‘Pokémon Go’ Gets First Update With Much-Needed Bug Fixes

Ultra popular augmented reality game Pokémon Go received its first update since its July 5 launch, introducing some much-needed bug fixes to resolve several issues Pokémon players have run into while using the app.

A major concern with Pokémon Go was the app’s access to a user’s full Google account when signing in through Google on an iPhone, a problem that has now been fixed. Users worried Pokémon Go developer Niantic Labs would have access to Google account information like Gmail messages, Google Drive documents, and more through its full account access, but Niantic clarified asking for full access was a mistake and that nothing more than basic profile information had been utilized.

As of today’s update, Pokémon Go will no longer request full access to Google accounts when a Google account is used as a sign-in option.

Niantic Labs is also introducing fixes to the log in process, which should cut down on the number of times that players have to log into the game, and there are fixes for the frequent crashes users have been experiencing. Many Pokémon Go players have noticed crashes when discovering pokémon and attempting to catch them, and today’s update may fix these problems.

Thank you for your incredible response and support of Pokémon GO! We are working hard to improve the experience for everyone. This update focuses on making Pokémon GO more stable with the following improvements:

– Trainers do not to have to enter their username and password repeatedly after a force log out
– Added stability to Pokémon Trainer Club account log-in process
– Resolved issues causing crashes
– Fixed Google account scope

Since its release last week, Pokémon Go has been hugely successful, earning an estimated $1.6 million in daily revenue with approximately 7.5 million downloads in the United States alone. The game has sparked a worldwide phenomenon, garnering heavy coverage in the media and driving traffic to local businesses as players set out on foot around their neighborhoods to track down pokémon.

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

Tag: Pokémon GO
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Dutch Court Orders Apple to Replace Customer’s Broken iPhone With New, Not Refurbished, Model

A judge in Amsterdam has ruled in favor of a Dutch woman [Google Translate] who sued Apple for refusing to replace her broken iPhone 6 Plus with a new model, and instead offering her a refurbished model as per its standard policy.

The court nullified the purchase agreement and ordered Apple to refund the woman the full €799 that she paid for the iPhone, which was purchased in December 2014 and stopped functioning nine months later in August 2015.

Apple being ordered to refund the purchase price plus interest and pay all of the woman’s legal fees was specific to this case, but it is the precedent that could be set in the Netherlands and possibly elsewhere that is more important.

Apple’s standard one-year limited warranty and extended AppleCare+ policies for iPhone in both the Netherlands and the U.S., and most other countries, explicitly state that repairs or exchanges may involve devices or parts that are either new or “equivalent to new in performance and reliability,” otherwise known as refurbished.

It is common practice for Apple to replace defective iPhones with a refurbished model consisting of both new and recycled parts, and only rarely does the company provide a brand new replacement on a case-by-case situation. The court’s decision in Amsterdam, however, could force Apple to change its policies.

The court filing in the Netherlands does not indicate if Apple plans to appeal the decision, but it would not be unprecedented for the company to exhaust all avenues in an effort to overturn the ruling. Apple has not publicly commented on the matter.

In 2011, facing pressure from regulators, Apple revised its warranty replacement policy for iPhones sold in South Korea, offering customers returning their defective phones within the first month of ownership the option of receiving a brand new replacement rather than refurbished units as had been standard policy.

(Thanks, Coen and Jasper!)

Tags: lawsuit, AppleCare, warranty
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Pokémon GO and your privacy

You might have noticed that Pokémon GO is sort of popular. Like a gajillion people are playing it, and the demand is such that the servers themselves are being crushed. Seems like most everyone wants to catch them all …

But one important aspect to consider is how Niantic — the people who wrote the application and are actually collecting the data about how you use it — is handling your privacy. We had a look at the Pokémon GO Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, and here’s the quick and dirty breakdown. And if you’re playing on your iPhone, you at least need to be aware of some real but not exactly harmful account concerns.

• Like most online services, if a child under the age of 13 wants to take part, a parent will need to verify that they are the guardian of said child through The Pokémon Company International, Inc. You can find the details about how to do this on the support pages.
• Niantic and TPCI are not responsible if you hurt yourself while trekking about catching Pokémons. They are also not responsible if other people use the app to cause you harm or if you get arrested and mistaken as a drug dealer.
• Niantic does collect personal and identifying information about you. This includes your real name and the content of any messages you have sent through the app.
• Niantic only shares anonymous aggregated information and non-identifying information with third parties. These include development partners as well as unidentified other third-parties for analysis and profiling.
• You can terminate your account at any time here. But your account data is saved for a reasonable period of time.
• If there happens to be a sale of the company or companies involved here, your data is also sold to the buyer.

