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Revolutionizing ELL Storytelling with AI

Morgan Tate
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Revolutionizing ELL Storytelling with AI

Key points:

Imagine this: You assign your students a writing prompt, and while some eagerly begin crafting their stories, others stare at the blank page, muttering, “I have nothing to write,” or “I can’t think of a story.” For English Language Learners (ELLs), this scenario is even more daunting due to limited vocabulary or fear of making mistakes. In fact, studies show that a lack of confidence and linguistic resources often prevents ELLs from fully engaging in creative writing, despite their rich cultural and personal experiences.

Getting started: Using AI to spark creativity

A simple and engaging way to introduce AI in storytelling is by using a writing prompt and generating an example story opening with ChatGPT. For instance, you might ask: “Write the opening to a mysterious story about an abandoned lighthouse.”

How AI enhances storytelling

AI tools offer unique opportunities to support ELLs in their storytelling journey. When students struggle to come up with ideas, tools like ChatGPT can provide engaging prompts and vivid descriptions to spark creativity. For example, a student might request a description of a magical forest and receive a response like: “A forest bathed in golden sunlight, where trees tower like ancient guardians and the air shimmers with tiny, glowing orbs.” Such detailed imagery can inspire students to dive into their stories with greater confidence.

Classroom example: AI in action

In a Grade 8 ESL classroom, students were given the prompt: “Write about a strange object you find buried in your backyard.” After brainstorming ideas with ChatGPT, one student created a story about a glowing orb that transported them to another dimension. They used DALL-E to generate an image of the orb, and Twine to develop a branching narrative where the reader decides whether to touch the orb or call for help. The result was an immersive storytelling experience that combined creativity with critical thinking.

Making storytelling accessible and engaging

Using AI in storytelling doesn’t just overcome barriers; it transforms the experience for students. Visual elements and interactivity keep learners engaged, while tools for grammar and vocabulary improvement build confidence. For ELLs, AI provides scaffolding and encouragement to take creative risks and express themselves authentically.

Guiding responsible AI use

While AI opens doors to creativity, teaching students to use these tools responsibly is essential. Students need to understand the concept of AI “hallucinations,” where AI generates inaccurate or entirely fabricated information. For instance, an AI might describe a historical event inaccurately or create a fictional fact that seems plausible. Educators should teach students to verify AI-generated information with reliable sources.

Conclusion

Storytelling is a cornerstone of language learning, offering ELLs opportunities to build vocabulary, practice grammar, and express their ideas. With AI, the storytelling process becomes more accessible, engaging, and impactful. From generating prompts to creating visuals and refining drafts, AI supports students in overcoming challenges and discovering the joy of storytelling.

FAQs

Q: How do I get started with AI in storytelling?
A: Start by using a writing prompt and generating an example story opening with ChatGPT.

Q: What are some benefits of using AI in storytelling?
A: AI tools offer unique opportunities to support ELLs in their storytelling journey, providing engaging prompts, vivid descriptions, and tools for grammar and vocabulary improvement.

Q: How do I ensure responsible AI use?
A: Teach students to verify AI-generated information with reliable sources, and encourage critical thinking by asking questions like “Does this make sense? Is it accurate? Can I verify it elsewhere?”

Composo helps enterprises monitor AI app performance

Avery Winslow
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Composo helps enterprises monitor AI app performance

AI Reliability: A Major Bottleneck for Enterprise Adoption

AI and large language models (LLMs) have a ton of useful applications, but for all their promise, they’re not very reliable.

Startups Find an Opportunity in Improving LLM-Powered Apps

No one knows when this problem will be solved, so it makes sense that we’re seeing startups finding an opportunity in helping enterprises make sure the LLM-powered apps they’re paying for work as intended.

Composo: A Headstart in Solving the Problem

London-based startup Composo feels it has a headstart in trying to solve that problem, thanks to its custom models that can help enterprises evaluate the accuracy and quality of apps that are powered by LLMs.

