Apple Maps Expands Transit Data to Honolulu and Kansas City

Apple Maps has been updated with comprehensive transit data for the U.S. cities of Honolulu, Hawaii and Kansas City, Missouri, enabling iPhone users in the areas to navigate using public transportation, including buses and commuter rails.

Transit routing options in the Kansas City metropolitan area include RideKC buses and the downtown KC Streetcar. Directions extend to most suburbs in both Kansas and Missouri, including Overland Park, Olathe, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Shawnee, Blue Springs, Lenexa, and other smaller communities.

Transit routing options in Honolulu include TheBus buses, with directions extending to destinations across the entire Oahu island.

Apple introduced Transit in Maps as part of iOS 9 in select cities around the world, including Baltimore, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto, and 30 cities in China.

The feature has since expanded to a number of additional cities and regions around the world, including Atlanta, Denver, Miami, Montréal, Portland, Rio de Janeiro, Sacramento, Seattle, and New South Wales, Australia.

(Thanks, Ram!)

Tags: Apple Maps, Transit
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Pokemon Go server problems: Why does the game keep stopping?

Pokemon Go’s monumental success is being blighted by server problems. It’s been widely reported, right from the start, that the servers weren’t quite up to the job of hosting the game, because it was so popular.

But what do all these server problems mean for the game? What should you do when Pokemon Go has server problems? How will you know if Pokemon Go has stopped working?

Pokemon Go: What is a server?

Let’s start at the beginning. Everything you do online relies on servers: they are the computers or the programs that manage and host the information that all online services need.

This website has servers, Gmail has servers, Netflix has servers and Pokemon Go has servers. You connect to these servers to send and receive information through the Pokemon Go app using the data connection on your phone.

What are the Pokemon Go servers?

The Pokemon Go servers are essential because they contain and coordinate the information that the app on your phone needs. When the app talks to the servers, there will be an exchange of information so that your app is in synchronisation with the game and everyone else is in sync with the game.

For example, if team Valour loses a gym, every Pokemon Go player in the area will know that, because the information is synced to the servers and all the apps are updated.

As you move around the game, your phone is constantly syncing with the servers. It’s this that uses the data allowance on your phone and this, sadly, that keeps failing.

Pocket-lint

Why do the Pokemon Go servers keep failing?

Servers fail for a number of reasons. In the case of Pokemon Go, high demand is likely to be the cause. When a server or servers can’t deal with the number of requests for information, the app doesn’t get a response and the game stops.

High demand can usually be dealt with by adding more servers, something that Niantic Labs is almost certainly doing. You’ll sometimes find that the game is a little slower, and this is almost certainly due to increased server demand.

In the case of Pokemon Go over the weekend of 16/17 July, there was also reports of a DDoS attack. In this type of deliberate attack a server is bombarded with requests so that it can’t respond and the server then fails and no one can get in.

Pokemon Go did confirm there were server problems on Saturday 16 July, posting on Twitter.

Trainers! We have been working to fix the #PokemonGO server issues. Thank you for your patience. We’ll post an update soon.

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) July 16, 2016

The issues causing the server problems have been identified. Trainers should once again be able to search for Pokémon in the real world.

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) July 17, 2016

What happens when the Pokemon Go servers fail?

There are lots of different results of the Pokemon Go servers failing. Here’s a few ways you’ll be able to tell if there’s a server problem from the Pokemon Go app, running from the least serious to the most significant. 

The app is slow, with the spinning Poke Ball sync indicator in the top left-hand corner appearing regularly
The Pokemon Go app says “error” in a banner across the top
You can’t access a PokeStop, or it says “try again later” when you’ve not collected from it
The game freezes mid-capture of a Pokemon
The game freezes mid-battle
You can’t open the Pokemon Go app
The Pokemon Go app says log-in failed, or that your username wasn’t recognised

For number 1 above, that sync indicator is pretty common, but can appear with very little impact on the game. If something isn’t happening and that sync symbol appears, you know it’s struggling to talk to the servers. 

For the most serious stuff in numbers 4 and 5, this is likely caused because the information generated in a capture or battle is more significant. The app can crash when it’s expecting to update information and it doesn’t happen – you’ll have to restart the app. 

For points 6 and 7, this suggests that your app isn’t getting any response at all. Often in times of high server load, those who are in the game will stay in the game, those outside the game won’t be able to get in. Don’t worry about the username not being recognised: once the server responds again, it will be recognised.

How can I check the Pokemon Go server status?

Some organisations provide status webpages so you can easily check if there are problems and hopefully Niantic Labs will offer something for Pokemon Go soon. 

However, there are a number of websites you can use to check the status of servers, such as Down Detector, which has a specific Pokemon Go map. We can’t guarantee that this is accurate, but it’s worth a check – and this is what it looks like.

