician Nicky Jam, Footballer Karim Benzema, Ivana Korab, JR Smith, Nina Agdal and the list keeps getting bigger.

Here is a video of celebrities on hover boards:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs8jWwmL34s
Here is a video that features a man asking people what he is riding, and most people say hover board:

If you want to know more about the hover board, do check out – What is a hoverboard

Here are some more resources for you:

How to ride a hoverboard?
How much is a hoverboard?

Which is the best hoverboard?

Flyboard is a hoverboard that can fly, but it’s not one you can buy!

Flyboard is a hoverboard that can fly, supposedly up to a height of 10,000 feet and at speeds of up to 150 kms per hour or about 93 miles per hour.

Considering the price and the risks involved in actually flying one, it really doesn’t seem to be a hoverboard that any one of us can buy and then fly. You can hop over to the website of the people who have created it - Zapata-Racing.

Here’s the Flyboard flying hoverboard video that is taking the Internet by storm:

If you enjoyed this video but don’t enjoy the fact that you most definitely cannot get hold of one of these flyboards and fly it, may we suggest the humble hoverboard instead.

It has two wheels, and it doesn’t fly, but it will feel like you are gliding on the ground.

Here’s a video of the humble two-wheel hoverboard:

The good news is that you can buy it right now for around 400 dollars, from the safest place on the web to buy a hoverboard, the Swagway website.

Flying hoverboard = Unbelievable!

Two wheel hoverboard = Available!

The Kiwano Hoverboard, NOT the first UL 2272 Certified self balancing scooter, they just removed all reference from their website!

Kiwano has quietly removed the UL 2272 certification information from their website. They claimed to be UL 2272 certified, which is the standard set by Underwriters Laboratories for all self-balancing electric scooters.

While leading hoverboard companies like Swagway have been working closely with UL for some time now, Kiwano suddenly came and said that they are UL 2272 certified. That made the Kiwano hoverboard the world’s first UL 2272 certified hoverboard, a big deal indeed. But as it turns out, they had only applied for UL 2272 certification, and they have removed all reference to it from their website.

While we are not going to assume anything, we can safely say that as of now, it is definitely not the first UL 2272 hoverboard.

In this latest development, which we realized on checking the Kiwano website recently, we found that the website of the Kiwano hoverboard no longer says that it is UL 2272 certified. Previously there was a section that stated that the Kiwano KO-X Electric Smart Scooter was UL 2272 certified.

UL 2272 hoverboard kiwano best hoverboard brands

You can see on the right, the graphical element that they had used on the homepage till some time back. However, now this entire section is missing from the homepage of the website.

Currently the website says that the Kiwano hoverboard has FCC, CE and RoHS certification, which is a good thing but is nowhere near the UL 2272 standard.

In comparison, this is what Swagway clearly states on their website –

Swagway has been actively working with the CPSC on the investigation of the “self-balancing scooters.” The CPSC recently adapted two new standards, a required standard (UN38.3) and a voluntary standard (UL2272, introduced by UL on January 29, 2016). The original Swagway from the very beginning already meets the newly required standard and we are currently evaluating if our product complies with the new voluntary standard as recommended by the CPSC. We stand by our products and are confident that Swagway still remains the safest on the market.”

Swagway
Website

This clearly shows the transparency and clarity with which Swagway works. Unlike Kiwano, they did not state that they are UL 2272 certified and pulled it off the website later, they are clear about their stand and are committed to safety the highest standards, that they are working to better.

Swagway is currently using UL certified battery cells and adapters, and are working towards making their entire hoverboard UL certified. In fact Swagway further explains its safety standards in another section.

“Swagway is FCC, CE, RoHS, certified and Battery packs were UN38.3 certified with approved battery cells and has passed all testing in adherence to government guidelines.”

In another section it states –

“Swagway’s entire hoverboard is not UL certified. Indeed, to date, UL has yet to certify any hoverboards for safety.”

Incidentally FCC is certification that states that an electronic item is approved for use in the US, and it is awarded by the Federal Communications Commission. Their website can be found here.

CE is a mark that states that the product conforms to relevant European quality standards, and is essentially a mark of European conformity.