A Custom Approach

The company combines a reward model trained on the output a person would prefer to see from an AI app with a defined set of criteria that are specific to that app to create a system that essentially evaluates outputs from the app against those criteria.

Composo Align: A Public API for Evaluating LLM Applications

The company recently launched a public API for Composo Align, a model for evaluating LLM applications on any criteria.

Funding and Plans

Composo has recently raised $2 million in pre-seed funding, which will be used to expand its engineering team, acquire more clients, and bolster its R&D efforts.

Competitive Advantage

Composo believes it has a first-mover advantage and a competitive moat due to the R&D required to create its custom models and the data it has accrued over time.

Industry Agnosticism and Competitive Threats

Composo has chosen to be industry agnostic, but still have resonance in compliance, legal, healthcare, and security spaces.

Future Plans

Composo plans to focus on scaling its technology across its clients this year.

Conclusion

Composo is addressing a critical bottleneck in the adoption of enterprise AI, which is the reliability of LLM-powered apps. With its custom models and public API, it is well-positioned to help enterprises evaluate the accuracy and quality of these apps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the main problem with LLM-powered apps?

A: The main problem with LLM-powered apps is their unreliability.

Q: How does Composo solve this problem?

A: Composo solves this problem by using custom models that evaluate the accuracy and quality of LLM-powered apps.

Q: What are the benefits of Composo’s approach?

A: The benefits of Composo’s approach include its ability to evaluate apps on any criteria and its industry agnosticism, making it a valuable solution for companies across various industries.

Q: What are Composo’s plans for the future?

A: Composo’s plans for the future include expanding its engineering team, acquiring more clients, and bolstering its R&D efforts.

Wicked: Behind the Magic of its Incredibly Realistic VFX

Phil
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Wicked: Behind the Magic of its Incredibly Realistic VFX

ILM’s Big Picture Approach to Wicked

The visual language of the world of Oz, stemming from L.Frank Baum’s original novel, its sequels and its various movie adaptations, are globally recognised and have become part of a wider cultural frame of reference. The characters and worlds of Oz mean something profound to audiences.

ILM’s creative charge for Wicked was Visual Effects Supervisor, Pablo Helman; an ILM veteran of several decades with a stunning filmography to his name. My conversation begins with Pablo outlining his personal approach to embarking on a new VFX project.

ILM’s big picture approach to Wicked

Leading ILM’s creative charge for Wicked was Visual Effects Supervisor, Pablo Helman; an ILM veteran of several decades with a stunning filmography to his name. My conversation begins with Pablo outlining his personal approach to embarking on a new VFX project.

“I have a very particular way in which I approach the visual effects work that we do,” begins Pablo. “I do a lot of research. I really believe in being prepared and pre-empting and having thought of lots of different options. That is part of my job: to give options to the director. I did a lot of research on Jon M.Chu’s film style: I took a look at how he uses lenses, how he uses the camera, and movement and colour, lighting, pacing and timing. And then, it was about talking to Jon and understanding what the vision for the project is.”

Pablo makes the point about how visual effects should always function as a key storytelling tool. He tells me, “As my first musical, Jon and his team just brought me right in and that makes for a better movie, a better story that can be logistically accomplished. I would like to say ‘Thank you’ to all of the artists.”

The Collaborative Wizardry of Wicked

Drawing our conversation to a conclusion, Pablo offers an image to encapsulate the creative process. “If you were to graph or colour the movie, at the end of the day you’d see that the graph goes up and takes you somewhere… until the next movie.”

Pablo then references the Defying Gravity climax of Wicked and how it offers a powerful example of live-action and visual effects artistry working in concert. In doing so, each discipline compels the audience to leave the movie on a high and on a note of anticipation.

“At the end of the movie, Elphaba goes into this war cry and then she turns around and flies away and you build and build that up and then the audience goes, ‘Wait, don’t go away! Where are you going? I want to go with you. I want to know what happens next!’”

