Time to hit the gym! The Pokémon Go summer update is out right now

Why it matters to you

The summer update to Pokémon Go focuses on gym battles. Pokémon in gyms won’t last long without frequent support, and new raid battles will bring teams together.

Time to take back your neighborhood with the Pokémon Go summer update! Coming out June 19 for both iOS and Android, the update includes a number of new — long-awaited — features, with even more rolling out in the coming weeks.

All right, so what can trainers expect from the first installation of the Pokémon Go summer update? First up, Niantic has completely revamped the way that Pokémon gyms work.

Now, instead of just being locked down forever by a Gyarados and his over-powered pals, Pokemon who are stationed at gyms will weaken over time. As their motivation goes down, they’ll be a little easier to take on. If you want to keep a gym locked down, make sure you can swing by now and then to feed your Pokémon and keep their motivation up. Otherwise, they’ll eventually fall — even to weaker Pokémon.

Other trainers of the same team can also feed your Pokémon, improving the game’s collaborative features. That’s a big part of this summer update — making you really feel like you’re part of a team. And to help out, there’s another big feature rolling out a little later this summer: Raid Battles.

No, you won’t be taking your Pokemon to Molten Core or the Vault of Glass. Instead, you’ll be teaming up with friends in a Raid lobby, before taking on particularly challenging Pokémon which appear at certain times throughout your region.

“Before a Raid Battle begins, all Pokémon assigned to the Gym will return to their Trainers, and a large Egg will appear atop the Gym. When the countdown above the Egg reaches zero, the Raid Boss will be revealed,” reads the Niantic press release.

Once you topple the Raid Boss you and all participants will get a chance to score some rare loot like golden razz-berries, which can make it much easier to catch rare and elusive Pokémon. But perhaps most importantly, once you beat a Raid Boss, you’ll get a chance to capture it for yourself — that’s where the golden razz-berries come in handy.

There are a number of smaller improvements in the summer update, like the inclusion of gym badges which let you show off how long you’ve kept your gyms locked down — and prove to your friends that you are, truly, the very best.

“You’ll be able to level up your Badges by battling, giving Berries to the Pokémon in the Gym, and spinning the Gym’s Photo Disc. Raising the level of a Gym Badge will earn you unique opportunities to receive bonus items by spinning the Photo Disc and to get increased rewards when you interact with Gyms,” Niantic continued.

Finally, you’ll be able to use Technical Machines — a new item — to re-train your Pokemon, assigning them new fast and charged attacks. Beware though, these new items will reset your attacks at random, so you might not always get what you want — but if you try sometimes, maybe you’ll get what you need.

The best cases for the Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom

Asus offers some quality, midrange smartphones all over the world, and the latest in the Zenfone Zoom series — the Zenfone 3 Zoom — is no exception. Starting at $329, it offers a dual-camera setup with a portrait camera, just like the iPhone 7 Plus.

In addition to Gorilla Glass 5, a Snapdragon 625 processor, and a 5.5-inch display, the Zenfone 3 Zoom sports a massive 5,000mAh battery that powers the phone. That said, you’ll want to protect your device from drops, scratches, and other unforeseen events.  Below, we’ve rounded up a variety of Zenfone 3 Zoom cases, whether you’re looking for a pouch, a wallet, or a more traditional case.

Nillkin Frosted Shield ($9)

The Nillkin Frosted Shield has many advantages. The case’s design makes it extra grippy, and ensures that it’s resistant to both water and fingerprints. The case is rigid, but it should provide solid drop protection. It also currently comes with a bundled screen protector, giving you all-around protection, and you can nab it in either a black, gold, or red.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

PDair Leather Vertical Pouch Belt Clip Case ($40)

Some folks don’t like keeping their phones in cases, but instead, prefer to go with a pouch. Thankfully, PDair makes some of the best leather wallets and cases available. Here’s a vertical pouch specifically designed for the Zenfone 3 Zoom, one that makes it easy to grab and take photos quickly. The case is hand-made and features some beautiful stitching, which gives it a premium look. You can order this pouch with smooth, pebble, or crocodile patterns, and it comes in a variety of leather and stitching combinations.

