‘Pokémon Go’ update warns you not to catch and drive
You probably know that it’s unwise to play Pokémon Go while you’re behind the wheel, but Niantic and The Pokémon Company aren’t taking any chances. They’re trotting out an update to the mobile game (on both Android and iOS) that tells you not to catch creatures while driving. You have to tap an “I’m a passenger” button if you want to keep playing while moving at high speed. The game can’t check to see that you’re being honest, of course, but this will at least serve as a reminder that irresponsible gameplay can have serious consequences.
That’s not the only noteworthy addition. This is the upgrade that restores the battery saver mode on iOS, helping you eke a little more exploration time out of your iPhone. It also fixes a key bug that prevented you from getting experience with good throws, adds graphics for the leaders of the three teams, and will let a handful of users test a new “nearby Pokémon” interface. Even if you’re a cautious player, then, it’s worth grabbing this new version in a timely fashion.
Source: Google Play, App Store, Pokemon Go (Facebook)
AT&T ordered to pay $7.75 million for bogus directory assistance tools
US telecom providers have a pretty bad rap, and today we’re finding out that some AT&T customers ended up paying money they shouldn’t have thanks to some scammers. The FCC just released a statement noting that it reached a settlement with AT&T in which the carrier will pay $7.75 million after it accidentally allowed scammers to charge $9 a month to unsuspecting wireline customers for a “sham” directory assistance service. Adding insult to injury, it seems this service was set up as a tool to help launder money; the scam was originally uncovered by the DEA.
AT&T said in a statement that “two companies that engaged in a sophisticated fraud scheme were apparently able to circumvent those protections and submit unauthorized third-party charges that were billed by AT&T.”
According to the FCC, AT&T received a fee each time this fraudulent service appeared on a customer’s bill, but the so-called service provider never actually provided anything to these customers, most of which were small businesses. Out of the $7.75 million AT&T is paying up, $6.8 million will go towards refunds and a paltry $950,000 will go to the US treasury as a fine. Given that AT&T pulled in $40.5 billion in revenue in its most recent quarter, it’s a stretch to call that fine even a slap on the wrist.
This is hardly the first time US telecom providers have gotten in trouble for such shady practices — in 2014, AT&T itself paid a much larger $105 million settlement for cramming false charges onto its customers’ bills. T-Mobile also paid $90 million in a 2014 settlement, while Verizon and Sprint paid $90 million and $68 million, respectively, last winter. We’re hoping the FCC continues to pay close attention to these shady practices.
AT&T’s full statement is below:
“Consistent with industry practices, AT&T wireline telephone customers have been able to purchase certain telecommunications services from third parties and have charges for those services billed on their telephone bill. We have implemented strict requirements on third parties submitting charges for AT&T bills to ensure that all charges are authorized by our customers; indeed, those requirements go beyond the requirements of FCC rules and impose safeguards that the FCC proposed but never adopted. Nonetheless, unbeknownst to us, two companies that engaged in a sophisticated fraud scheme were apparently able to circumvent those protections and submit unauthorized third-party charges that were billed by AT&T.”
“Today, we reached a settlement with the FCC to resolve all claims associated with these companies and the related charges. Pursuant to the settlement, we will provide refunds for all charges on behalf of these two companies going back to January 1, 2012. Affected former and current AT&T wireline telephone customers will receive these refunds via check within 90 days. We stopped billing for these entities as of June 2015 and will also cease wireline third-party billing for other third parties, with limited exceptions.”
Source: FCC
On-demand drone insurance launches in the US
Drone accidents can be even more expensive than the drones themselves. However, giving your robotic flyer full insurance coverage might be overkill when you may only fly in short bursts every now and then. What to do? Verifly has an unusual answer: get insurance only when you need it. It’s launching an on-demand drone insurance service that offers protection across 36 states. All you have to do is specify where you’re flying in a mobile app, agree to the terms and start steering. Rates start at $10 per hour depending on the area, and they’ll cover both commercial as well as private uses — this may be just what you need for a movie shoot.