Conclusion

Inspired by ILM’s work on Wicked? Then read up on how The Creator was made, and if you want to get into visual effects read our guide to the best 3D modelling software for an insight into what artists use.

FAQs

Q: What is ILM’s approach to visual effects work?
A: ILM’s approach to visual effects work involves a lot of research, being prepared and pre-empting, and having thought of lots of different options to give options to the director.

Q: How does visual effects function as a key storytelling tool?
A: Visual effects should always function as a key storytelling tool to enhance the movie and tell a better story that can be logistically accomplished.

Q: What is the collaborative process like at ILM?
A: ILM’s creative charge for Wicked was led by Visual Effects Supervisor, Pablo Helman, who worked closely with director Jon M.Chu and his team to bring the movie to life.

AI Sprint Risks Environmental Catastrophe

Taylor Marlowe
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AI Sprint Risks Environmental Catastrophe

The government is urged to mandate stricter reporting for data centres to mitigate environmental risks associated with the AI sprint.

A report published today by the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC) highlights the urgent need for data centres to adopt greener practices, particularly as the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan gains traction.

Unlocking the potential of AI while minimising environmental risks

AI is hailed as capable of driving economic growth, creating jobs, and improving livelihoods. Launched as a central pillar of the UK’s tech strategy, the AI Opportunities Action Plan is intended to "boost economic growth, provide jobs for the future and improve people’s everyday lives." However, this growing reliance on AI also poses environmental risks from the infrastructure required to power these systems.

Five steps to sustainable AI

The NEPC is urging the government to spearhead change by prioritising sustainable AI development. The report outlines five key steps policymakers can act upon immediately to position the UK as a leader in resource-efficient AI:

  1. Expand environmental reporting mandates: Mandate data centres to report on their energy sources, water consumption, carbon emissions, and e-waste recycling practices.
  2. Communicate the sector’s environmental impacts: Raise public awareness of the environmental costs of AI to encourage developers to optimise AI tools, use smaller datasets, and adopt more efficient approaches.
  3. Set sustainability requirements for data centres: Ensure data centres are designed with environmental sustainability in mind, using renewable energy, reducing water use, and minimising carbon emissions.
  4. Reconsider data collection, storage, and management practices: Re-evaluate data collection, storage, and management practices to reduce unnecessary environmental costs.
  5. Lead by example with government investment: Demonstrate a commitment to sustainable AI development through government investment in green data centres and sustainable infrastructure.

Smarter, greener data centres

One of the most urgent calls to action involves redesigning data centres to reduce their environmental footprint. The report advocates for innovations like waste heat recovery systems, zero drinking water use for cooling, and the exclusive use of 100% carbon-free energy certificates.

Time for transparency around AI environmental risks

Public awareness of AI’s environmental toll remains low. Recent research by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) found that fewer than one in six UK residents are aware of the significant environmental costs associated with AI systems.

Conclusion

As the UK pushes forward with ambitious plans to lead in AI development, ensuring environmental sustainability must take centre stage. By adopting policies and practices outlined in the NEPC report, the government can support AI growth while safeguarding finite resources for future generations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the environmental risks associated with AI?
A: AI’s growing reliance on data centres poses significant environmental risks, including energy consumption, water usage, and carbon emissions.

Q: What are the five steps to sustainable AI development?
A: The NEPC report recommends expanding environmental reporting mandates, communicating the sector’s environmental impacts, setting sustainability requirements for data centres, reconsidering data collection, storage, and management practices, and leading by example with government investment.

Q: How can data centres reduce their environmental footprint?
A: Data centres can reduce their environmental footprint by using renewable energy, reducing water use, and minimising carbon emissions through innovations like waste heat recovery systems and zero drinking water use for cooling.

Best Robot Vacuum Deals of February 2025

Emerson Blake
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Best Robot Vacuum Deals of February 2025

Robot Vacuum Maintenance: Do You Need to Empty the Dustbin After Each Use?