Buy one now from:

PDair

J&D Shock Resistant Case ($8)

Here’s a bumper case that will protect your phone and keep you looking stylish. This case from J&D is made of a flexible TPU, which gives it extra grip and helps prevent accidental drops. It has all the cut-outs for easy access to your phone’s various ports and features, including the dual cameras on the back. What makes this case extra fun is the assortment of colors and designs. It’s available in a slew of solid colors, including red, black, blue, and purple. However, if you want to have a bit more fun, you have a choice of camouflage, donut, or cupcake patterns.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

LK Wallet Flip Case ($10)

If you’re looking for a wallet case that can fit your cards, cash, and your smartphone, the LK Wallet case is a great choice. You can carry up to three cards, along with cash. The back of the case has a cut-out for the your phone’s dual cameras, so that you don’t have to take out your phone just to snap a picture. The Flip Case doesn’t have speaker cut-outs to take a phone call with the wallet closed, however, because the front is where you stow all your cards. The case can also bend into landscape position, so you can set your phone on a desk or table when watching video. It currently comes in black, purple, and rose gold.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

CoverON FlexGuard ($8)

The CoverON FlexGuard is made of both hard and soft thermoplastic, which gives you adequate drop and scratch protection. This design keeps the case thin and lightweight, rendering it great for everyday use. Another good feature is the lip on the front bezel, given it prevents your phone’s screen from touching a surface when placed face down. The case comes in either black or clear varieties.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

5 billion people worldwide now have a mobile device, GSMA data shows

Why it matters to you

Approximately two-thirds of our world’s population now has access to a mobile phone, and this number is expected to rise significantly in coming years.

We’re really earning our moniker as the mobile generation. According to the latest report from GSMA Intelligence, the research division of the trade organization representing mobile networks worldwide, 5 billion people around the globe now have a mobile phone connection. That represents about two-thirds of the world’s population. So if you’re looking for something in common with someone half a world away, cellphone ownership is probably a good place to start.

Thanks to a real-time tracker for total connections and unique subscribers the world over, GSMA is capable of keeping careful tabs on the number of mobile phones in use across the globe. The organization says it calculated its 5 billion-plus figure using “extensive database of mobile statistics and forecasts,” which is updated on a daily basis.

Keep in mind, however, that the number of individual subscribers is actually significantly lower than the total number of mobile connections across the world. That is to say, there are a number of “power owners” of mobile devices who have more than one SIM card, which means that they have more than one mobile device. After all, think of how many of your friends have both a work and a personal phone.

“Reaching the 5 billion-subscriber milestone is a tremendous achievement for an industry that is only a few decades old, and reflects the many billions of dollars that mobile operators have invested in networks, services, and spectrum over many years,” GSMA director general Mats Granryd said in a statement. “Today mobile is a truly global platform, delivering connectivity and, perhaps more importantly, social and economic opportunities to citizens in all corners of the world.”

According to data, more than half of the estimated mobile subscribers call the Asia Pacific region home, which makes sense given that China and India are the two largest mobile markets. In fact, China itself claims more than a billion of mobile phone subscribers, while India accounts for 730 million.

Europe, however, boasts the highest rates of penetration — 86 percent of citizens have a mobile service subscription.

In the coming years, GSMA estimates that the total number of unique mobile subscribers will hit 5.7 billion, with India comprising much of this growth.

“Subscriber growth opportunities over the coming years will be focused on connecting mainly rural, low-income populations; operators are developing a range of sustainable solutions to deliver affordable connectivity to underserved communities,” Granryd added. “Meanwhile, in mature markets where subscriber growth is slowing, operators are evolving their business models to capture increasing value within the expanding mobile ecosystem, and providing the platform for a new digital world as we enter the 5G era.”

Snowboarder fashions an old firetruck in to the ultimate expedition vehicle

Why it matters to you

Austin Smith adds a whole new element to vanlife, renovating a firetruck to join the ranks of plentiful Sprinters and camper vans.

In a superior twist on vanlife, pro-snowboarder Austin Smith transformed a 1953 GMC firetruck into a tiny house on wheels. While most living rigs are designed for travel across the country, Smith constructed this firetruck home for the opposite purpose: As a place for him to live in the parking lot of Mount Bachelor in Oregon, his home state.

