› added 11 months ago

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TIL Samsung can remotely disable its TVs that come pre-loaded with a “Television Block Function”. When the TV connects to the internet, it checks its serial code against a list on Samsung’s servers and stops functionality if there's a match. It's used to mitigate cargo theft and unauthorized retail.

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via reddit.com

WkQPo TIL Six Flags is named for the six flags of sovereignty that have flown over Texas: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and the United States of America.
mx00O TIL that the second officer of the Titanic stayed onboard till the end and was trapped underwater until a boiler explosion set him free. Later, he volunteered in WW2 and helped evacuate over 120 men from Dunkirk
d8DQE TIL “Mini Jack Ma” comes from a poor Chinese family, and has received donations and at least one offer to fund his education—all thanks to his resemblance to the billionaire tycoon.
lp8G TIL that during the Battle of the Nile in 1798, the French naval officer Du Petit Thouars, having lost both legs and an arm, continued to command from a bucket filled with wheat, until he died.
WkLX8 TIL in 1987, Corona sales plummeted when a rumor spread that their workers were peeing in their beer. The company traced its origins back to Heineken, whom Corona sued for $3 million in damages, but their reputation still suffered and their product was referred to as “Mexican piss water” for years.