I can only assume it is a safety related issue in response to this http://safetravel.dot.gov/alpa.pdf and not a terrorist issue. I just glanced at the article but it looks to be a problem with people putting their warm/hot laptops in their bags and then placing overhead and a fire starts. (probably the batteries that were recalled from all of those fires last year http://corvillus.com/2006/08/07/a-list-of-laptop-battery-recalls/ ) I don’t see how these restrictions will dramatically reduce the number of fires from happening. I think education is a better method of preventing the fires... like what the PDF says on the second page.

These new restrictions will put greater costs on the freelance videographer who travels the country with multiple spare video camera batteries (me included). I guess I’ll have to ship my batteries via FedEx before every shoot.