Smith dubs this humble abode a “micro-dojo”, taking to vanlife with ease attributed by numerous posts on social media. Filmmaker Dylan Magaster interviews Smith in an inspiring video in which the snowboarder recounts his firetruck renovations and major home components.

The interior boasts a surprisingly large, open living space with a kitchen in the left-hand corner. Countertops and a sink that drains to the outside comprise the majority of it, although hanging cookware and a fruit basket make for attractive accouterments.

The firetruck home is heated by a wood-burning stove situated in the center of the left-hand wall. Smith indicates he selected the larger of two different models and explains how a small quantity of wood stored in a drawer beneath the couch lasts for multiple days. He explains that the stove was the first interior development, stating after the installation, “I have heat, I’ll figure out the rest when I get up there.”

An elevated bed is situated in the corner closest to the cab, comprising 4 inches of foam. A combination couch and guest bed folds down in an offset manner below Smith’s bed. In addition, there is a table and chair that fold out, plentiful hooks for hanging jackets, and lights that drape from the ceiling fed by solar panels on the roof. The van is powered entirely by solar, persisting successfully even through the darkest months of Oregon’s winter.

The snowboarder indicates that the uniquely designed front porch is the firetruck’s best feature, enclosed by a rustic metal bed frame. The porch often holds a lawn chair, cooler, or snowboard waxing rack.

Smith has only been a true vanlife member since December and admits in the video, “I’ve never lived in a vehicle before, I’ve never lived in a parking lot before, I wasn’t sure if I would like it.” But he seems to have adjusted well and is loving the lifestyle, especially the ability to snowboard daily on his favorite mountain.

Add the TP-Link Multicolor Smart Wi-Fi LED Bulb to your home for $40

The folks at Thrifter are back again, this time with a great deal on a smart light bulb that doesn’t require a hub!

Amazon is offering the TP-Link Multicolor Smart Wi-Fi LED Bulb for just $39.99 with free shipping. That’s a savings of $10 off compared to other retailers like Best Buy and the lowest price we have tracked. Over 1,900 Amazon customers rate it 3.8 out of 5 stars.

• Works with Amazon Alexa to support dimming, shades of white, and color settings through voice control (Alexa device sold separately)
• Dim brightness and fine-tune light appearance from soft white (2500K) to daylight (9000K) (Compatible with Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant)
• Choose from multiple colors and set the mood to match any moment (Color adjustable through Kasa smart phone app)
• Control your lights from anywhere with your tablet or smartphone using the free Kasa app (Android 4.1 or higher / iOS 8 or higher)
• Set schedules, timers, and countdowns and have your lights work around your life. No hub required; works with your Wi-Fi router

This bulb works without the need for a smart home hub, and it can be controlled using Amazon’s Alexa through an Echo, Echo Dot and more. If you’re looking to try out a smart light or need some extras for more rooms in your house, you won’t want to miss this deal.

See at Amazon

For more great deals be sure to check out our friends at Thrifter now!

Watch the OnePlus 5 launch event live — June 20 at 12:00 p.m. ET!

It’s tough to wait — but we’re almost there.

We’re ever-so-close to the launch of the OnePlus 5, and we’ll be able to see it all unveiled via an online-only launch event on June 20. The whole thing kicks off at 9:00 a.m. PT / 12:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. GMT, and you can watch it live below.

As the event comes to a close, be ready to check out the OnePlus website for details on pre-ordering the phone, as they’re likely to announce availability information during the event.

OnePlus 5

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• OnePlus 3T discontinued to make room for OnePlus 5

OnePlus

Raids are coming to Pokémon Go, here’s what you need to know!

Pokémon Go Gyms are dead. Long like Pokémon Go Gyms!

Niantic is killing the Gym system in Pokémon Go, and replacing it with a more complex and interactive system. The actual Gym locations aren’t going anywhere, but it’s clear you’re going to be spending a lot more time to stay at the top of the increasingly complicated (and cooperative) system in place.

Here’s what we know so far about the new Gyms, and the more interesting Raids system coming to live on top of them.

Meet the new Pokémon Go Gym

First things first — Pokémon Go Gyms will now also have PokeStop discs on them, meaning every five minutes you can spin them for more items to use in the game. This is especially good news for rural areas, where Pokémon Go content is more spread out and less easy to walk to.

