Nearly 8,000 U.S. Starbucks are now PokéStops or Pokémon Gyms

Latte, extra hot, with a Pikachu.

First it was Sprint, and now Starbucks and The Pokémon Company are teaming up to make over 7,800 of the company’s popular coffee stores and meeting places into either PokéStops or Gyms.

The news comes as Niantic and The Pokémon Company try to prevent the inevitable winter participation drop in a game that relies on people having to trek outside. For much of the U.S., where both the Sprint and Starbucks promotions are located, having a place to go to lure and catch Pokémon outside of the snowy and cold weather is going to be a boon for usage.

Starbucks is also launching a Pokémon-inspired Frappucino for the occasion:

Today at 11 a.m. PST, more than 7,800 company-operated Starbucks locations in the U.S. will begin to transform within the game into PokéStops or Gyms, enabling Trainers to play the game while meeting friends, recharge in the Starbucks environment, and enjoy the new Pokémon GO Frappuccino® blended beverage. The Pokémon GO Frappuccino® blended beverage starts with a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino® and blends in raspberry syrup with freeze dried whole blackberries, topped with whipped cream – the perfect treat for any Pokémon Trainer on the go.

As stated, the transformation from store to PokéStop happens on December 8 at 11am PT / 2pm ET, which gives you plenty of time to plan a route to your local store.

Pokémon Go

• Join our Pokémon Go forums!
• How to deal with GPS errors in-game
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• How to play without killing your battery
• The Ultimate Pokémon Go Game Guide!
• Listen to the Pokémon Go podcast!

Best delivery apps for Android

What’s the best way to track a package on Android? Check out these package tracking apps!

The holidays are upon us and I don’t know about you, but to hell with the mall. Give me a mouse and an Amazon account and I’ll get the job done in 20 minutes with free shipping.

If you’re shopping online from a bunch of different sites, it can be difficult to keep track of every purchase. Download a killer parcel tracking app and get your ducks in a row before a fat guy comes down your chimney.

• Deliveries
• ParcelTrack
• AfterShip
• 17TRACK
• TrackChecker Mobile
• Package Tracker Pro

Deliveries

Deliveries is likely one of the first names you’ll hear when you want to find a great package tracking app. It supports over 40 shippers and couriers, as well as postal services in 21 countries.

You can sync your packages across your devices, and in most cases track packages using Google Maps, so you can see exactly where your stuff is at all times. You can even get notifications when shipping statuses are updated.

Download: Deliveries (Free, IAPs)

ParcelTrack

ParcelTrack is another wonderful tracking services that brings all of your incumbent deliveries into one place where you can monitor each one’s status on the go.

You’ll be provided with push notifications for shipping updates, and the very handy ParcelTrack Inbox simply extracts tracking numbers from the shipping emails you send its way, so you never need to tediously enter long tracking numbers.

Download: ParcelTrack (Free, IAPs)

AfterShip

AfterShip is a completely free service that helps you track your shipments with over 360 couriers and does it all ad-free.

The developer recently added a data sync feature so you can keep track of your parcels across your devices, and when you copy and paste in tracking numbers, AfterShip automatically detects the courier to save you the hassle.

Download: AfterShip (Free)

17TRACK

17TRACK is a great app to use if you like to often order from China or countries where shipping to North America is sometimes dicey at best. It supports over 170 postal carriers, as well as many, many of the world’s largest couriers, like DHL, UPS, FedEx, and a ton more.

You get a custom widget for your home screen, alerts for status changes, syncing across devices, and you can add multiple tracking numbers at once, while the app auto-detects carriers and tracks your packages accordingly.

Download: 17TRACK (Free)

TrackChecker Mobile

TrackChecker Mobile might just be the most versatile package tracking app around and is great if you like to order parcels from those hard-to-reach places. It tracks packages being carried by over 550 couriers and postal services in 200 countries.

Customization is a big part of TrackChecker Mobiule’s charm; you can choose how frequently you want to receive notifications, and you can even export and imports tracking information to and from your PC.