Self-Emptying Robot Vacuums: The Game-Changer

It depends, but you usually don’t need to empty the dustbin after each use. Many robot vacuums can self-empty at their docking station, so you don’t have to clean the actual robot.

The Benefits of Self-Emptying Robot Vacuums

Self-emptying robot vacuums can collect anywhere from 30 to 60 days’ worth of dust and allergens, which makes cleaning a breeze.

Other Options: Non-Self-Emptying Robot Vacuums

Other robot vacuums don’t offer self-emptying features but are more affordable. Depending on how much dust and pet hair is on your floors, you may be able to go a few uses before emptying the dust bin.

How Often to Empty the Dust Bin

It’s worth reading the product description, as it will state whether it offers a self-cleaning option alongside how long the bin will last between sessions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, self-emptying robot vacuums can be a convenient and hassle-free option for maintaining your floors. However, non-self-emptying robot vacuums can still be a great option if you’re on a budget. Regardless of which type you choose, it’s essential to read the product description to understand how often you’ll need to empty the dust bin.

FAQs

Q: How often should I empty the dust bin of my robot vacuum?

A: It depends on the type of robot vacuum you have. If it’s a self-emptying model, you may not need to empty the dust bin at all. If it’s a non-self-emptying model, you’ll need to check the product description to see how often the bin needs to be emptied.

Q: Can I still use my robot vacuum if the dust bin is full?

A: It’s generally not recommended to use your robot vacuum with a full dust bin, as it can affect its performance and potentially cause it to malfunction. It’s best to empty the dust bin regularly to ensure your robot vacuum continues to function properly.

Q: How do I clean the dust bin of my robot vacuum?

A: The process of cleaning the dust bin will vary depending on the type of robot vacuum you have. Refer to the product manual for specific instructions on how to clean and maintain your robot vacuum’s dust bin.

Apple Ordered to Open Encrypted User Accounts Globally to UK Spying

Avery Winslow
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0
Apple Ordered to Open Encrypted User Accounts Globally to UK Spying

Apple Ordered to Create Backdoor for UK Government Access to Encrypted iCloud Backups

The UK government has reportedly ordered Apple to create a backdoor that would give security officials access to users’ encrypted iCloud backups. If implemented, British security services would have access to the backups of any user worldwide, not just Brits, and Apple would not be permitted to alert users that their encryption was compromised.

Secret Order Based on Investigatory Powers Act

The secret order, issued last month, is based on rights given under the UK’s Investigatory Powers Act of 2016, also known as the Snoopers’ Charter. Officials have apparently demanded blanket access to end-to-end encrypted files uploaded by any user worldwide, rather than access to a specific account.

Apple’s Response

Apple’s iCloud backups aren’t encrypted by default, but the Advanced Data Protection option was added in 2022, and must be enabled manually. It uses end-to-end encryption so that not even Apple can access encrypted files. In response to the order, Apple is expected to simply stop offering Advanced Data Protection in the UK. This wouldn’t meet the UK’s demand for access to files shared by global users, however.

Appeal and Implementation

Apple has the right to appeal the notice on the basis of the cost of implementing it and whether the demand is proportionate to security requirements, but any appeal cannot delay implementation of the original order.

Technical Capability Notice and Criminal Offenses

The UK has reportedly served Apple a document called a technical capability notice. It’s a criminal offense to even reveal that the government has made a demand. Similarly, if Apple did cede to the UK’s demands then it apparently would not be allowed to warn users that its encrypted service is no longer fully secure.

Industry Reaction and Consequences

“There is no reason why the UK [government] should have the authority to decide for citizens of the world whether they can avail themselves of the proven security benefits that flow from end-to-end encryption,” Apple told the British parliament in March 2024 amidst a discussion of an amendment to the Investigatory Powers Act. It has previously pushed back against other UK attempts to legislate backdoors to encrypted communications.

