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A new scam making the rounds: Oh, happy day, a present in the mail! Not so fast. Scammers are mailing free gift packages with a QR code inside. Scan it and the malware that launches lets them take over your phone in seconds. The worst part? The package looks totally legit, complete with your name, address and a familiar retailer, like Amazon. If you get one, don’t scan any codes inside.
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.)
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!
Extra for an egg at Waffle House. No word yet on when they’ll drop the bird flu surcharge. Better than a price hike on the whole menu. Oh, be careful what you say around egg whites. They can’t take a yolk.
EA is re-releasing the original Sims and Sims 2 games digitally. The first game was only available on disk, but now both come bundled in the 25th Birthday Bundle for $39.99. Grab your copy on Steam, the Epic Games Store or the EA app for Windows.