RoHS stands for Restriction of Hazardous Substances, and is a European standard that states that the particular item was made without certain hazardous chemicals. All electronics sold in Europe have to be RoHS compliant.

The UN38.3 battery certification is for Li-ion or lithium ion batteries, and is a standard set by the United Nations with regards to Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. This certification is necessary for transportation of batteries by air, and is an important safety standard for all Li-ion batteries.

OUR RECOMMENDATION

With the new UL 2272 certified next generation hoverboards the SwagTron T3 and T1 being launched, we strongly recommend that you only buy one of these two. Go and have a look at the website where you will be able to buy them with a $10 discount on using Coupon Code: swag-1163A391DNSS

Click here to check out the SwagTron hoverboards.

The Swagway X1 is now selling at an all time low price of $249 with the $10 discount coupon: swag-1163A391NDSS, on their website.

SwagTron T1, SwagTron T3 and Swagway X1 FREE Shipping in US within 1-5 days, all available with an exclusive $10 discount by using coupon code: swag-1163A391NDSS

Also the Swagway hoverboard ships to any place within the United States within 1 to 5 days. In the map below, you can see how much time it will take for a Swagway to reach to your home.

Also, Swagway offers FREE Shipping within the US.

Here is the legend for the map -
Your location is in this colour - 1 Day Shipping
Your location is in this colour - 2 Days Shipping
Your location is in this colour - 3 Days Shipping
Your location is in this colour - 4 Days Shipping
Your location is in this colour - 5 Days Shipping

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If you want to purchase one, then go to the website www.swagway.com

To read more about the safety and quality standards of the Swagway hoverboards go to the FAQs section of the Swagway website.

You can read about the safest place to buy a hoverboard on the web here.

Top 10 Back to the Future Shoes Light Up Shoes with LED Flashing lights

The Top 10 best Back to the Future Shoes are all about bringing back the Marty McFly Back to the Future shoe moment to you. Not the self-lacing part but the lighting up part. These Top 10 Back to the Future Shoes that we have lined up for you are Light up shoes with LED Flashing lights. Also known as Hoverboard Shoes, they are blinging up the feet of young and old alike all over the world today. These Back to the Future shoes aren’t expensive, and range from anywhere around $30 to $75, with the most popular ones priced around $40 to $45. However, if you want to go in for the original shoe design and model, the Simulation light up sneakers by designer duo Yifang Wan and Samuel Yang they’ll cost you upwards of $500.

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The exact replica of the Back to the Future shoes is of course the pair you see on the right, that has the original design as seen in the movie. This shoe has a high top and a textured sole for added traction and the exact same design with lights at the same places. Incidentally, this particular shoe is an officially licensed shoes. It also lights up the way Marty McFly’s shoe lit up in the movie Back to the Future 2.

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Since this pair is a bit of a hot seller, thanks to the many Back to the Future fans, they are sometimes out of stock. However, when we checked, they were available on Amazon. You can go and buy them right now from here. They are also known as the Back to the Future 2 Light Up Shoes, and are available on Amazon.

A pair of shoes somewhat similar to this Back to the Future 2 Light Up Shoes is the JustCreat High Top LED Light Up Shoes you can see below. They are amongst the new crop of LED light up shoes with several in-built modes and light color options.

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You can check this pair out on Amazon now.

Now we come to the Top 10 Back to the Future light up shoes that are available in a huge variety of designs, colors and shapes. These Led light up shoes don’t just light up, they have different light modes, of many colors including a sequential pattern lighting.

These Back to the Future shoes have LED lights inside the soles of the shoes, which are rechargeable. They come with a charger which can be plugged into a laptop. They have a small switch just on the inside of the shoes which needs to be pressed to switch on the LED lights, and to go from one lighting mode to another. Usually there are 8 modes, when you press the switch once it turns on the lights in in red color. Pres twice to get green, thrice to get blue, four time to get yellow, five times to get light blue, six times to get purple, 7 times to get white and 8 times to get into the light patterns auto change mode. The switch is hidden inside the hem of the shoe and the charging port of the shoe is also not visible and hidden within the shoe.