Security services and lawmakers in the UK have consistently pushed back against end-to-end encryption services, arguing that the technology makes it easier for terrorists and child abusers to hide from law enforcement. “End-to-end encryption cannot be allowed to hamper efforts to catch perpetrators of the most serious crimes,” a UK government spokesperson told The Guardian in 2022 after Apple first introduced end-to-end encryption.

US agencies including the FBI have expressed similar fears in the past, but have more recently begun recommending encryption as a way to counter hackers linked to China. In December 2024 the NSA and FBI joined Canada, Australia, and New Zealand’s cyber security centers in recommending web traffic be “end-to-end encrypted to the maximum extent possible,” in new security best practices. UK security services didn’t join them.

Conclusion

If Apple grants the UK government access to encrypted data, it’s likely that other countries, including the US and China, will see the opportunity to demand the same right. Apple will have to decide whether to comply, or remove its encryption service entirely. Other tech companies would almost certainly face similar requests next.

FAQs

Q: What is the Investigatory Powers Act of 2016? A: The Investigatory Powers Act of 2016 is a UK law that gives government agencies the power to collect and access data from internet and phone companies.

Q: What is end-to-end encryption? A: End-to-end encryption is a type of encryption that ensures that only the sender and intended recipient can access the encrypted data.

Q: Will other tech companies be affected by this order? A: Yes, if Apple grants the UK government access to encrypted data, it’s likely that other countries will see the opportunity to demand the same right, and other tech companies would almost certainly face similar requests next.

Q: Will Google and Meta be affected by this order? A: Google and Meta have not commented on whether they have received governmental requests for backdoors. However, Google has offered encrypted Android backups by default since 2018, and Meta also offers encrypted backups for WhatsApp users.

Q: What is a technical capability notice? A: A technical capability notice is a document that requires a company to modify its technology to comply with a government request.

React, Next.js, Astro, and More: This Week’s Updates

Parker Lennox
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React, Next.js, Astro, and More: This Week’s Updates

React Newsletter Article

React

  • Next.js PR – Support for Node.js middleware: The latest v15.2 canary has a new experimental.nodeMiddleware flag letting you opt-in for runtime: ‘nodejs’, enabling you to use Node.js APIs in middleware, and remove the constraints of being limited to APIs compatible with the edge runtime.
  • Vercel middleware has also been rebuilt from the ground up to support multiple runtimes and run on Fluid compute, a new cost-efficient way for Vercel to run serverless functions.

React Native

  • React Native Sortables: A new powerful React Native library for re-ordering items with drag & drop gestures, including features such as:
    • Support for Grid and Flex layouts
    • Support for different item sizes, spacing, and arrangements
    • Auto-scrolling when dragging outside the screen
    • Seamless layout animations
    • Simple API, full TypeScript support
    • Compatible with Expo and both architectures

Other

  • Sentry: See what’s broken and where with Sentry. Sentry’s new bi-weekly live demos will show you how to catch, fix and prevent issues fast. Join one of their engineers Thursdays at 1 PM ET for 25-minute tour—no slides, no fluff, just code-level visibility from pre-release to production.
  • Clerk: Build a daily workout tracker with Clerk, Convex, and Expo
  • Swift: Apple open-sourcing Swift Build engine
  • React Native RFC: Oklab color space support
  • React Native Core Contributor Summit 2024 Recap: Many contributors met last September to discuss the future of React Native, including various topics such as the release process, the New Architecture, Lean Core 2.0, upcoming support for new Web APIs, and more.

Fun

  • [Tweets from Steve and byteab]

Overcoming AI Implementation Obstacles

Parker Lennox
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Overcoming AI Implementation Obstacles

Advancement in Enterprise AI’s Early Years: The Rise of Data Strategies

Advancement in enterprise AI’s early years has largely been defined by experimentation, with businesses testing various models and seeing rapid improvements. However, as the top LLMs’ capabilities converge, AI agents become more prevalent and domain-specific small language models gain momentum, data strategies are increasingly the deciding factor driving AI success.

