Version History: Hoverboards
Episode
67 min
Read time
2 min
Topics
History
AI-Generated Summary
What It Covers
The Vergecast launches Version History with hoverboards, covering Shane Chen's 2013 patent, Chinese manufacturing explosion, celebrity adoption, battery explosions, and regulatory bans that ended the craze.
Notable Moment
David Pierce describes his first hoverboard experience where he immediately launched himself into Oakland traffic within eighteen seconds of stepping onto the device, nearly getting hit by cars.
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Books, tools, and gear mentioned in this episode
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Tools
“Shane Chen patents HoverTrax in 2013 with independently movable foot platforms, raises eighty thousand dollars on Kickstarter”
Products
company
“Chinese manufacturer Chic Robotics reverse-engineers design by August 2014.”
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