The catch? Aside from availability, it’s really a matter of the insurance in question. The policy shown so far covers damages and injuries to others for lightweight drones (under 15lbs), but you’ll be hosed if you either damage your drone or use it beyond certain conditions. If you fly inside, above 400 feet or in drone races, you’re footing the bill for any crashes. Nonetheless, this is just inexpensive enough that you could get some peace of mind when flying over a crowded park.
Source: Verifly
Bloomberg: iPhone 7 gets new home button, drops headphone port
Another report has suggested that Apple is taking a different tack with this year’s iPhone. Bloomberg reporter and renowned Apple scooper Mark Gurman has published a story claiming that the new handset will have a design “similar to the 6 and 6s.” We’ve heard this before — it suggests that Apple is holding back on a big aesthetic change until next year, when the iPhone celebrates its 10th birthday. Gurman is also reporting that the next iPhone will ditch the headphone jack — again, something that’s been rumored for some time — switching instead to “connectivity via Bluetooth and the charging port.” (Get ready for lots of Lightning headphones.)
The iPhone is known for its sublime photo-taking capabilities, however recently Android manufacturers — particularly Samsung — have managed to close the gap, if not create leads of their own. Apple is reportedly working on a dual-camera setup for this year’s model which will produce “brighter photos with more detail” by merging separate images shot with each sensor. The configuration will also help to sharpen photos captured in dark conditions, as well as retain image quality as the user zooms in.
Finally, Bloomberg is reporting that the new iPhone will have an updated home button similar to the MacBook’s Force Touch trackpad. Instead of a physical click, the new button will trigger a series of vibrations under the surface. The reasons for this are a little unclear — it could provide new functionality, or simply serve to save some space under the hood.
We’ve heard these rumors before, but Gurman’s story gives them greater weight. If they prove accurate, this year’s iPhone launch will be quite unusual. We’re used to a “tick-tock” release cycle — a numbered iPhone, followed by an iterative “s” model — which would make this year the iPhone 7. A largely unchanged design, similar to an “s” phone, would buck this trend, raising expectations for a more dramatic handset in 2017.
Source: Bloomberg
This popular Japanese snack can teach you how to code
Glico, that Japanese company that makes a bunch of popular snacks like Pocky, has created what’s probably the most delicious way to learn basic coding. It has launched a new app called Glicode, which features a character you can control by taking photos of your noms. Seriously. You know how Pocky’s basically a biscuit stick covered in chocolate, strawberry and all sorts of yummy flavors? Well, you have to position and arrange them in a way that the app can translate into digital commands, and then take a photo. If you do things right, your character can move through obstacles.
The app is now out for Android, though it looks like the company is also developing an iOS version. We were able to download it just fine, so it’s definitely available outside Japan. As you can guess, Glico conjured up this project for kids, but there’s absolutely no reason you can’t try it out. After all, nobody can tell you not to play with your food anymore.
Check out Glicode in action below:
Via: The Verge, TheNextWeb
‘Pokémon Go’ welcomes trainers in 15 more countries
Apparently, Pokémon Go’s launch in Japan signified a wider release in the region. Niantic’s hit app is now officially out in 15 more countries in Asia and Oceania, specifically Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Palau. A lot of people in those locations began playing way back when the application first launched by downloading its APK. But now that the game is officially available, they can get it straight from the App Store or from Google Play.
As TechCrunch noted, this latest Asian expansion leaves out three huge mobile markets: China, Korea and India. Niantic CEO John Hanke explained to Forbes in July that they’re having trouble expanding to Korea, because the country’s Google Maps info is pretty limited due to security concerns over the North’s activities. In China, the company still has regulatory hurdles to overcome. It’s unclear why the game’s still not out in India, but Niantic admitted in the past that its server problems have been slowing down the game’s rollout.