There’s nothing there that’s surprising. Kids need a parent’s permission, they collect lots of data and only share data that doesn’t identify you.

But it’s important that you read and understand these things, even if we try to break them down. Stay safe, trainers.

Pokémon Go

• Requirements to play Pokémon Go
• The Ultimate Pokémon Go Game Guide!
• How to play without killing your battery
• Be careful where you download from
• Join our Pokémon Go forums!

The best smartwatch deals you can find on Prime Day!

Looking to replace your aging smartwatch or grab one for the first time? If you like to save money, you’ll want to check out these deals from Amazon as part of its Prime Day sale. Whether you are looking for a Pebble, Huawei Watch or something sportier, there is likely a watch here for just about everyone.

Some of the deals you can take advantage of include:

• Huawei Watch – $206
• Pebble Time Steel – $159
• Samsung Gear S2 – $224
• Moto 360 Sport – $149

Of course, you will need to be a Prime member to get these prices, and if you aren’t currently you could always sign up for a 30-day free trial so you don’t have to miss out on them. Remember, these deals are only good for today, July 12, while quantities last.

More: The best Amazon Prime Day deals

Spider-Man joins Marvel Avengers Academy in the latest update

TinyCo and Marvel have both announced a new, limited-time event in Marvel Avengers Academy, alongside an update with the addition of Spider-Man. As an added bonus, to celebrate the new character, players will have the opportunity to win an all-expenses paid trip to the premiere of the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming movie. To enter, you simply need to have the game downloaded, installed and enjoy the experience.

Here’s some back story to this latest update:

“After winning the high school science fair with an experiment that impressed Tony Stark during last month’s Civil War update, Peter Parker found himself as an intern at the prestigious Stark Industries. Under the guidance of Tony, Peter secretly hones his powers as the Amazing Spider-Man while learning everything he can from the Avengers Academy and his fellow powerful peers. Young, ambitious, and extremely quick-witted (perhaps too much so for his own good), Peter’s personal journey only continues to grow in this brand new update for MARVEL Avengers Academy.”

It’s down to Parker to find out what Osborn and his henchmen are up to. Ready to take part in the civil war? Download Marvel Avengers Academy from the Play Store for free.

Samsung Pay arrives in Puerto Rico, but only for Banco Popular

Samsung Pay has officially launched in Puerto Rico. For the moment, the payment system is only open to customers of Banco Popular with phones on the AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Claro networks.

Since its debut last year in South Korea, Samsung Pay has expanded to a number of countries, including the U.S. and China. The system launched in Spain, Australia, and Singapore just last month.

Press release:

Samsung Pay Launches in Puerto Rico

Korea on July 13, 2016

Samsung Electronics announced today that it is bringing Samsung Pay—the most widely accepted mobile payment system—to Puerto Rico. Starting today, Samsung Pay will support eligible credit cards from Banco Popular, Puerto Rico’s largest bank, and will be available on AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Claro networks in Puerto Rico.

Samsung Pay is the only mobile wallet that allows users to pay with their compatible Samsung smartphones at terminals, thanks to both MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) and NFC (Near Field Communications) technologies. Samsung Pay will be available starting today on compatible Samsung smartphones including the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Active, Galaxy S6 edge, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy Note5, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Active and Galaxy S7 edge, with specific availability varying by local operator in Puerto Rico.

“We’re excited to partner with Banco Popular to bring Samsung Pay to Puerto Rico,” said Thomas Ko, Vice President and Global Co-General Manager of Samsung Pay at Samsung Electronics. “With Samsung Pay, you can shop in Puerto Rico right from your phones at retail chains and independent businesses – the stores you already know and love. With the widest acceptance, Samsung Pay works almost anywhere you scan swipe or tap a card.”

Today’s announcement follows Samsung Pay’s recent launch in three new countries across three continents. In June, Samsung Pay began operations in Spain, its first market in Europe; Singapore, its first within the South East Asian region; and Australia, its first market within the Oceania region. These launches mark a significant milestone in the service’s global expansion, with a number of additional markets, including Brazil, Canada and the U.K., coming this year.

Extensive Partnership Ecosystem

Samsung Pay is strategically expanding its partnership ecosystem to provide greater flexibility, access and choice for customers upon its launch.

Currently, Samsung Pay has partnered with major payment networks such as MasterCard and Visa, and Puerto Rico’s leading financial institution, Banco Popular.

More Than a Payment Service

Samsung Pay, a digital wallet service from Samsung Electronics, is enabling users to make easy, secure payments right from their phone almost anywhere plastic cards are accepted.

SIMPLE: Samsung Pay is easy to use. Users simply swipe up from their eligible Galaxy smartphone, scan their fingerprint and pay at millions of merchants across the country.

