That person being injured seems to be front page news. Like I mentioned in a previous post, we don't know what device he used, but chances are, he was misusing it.
exploding ecigs have happened before. They have lithium batteries in them, and THAT'S what should be on focus here, not the fact that it was an ecig. Cellphone batteries explode as well, so do laptop batteries. But the fact that ecigs are new, and there is a proposal to limit them mean that they are on high focus at the moment. Do a google search for "died last week from accident", and you will see many stories of people dying.. mostly form car accidents. However those aren't making as much headlines as this ecig accident. Remember, the media is all about reporting things that scare you... sounds silly, but if if it doesn't catch your attention, then it wouldn't be reported. So, they report things and make it sound shocking. The truth is, he was probably using a mechanical mod, and probably pushing it past the limits.
I NEVER suggest a mechanical mod to a new person. Those should be for responsible people and experts only. Lithium ion batteries are not something to be taken lightly, and the man in the news made good evidence of that. If you get something with a built in battery, they don't design the mods to go past that battery's limits, and are MUCH safer. If you get replaceable batteries in a regulated device, you're still somewhat safer, but I would do some research on what type of battery, and where to get them from. Some batteries are safer than others, and if you skimp on the battery, you might be risking an explosion. So, do some research and you should be fine.
As far as the TC... TC offers the advantage of not getting a dry hit. When the coil gets hot enough, it either shuts or lowers the power to maintain the temperature that is set. It also has the ability to detect when there is not enough juice being boiled to cool down the coil, so it detects when it is running dry. So, it is a good option to get. I am still on Kanthal though, since I know how it reacts. IF you have a good enough wicking, you shouldn't have to worry about dry hits.. Wtih TC though, you at least have an option to go kanthal or TC, so I'd suggest getting a TC mod, even if you don't use it at first. it leaves options open.