Top 10 Best Back to the Future Shoes

[amazon bestseller=”LED high top shoe”]

Here is the Marty McFly shoe moment from Back to the Future 2.

Have a look at how the Back to the Future light up shoes look when you wear them.

Go check out the Top 10 Best Hoverboard shoes, now.

5 tech trends of 2015 – Two Wheeled Hoverboards, Virtual Reality Headsets, Drones, 3-D Printers, Smartwatches

They were the most popular tech gadgets and gizmos of 2015, and they caught the imagination of the people. Some of them are going to be even bigger in 2016, and some are going to evolve. Here is a quick roundup of the most exciting tech trends of 2015, stuff that is within reach of us right now.

Hoverboards or Two Wheeled Self Balancing Electric Scooters

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They are the insanely cool personal transporters, turned fiery demons turned next gen UL 2272 hoverboards. Yep the journey of the hoverboard has been trailblazing to say the least. They were the rage during Christmas 2015, and then some of them began to catch fire. Matters became so bad that the US Govt. agency the CPSC (Consumer Products Safety Commission) had to intervene and it declared all hoverboards unsafe unless they had proper certifications. New standards came into being and now a new breed of two wheeled hoverboards are emerging. Theier popularity soared initially also because every celebrity was flaunting their hoverboard, from Wiz Khalifa to Jamie Foxx to Scrillex.

If you want a piece of the hoverboard phenomenon, you can pick one up from the safest place on the web to buy a hoverboard, the Swagway website.

Virtual Reality Headsets

We have all seen the techilicious Occulus Rift headsets, and now we know about Google Cardboard, a virtual reality headset that can be completely made by following instructions and putting together cardboard pieces. Virtual Reality headsets are now entering different realms. Microsoft’s Hololens being used by NASA to virtually experience the terrain of Mars in their labs, Sony is planning to integrate a virtual reality headset into the Play Station 4. Amongst the really drool-worthy headsets is the HTC Vive, but like the Occulus Rift it is very expensive.

You can have a look at and buy, some of the most popular headsets of 2016 here.

Drones

Drones have been around for a while, and they are being used for everything from delivering packages, to military surveillance, to emergency medical help. Now the drones are becoming smarter and also popping up in unexpected places. We saw drones that are able to track you as you ski down a slope, or one that can do face tracking. The niftiest one is a wearable drone called Nixie that can be worn like a watch on your wrist and with a gesture it will fly, take a picture of you and then come back to you. Here’s a video of Nixie:

There are even cars with personalized drones. It seems that selfies sticks will soon be passe, as selfie drones hit the market. Some really exciting things are going to happen with drones in 2016, and they will become much more accessible.

To see the Top 10 bestselling drones of 2016, click here.

3-D Printers

The cost of 3-D printers is coming down, and they are also becoming more specialized. It is envisioned that soon there will be 3-D printing centers in the local malls where we will pick up our 3-D printed stuff just the way we used to pick up camera prints before. The commercial 3-D Printers are now easily available and their prices are coming down. They used to be able to print only in plastic shapes but today 3-D printers can print using materials ranging from titanium to human cartilage, and can also produce fully functional components, including hip implants, dental implants, hearing aids, complex mechanisms, batteries, transistors etc. XYZprinting created a food printer. Some innovators in 3-D printing are MarkForge, Voxel8 and Carbon3D.

If you want to have a look at some 3-D printers that you can purchase right now, click here.

Smartwatches

Smartwatches from leading brands like Apple, Sony, Samsung, LG and Motorola are already available, but now the next generation smart watches are coming in. This include the Apple Watch 2, and a whole host of smartwatches from HTC, Casio, Samsung, New Balance etc. Most of these smartwatches connect to your smartphone and display notifications from it, they also track fitness and monitor the body. The current crop of smartwatches will allow messaging, email, calendars and other apps. In fact stand-alone smartwatches which will be able to do all of this without your smartphone being around are also coming to the market. The popular Pebble smartwatch came with a small software development kit for developers to create apps. Thus along with its primary functions of an on-wrist GPS display, run timer, and remote control, it would also let you order a pizza, engage with an e-ink maze and more.

Have a look at the Top 10 Smartwatches you can buy in 2016

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