Upcoming Pokémon Go update will make it easier to catch rare Pokémon

Niantic is rolling out an update to Pokémon Go that should make it easier to track down rare Pokémon. With the update, trainers will receive a bonus when they catch enough Pokémon of a certain type. For instance, if you collect 50 water-type Pokémon, you’ll get a Swimmer medal with a “catch bonus” that improves the chances of finding rare Pokémon.

From Niantic:

We are adding a new feature which grants a catch bonus when you earn medals based on catching certain types of Pokémon (Kindler, Psychic, Gardener, etc.). These new bonuses will give you a better chance of capturing Pokémon with a related type. For example, as you reach a higher tier for the Kindler Medal, your bonus to catch Fire-type Pokémon such as Charmander, Vulpix and Ponyta increases.

Trainers can work their way to a new tier by catching many Pokémon of the same type. If a Pokémon has multiple types, your bonus will be the average of your bonuses for each type. For example, Pidgey is both Normal and Flying type. Your bonus in this case would be the average of your Normal-type and Flying-type bonuses.

The screenshots detailed by Niantic show that catching more Pokémon of the same type increases the corresponding bonus for each tier. There’s no mention of when the update will go live, but we’ll let you know once it does.

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Samsung’s getting its own Siri rival, a personal assistant called Viv

Apple has Siri, Google has the new and improved Assistant, Microsoft has Cortana and Amazon has Alexa, personal AI assistants are all the rage at the moment. So much so, that now Samsung wants to join them and has just announced it’s buying Viv, an AI assistant created by Siri founder Dag Kittlaus.

• What is Google Assistant, how does it work, and when can you use it?

Viv says what sets it apart from the competition is that it’s open to third-party developers, so any company can integrate their apps and services with it. It can also be used across multiple devices and not require you to set up new personalised preferences each time, instead just flowing from one device to the next.

Samsung says it plans to integrate Viv in more than just smartphones and tablets, but also wearables and home appliances, so you could perhaps ask your fridge to order some more food or your TV to set a recording.

Viv’s platform is able to conversational and contextualised, so you’re able to ask it complex queries and it will use its algorithms to give an answer, you could then follow that answer up with another related question and the software will know you’re still on the same topic.

Injong Rhee, CTO of mobile communications at Samsung said: “Unlike other existing AI-based services, Viv has a sophisticated natural language understanding, machine learning capabilities and strategic partnerships that will enrich a broader service ecosystem”.

“Viv was built with both consumers and developers in mind. This dual focus is what attracted us to Viv as an ideal candidate to integrate with Samsung devices and appliances”.

Dag Kittlaus, CEO of Viv said: “Samsung offers us a unique opportunity to deliver a single conversational interface to the world’s apps and services across a diverse range of products, at a global scale”.

Leica competition: Win a place on an exclusive Leica SL photography workshop

Ever wanted to get your hands on the Leica SL, the company’s first ever full-frame mirrorless camera, to test it out for yourself? Now is your chance.

On Saturday 5 November 2016, from 10am to 4pm, Leica will be hosting a special Akademie workshop in its iconic London Mayfair location, with places for six lucky Pocket-lint competition winners to sample the SL in a creative workshop environment.

With an assignment set by Akademie Tutor, Robin Sinha, you’ll get the opportunity to experience the mirrorless camera, plus Leica’s legendary lenses, under expert tuition.

This free-to-enter competition – which would typically cost £195 for the day – is open to all UK residents, whether a Leica user or not. It’s your chance to experience first-hand why the German camera-maker is internationally renowned.

Refreshments will be provided on arrival, as will a buffet lunch in the Leica Cafe, after which there will be a photo critique to discuss your images and the camera, followed by a personal visit to the Leica Store Mayfair.

For your chance to win this one-off experience opportunity, correctly answer this simple question. Winners will be drawn on Thursday 27 October and alerted by email.