Managing Skyrocketing Data Volumes

Enterprise data’s growth and increasing complexity has overwhelmed traditional infrastructure and created bottlenecks that limit AI initiatives. Organizations not only need to store massive amounts of structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data, but this data also needs to be processed to be useful to AI applications and RAG workloads.

Advanced hardware like GPUs process data much faster and more cost-effectively than previously possible, and these advances have fueled AI’s breakthroughs. Yet, the CPU-based data processing software most businesses have in place can’t take advantage of these hardware advances. While these systems served their purpose for more traditional BI using structured data, they can’t keep up with today’s mountains of unstructured and semi-structured data making it very slow and expensive for enterprises to leverage the majority of their data for AI.

As AI’s data needs have become clearer, data processing advancements have begun to account for the scale and complexity of modern workloads. Successful organizations are reevaluating the systems they have in place and implementing solutions that allow them to take advantage of optimized hardware like GPUs.

Overcoming Data Silos

Structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data have historically been processed on separate pipelines that silo data, resulting in over half of enterprise data being siloed. Combining data from different pipelines and formats is complex and time-consuming, slowing real-time use cases like RAG and hindering AI applications that require a holistic view of data.

For example, a retail customer support chatbot needs to access, process, and join together data from various sources to successfully respond to customer queries. These sources include structured customer purchase information that is often stored in a data warehouse and optimized for SQL queries, and online product feedback that is stored in unstructured formats. With traditional data architectures, joining this data together is complex and expensive, requiring separate processing pipelines and specialized tools for each data type.

Ensuring Data Quality

The early thesis with LLM development was that more data equals bigger and better models, but this scaling law is increasingly being questioned. As LLM progression plateaus, a greater onus falls on the contextual data AI customers have at their own disposal.

However, ensuring this data is high-quality is a challenge. Common data quality issues include data stored in conflicting formats that confuse AI models, stale records that lead to outdated decisions, and errors in data entry that cause inaccurate outputs.

To ensure data quality for AI applications, businesses should define clear data quality metrics and standards across the organization to ensure consistency, adopt data quality dashboards and profiling tools that flag anomalies, and implement libraries that help standardize data formats and enforce consistency.

Conclusion

While AI presents businesses incredible opportunities to innovate, automate, and gain a competitive edge, success hinges on having a robust data strategy and rethinking current data architectures. By addressing the challenges of managing skyrocketing data volumes, unifying data pipelines, and ensuring data quality, organizations can lay a solid foundation for AI success.

FAQs

  1. What are the challenges in managing data volumes in AI initiatives?
    • Managing data volumes is a significant challenge in AI initiatives, as it requires storing and processing massive amounts of structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data.
  2. How can organizations overcome data silos?
    • Organizations can overcome data silos by implementing data lakehouses, which store structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data in a unified environment.
  3. What is the importance of ensuring data quality in AI applications?
    • Ensuring data quality is crucial in AI applications, as it can lead to inaccurate outputs, outdated decisions, and confused AI models.

PowerSchool Data Breach Affects 16,000 UK Students

Jordan Waverly
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PowerSchool Data Breach Affects 16,000 UK Students

PowerSchool Confirms 16,000 UK Students’ Data Stolen in December Breach

U.S. edtech giant PowerSchool has confirmed that 16,000 students in the United Kingdom had their personal and sensitive data stolen during a December 2024 data breach.

Scope of the Breach

This week, PowerSchool began notifying individuals outside of the U.S. and Canada who were affected by the breach. The incident, first confirmed by PowerSchool in January, saw hackers access the personal data of millions of students and teachers after using compromised credentials to breach the company’s customer support portal.

