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FAA Bans Some MacBook Pros From Flying

August 15, 2019

If you own a MacBook Pro, you may not be able to legally take it for an airplane ride. The FAA stated it was "aware of the recalled batteries that are used in some Apple MacBook Pro laptops" and alerted major US airlines about the recall in July. According to a CNET post, Apple initiated a voluntary recall in June for 15-inch Pros sold between September 2015 and February 2017. The use of lithium-ion batteries has been linked to fires and spewing smoke in a slew of products, including hoverboards, Samsung's Galaxy Note 7, and Boeing's 787 Dreamliner.

Lifehacker has instructions on how to determine if you own an impacted model. Basically, you click the Apple icon in the upper left of your screen, followed by the "About This Mac" from the dropdown. If it says something similar to "MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)," you're busted. You can also go to Apple's recall page to verify if you own a banned machine. The bad news is I can't see any possible way the ban can be enforced. I'm sure the traveling passengers will tolerate a "strip search" of your electronics before you board to see if you are carrying any dangerous electronics. Not.

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