The days of stacking five Blissey on a Gym to ensure your team maintains control are over. Niantic has removed that system from the game entirely, and a new system will take its place shortly. In this new system, only one version of any Pokémon can live at a Gym simultaneously. If you put a Tyranitar on a Gym, no one else will be able to as long as it is there.

Gym battles are changing as well. Instead of fighting Pokémon from lowest CP to highest, you’ll be fighting in the order they were placed at the Gym. In theory, this means you might fight the strongest Pokémon placed at a Gym first, which would make taking down a Gym by yourself a bit more challenging.

Perhaps most important, Gyms will now give you badges for continued participation.

Every time you defeat any one Pokémon, however, that creature loses something called Motivation. As Motivation decreases, the CP of that Pokémon temporarily decreases as well. Trainers can keep Pokémon motivated by feeding berries, which means trainers can interact with a Gym remotely instead of needing to be right there. When Motivation is completely lost, that Pokémon returns to its trainer.

Finally, and perhaps most important, Gyms will now give you badges for continued participation. These badges can be leveled up based on your continued participation, and the badges will offer rewards based on the current level.

Raids are coming

The whole reason Niantic is retooling Gyms is to prepare for Raids. If you watched the initial launch trailer for Pokémon Go, you saw a section where multiple Pokémon Trainers were working together to fight a MewTwo. That obviously doesn’t exist in the game right now, and Raids are how this is being addressed. Here’s what we know so far!

• Raid Bosses clear a Gym: When a Raid Boss shows up, all of the Pokémon at that Gym will be sent back to Trainers. After the Raid Boss leaves, the fight to control that Gym restarts anew.
• You need a Raid Pass: If you want to participate in a Raid, you need a Raid Pass. The PokeStop at the Gym will give you one for free each day, but you can only hold one Raid Pass at a time. The Shop will have Premium Raid Passes, which will let you battle at any Raid.
• Raids support up to 20 trainers: It doesn’t matter what team you are on, you will all be able to work together to take down a Raid Boss.
• Victory means unique rewards: If you successfully take down a Raid Boss, unique rewards like exclusive candies and berries will be available to your whole Raid team.
• You can catch a Raid Boss: If your Raid Team successfully defeats the boss within the five minute limit, you’ll have a one-time chance to catch a less powerful variant of this unique Pokémon. This is undoubtedly how Niantic will introduce Legendary and Shiny Pokémon into the game.

Raid Rewards will be important

Catching a Legendary Pokémon will be pretty sweet, but the other rewards promised will make your day-to-day gameplay a lot more interesting. Niantic is promising Rare Candies and Golden Razz Berries to help lure and power up these Legendary Pokémon, but there will also be Technical Machines added to the game.

Technical Machines teach your Pokémon new attacks, which means you can improve your Pokémon by teaching them new Fast or Charged attacks with these machines. This takes the random element from evolving a Pokémon and gives you a little more control, which makes a big difference with the new Gym system.

Get ready for a whole new Pokémon Go

These changes radically change how the combat aspect of this game is handled right now, and sets the ground floor for a lot of important new features. Being able to change the attack capabilities with Technical Machines sets up ideal environments for the often-rumored breeding and trading systems, and being able to help your Pokémon stay motivated at a Gym means it will be more important than ever for teams to work together to take down hotly contested Gyms in most areas.

If you’ve stopped playing Pokémon Go, now is the time to get back into it. If you never stopped, now is the time to make sure all of your Pokémon are prepared for the new Raids system. Are you excited?

Pokémon Go

• Pokémon Go Game Guide!
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• How to play without killing your battery
• Join our Pokémon Go forums!

OnePlus had a lot of interesting early OnePlus 5 designs

From OnePlus 3.5 to Huawei P10 to iPhone 7 Plus.

With the OnePlus 5 just a day away from being announced, the company is getting a bit looser with its trickle of details.

The company gave The Verge access to its Shenzhen facilities to talk about the new phone and its manufacturing process, and one of the interesting things to emerge from the interview was a glimpse at some of the early dual camera prototype designs before settling on the final form we’ve seen in recent renders.

Some early designs of the OnePlus 5. Image credit: The Verge

It’s interesting to see the progression of the dual camera design, which for a time was centered down the middle similar to last year’s OnePlus 3, or integrated into a piece of top glass aligning the top like the Huawei P10.