Download: TrackChecker Mobile (Free, IAPs)

Package Tracker Pro

Package Tracker Pro has been around for a long time, so it’s no wonder that it’s everyone’s favorite paid tracking app. It offers you features by the boatload, in the form of customization options, sorting options, the ability to archive tracking numbers, route maps, and a whole lot more.

The other great benefit of buying Package Tracker Pro is the support you get from the developer. You can email or contact Minstech Software via its website with any questions or suggestions you might have.

Download: Package Tracker Pro ($1.99)

How do you keep track?

Do you use an awesome package tracking app not mentioned here? Let us know in the comments below!

From the ashes of Rdio, Pandora Premium hopes to take your $10 in 2017

The best is yet to come for Pandora.

A year after it acquired Rdio, Pandora plans to enter the on-demand music market in early 2017 with Pandora Premium.

Using a number of features directly taken from, or inspired by, the sleek UI Rdio made famous, Pandora Premium lives alongside the company’s existing streaming radio options, a free ad-supported service, and a $4.99 per month ad-free experience called Pandora Plus.

But unlike those cheaper options, Pandora Premium will compete directly with the likes of Spotify and Google Play Music, allowing for all-you-can-eat album and playlist consumption for $9.99 per month. It’s not a new proposition, but Pandora hopes to convert a small portion of its existing free and paid base to Premium, largely on the back of its troves of user data; if you’ve been listening to Pandora for years, it knows what you like, and will cater customized playlists accordingly.

The question for most Americans, though, is whether Pandora’s new offering is worth switching to in a market saturated by Spotify, Google Play Music, Apple Music, Napster and others.

While I still miss Rdio and its album-first user experience, it appears that Pandora Premium embodies more DNA of the latter than the former. Pandora Premium will launch in early 2017.

Do you plan to switch to Pandora Premium? Let us know!

The best streaming music services

Save big on select Anker charging accessories today only

Amazon’s Deal of the Day can score you some pretty big savings on select Anker charging accessories. Whether you need a new wall charger for your phone or a portable battery pack to carry around, you won’t want to pass this one up. Anker is a reputable company that has been making mobile accessories for quite some time now, and most of the products have great ratings on Amazon.

Some of the deals include:

• Anker PowerCore 10000 – $18
• Anker 40W USB Charger – $19

Remember, these prices are only good for today, December 8, so be sure to act quickly if you are interested. For a full list of the items on sale today, hit the link below.

See at Amazon

There’s a lot more awesome for Daydream users to check out today

Daydream has crossed the 50 app mark!

As promised when Google unveiled the Daydream View headset for you to slide a Pixel or Pixel XL into, there will be more than 50 games available for the new VR platform before the end of the year. As Google crosses the 50 app mark today, with a healthy selection of games, educational apps, 360-degree video, and virtual theater apps it’s clear the goal is to offer a little something for everyone. The latest wave of games made available to Daydream users marks the single largest expansion of the platform since its launch date, both in number of apps added and their individual quality.

We’ve been taking a look at these new titles for a couple of days now, and have some thoughts to share on the latest additions to Daydream!

• Gunjack 2: End of Shift — The sequel to one of the most played VR games on the planet is exclusive to Daydream, and it’s more challenging and just as exciting as its predecessor. Check out our full review for more!

• Wands — You’re a sorcerer prowling 1880’s London in search of other battlecasting mages, and your next opponent is another Daydream user. This multiplayer online combat game lets you build your wand to your spec and cast your way to dominance against your fellow VR users. Here’s our full review!

• HBO VR — Whether you’re an HBO Go or an HBO Now subscriber, you can now sit in a private VR theater and watch every movie and show currently available to you. If that’s not cool enough, get ready for exclusive 360-degree HBO VR content early next year. Our full review breaks down the experience.

• LEGO Brickheadz — This free app lets you interact with unique LEGO characters in VR, as well as build and manipulate complex LEGO structures all around you. It’s a great game for all ages, but surely one you’re going to want to share with the kids. Check out our full review!

