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Rumors say Apple is working on a foldable iPhone, possibly launching late this year. After years of waiting, will it be worth it?
🌋 Kick some ash: Scientists found a burnt scroll from Herculaneum, another Roman town Mount Vesuvius wiped out in 79 A.D. They’re using X-rays and AI to read without touching it. Early hints say it might be a work of philosophy. When I visited Pompeii, I was amazed at how forward-thinking they were. There were food courts, sanitation, lovely homes, and even a brothel with the names of prostitutes on the walls with prices and ratings. Really! If you go, ask your tour guide the question I do wherever we go: “What’s something you normally don’t show tourists?” I will save my story about cannibals on the Amazon River for another day.
One more place to watch out for TV spoilers: A podcast about the dystopian TV series “Severance” on AppleTV+ included an ad for an episode that hadn’t aired yet. Director Ben Stiller dropped a bombshell (paywall link). Yeah, fans are peeved. “Severance” is fantastic and weird. Here’s the spoiler-free trailer if you need a new show.
What an antique collector paid for a suspected Van Gogh painting. It was the deal of the century at a garage sale in Minnesota. Specialists are trying to prove the portrait of a fisherman, “Elimar,” is authentic. If so, it’s worth at least $15 million (paywall link). Speaking of … My Van doesn’t Gogh. It’s out of Degas. (I saw you smile right there.)
Shop local: Bet you never thought about it while browsing cheap stuff on Temu, but after President Trump did away with a tax break for e-commerce companies, the site’s algorithm changed. Now you’ll see more products from the Chinese retailer’s U.S. warehouse marked with a green “local” badge. Yeah, I still won’t use Temu.
How much Americans are expected to bet on the Super Bowl. That’s an 11.2% increase from last year’s big game. If you want to play, use code KIM to get $200 in bonus bets when you bet just five bucks. Play online or download the DraftKings Sportsbook app for iPhone or Android. Fingers crossed for you!
What Russia wanted to fine Google. That’s 33 zeros, and it’s about 237,000 times more than all the money in the world. Why? YouTube blocked some of Russia’s state-owned TV channels. A court just stepped in and blocked it. You know, in case Google was checking the couch cushions.
Fewer words spoken each day. In 2005, we said an average of 16,000 words a day. Today, that’s down to 13,000 because of texting and social media messages. Women tend to chat more than men, averaging 13,349 words a day versus 11,950. (Now, did you expect a joke here, really?)
Reported sales price for Brookhaven, a virtual city in Roblox. Some 60 billion people have played the life-sim game. Think building fancy houses, driving around in nice cars and exploring the city. Around 120 million players log on a month. That’s almost the population of Japan!
🤖 Alexa’s glow-up: Save the date for Feb. 26. That’s when Amazon will show off a new Alexa with generative AI. Yep, it’s finally happening after many delays. Alexa will be able to chat back and forth with you and help you get things done. Expect the smarter Alexa to cost you a few bucks a month.
🧀 Gouda grief, not again: Google had to edit one of its Super Bowl ads after its AI butchered a fact about Gouda. In the original video, Gemini said Gouda made up 50% to 60% of the world’s cheese consumption. Spoiler: It doesn’t. The fixed version calls it “one of the most popular cheeses in the world.” Another reminder AI loves to make crap up or, as the AI companies say, “hallucinate.”