What the company (never) settled for is a design that pays homage to the iPhone 7 Plus without mirroring it exactly, since it has softer, more rounded corners and a narrower frame.

The whole piece is pretty interesting, so take a look over at The Verge.

Pokemon Go summer update: Raid Battles, Gym changes and more special items to collect

Pokemon Go is about to undergo a huge update that will make the game a lot more dynamic around Gyms and battles, as well as introducing proper collaborative play.

Gyms are going to be shaken to the ground and redesigned to really put the emphasis on collaborative team play, giving you rewards for visiting gyms controlled by your team. Like Poke Stops, you’ll be able to spin the photo disc to collect items from Gyms.

There will also be 6 permanent slots for gyms (although it’s not clear if this changes as the Gym levels up), and rather than battling the controlling Pokemon in order of CP, you’ll now battle them in the order that they joined the gym. That should, at least, stop the weakest always being knocked out straight away. 

There will also be a restriction on the type of Pokemon in the Gym, so you can’t have 6 Lapras sitting there. 

Rather than the Prestige system that’s been in place for the last year, Gyms will now use a motivation system. As Pokemon fight and lose, they will slowly lose motivation and their CP will dip along with it. For those who are visiting a friendly gym, you’ll have the opportunity to use berries to boost those defenders and help keep the Gym for your team. 

There’s also going to be Gym Badges that you can collect for getting involved the Gyms, suggesting that people are currently more interested in collecting Pokemon than battling. 

Looking to boost the social side of the game, there will be a new boss battle mode, called Raid Battles. This will place a powerful defender in a Gyms as an in-game event, giving people the chance to team up and take down the Raid Boss. This will let you win special items as well as give you the chance to catch those Pokemon. 

You’ll be able to see that a Raid Battle is about to take place, because an egg will appear at the top of a Gym, with a countdown timer. This is the countdown to the start of the battle. You’ll need a Raid Pass to be able to take part and you can collect one Raid Pass a day from Gyms. You’ll also be able to buy premium passes in the Shop. 

As well as these in-game events, you’ll also be able to create Private Raids, so that you can run these battles with your friends.

To enable this to happen Gyms will be closing, as we previously reported, while these changes take place. There’s no precise timeline, but Gyms will be closing from 19 June, with a phased roll-out of the new features in the coming weeks.

• New Pokemon Go berries: Razz Berry, Nanab Berry and Pinap Berry explained
• Pokemon Go: How to play and other tips and tricks
• Help! Pokemon Go isn’t working: How to fix common Pokemon Go problems
• Pokemon Go: How to raise your XP level, power up and evolve your Pokemon

Seaweed could be the key to long-lasting electric car batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries are theoretically ideal for powering gadgets. They have more than twice the energy density of lithium-ion packs, but at a much lower cost thanks to sulfur’s dirt-cheap price. There’s just one problem: sulfur dissolves, giving the battery a short lifespan. That’s where Berkeley Lab might help. It recently discovered that a derivative of red seaweed, carrageenan, can stabilize a lithium-sulfur battery and make it practical for more devices. If you use the seaweed derivative as a binder (the “glue” that keeps a battery’s active materials together), it reacts with the sulfur and prevents it from dissolving. The ultimate goal is to produce cells that last for “thousands” of charging cycles, or better than many batteries you see today.

Some of the practical benefits are immediately evident. Your phone could last much longer on a charge even as the price went down. However, the researchers are eager to point out the potential uses in transportation. As lithium-sulfur is lighter than lithium-ion, it’s ideal for drones and other electric aircraft. The technology could also prove to be a minor miracle for electric cars. GM is one of Berkeley Lab’s partners, so it’s easy to imagine the Chevy Bolt maker using lithium-sulfur in future EVs that are both more affordable and drive much further on a charge.

The gotcha? It’s still quite early. The team needs to understand more about how the derivative interacts with sulfur, and whether or not it’s reversible if necessary. It may be a long while before you see a lithium-sulfur battery on the road or in your pocket. All the same, it’s notable that the technology is even on the roadmap. We’ve seen many promises of longer-lasting batteries, but the low-cost nature of this solution should give it a better shot at reaching real-world products.

Source: Berkeley Lab, ScienceDirect