Google, Nintendo, and The Pokémon Company invest up to $30 million in Niantic
Just because Niantic, the creator of Ingress, is no longer part of Google, doesn’t mean that the search giant has abandoned it. Google and some other companies have committed to investing up to $30 million in Niantic in a round of Series A financing.
The investment from Google, Nintendo and The Pokémon Company Group, means that $20 million will be initially invested in Niantic. An additional $10 million will be invested when Niantic meets certain targets. Niantic is currently in the process of bringing Pokémon Go to market, with the game scheduled to be released on the App Store and Google Play Store sometime in 2016.
“Niantic has shown the great potential of mixing geo-location technology, dynamic storytelling and innovative game design, and we’re excited to continue supporting the team on their journey,” said Don Harrison, vice president, Corporate Development, Google.
Full Press Release:
Niantic Raises Series A Financing of $20 Million from The Pokémon Company Group, Google and Nintendo
Niantic to Scale Its Platform, Launch Highly Anticipated Pokémon GO and Expand Its Hit Real World Game Ingress
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Real world games maker Niantic, Inc. has raised its Series A financing round from The Pokémon Company Group, Google and Nintendo. The companies are investing up to $30 million in Niantic, Inc., which includes an initial $20 million upfront and an additional $10 million conditioned upon achieving certain milestones. Niantic, Inc. will leverage the funding and strategic relationships to continue work on Pokémon GO, support its thriving global Ingress community, scale its platform and bring new games to market.
“Pokémon’s strategic investment in Niantic paves the way for a social mobile experience the world has never seen before”
“The Pokémon Company, Google and Nintendo are incredible investors and strategic partners to help build the next chapter for Niantic,” said John Hanke, CEO, Niantic. “We will be using this capital to continue the development of Pokémon GO, to evolve and grow Ingress and its thriving global community, and to build out our real-world gaming platform.”
Pokémon GO, Niantic’s most recently announced project, is being developed in collaboration with The Pokémon Company and Nintendo. The new title is a groundbreaking mobile game that will encourage fans to search far and wide in the real world to discover Pokémon. Pokémon GO will be available on the App Store and Google Play in 2016.
“Pokémon’s strategic investment in Niantic paves the way for a social mobile experience the world has never seen before,” said Tsunekazu Ishihara, president and CEO of The Pokémon Company. “The Pokémon Company is committed to partnering with companies like Niantic that share the same spirit of community and innovation.”
“Niantic has shown the great potential of mixing geo-location technology, dynamic storytelling and innovative game design, and we’re excited to continue supporting the team on their journey,” Don Harrison, vice president, Corporate Development, Google, added.
Originally founded by Google Earth co-creator John Hanke as a start-up within Google, Niantic is known for creating Ingress, the real world mobile game which utilizes geo-location technology to fuel a sci-fi story encompassing the entire world. Ingress has seen more than 13 million downloads worldwide.
About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996, and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, visit www.pokemon.com.About Niantic, Inc.
Niantic, Inc. builds real world experiences that foster fun, exploration, discovery and social interaction. Originally incubated within Google, Niantic was founded by John Hanke, who previously helmed the Google Geo team (including Google Maps and Google Earth) after his start-up Keyhole was acquired by Google. The company’s real-world adventure game Ingress has been downloaded more than 13 million times and is played in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. For more information on Niantic, please visit www.nianticlabs.com.About Nintendo
The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U™ and Wii™ home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4.3 billion video games and more than 680 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo 3DS XL™, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™, and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™, and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.