Down Detector

What should I do when the Pokemon Go server fails?

There’s a whole range of things you can try and we’ve covered those in detail in our feature on Pokemon Go problems.

Hopefully this information helps through trying to figure out what all the Pokemon Go server issues are about!

• Pokemon Go: How to play and other tips and tricks
• Help! Pokemon Go isn’t working: How to fix common Pokemon Go problems
• Can’t get Pokemon Go in your country yet? Here’s how to download it now
• What is Pokemon Go and why is everyone talking about it? 
• Pokemon Go: Best, worst and craziest places people have found Pokemon
• London through the eyes of Pokemon Go
• Pokemon Go: 11 amazing, mind-boggling facts about the AR game

Maxthon browser reportedly collects sensitive data without asking

Moving to an alternative web browser is no guarantee that you’ll be less susceptible to privacy and security issues. Researchers at Exatel have published a report claiming that Maxthon’s browser transmits sensitive user information, whether or not you enroll in the software’s User Experience Improvement Program. The data includes not only things you’d expect for support, such as software versions and whether or not ad blocking is turned on, but also your entire web history — including Google searches. The info is encrypted (the ZIP file that stores it is even disguised as an image file), but Exatel’s discovery clearly shows that it wasn’t too difficult to crack with some reverse engineering.

We’ve asked Maxthon about the report and will let you know if it has a response. In its forums, the company did acknowledge that it collected info outside of UEIP, but maintained that it wasn’t scooping up anything that “involves the user’s privacy.” That’s an odd statement when history and searches are the very definition of private content. While Maxthon may not be doing anything wrong with the info it receives, there’s a risk that an attacker could intercept that content and use it to learn more about potential targets. And that’s no small issue when estimates suggest that there may be hundreds of millions of Maxthon users worldwide.

Via: ThreatGeek, Myce, Reddit

Source: Exatel (PDF)

Giffgaff launches mapping tool to find and catch Pokémon in the U.K.

UK MVNO giffgaff has launched a mapping tool that lets Pokémon Go players locate and catch Pokémon in the United Kingdom. The carrier has teamed up with geocoding service what3words to identify hotspots that contain Pokémon.

The mapping tool will also offer a list of nearby charging stations, as well as food and drink locations. New to the game? Grab it from the Play Store, and be sure to read our extensive coverage of the global phenomenon.

See at FindCatchShare

Pokémon Go

• Join our Pokémon Go forums!
• How to deal with GPS errors in-game
• Which team should you choose?
• How to play without killing your battery
• The Ultimate Pokémon Go Game Guide!

Press release follows:

London, 18 July: giffgaff, the community-led mobile network most known for its no-contract approach to mobile, has today announced find.catch.share – a new mapping tool to help fans of Pokemon Go find and catch Pokemon.

The service has been created in response to members of the giffgaff community talking about the new mobile game over the past week, sharing tips and information about the location-based game.

The network has teamed up with what3words, a unique company that has addressed every 3m x 3m square of the planet with a unique, fixed address made of just 3 words. The technology will allow giffgaff to provide members with key hotspots around the UK, where they can go to catch Pokemon and meet up with other members to do battle.

The mapping tool will also show where charging points are so members can make sure they don’t run out of battery, as well as nearby food and drink locations, and even seats, so users can recharge too.

Ashley Schofield, Marketing & Experience Chief at giffgaff, said: “Our members are at the heart of our business. We have seen that our online community has reacted in a big way to Pokemon Go, and so we wanted to offer them something to make their gaming even more fun.”

Giles Rhys Jones, CMO what3words, said: “There are thousands of stories of people getting lost, running out of battery or even getting sore legs from walking too far in pursuit of Pokemon. We are delighted to partner with giffgaff to enable their community to easily and quickly find and share these vital locations with just 3 words.”

The service is available to everyone, and can be found here http://www.findcatchshare.com.

Pokemon Go top tips: Master the Pokemon mayhem

The basics of Pokemon Go are simple and fun. You walk, you catch Pokemon, you collect as many as you can and you visit PokeStops to load your backpack up with goodies to help your Trainer along the way.

But when it comes to mastering the game, there’s a lot more you need to consider. Here are some top tips to help you become a Pokemon Pro.

1. Hatch your eggs and use your incubators wisely

The eggs you collect at PokeStops will help you get some Pokemon, once you’ve put them through an incubator and walked the required distances – 2km, 5km or 10km. But you have one incubator that offers infinite use and you’ll often have a 3x used incubator. Use the infinite use incubator for the short 2km eggs, or you’ll soon use up that incubator and not on great eggs. Save your limited use incubator(s) for those 10km eggs.

2. Build your XP first, then evolve and hatch

The skill of your Trainer is dictated by the XP you have. You move through the levels of XP, needing more XP each time to level up. But as you do so, the rewards get higher and you’ll evolve and hatch Pokemon at a higher level, as well as being able to power them up to higher levels. Powering up when your XP is low means it costs you more candies to do so.