Leica

Winners will be selected at random from all entries received. One entry per person. Entries received after the closing date of Thursday 27 October will not be eligible. No purchase necessary. Competition open to UK residents age 18 or over only. Transport to and from London, and accommodation, are not provided. Official photographic ID (such as passport or driving licence) plus one other form of identification showing the attendee’s UK address will be required on the day for security purposes (participation will not be permitted without both forms of ID). Leica reserves the right to change or alter Akademie workshops as necessary (in the event of poor weather, for example). Leica Camera Ltd and Pocket-lint do not accept liability for any loss, injury or accident that may occur during a workshop. The workshop may be photographed, and the images used for promotional purposes by Leica in the future. By entering the competition, the entrant agrees to their image being used in this way, free of any charge. Images shot on the Leica SL on the day remain the copyright of the photographer, however, by taking part, the photographer agrees that these images may be used by Leica for promotional purposes in the future. Pocket-lint and Leica reserve the right to publish the name of the winning entrant on their web sites and social media channels. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the selection of the winners. All entry instructions form part of the terms and conditions, which, by taking part, all entrants will be deemed to have accepted. If the winner is unable for any reason to accept the prize or cannot be contacted, Pocket-lint reserves the right to award the prize to another participant whose name will be chosen from all other eligible entries received. The prize is not transferable and no cash alternative is available. Leica Akademie is located at 27 Bruton Place, Mayfair, London W1J 6NR. Promoter name: Pocket-lint.com 

The Leica SL features a revolutionary, award-winning electronic viewfinder unlike any other camera. What is it called?

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Kodak’s having another stab at a smartphone, maybe high-end this time?

Kodak is teasing a new smartphone it is planning to unveil on 20 October. And yep, you’re probably thinking exactly the same as us when we first found out.

The company has a Kodak Phones Twitter account and posted a picture of what looks to be a Kodak-branded shutter or on/off button and just the date. No further clues can be gleaned.

Coming Soon… pic.twitter.com/H9SkF8mPeZ

— Kodak Phones (@KodakPhones) October 5, 2016

Even its website at kodakphones.com has been taken over by the teaser.

But as amazing as this might sound, it’s not even the first phone from the camera brand. That was the Kodak IM5 Smartphone, which was announced in January during CES in Las Vegas and was eventually sold in the Netherlands for around €280.

For that money you couldn’t expect high-end specs – the IM5 had a 5-inch 720p display and a 1.7GHz octa-core Mediatek MT6592 processor – but it was made by Bullitt Mobile, the same company that builds the rugged Cat phones.

Whether this latest handset will be manufactured by the same OEM source is unknown. It does look a tad higher end however, thanks to the aluminium surround. We’ll know more on 20 October when all will be revealed.

Gears of War set for the bright lights of Hollywood as movie production starts

Universal Pictures has given the go ahead for a Gears of War movie, with Scott Stuber and Dylan Clark onboard to produce the film. Stuber was involved with the Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart movie Central Intelligence while Clark is a producer on the new Planet of the Apes movies, so that’s some pretty decent backing.

• Gears of War 4 play through video shows the first 20 minutes of the game, watch it here

As for who will be portraying Gears’ COG soldiers isn’t yet clear, although we think Dwayne Johnson could indeed be a viable candidate as Marcus Fenix.

Gears of War 4 is the first new Gears game released since Microsoft bought Epic Games and formed new development team, The Coalition. It places you back on the planet Sera to fight off a different, suped-up Locust Horde; who have been gestating beneath the planet’s surface.

It’s not the first time a Gears of War movie has been attempted; the Hollywood Reporter says that New Line Cinema had plans to release its own adaptation of the game series. Unfortunately that time around, the rights ended up lapsing and the idea was shelved, until Stuber picked it up again in 2013.

• Gears of War 4 in 4K preview: Played on an Nvidia GTX 1070 notebook
• This the 2TB Xbox One S to get right now: Gears of War 4 Limited Edition

The project is still looking for a writer, so it will be some time before we see the film hit the big screen, but the fact a Gears movie looks promising has us eagerly waiting with anticipation. Until then, you can get your Gears of War fix next Tuesday 11 October when GoW 4 is released.

Six reasons to have the Probox2 Air Android TV box in your home

When it comes to home entertainment, especially the new wave of 4K-enabled products, it gets pretty expensive to kit out your home with equipment. And if you’re in a home with multiple screens, it’s even more so.

The Probox2 is the latest Android-based TV box to hit the market and has a great number of features to at least tempt you to consider stumping up the cash to get quality visuals in all your rooms.

1 – Android apps

Probox2 equipped the latest TV box with a skinned version of Android 6.0. That means, underneath the simple user interface designed for use on TVs is a platform which is supported by millions of apps and games. You can download any app or game you would on your Android phone, and have it play directly on your big screen at home.