Come comment on this article: Google, Nintendo, and The Pokémon Company invest up to $30 million in Niantic
Throw money at YouTube Gaming stars each month with sponsorships
Remember when we said Twitch learned a lot from the recent launch of YouTube Gaming, Google’s own video game-focused live-streaming site? Turns out, YouTube is picking up some tricks from Twitch, a veteran of the live gaming arena. YouTube Gaming is rolling out “sponsorships,” a new option that allows viewers to give money to their favorite streamers monthly in exchange for a few perks, like a special badge for live chat and access to exclusive chat rooms. Sponsorships are $4 a month in the United States and the program is in beta now for a select group of streamers across 40 countries. It’s a lot like Twitch’s own subscription option, which is $5 per month and offers special badges, exclusive chat rooms and usually a live shout-out from the streamer.
YouTube Gaming isn’t stopping at sponsorships, either: Today it launches live mobile streaming capabilities for Android devices, a feature it announced during the Tokyo Game Show in September. Mobile capture allows streamers to record and go live with their Android games, directly from their smartphones. It even supports front-facing Android cameras and microphones so streamers can show off their bright faces and bubbly personalities. YouTube Gaming promises there’s no extra hardware or software required for mobile capture.
Now there’s no reason for YouTube Gaming personalities to ever stop streaming — more time live could mean more sponsors, which means more cash, and they can now even stream while on the bus, in the airport, at a club, in the bathroom, on a date or at their own weddings. Those are just (terrible) suggestions, of course.
Nexus 6P is experiencing delays in some markets
According to Mobile Syrup, the Nexus 6P launch has been delayed until November 2 in Canada. Additionally, pre-orders for the device were recently taken down.
If you’re in the United States, most variants of the Nexus 6P appear sold out, but there are still two color variants up for pre-order with 32GB of storage space. According to the report, the delay in Canada is primarily due to supply issues. Right now we can only hope the Nexus 6P shortage doesn’t impact other markets. The official launch date in Canada has been pushed back to November 2, however, those who managed to pre-order the device prior to the listing being taken down will likely get their device shortly after October 23 when the units are expected to ship.
Nexus 5X orders seem to be on time, and are scheduled to ship out on October 22 here in the United States. In the meantime, you can check out are recent posts on features missing from the Nexus 6P and what could have improved the Nexus 5X.
Source: Mobile Syrup
Come comment on this article: Nexus 6P is experiencing delays in some markets
LG first to push Android Marshmallow to its own flagship
LG’s gearing up to roll out Android Marshmallow to its devices, and you can install it as soon as next week… if you own a G4 handset and live in Poland. The South Korean manufacturer will release the latest Android version in the European country first, but it promises that America, Asia and the rest of Europe will follow. Unfortunately, the company doesn’t have exact dates for those markets yet. Local carriers will likely announce the upgrade when it becomes available, though; in the US, T-Mobile already confirmed that the G3 and the G4 will get Marshmallow in the future.
LG claims the G4 is the first in the world to get Marshmallow besides Google’s own Nexus devices. According to its VP of marketing communications, Chris Yie, it’s because the company worked closely with Google to make it happen.
By working closely with Google, LG has been able to bring Android 6.0 to the G4 ahead of any of our competitors. While speed alone isn’t an indicator of great service, it does go a long way toward giving consumers the confidence that LG is committed to its existing customers first.
Source: LG
Nexus 6P reportedly delayed in Canada until November 2
If you’ve been waiting for the Google Nexus 6P to land in Canada, there’s potentially some bad news for you; the launch of Google’s latest flagship has reportedly been delayed until November 2nd, a week after it was first meant to launch.
New Nexus in video:
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According to an internal document from carrier Bell, which has been published by MobileSyrup, the Nexus 6P has been delayed until November 2nd due to supply issues. It’s unknown exactly what the issues are and while shipping to dealers and corporate stores will begin on October 23rd, none of these will be able to sell the actual handset to customers until November 2nd.
Over the past weekend, the Nexus 6P was removed from the Google Store in Canada and prior to this, delivery dates were being quoted as between Thursday, October 29th and Thursday, November 5th. It’s unknown whether these supply issues are affecting just Bell, all Canadian carriers or even other countries around the world but we’ll let you know if there’s any other countries experiencing delays.
