Christmas Tree Safety Tips: How To Prevent Devastating Fires | Vertical Socket

And above all, GET RENTERS INSURANCE—just because you’re savvy enough to stay away from fire hazards doesn’t mean your neighbors are!

Thank you, James. Revenue for the second quarter of $4.2 million, was up sequentially over the first quarter by 5.3% and the quarter’s barcode scanning revenue component was up sequentially 6.4%.

By Ruwandi Gamage  The plan by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) to ban the sale of round pin five amp and 15 amp plugs, wall sockets and related appliances countrywide from January, and retail only square pin, 13 amp plugs and wall sockets, ran into opposition this week with industry representatives slamming the regulator for failing to conduct adequate consultation and consider the higher expenses for consumers.   According to this regulation, round pin five amp and 15 amp plugs, wall sockets, multi-plugs, extension wires and any electrical appliances with the mentioned plugs are to be banned from being sold in shops. This move is to put forth a single standard for plugs and socket outlets and for 13 amp plugs and socket outlets (square pin) to be the only national standard used in Sri Lanka. “Since only 13 amp plugs, socket outlets and electrical appliances with 13 amp plugs will be available in shops effective from 1 January 2019, when the consumer buys any new electrical appliance they will also have to purchase a ‘one-to-one converter’ so that the issue of plugging in a 13 amp square-pin plug to an existing five amp round-pin socket outlet will be eliminated,” Institute of Engineers Sri Lanka representative Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya explained as a PUCSL representative. Dr. Siyambalapitiya further clarified that if any damage occurs to a round pin five amp wall socket outlet in the household, office or any non-industrial setting, the replacement of that will be a temporary six amp square pin wall socket. However, a different ‘one-to-one converter’ will then have to be purchased because the six amp square pin wall socket outlet will not fit with the 5 amp round pin plugs of existing electrical appliances. Sankha Wahalawatta, a representative from the Steering Committee for the ‘Five and fifteen ampere ban’, claims that the committee has not even met once since the implementation to aid in the transition of implementing the single standardisation which is the 13 amp square pin plug and socket outlet. “If there is a regulation that is being brought about, the practicality is not only to consult an expert committee but also to weigh in the feedback of the manufacturer and consumer,” he said. Some of the SMEs that were present at the press briefing claimed that they were only made aware of this regulation about five months ago and that they needed more time to transition their business towards this change and asked for the due date to be postponed.  They also voiced their concerns regarding the long process that they are faced with to acquire the requisite SLS certification and claimed that most imported plugs, socket outlets, multi-plugs and extensions received SLS certification, without any overdue. In response, a PUCSL representative detailed that the process to bring about this regulation was initiated back in 2015, where one public consultation was held by the PUCSL in which about 500 members of the public participated to voice their opinions about this regulation. The Cabinet Paper was passed to bring about this ban by December 2017, which was further postponed until 1 January 2019. The PUCSL had explained that a relief period of two years for manufacturers and one year for importers were given to smoothen the transition towards implementing this regulation. Pic by Lasantha Kumara

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!

While insurers will generally uphold claims related to fire damage from festive lights, Zurich UK has warned that unsafe poor quality lights and other electrical decorations, overloaded plugs and dried out trees are all potential fire hazards.

PCMag.com’s lead mobile analyst, Sascha Segan, has reviewed hundreds of smartphones, tablets and other gadgets in more than 13 years with PCMag. He’s the head of our Fastest Mobile Networks project, hosts our One Cool Thing daily Web show, and writes opinions on tech and society. Segan is also a multiple award-winning travel writer. Other than … See Full Bio

I mean, I understand the allure of other dangerous pastimes (yes, jumping on the couch is a thrill if you’re roughly the size of a throw cushion. Yes, the heater’s fiery red bars do look enticing.) 

In conclusion, I still don’t understand what it is that makes people love this device so much and want to have it everywhere. But as we learned last week, when someone put an Echo on their ceiling, people will go to no ends to have this device where they want it. The Battery Base allows that. So thank you, Mission Cables, for fulfilling people’s ludicrous desires to stay close to their Echo.

I’ve seen this kind of power capacity before, but in units that are the size of a small cooler. The PLUG Pro unit I tested is about the size of hardcover novel and weighs less than many laptops. It’s compact enough and light enough to slip in a backpack. It would be perfect for off-grid camping except for one catch –you need to keep it out of the rain. I could also see it being extremely useful as a home emergency power solution for electrical outages. Road warriors could slip this in a computer case to end laptop outlet anxiety and even plug in a projector if needed.

For those forced out into the cold this week by residential fires, the true blessing of the holiday was escaping uninjured, albeit displaced.

Whether you’re traveling outside the United States for business or pleasure, for most destinations, you’re going to need a travel adapter if you want to take your gadgets with you. Luckily, we’ve tried out an array of adapters, some of which were better than others. Below, we’ve rounded up the best travel adapters we’ve used, though the right adapter for you will depend on your budget, destination, and available space.

He’s now training to run the Boston Marathon in 2020 and this September Rebecca and Brandon ran the Falmouth Road Race with fellow amputee Tammy Jerome.