SECURE: Samsung Pay uses tokenization, Samsung KNOX, and fingerprint authentication to provide secure payments. Samsung Pay users are fully protected against fraud by card issuers, and merchants receive Card Present rates with no EMV liability shift.

ALMOST ANYWHERE: Samsung Pay is the most widely accepted mobile payment system. Samsung Pay works with the majority of existing and new terminals, including most magnetic stripe, EMV and NFC terminals. For more information on Samsung Pay, visit www.samsung.com/pay.

How to add your Dropbox to the Files app on your Chromebook

Cloud computing means you can have your files anywhere. If you use Dropbox and a Chromebook, this one’s for you.

Here’s a handy little trick that adds your Dropbox files to the Files app on your Chromebook. It’s done through a third-party extension called File System for Dropbox, and it’s far better than Dropbox’s official Chrome app.

What it does is mount your Dropbox as a remote drive so it appears in the Files app the same way your Google Drive does. It doesn’t sync anything like the official Dropbox desktop app, so you won’t have to worry about eating away all of your storage. It’s a Chrome OS-only app, so don’t try to install it on your Windows or Mac computer.

If you have any shared directories on your computer at work or at home, you know how this works. It’s the same thing — you get a listing and preview of all the files and folders in Dropbox, and if you want to open or share one it has to pull a copy from the cloud. You can download the file to your Chromebook by copying it and pasting it somewhere on your local storage, or share it directly.

The sharing directly part can be a bit limited. If the app or web page you’re uploading a file to calls for the file manager to pick your file, it will work. It pulls a copy down to your local cache, then uploads it. If the app or web page uses its own uploading tool, you’ll have to manually copy the file from Dropbox to your Downloads folder before you can upload it. Even then, it’s still easier than going to Dropbox’s website to grab a copy, so you win either way.

It’s not a perfect solution — those are hard to come by. But it’s the best way to integrate Dropbox with your Chromebook. As a bonus, the developer also has apps for Chrome that do the same thing with OneDrive, any Windows or Samba shared folder(s) and any SFTP server.

If you’re like us and have a ton of stuff in your Dropbox (and are too lazy to move it to Google Drive) give this one a try.

Save more than $100 on an NVIDIA Shield Android TV and second controller

Right now you can pick up the NVIDIA Shield Android TV and two controllers for just $149 at Amazon. This sale is part of the retailer’s Prime Day promotion, which offers savings on a number of different electronics and more. For $149 you get the 16GB NVIDIA Shield as well as two controllers, but if you need more storage you can pick up the 500GB version for just $249 right now.

It is likely that we will see new Android TV units launch later this year, but that doesn’t mean this deal isn’t worth checking out. Remember, you will need to be a Prime member to get the pricing noted, and if you aren’t you can sign up for a 30-day free trial now so you can enjoy the discounts.

See at Amazon

How to level up your trainer in Pokémon Go

How do I level up my trainer in Pokémon Go?

You can’t expect to be the best trainer in your city — let alone the world — if you’re stuck at level one! In Pokémon Go it’s not only important to raise the Combat Power (CP) of your Pokémon, but you also need to raise the level of your trainer.

• Why is my trainer level important?
• How do I increase my trainer level in Pokémon

Why is my trainer level important?

Raising your trainer level enables you to find stronger and rarer Pokémon in the wild, which means as you level up, you should stop running into low level Rattatas everywhere you go.

On top of finding better wild Pokémon, raising your trainer level also allows you to increase your Pokémon’s (CP) even more. What does that boil down to? The higher your trainer level, the stronger you can make your Pokémon.

How do I increase my trainer level in Pokémon Go?

In order to level up your trainer, you need to collect experience points (XP). There are various tasks in the game that grant you XP towards your trainer level, and all of them are fairly straightforward.

Catching Pokémon: The amount of XP you gain catching Pokémon varies based on a few factors, like how you throw your Pokéball and how many times you have caught that same Pokémon before.
Evolving Pokémon: Whenever you have enough Candies to evolve any Pokémon you own, you will get 500 XP.
Hatching a Pokémon: Any time one of your Pokémon eggs hatch, you will receive 200 XP. You hatch eggs by walking (distance, not steps), so get moving!
Visiting a PokéStop: Stopping by a PokéStop will earn you 50 XP.
Battling at a Gym: Whether it’s a friendly Gym or one of a rival team, you will earn XP for battling. The amount of XP will vary based on how many Pokémon are stationed at the Gym and how difficult they are to defeat.

What level are you?

Are you top trainer in your city? What level are you and what’s your favorite way to level up?

Pokémon Go

• Requirements to play Pokémon Go
• The Ultimate Pokémon Go Game Guide!
• How to play without killing your battery
• Be careful where you download from
• Join our Pokémon Go forums!