Recommended: Why does the Nexus cost more in UK and Europe?
Google’s Nexus 6P was developed in partnership with Huawei and is the company’s latest flagship handset, sporting a 5.7-inch QHD AMOLED display with 518ppi pixel density, an octa-core Snapdragon 810 CPU, 3GB RAM, 32/64/128GB storage and a 12MP rear camera with laser autofocus and super-large 1.55µm pixel size. There’s also USB Type-C, NFC, a 3450mAh non-removable battery with quick charging, front stereo speakers and a fingerprint sensor.
Related: Nexus 6P and 5X vs the competition
Are you buying the Nexus 6P or the smaller Nexus 5X? Let us know your views in the comments below guys!
Forbes lists the top-earning YouTube stars for 2014 to 2015
Forbes has ranked the YouTube stars who earned the most for the year ending on June 1, 2015… and the money they raked in can make you seriously think that you’re in the wrong line of work. The first person in the list shouldn’t surprise gamers: it’s Pewdiepie, who reportedly took in a jaw-dropping amount of $12 million for his video game playthroughs and commentaries. Another gamer, KSI, also made the list after taking in $4.5 million. Video gamers aren’t the only ones earning sweet, sweet YouTube money, though. Comedy acts seem to be doing great on the website, as well, with duos Smosh and Fine Brothers getting $8.5 million each. Showing off her unusual talent has paid off for Lindsey Stirling, as well, seeing as she took in $6 million for dancing while playing the violin in her videos. Michelle Phan may not be uploading as many make-up tutorials these days, but she still earned $3 million, thanks to her various deals and investments.
The publication used a number of sources, including Nielsen and IMDB to come up with the figures they did. Take note that these numbers represent the entirety of the personalities’ earnings before taxes, management and other fees — an earlier report by a Swedish newspaper put Pewdiepie’s earnings at $7 million in 2014 — and include the money they got from ads, sponsorships, book deals and the like. By the way, the prankster and the self-taught baking chef who make up the bottom of the list still made $2.5 million each, so we wouldn’t be surprised if you’re setting up a YouTube account right as you read this.
Source: Forbes
Pocket Programming helps beginners polish their coding skills
Are any of you learning to code? It can be hard to get everything down at first, especially if you are an autodidact who learnt to code on his own. These are the users developer ffab0 is targeting with Pocket Programming – true beginners.
With that in mind, we have to tell you this app is not about coding. You won’t be using it to write a single line of code; instead, Pocket Programming is more about analyzing the code, helping those who are learning Ruby and Ruby on Rails.
The concept is simple – the application will ask you 10 questions per day for 4 weeks. Each question will have 3 choices, so as to keep your studying light-hearted. This will add no stress to your daily life, but it will definitely help you tone your coding brain muscles as you learn the ins and outs of developing digital content.
You didn’t embark on a simple quest, and the creators of Pocket Programming know this. They actually learnt to code on their own, which is what inspired the creation of this app. Keisuke Hoshino and Yuto Kitakuni know the struggles of learning to program.
“Both of us have learned programming from scratch so we understand how beginners feel. Two or three technical terms in English are usually popped up to explain a single thing, such as instances and objects. These occasionally makes us confused and prevent us from grabbing the essence of the meaning. In addition, after the tutorial, we may not understand how to solve the problem when our own programming code exhibits an error.” -Keisuke Hoshino, Pocket Programming co-developer
“From my experience giving a lecture at a cram school, teachers have to teach anything while thinking about what is being looked for. But in the IT engineering industry, many teachers want to use difficult terms, which makes a high obstacle for beginners. Having a beginner’s perspective in our mind, we have developed this app so that it can motivate them to learn more.” -Yuto Kitakuni
Just keep in mind this app won’t teach you how to code! It’s a complementary learning tool that will help you fill in the gaps of your learning process. In essence, it supplements your coding education. With that in mind, head over to the Google Play Store if you are interested. Pocket Programming is worth $3.00, but it is very well worth it for a 4-week course.