Number of International Students Affected

PowerSchool hasn’t confirmed how many international students have been affected. However, in an emailed statement to TechCrunch, PowerSchool spokesperson Beth Keebler confirmed that four schools in the U.K. were affected, with hackers accessing the data of “approximately 16,000 students.”

Data Exfiltrated

In a letter sent to impacted individuals outside of the U.S. and Canada, seen by TechCrunch, PowerSchool said that data accessed includes students’ contact information, dates of birth, limited medical data, and “other related information”.

Company’s Response

Keebler told TechCrunch that “the information exfiltrated for any given individual varied across our customer base.” PowerSchool declined to name the U.K. schools impacted by the incident.

ICO’s Involvement

Lucy Milburn, a spokesperson for the U.K.’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), told TechCrunch that it had not received a data breach report from PowerSchool. Keeber confirmed the company had not filed a data breach report to the ICO, claiming that this is because PowerSchool “does not act as a data controller” — an organization that determines the purpose and means of processing personal data — under U.K. data protection law.

Conclusion

The PowerSchool data breach has raised concerns over the security of sensitive student data, with 16,000 students in the UK being affected. The company’s decision not to offer credit monitoring services to data breach victims outside of the U.S. and Canada has also sparked criticism. The incident highlights the importance of robust data protection measures to prevent such breaches in the future.

FAQs

Q: How many international students were affected by the PowerSchool data breach?

A: 16,000 students in the UK were affected.

Q: What type of data was exfiltrated in the breach?

A: The exfiltrated data includes students’ contact information, dates of birth, limited medical data, and “other related information”.

Q: Has PowerSchool notified all affected individuals?

A: No, PowerSchool has only begun notifying individuals outside of the U.S. and Canada this week.

Q: Has the ICO received a data breach report from PowerSchool?

A: No, the ICO has not received a data breach report from PowerSchool, which claims it does not act as a data controller under U.K. data protection law.

One 3D Pen Nearly Caught Fire

Phil
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0
One 3D Pen Nearly Caught Fire

My 3D Pen Melted and Started Smoking: A Cautionary Tale

A Personal Experience with a 3D Pen Gone Wrong

I’ve noticed that a lot of creatives lately are jumping on the 3D pen hype, and I thought this might be the perfect time to share the experience I had when my Polaroid Play 3D pen (now discontinued) actually melted in my hands and started smoking.

The Incident

The incident occurred when I was patching up a hole on the back of one of my HueForge 3D prints, and since I was creating some content at the time with my phone out, I actually happened to get some of it on video (see below).

What Happened

I don’t fully know what the problem was or what caused the 3D pen to behave like this, but if I had to guess, I think some filament may have been clogged deep down in the mechanics of the pen, and wouldn’t melt correctly through the nozzle, causing my 3D pen to pretty much combust and tear itself apart as soon as I heated it up.

Lessons Learned

It was pretty shocking that this happened, but I’m thankful that no harm was caused, and the pen itself only cost me around £40 when I bought it back in 2021, so maybe I got what I paid for in this case.

Safety Precautions

If you’re considering a 3D pen purchase, then there’s no need to worry. There are plenty of newer 3D pen models with advanced safety features included to prevent things like this from happening. Just do your research and read some reviews beforehand, and things will be fine. I’ve rounded up some top deals below on 3D pens to get you started.

Conclusion

While this experience was a bit of a shock, it’s a reminder that even the best technology can sometimes go wrong. However, with the right precautions and a little bit of common sense, you can enjoy the creative freedom that 3D pens have to offer.

FAQs

Q: What caused the 3D pen to melt and smoke?
A: I’m not entirely sure, but I think it may have been due to a clogged filament issue.

Q: Was anyone hurt in the incident?
A: No, I was the only one affected, and I was fine.

Q: How much did the 3D pen cost?
A: I bought it for around £40 back in 2021.

Q: What are some safety precautions to take when using a 3D pen?
A: Always read the reviews, do your research, and take your time when using the pen to avoid accidents.

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