• Layers of Fear: Solitude — One of the best psychological horror games you can play on PC is coming to Daydream with a twisted new story. Everything is more terrifying in VR, and this game is no exception. Our review has all the terrifying details!

• Need for Speed: No Limits VR — Racing games in VR help you feel like you’re really in the driver’s seat, and Need for Speed is one of the most iconic racing brands in existence. How does racing feel with a Daydream controller, though? Read our review and find out!

• Underworld Overlord — Why be the hero when you can be the villain? This game is all about defending your dungeon from would-be adventurers by placing traps and casting spells to stop them cold. Playing this game in VR creates a unique perspective for you to enjoy, so be sure and head to our review for more info!

It’s clear Google saved some of the best games in their initial Daydream arsenal for last, and that’s great news for anyone looking to get a little more out of their VR headset after enjoying the initial offerings. As Google positions Daydream as a the best mobile VR headset for anyone looking to buy a new phone next year, this healthy selection of titles is going to make a big difference.

Airbnb outlines where it’s willing to compromise with regulators

Airbnb is changing policy in a bid to improve its lobbying powers and help establish itself within city and regional regulations. Having failed in its recent New York lawsuit, it’s now attempting to get to some kind of middle ground. It’s drawn up a list of “policy recommendations”, alongside issues that Airbnb reckons are in the self-interest of government and not the public. The company may have limited power to affect policy, but it’s now at least illustrating concessions that it’s willing to make.. in order get more hosting properties, more guests and more sweet profit.

Perhaps the most notable part is how the property / homestay hub says it’s willing to help municipalities collect tax revenue through voluntary collection agreements — money governments can then spend how they want. It’s also interested in equitable revenue sharing, helping building owners (say, the entity or person that owns a block of apartments) collect some of revenue from tenants that host on Airbnb.

It’s also promising to better deal with the company’s own issues and shortcomings: sketchy hostels and part houses, combating discrimination and helping enforce local laws where host violate local home-sharing laws. Airbnb would also be willing to release annual transparency reports along with some anonymized data to governments.

Airbnb says it wants to stand ground on zoning, where users are discriminated against based on the zoning laws in certain neighborhoods. (As TechCrunch notes, there were issues in New Orleans when the French Quarter was excluded. It’s also unwilling to build security passthroughs for governments to access user data.

Beyond large-scale restrictions of homes a homeowner can list on Airbnb, the company won’t limit its service to a one-host one-home rule — Airbnb has been forced to make exceptions in NYC and San Francisco. And, naturally, it wants “fairness”, so that local laws won’t benefit one home-sharing platform over another. Read the full breakdown of its policy “tool chest” over at Airbnb.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Airbnb

Fitbit’s Pebble acquisition risks alienating loyal users

After days of rumors and speculation, Pebble finally confirmed yesterday that it’s getting acquired by Fitbit. At first, this sounded like it might be a good thing, as Pebble was struggling to gain market share in the wearables industry and may have gone under without an exit plan. Unfortunately, however, it appears that the deal doesn’t include Pebble’s hardware. According to Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky, the only assets carrying over are key talent, software and intellectual property, leaving existing and future products to be discontinued. Considering Pebble’s hardware is what helped the company build a following in the first place, killing its run strikes me as a mistake. Fitbit risks not only disappointing the thousands of loyal fans that believed in Pebble despite the odds but also punishing them. It’s not a good look for Pebble or Fitbit.

That list of discontinued hardware includes all of the devices that were listed in the company’s latest Kickstarter campaign. The Time 2 and the Core — a GPS-enabled accessory for runners — both promised for next year, will never ship. If you ordered a Pebble 2 or a special Kickstarter Edition of the Time Round and haven’t received it yet, you won’t get one. Pebble has said all Kickstarter pre-orders will be refunded, but that could take months. In fact, it might not happen until March 2017.