Nexus 6P and 5X will require a new SIM card to use with Project Fi
The Nexus 6 was very lonely over at Project Fi, where it was the only device supported for a while. The Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X are now on board, a couple options that will surely make Google‘s wireless service much more enticing. But those wanting to use these devices with Project Fi will need to keep something in mind, especially if they plan to use a current account and SIM card.
It turns out the SIM card we have been using with the Nexus 6 is not the same these two devices will be sporting (even though they are all the same size – nano SIM). Those who ordered the new Google phones from Project Fi will get a new SIM card bundled. Otherwise, you will need t order an upgraded one yourself, even if you already had one for the Nexus 6.
Thankfully, ordering a new/replacement SIM cards is extremely easy. Just head over to www.fi.google.com/order-sim and fill out the form. Everyone qualifies for the usual 3-5 day free shipping. You better hurry, though, as reports claim there have been plenty of orders and the Search Giant is a bit backed up on shipping.
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These new Nexus smartphones entering the market will signify a new beginning for Project Fi. The Nexus 6 was a great device, but its size was too overwhelming for many users, and its price was also quite hefty until recently. Not to mention the fact that the phone was starting to age. Now that we have two additional options, the high-end users can go for the Nexus 6P and those seeking for something more affordable can opt for the $379 Nexus 5X.
Things are getting pretty jolly over at Project Fi land, aren’t they? Are any of you guys enjoying Google’s wireless services already? I am still using it and happen to love it for many reasons, but we all have different needs and I can see how it wouldn’t be for everyone. If you are still on the fence about joining, you can go ahead and check out my full Project Fi review for more details.
So there you have it, guys. Now you know there is a bit of an extra step to upgrade to one of Project Fi’s new supported handsets. It’s a bit of an annoyance, but hopefully the delays don’t get excessive.
Order a new Project Fi SIM card!
Also read:
Android 6.0 Marshmallow updates roundup – October 14, 2015
Android 6.0 Marshmallow is here, and now the waiting game is on. “When will my phone get the Marshmallow update?” ask countless Android fans, and for good reason: while phone makers are doing a better job at keeping their devices up to date, the process is still lengthy and opaque. Worse, many models will inevitably be left behind. We’re here to shed some light on the issue.
In this post, which will be updated weekly, we are rounding up all the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update news, so you can get a good picture of what to expect.
Before we start
The release of Android updates for most devices is a complex operation, involving Google, chipmakers, device makers, and carriers. With so many players, and so many things that could go wrong, you should expect delays, slow rollouts, botched releases, and generally a lot of variation based on your specific model, your region, and your carrier.
Just because your device is listed here as officially announced to receive Marshmallow (or worse, just rumored to get the update), it doesn’t mean your particular model will receive it in a timely manner or even at all.
Conversely, just because your phone or tablet isn’t listed here, it doesn’t mean that it won’t be updated it. OEMs occasionally change their minds. In other cases, the lists that they put out are non-final.
Patience is advised.
See also: Android 6.0 Marshmallow – New features explained
Nexus Marshmallow updates
As in most cases, Nexus devices are first in line for updates. Google has released Android 6.0 factory images for Nexus devices on October 5. These images can be flashed manually, allowing you to bypass a potentially lengthy wait for the OTA update. Factory images are available for:
- Nexus 6
- Nexus Player
- Nexus 9 LTE
- Nexus 9 WiFi
- Nexus 5 GSM/LTE
- Nexus 7 2013 Wi-Fi
- Nexus 7 2013 Mobile
The Nexus 4, Nexus 7 2012 (both variants), and Nexus 10 will not make the jump to Marshmallow.