Whether that means playing your favourite racing games, or just watching Netflix, you can do it all without having to get invested in a new platform or a new company’s services.

With that said, it also runs KODI 16.0, which is essentially a one-stop repository for multiple video sources like Apple Trailers, Vevo, Sky Sports and many more.

2 – Fits anywhere

One of the great things about the Probox2 Air, is that it doesn’t take up a lot of space, so you put it virtually anywhere. It’s a similar size to the 3rd generation Apple TV, perhaps slightly slimmer, and has been designed in Sweden to offer a minimalist, attractive style.

It’ll fit well next to your secondary TVs in your kitchen or bedroom, or just slide next to the other media players you have in your lounge, without any trouble.

3 – 4K HDR compatible

Probox2 Air supports a number of video and audio playback formats including full HD 1080p at 60 frames per second and Dolby/DTS 5.1 and 7.1 surround. But perhaps the most vital is 4K HDR support.

The Android TV box supports 4K playback up to 60 frames per second, and can play HDR content, to ensure that if you have the latest high-end television, you won’t be disappointed by the image quality.

What’s more, because it has microSD card support, you can load any media on to a little memory card, and have it show up on your TV.

Probox

4 – Beam any content from your phone

As well as giving you the ability to stream content directly on the box, or playing media from a memory card, you can use Miracast technology to beam from your phone.

Using Miracast technology you can AirPlay content from your iPhone to your screen, or Cast from your Android device.

5 – Extremely affordable

At just £62.00, the Probox2 Air is great value for money. It ships with a standard remote and HDMI cable in the box, or you can spend £20 more to get the version with the “Remote+” which is essentially a gamepad-style controller.

This Remote+ can be used as a standard remote for navigating the screen, or you can use it sideways where the gamepad controls and built-in gyroscopic sensors allow you to play games as you would on your console, or phone.

Probox

6 – Remote+

To maximize the best user experience, the Probox2 comes with the Remote+ controller. Remote+ is an unique tailor-made media remote controller with Fly mouse function, Gyroscope, Gaming pad, builtin microphone and directional pad for easy navigation in media applications like the Kodi / XBMC and is designed to make things even easier. 

Specs

Stepping away from features and on to specs for a second, the Probox2 Air has plenty to offer. It supports 802.11ac Wi-Fi with support for 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels as well as Bluetooth 4.0.

Powering the entire system is a quad-core 2GHz processor paired with 2GB RAM, with 16GB built-in storage.

If that doesn’t seem like enough capacity, remember, it comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow preloaded so that you can take advantage of the software’s adoptable storage feature. That means you can insert a microSD card and format it to act as internal storage for all your apps and games.

It has two USB ports, an HDMI 2.0b port, ethernet port and an optical port alongside the external Wi-Fi antenna designed to offer improved signal and wireless performance.

If you’re sold, you can grab the Probox2 Air from Amazon in the UK.  

Stanford simulator predicts brain swelling to guide surgeons

Surgeons have been cutting out parts of the skulls of patients suffering from brain trauma for a very long time. But a new simulation tool developed by a team of researchers for Stanford U and the University of Oxford will help make the procedure a lot safer. Decompressive craniectomy, as the method is called, gives the swelling brain space to expand in order to save a person’s life after a head injury. However, it could also lead to complications. See, when the brain bulges out of a hole, its axons (or the fragile threadlike parts of its nerve cells) have the tendency to stretch and break. This tool can minimize potential complications by telling surgeons the optimal place to cut and how large the hole should be, depending on the type of injury.

To develop the tool, the team studied medical scans showing the amount of swelling for different types of brain injuries. They then created mathematical estimates that can predict how an injury would affect different parts of the organ. Once they were done designing the system, then ran different scenarios through the simulation and found that you’ll see serious damage if axons expand near or above 30 percent. The resulting simulation, by the way, displays the most affected parts of the brain in red, areas that sustained mild damage in green and safe parts in blue. This gives surgeons a very visual guide to decide the best place to perform the decompressive craniectomy.

The team knows their creation is in its very early stages, and they’re hoping that surgeons could pitch in and help them develop it further. For now, you can read more about their study on Physical Review Letters, or watch the video below.

Source: Stanford University