3. Build an army

To be a powerful player, you need a lot of Pokemon ready to battle. You need a variety of different types – fire, water, etc – and they all need to be powered up. There’s no point in starting a battle with a weak selection of Pokemon, because you’ll likely lose or run out of time in battles. Variety is key, as is developing those Pokemon to fight. 

4. Transfer Pokemon for candies

There’s an option to Transfer Pokemon to the professor, in return for candy for that Pokemon variety. Having captured a Pokemon and got the stardust and candies they bring, you can then transfer out Pokemon you don’t need. If, for example, you already have 20 Rattata, you can probably swap some for candies to power up those who will actually battle for you as Raticate. Ultimately, you can only carry a finite number of Pokemon and you want them all to be effective.

5. Use your Lucky Eggs wisely

Sometimes you’ll collect a Lucky Egg. This will double your XP for a time of 30 minutes. Don’t just randomly drop it, however, try to use it for maximum gain to help level up your Trainer. That might be when you arrive in a new, busy, place and you know you’re going to be catching or hatching Pokemon, or where there’s lots of Gyms for you to battle or train – and win.

6. Turn off AR mode

Sure, the AR mode is fun because it brings it to real life, but it uses battery and it makes the game more difficult. Switch it off and play in the game world and you’ll find it’s easier to catch Pokemon because the environment is always the same. It will save you battery life too.

7. Master the PokeStop

When you visit a PokeStop and spin the sign, you don’t have to tap all the things released. Just hit the X at the bottom to close the Stop and you’ll automatically claim your rewards. It saves a tonne of time, meaning you can casually collect as you walk past. Remember that if you’re near a PokeStop having lunch or coffee, you can visit that Stop again and again – it just takes a few minutes to become available again. 

8. Get in some Gyms

Gyms are where the real glory lies, as they are the route to Coins. Ideally, you want to target a Gym that’s near where you work or live so it’s easy for you to return to. Ideally you want to get in a Gym when there’s either a space (unlikely), or you’ll have to train at a friendly Gym to raise its prestige and increase the Gym level. When the Gym level increases, there will be a space for you to step into. Leave a Pokemon there to defend it and earn Coins to help you progress. 

9. Recce target Gyms

You need to go full Sun Tzu on battles and learn as much about the Gym you’re taking on as possible before you start. Firstly, what level is it: this tells you how many Pokemon, and secondly, what defending Pokemon are you facing? You’ll need to make sure you have effective Pokemon with high enough CP to win. Remember you can change Pokemon mid-battle, so if you’re facing a fire Pokemon, make sure you have a strong water Pokemon ready.

10. Only fight fights you can win

This might sound like a cowardly approach, but there’s little point in pitching your 86CP Squirtle against a 1000CP Porygon. Winning gets you XP and raises or lowers the Gym prestige. If you lose your first fight, you get nothing, apart from a Pokemon with no health.

11. Restart the app

Pokemon Go crashes frequently in busy times and you don’t want to waste time with the app open if it’s not actually working. If there’s nothing happening, try tapping the Pokeball to open the menu. If it’s not, stop, restart, open the app and keep going. Otherwise you’re wasting steps and wasting battery. 

12. Travel far and wide

This might not be possible for some, but going to as many places as possible will help you gather more types of Pokemon. Your home town it likely to be dominated by a certain variety, so make sure you go to new places to find more. That might mean getting off the bus early and walking, or taking the weekend to head to a different area. Perhaps visit the family or distant friends, then say you want to see all the local sights so you can gather Pokemon. 

13. Drop incense and lures

Incense attracts Pokemon to you for 30 minutes. If you’re heading out for a Pokemon Go sessions, dropping incense can attract more Pokemon to you during that time. But don’t waste it. Don’t use it if you’re going to be getting on the train or driving, or going into shops. You want to use it when you know you’ll be able to catch everything that comes along. As for Lures, these can be dropped at PokeStops – but will also benefit everyone else. If you’re feeling lonely, drop a Lure and watch the other players come rushing.

14. Play off-peak to avoid server problems

Pokemon Go has been blighted with server problems and that means that the game fails and can sometimes be unplayable. You can avoid this by playing off peak. The weekends at around 2pm (UK time) are extremely and server fails have been common. Get up and walk the dog at 8am, however, and you’ll find no server problems, because the demand is so much lower – you’ll get fewer crashes and make better use you your Pokemon Go playing time.

15. Check the evolution path

The Pokedex shows how Pokemon evolve and it’s worth checking out what a Pokemon can evolve into before you drop Candy on it. For example, if you have lots of Pidgy, and a few Pidgeotto, you probably don’t want to spend Candy evolving Pidgy into more Pidgeotto: you want to save them until you can evolve Pidgeotto into Pidgeot, because it costs more. Making more mid-tier Pokemon is less useful than getting the rarer who will be more useful in battle.