If you don’t want to wait, it’s relatively easy to flash a factory image, following our guide:
You can also manually flash the OTA zip files, which is the update file that would normally be pushed to your device from Google’s server. Note that in order to correctly install the update, your device must be running the firmware version mentioned in the link. OTA links via Android Police.
- Nexus 6 – not available yet
- Nexus Player – from 5.1.1 LMY48N to 6.0 MRA58K
- Nexus 9 LTE – from 5.1.1 LMY48T to 6.0 MRA58K
- Nexus 9 WiFi – from 5.1.1 LMY48T to 6.0 MRA58K
- Nexus 5 – from 5.1.1 LMY48M to 6.0 MRA58K
- Nexus 7 2013 WiFi – from 5.1.1 LMY48M to 6.0 MRA58K
- Nexus 7 2013 Mobile – from 5.1.1 LMY48P to 6.0 MRA58K
Android One Marshmallow updates
Like Nexus phones, all Android One devices are supposed to receive fast Android updates straight from Google. Factory images for various Android One phones sold in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Philippines, and Nepal are available below.
- Symphony Roar A50
- Cherry Mobile One
- Micromax Canvas A1
- Karbonn Sparkle V
- Spice Dream Uno
- MyPhone Uno
- Mito Impact A10
- Nexian Journey One
To flash these images, you can follow our manual installation guide.
Samsung Marshmallow updates
Like with previous versions, Samsung has not made any official announcements concerning the Android 6.0 updates for its smartphones and tablets. We do have however, some off the record information via SamMobile and T-Mobile.
The following devices are rumored to receive Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
- Galaxy S5
- Galaxy S5 LTE-A
- Galaxy S5 neo
- Galaxy S6
- Galaxy S6 Edge
- Galaxy S6 Edge+
- Galaxy Note 4
- Galaxy Note Edge
- Galaxy Note 5
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
These are all obvious candidates for an upgrade, so we’re pretty confident that Marshmallow will be available for most versions of these devices, sooner or later. As for what to expect from the update, Samsung has an infographic listing some of the features.
LG Marshmallow updates
LG has not made any announcements regarding the devices it will update to Marshmallow. T-Mobile’s update list mentions the LG G3, LG G4, and G4 Stylo, which are all obvious choices. Besides this, we can speculate that the recently announced V10 and the G Flex 2 will also be making the jump. We’re less optimistic about LG’s mid-rangers, including the Bello, Magna, Leon, and Spirit, though at least some of them can probably handle Marshmallow.
Motorola Marshmallow updates
Motorola has made a good name for itself in the Android community, thanks to its fast updates and focus on a smooth stock-like user experience. The Marshmallow rollout may change that positive perception though. It’s not that Motorola hasn’t been forthcoming about its plans; it’s the fact that those plans seemingly don’t include either version of the Moto E, the Moto X (2013), or some carrier versions of the Moto X (2014).
- 2015 Moto X Pure Edition (3rd gen)
- 2015 Moto X Style (3rd gen)
- 2015 Moto X Play
- 2015 Moto G (3rd gen)
- 2014 Moto X Pure Edition in the US (2nd gen)
- 2014 Moto X in Latin America, Europe and Asia (2nd gen)
- 2014 Moto G and Moto G with 4G LTE (2nd gen)
- DROID Turbo
- 2014 Moto MAXX
- 2014 Moto Turbo
- Nexus 6
HTC Marshmallow updates
HTC has revealed a tentative list of devices that will be updated to Android 6.0, and even a timeline. The One M8 and One M9 will see Marshmallow by the end of the year, while the other phones listed below will get the same treatment from early next year. Plus, HTC may launch one of the first non-Nexus phones running Marshmallow out of the box, the One A9.
