‘The school has to be evacuated': Connecticut students are setting their Chromebooks on fire for TikTok
The latest TikTok trend is leading to fire evacuations at schools across Connecticut.
As part of the trend, students are filming themselves inserting items such as pencils, paper clips, and push pins into the charging ports of their school Chromebooks to set them on fire. Why? For a laugh and a brief break from schoolwork.
One such 'tutorial' gained 1.5 million views on TikTok before being removed, showing a student pushing a lead pencil into the back left corner of the port. 'You might have to wiggle it a bit,' the user explained.
Another student tried to film a 'how-to' video last week, managing to cause a laptop fire and triggering an evacuation at Newington High School, as reported by WDBJ7. Since Monday, both Derby High School and Cromwell High School have experienced similar incidents.
'On Thursday, I was alerted by both my director of security and high school principal that we had a Chromebook that was smoking,' Maureen Brummett, superintendent of Newington Public Schools, told NBC Connecticut.
She further explained that after an investigation, it was clear that the damage to the laptop was 'done intentionally' rather than being a result of a malfunction, and that students would be held accountable for replacing the school equipment.
'Chromebooks are expensive and they're going up in price, so when a student does intentionally destroy a Chromebook, it's their responsibility to replace it. We have an insurance program, but it's not covering intentional damage,' she added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
21 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Mark Zuckerberg Personally Hiring to Create New 'Superintelligence' AI Team
Mark Zuckerberg, frustrated with Meta Platforms Inc. 's shortfalls in AI, is assembling a team of experts to achieve artificial general intelligence, recruiting from a brain trust of AI researchers and engineers who've met with him in recent weeks at his homes in Lake Tahoe and Palo Alto. Zuckerberg has prioritized recruiting for the secretive new team, referred to internally as a superintelligence group, according to people familiar with his plans. He has an audacious goal in mind, these people said. In his view, Meta can and should outstrip other tech companies in achieving what's known as artificial general intelligence or AGI, the notion that machines can perform as well as humans at many tasks. Once Meta reaches that milestone, it could weave the capability into its suite of products — not just social media and communications platforms, but also a range of AI tools, including the Meta chatbot and its AI-powered Ray-Ban glasses.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Watch These AMD Price Levels as Stock Jumps to Highest Level Since January
Advanced Micro Devices shares closed at their highest level since January on Monday, lifted by optimism that trade discussions between the U.S. and China could lead to reduced export curbs. After breaking out from a descending broadening formation last month, AMD shares have traded mostly sideways just below the closely watched 200-day moving average. Investors should monitor major overhead areas on AMD's chart around $123, $145 and $175, while also watching a key support level near $ Micro Devices (AMD) shares will likely remain in focus after hitting their highest level since January on Monday, lifted by optimism that trade discussions between the U.S. and China could lead to reduced export curbs. Chipmakers rallied after White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said on CNBC early Monday that officials from Washington and Beijing intended to discuss the release of rare earth minerals to the U.S. and the expansion of Chinese access to American-made semiconductors during talks between the two countries taking place in London this week. In April, AMD cautioned its results would be affected by charges of roughly $800 million related to tightening restrictions on sales of its chips to China, while rival AI behemoth (NVDIA) warned it would take a potential $5.5 billion charge related to limits on exports of its H20 chip. AMD shares gained nearly 5% on Monday to close at around $122. The stock has risen nearly 60% from its early April-low, putting it back to where it started 2025, as investors assess whether the company can make further inroads into the booming AI chip market. Investors will learn more about AMD's plans for artificial intelligence at the company's "Advancing AI" event on Thursday, which features a keynote address from CEO Lisa Su. Below, we take a closer look at AMD's chart and use technical analysis to identify major price levels that investors will likely be monitoring. After breaking out from a descending broadening formation last month, AMD shares have traded mostly sideways just below the closely watched 200-day moving average (MA). More recently, the stock's price has nudged toward the May high, a move that has coincided with the relative strength index indicating strengthening price momentum. It's also worth pointing out that the shares registered their highest trading volume in nearly a month on Monday, indicating growing interest in the chipmaker's stock. Let's identify three major overhead areas on AMD's chart to monitor if the shares continue to trend higher and also locate a key support level worth watching during possible retracements. The first overhead area to monitor sits around $123. This area may provide resistance near the May swing high, which also closely aligns with last year's prominent early-August sell-off swing low. A decisive close above the 200-day MA could spark a rally toward $145. The shares may run into selling pressure in this location near a trendline that connects a range of corresponding trading activity on the chart between April and December last year. Further buying could see the stock's price test higher overhead resistance around $175. Investors who have accumulated shares at lower levels may decide to lock in profits in this region near notable peaks that developed on the chart in May and October 2024. During retracements in the stock, investors should keep a close eye on the $108 level. This area on the chart would likely attract buying interest near last month's pullback low and the stock's early-February trough. The comments, opinions, and analyses expressed on Investopedia are for informational purposes only. Read our warranty and liability disclaimer for more info. As of the date this article was written, the author does not own any of the above securities. Read the original article on Investopedia
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What the Tech: New Apple iOS 26
Apple is giving the iPhone a major makeover with iOS 26. Announced at today's Worldwide Developers Conference, the new update features a redesigned interface, smarter AI features, and several upgrades across Messages, Phone, Safari, and more. One of the biggest changes is the naming system. Starting now, the version number will match the year. So, instead of wondering what version you are running, the latest update is simply called iOS 26. This change could come to the iPhone when Apple introduces the next model this fall. Wouldn't it be easier for everyone if the next iPhone is called the '26'? The most noticeable change is what Apple calls the 'Liquid Glass' design. This is not a new screen material, but a visual refresh that adds translucent layers and depth to the interface. It makes everything on your screen feel more immersive and polished, with a soft, almost three-dimensional effect. You will notice it in the Control Center, Safari's address bar, the home screen, lock screen, and even in app icons. Artificial intelligence is also at the center of iOS 26. One standout feature is live translation for text, audio, FaceTime, and phone calls. Speak to someone in another language, and your iPhone will translate the conversation in real time. Another helpful upgrade is Visual Intelligence. Snap a photo or spot a product on social media, and your iPhone can identify it and search the web to show you where to buy it. Apple says this feature is powered by a version of ChatGPT built into the device, meaning the search stays private. Messages get more interactive, too. You can now create a poll inside a group text, which is handy when trying to plan a dinner or outing with friends. You can also set custom chat backgrounds using text prompts to generate an image. Apple introduced 'Genmoji,' a tool that allows you to create your custom emoji by combining different elements. Phone calls are getting smarter as well. A new call screening option will silence unknown callers until they identify themselves and state their reason for calling. And when you are on hold, your iPhone will recognize the hold music, mute it for you, and notify you when someone picks up again. Safari is getting a refreshed design, along with better privacy controls that make fingerprinting and tracking more difficult. The Photos app is being reorganized to group memories in a more meaningful way. And Apple Music will soon be able to translate lyrics into other languages on the fly. The developer beta is available now. A public beta will be released in July, with the full version of iOS 26 expected to roll out this fall. It is one of the most ambitious software updates Apple has introduced in years, and your iPhone is about to feel brand new. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