Source: Pokémon Go (Facebook)
Fan-made ‘No Man’s Sky’ app catalogs your interstellar journey
The galaxy-faring sci-fi fest No Man’s Sky isn’t out until next week but one enterprising fan has already made parts of the game perhaps a little less daunting. Reddit user Aleator83’s NMS Ally is a companion app that will, among other things, generate custom names for the planets you visit and creatures you find, and upload your screenshots to share with other users of the app. Polygon notes that it’ll also track where you find resources. It’s live for Android at the moment, and Aleator83 says that the iOS version is pending approval from Apple.
It isn’t the first fan-made app for a sprawlingly huge game, but let’s hope that like Rockstar, the teams at Sony and Hello Games won’t shut this down. If you’re feeling jealous of the people playing the game (and using the app) early, know that their progress isn’t permanent. Ahead of the game’s retail release on Tuesday, Sony and Hello Games have announced No Man’s Sky’s pre-release servers will be wiped on Sunday. That means that everyone will start with a clean slate whether they want to or not.
Servers are being wiped on Sunday pic.twitter.com/JTmzabmU1R
— Harry Denholm (@HarryDenholm) August 5, 2016
Via: Polygon
Source: Google Play, Reddit
Iran bans ‘Pokémon Go’ over security jitters
A number of governments are already nervous about the security implications of Pokémon Go, but Iran is taking that fear one step further: it just became the first country to ban the critter catching game entirely. The nation’s High Council of Virtual Spaces wouldn’t say what prompted the decision besides “security concerns.” However, it comes after reports that Iran wanted to see what cooperation it could get from Niantic before taking action.
The move isn’t shocking. On top of concerns about players wandering near military bases and other sensitive areas, it wouldn’t be surprising if Iran was worried that Pokémon Go would encourage large-scale gatherings and thus protests against the powers that be. Whatever the motivations, the ban shows just how much the game has done to draw attention to location-based gaming — much to the chagrin of Iranian residents who just wanted to join in the fun.
Source: BBC
BlackBerry releases its Hub+ apps on Android
Even if Kim K ends up ditching BlackBerry, she could still replicate part of the BB experience with an Android phone. The Canadian phonemaker has released its Hub+ suite of applications on Google Play for devices running Android Marshmallow. BB’s Hub shows all your mail and social media notifications in one interface, while the suite as a whole comes with the Calendar app and a password manager. As the company wrote in its announcement post, we once described Hub as the “closest [thing] to [a] universal inbox.” The Hub+ used to be exclusive to BlackBerry 10 and to BB’s Android phone the Priv, but the company’s sluggish sales hinder the software from reaching as many users as possible.
By releasing the suite for all Android Marshmallow devices, it now has more potential users. However, its success depends on how many people deem it worthy of a monthly subscription. It’s only free for the first 30 days, after which you’ll either have to pay 99 cents per month or agree to continue using the suite with ads. The subscription-based version will also give you access to the company’s Contacts, Tasks, Device Search, Notes and Launcher apps. If you want BB’s virtual keyboard, though, you’re out of luck.
Take note that some Marshmallow phones might not be able to run the suite yet. However, the company is adding more and more models to its compatibility list everyday, so you can try again. That is, unless you have a tablet — Hub+ will only work on phones. BlackBerry, by the way, has big plans for the suite and aims to make it available for Android Lollipop and iOS devices in the future.
BlackBerry pivots to software with Hub+ Android app https://t.co/Rxv2kZ4WWF (Photo: Google Play) pic.twitter.com/F67gyRXSTV
— USA TODAY Tech (@usatodaytech) August 4, 2016
Source: BlackBerry, Google Play (1), (2)
Android’s social watch face closes down in September
With the looming update to Android Wear 2.0, legacy apps (and devices) are going the way of the buffalo. In this case, it’s the Together watch face that included one-to-one communications like doodles and photos with another person using Google’s wearable platform. Android Police reports that the reason why is that app’s latest update warns that the watch face’s social features are going to be baked into the next version of Android Wear. Y’know, similar to how they have been with Apple Watch. When’s the funeral? Apparently, the end of next month: September 30th.
Source: Android Police
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