- HTC One M9
- HTC One M8
- HTC One M9+
- HTC One E9+
- HTC One E9
- HTC One ME
- HTC One E8
- HTC One M8 EYE
- HTC Butterfly 3
- HTC Desire 826
- HTC Desire 820
- HTC Desire 816
Sony Marshmallow updates
Sony has published an exhaustive list of devices it plans to update to Marshmallow, including all the likely candidates, including the latest Xperia Z5 series. Unfortunately, Sony won’t bring Marshmallow to the 2013 Xperia Z1 and Z1 Compact, as well as the older Xperia Z. On the flip side, at least there are a few mid-rangers on the list. Sony has also released AOSP resources and binaries for some of its devices, allowing the community to easily create custom ROMs. As for the update itself, Sony is running a beta program with 10,000 users that we hope to learn more about soon.
- T Xperia Z5, Xperia Z5 Compact, and Xperia Z5 Premium
- Xperia Z4 Tablet
- Xperia Z3+, Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact
- Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet
- Xperia M5, Xperia C5 Ultra, Xperia M4 Aqua and Xperia C4
Huawei Marshmallow updates
Huawei has a lousy record when it comes to releasing Android updates for its devices, but perhaps its involvement with the Nexus program will help nudge things along. Considering that the Mate 7, Huawei’s 2014 flagship, is yet to receive Lollipop, we wouldn’t hold our breath. That said, a rumor out of China suggests the Mate 7, P8, Honor 6 Plus and more devices will eventually see Android 6.0. We’ll update if any official info comes our way.
ZTE Marshmallow updates
Like Huawei, ZTE is known for not caring about Android updates. It remains to be seen if this year will be any different. ZTE is looking for a breakthrough in the Western markets with the Axon line, so perhaps the Chinese giant will deem it necessary to bring Marshmallow to it, at the least.
OnePlus Marshmallow updates
OnePlus is in a tricky place: its first phone, the One, still runs Cyanogen OS, and theoretically, Steve Kondik’s outfit should deliver the Marshmallow update in the following months. The OnePlus 2, meanwhile, runs OnePlus’s own OS, Oxygen, and its development is led by former members of the Paranoid Android team. Considering that the Oxygen OS team is still busy working on the current, Android 5-based release, the prospect of a Marshmallow release seems very remote.
Asus Marshmallow updates
All we have here is one sketchy rumor claiming Asus will bring Marshmallow to the Zenfone 2 series, including the Zenfone Laser, Deluxe, and Selfie. However, we wouldn’t put too much stock in it, as Asus is not known for fast updates.
Custom Marshmallow ROMs
When Android OEMs let us down, we all look up the developer community to pick up the slack, at least when it comes to Android updates. Unfortunately, the custom ROM scene is not as vibrant as it used to be, with only CyanogenMod left to carry the torch.
For now, we know that the CyanogenMod team has started working on the Marshmallow-based CM13, though we don’t have an official announcement yet.
Also keep an eye on independent developers – for instance, Dmitry Grinberg has come up with a working Marshmallow ROM for the Nexus 4.
More info and discussion
For a discussion on all the Android Marshmallow updates, check out the dedicated thread on the Android Authority forums.
Missed something? Let us know and we will update this post. Tell us your thoughts!
Google is killing Chrome’s notification center for Mac and Windows
In 2013, Google added a full-fledged notification center to Chrome for Windows, Mac and Linux that combined rich notifications from web pages with Google Now info. However, it seems that almost no one ever used that notification center, so Google’s killing it in the next version of Chrome. In its Chromium blog, Google admitted that “few users” visited the notification area, so it would be removed to streamline the desktop experience.
Notifications will certainly still stick around Chrome — earlier this year, the browser started supporting a new web standard for push notifications from web sites. But it sounds like there won’t be an easy way to see what you might have missed while away from your computer, and it also looks like there won’t be any way to get Google Now info on your desktop, either. On ChromeOS, Google recently moved Google Now info out of the notification center and into a new app launcher that combines search, Google Now, and your frequently-used apps. Whether or not there will be a new way for Mac, Windows and Linux users to get to Google Now remains to be seen.
Source: Chromium
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