• Pokemon Go: How to play and other tips and tricks
• Help! Pokemon Go isn’t working: How to fix common Pokemon Go problems
• Can’t get Pokemon Go in your country yet? Here’s how to download it now
• What is Pokemon Go and why is everyone talking about it? 
• Pokemon Go: Best, worst and craziest places people have found Pokemon
• London through the eyes of Pokemon Go
• Pokemon Go: 11 amazing, mind-boggling facts about the AR game

See the sun do a somersault, courtesy of NASA’s observatory

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory took a photo of the sun every 12 seconds on July 6th, and the results aren’t quite what you’d expect. A time-lapse video of the images makes it look like the sun is doing a somersault, because the SDO was spinning 360-degrees on one axis when it captured them. The observatory performs the seven-hour maneuver once a year to take an accurate measurement of the star’s edge. See, the solar surface is pretty chaotic, and the spacecraft has tough time finding its outermost layer while it’s stationary. SDO’s images were taken in extreme ultraviolet wavelength, but NASA colorized the sun in the video below, so we can see it tumbling in space.

Source: NASA

TSMC to be Sole Supplier of A11 Chip for Apple’s ‘iPhone 8’

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has reportedly secured exclusive orders for the A11 processor expected to power Apple’s 2017 “iPhone 8”.

According to the Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN), the Taiwan-based foundry will be the sole supplier of Apple’s next-generation A11 chip, which will be built on a 10nm FinFET process.

TSMC co-CEO Mark Liu announced at the company’s recent investors meeting that its first 10nm customer product has been produced with “satisfactory yield” and that three products had already been “taped out”.

Taping out refers to the initial design of the chip having been completed for creation of the masks that will be used to print the actual chips, although further tweaks are likely as test production is carried out. TSMC is said to have begun taping out the design for Apple’s A11 processor in May. Xilinx, MediaTek, and HiSilicon are said to be the other customers that will use the company’s 10nm process technology.

TSMC is already the exclusive manufacturer of Apple’s A10 chip which will power the iPhone 7 range expected to launch this September. TSMC is thought to have reached the deal with Apple thanks to its advanced device packaging techniques, capable of higher-width memory buses and lower-power operation, which for consumers means better performance and efficiency.

TSMC’s production for Apple’s A11 chips is expected to start generating revenues for the company in the first quarter of 2017, with revenues to “ramp steeply” throughout the rest of the year, according to Liu.

Apple is said to have a radical redesign planned for 2017’s “iPhone 8”, possibly coming with a glass body and edge-to-edge OLED display that includes an integrated Touch ID fingerprint sensor and front-facing camera.

(Via DigiTimes.)

Tags: TSMC, A11 chip
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UK Chip Designer ARM to be Acquired by Japan’s Softbank for $31.4bn

British chip designer and major Apple partner ARM Holdings is set to be acquired by Japanese firm Softbank for $31.4 billion, the BBC has revealed.

According to the report, the board of ARM is expected to recommend shareholders accept the offer, which amounts to a 43 percent premium on its closing market value of $22.2 billion last week.

Shares in the U.K. technology firm surged by 45 percent at the open of the London Stock Exchange this morning on news of the deal, adding $10 billion to ARM’s market value.

The Cambridge-based company was founded in 1990 and employs 3,000 staff. The acquisition is said to be the biggest ever purchase of a European technology company, one that will be funded by Softbank’s own cash reserves and a long-term loan from Japan’s Mizuho Bank. Commenting on the deal, chairman and chief executive of Softbank, Masayoshi Son, said:

This is one of the most important acquisitions we have ever made, and I expect ARM to be a key pillar of SoftBank’s growth strategy going forward.

We have long admired ARM as a world renowned and highly respected technology company that is by some distance the market leader in its field. ARM will be an excellent strategic fit with the Softbank group as we invest to capture the very significant opportunities provided by the Internet of Things.

ARM designs the processors that power all of Apple’s iOS devices, as well as most of Samsung’s smartphones, and receives royalties on each chip made to its specifications. Last year over 15 billion ARM-designed processors were shipped, up 3 billion on the previous year.

Softbank is one of the world’s biggest technology companies, having previously acquired Vodafone’s Japanese operations and U.S. telecoms company Sprint. The latter $20 billion deal was the biggest foreign acquisition by a Japanese firm at the time.

Following the announcement of today’s deal, ARM said it would keep its headquarters in Cambridge and double the number of its staff over the next five years. Softbank also intends to preserve the UK tech firm’s organization, including its existing senior management structure and partnership-based business model.

Tags: ARM, Softbank
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