Flying This Thanksgiving? Leave Your E-Reader At Home!

If you have an e-ink e-reader like the Amazon Kindle you might want to think twice before taking it on the plane with you this Thanksgiving.  Or ever.

I'm a satisfied Kindle owner and plan on taking mine with me on the trip this Thanksgiving.  But my trip doesn't include flying.

And lest you think this is a discussion of the Kindle Fire or any other LCD screened device rest easy, we're not talking about you.

The devices affected are those with e-ink technology.  This is most usually seen on the original Kindles although several competing e-readers also utilize it.  E-ink screens have tiny capsules filled with white and black particles.  A small voltage is applied making the appropriate particle display.  They stay in place until voltage is again applied and this gives Kindles a battery advantage over LCD's and their need to be constantly refreshed to display an image.

The concern is x-ray machines at airports seem to be causing damage to Kindles.  Amazon has denied these x-rays could be harming the machines.  But the x-rays don't appear to be the culprit.  Static buildup on the conveyor belt transporting the device seems to be the issue.

It is believed static charges could buildup on the belts to sufficiently charge your Kindle as to permanently stick the particles to the screen rendering your e-reader useless.

So flyer beware!

For more see this source article.