What’s more, while existing watches will continue to work for now, one-to-one support is no longer available and Migicovsky said that even future functionality could be reduced. It seems like a matter of time before support for all Pebble devices comes to an end. And if your Pebble dies on you? Good luck: It’ll no longer be covered under warranty.

One of the reasons Pebble was successful in the first place was its crowdsourcing roots. In 2012, Pebble broke records as the most funded Kickstarter project at the time, raising over $10 million from 68,929 backers. This resulted in the first-ever Pebble smartwatch and led to the creation of the company, the brand and a passionate group of developers and users.

Pebble returned to Kickstarter in 2015 with the Time, its new color smartwatch, and that also smashed Kickstarter records, with over $20 million (and 78,471 backers), making it the most-funded Kickstarter campaign to date. This is particularly impressive when you consider that all the while, the company was facing fierce competition from the likes of the Apple Watch and various Android Wear devices.

Earlier this year, Pebble proved its clout once again with the introduction of the Pebble 2, the Time 2 and the Core. This campaign raised a blockbuster amount on Kickstarter as well: over $12 million from 66,673 backers. It’s evident that what kept Pebble going were its loyal users.

Of course, one of the reasons the company had been struggling is that the Pebble devices faced too much competition. Despite their cross-platform compatibility and long battery life, Pebble’s e-ink smartwatches couldn’t match flashier, more sophisticated rivals. Yet, the company’s pivot toward fitness-focused hardware this year showed that it could carve out a niche as a smart activity tracker, which is likely why Fitbit was attracted to it in the first place.

That’s why it’s so frustrating that with this acquisition, Fitbit has essentially chucked all of Pebble’s hard work. Though the Pebble 2 was just an entry-level smartwatch, the Time 2 looked like a promising improvement on last year’s version, and the Core sounded like a great fitness add-on for existing Pebble owners. The fact that Fitbit was willing to not only disregard the wishes of thousands of Kickstarter backers but also discontinue Pebble’s entire repertoire does not bode well for the company’s willingness to listen to its users.

Fitbit is already competing against cheaper options like Meizu’s H1 Band, and, as recent numbers show, it’s not pulling in great sales there either. Acquiring Pebble could’ve been a good thing; integrating Fitbit’s activity-tracking tech in a smarter, more attractive device would have made for a compelling product. But instead, Pebble loses years of hard work and Fitbit gets the remnants of a company without the hardware — and the fanbase — that made it a cult favorite in the first place.

Pokémon Go to Get New Pokémon as Starbucks and Sprint Stores Become Pokéstops and Gyms

Pokémon Go recently announced that Sprint and Starbucks locations have officially been added into the game as Pokéstops and Gyms. The Sprint collaboration began yesterday with over 10,500 Sprint locations around the United States supporting the GPS-based game, including Sprint, Boost Mobile and Sprint at Radioshack stores. In-store charging stations are also being offered to players so they can keep playing the game longer.

Today, another U.S.-based collaboration will begin at 11 a.m. PST, where 7,800 Starbucks stores around the country will turn into Pokéstops and Gyms to entice players to visit the popular coffee shop more often. In celebration of the partnership, the company has also created a new Pokémon Go Frappuccino for customers to try out while they hunt Pokémon in the game.

By locating a Starbucks® store within Pokémon GO, players will discover the Pokémon GO Frappuccino® blended beverage. The Pokémon GO Frappuccino® starts with a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino® blended beverage and raspberry syrup blended with freeze dried whole blackberries and topped with whipped cream. It’s the perfect treat for any Pokémon Trainer on the go.

The Pokémon GO Frappuccino® blended beverage will be available at participating Starbucks® stores for a limited time while supplies last.

The partnership news this week precedes a new generation of Pokémon coming to the game sometime soon. In the Sprint press release, Niantic CEO John Hanke teased fans and said to “keep an eye out on our social media channels on December 12th for details about the first addition of more Pokémon into Pokémon Go.” The specific amount and generation of Pokémon that will be added to the game was not given, so fans will have to wait until next Monday to find out.

Pokémon Go can be downloaded from the iOS App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Pokémon GO
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