Pokémon Go update: latest news and features

Pokémon Go quickly became a mammoth mobile gaming success virtually from day one. Niantic's blockbuster game creates a mirror of the real world using augmented reality, assisted with smartphones’ cameras and GPS chips. This allows players to find, catch and train pokémon (or pokémen) in their own neighborhoods. In this article, we list each Pokémon Go update for the Android app to help you track new features and versions.

Pokémon Go update brings 'minor text fixes'

July 20, 2016: This update to Pokémon Go seemed a long time coming, but in reality is very minimal. Released only a couple of days ago, the Play Store release notes for version 0.29.3 contain only, “minor text fixes”. The iPhone got an update via version 1.0.3 in Apple’s App Store. Perhaps the update was rushed out, as Niantic didn’t give any details for what the fixes were and, ironically, the release notes themselves don’t even contain correct grammar.

Apart from not addressing frozen Pokeballs or three-footstep bugs, this update also crashed servers, as was reported on Twitter and other websites. While a small update is better than none, it’s obvious that Pokémon Go is buggy and needs a polish. We’ll update you when it gets one.

Pokémon Go launches, world goes crazy

July 6, 2016: The first stable version available to Android users was 0.29.0. This was only available in the US, Australia and New Zealand on launch day, which was July 6, 2016. Even though it wasn’t available elsewhere from the Play Store, millions of fans across the globe downloaded the Pokémon Go APK from sites like apkmirror.com.

The game was definitely buggy on launch day, but the huge hype surrounding what had been for many people an unknown type of gaming experience meant that little attention was paid to the software’s flaws. But we waited for an update to arrive and, soon enough, one arrived.

Pokémon Go global release

The global rollout of Pokémon Go didn’t happen all at once, and with good reason. With server issues affecting players in multiple countries – Germany on launch day, for example – the release was gradual.

Resource: https://www.androidpit.com
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Pokemon update: Pokemon Go evolving and secret to unlocking Jolteon, Vaporeon and Flareon

EVOLVING POKEMON in in Nintendo and Niantic’s new hit mobile title, Pokemon Go, can appear a bit of a grind until you find out some of the secret tricks to speed things up.

First the basics, every time you catch a Pokemon of a particular species, you’ll receive Candy for that species.

Evolution requires a different amount of Candy for each species. Pokemon that require more Candy to evolve tend to show greater gains in CP.

That’s why Pokemon Go's Magikarp has such an outrageous appetite for Candy, 400 will turn him into a Gyrados, quite the jump in firepower.

Evolved Pokemon generally have higher CP and HP, making them a valuable addition to your collection.

And just to be clear, you’ll still have the same number of Pokémon in your collection after completing an Evolution. The Pokemon you selected has evolved—transforming into an evolved Pokemon—so you haven’t gained or lost in total Pokemon.

Until you have enough Candy, you won't be able to evolve your Pokemon. You can view the amount of Candy needed to evolve your Pokemon in the Pokemon’s summary.

To evolve a Pokemon :

•     In Map View, touch the Main Menu
•     Touch Pokémon
•     From your list of Pokémon, select one Pokémon to evolve.
•     On the Pokémon’s summary, touch the Evolve Button

Catching Pokemon earn three candy and transferring Pokemon to Professor Willow earns you one more, meaning that it is definitely worth catching those low-level Rattas and Pidgeys you always run into.

Candy is also earned when you hatch Pokemon eggs, baby Pokemon usually give out more than three Candies, place the egg you found at the Pokestop in an incubator, and the egg will hatch into a Pokémon as you walk.

By grabbing a big haul of these Pocket Monsters, you can then hand them in and grab a stash of Candies, after which you can evolve your strongest specimens.

One trick some trainers in Urban areas employ is to find a place with a lot of Pokestops that can be accessed almost at once.

Dropping a lure will bring more Pokemon to your location, you can also keep spinning the Pokestops following their cooldown of a couple of minutes to grab fresh Pokeballs and other useful items.

By saving up the Pokemon that can evolve, you can then level up faster - 100 EXP for each evolve - unlocking more items and stronger Pokemon to choose from.

Resource: http://www.express.co.uk/
Resource: http://www.kvtr.com/

NASA Responds to Viral 'UFO' Video

This is What’s Trending Today…

People on social media have been accusing the American space agency, NASA, of shutting off its live video from the International Space Station. They claim NASA turned off the video stream last week because it showed images of a UFO -- an unidentified flying object.

The video was filmed July 9. A YouTube user named Streepcap1 posted a short part of the International Space Station video. The one-minute 40-second video shows a bright object coming into view. Shortly after the object appears, the video stream experienced technical problems and shut down.

Streetcap1 wrote, “This could well be a meteor or the like. What made it interesting was the camera cut off when the UFO seemed to stop.”

Streetcap1's video has been viewed more than 2.7 million times. It quickly became a trending topic on Twitter and Facebook.

A few days later, NASA answered the questions and theories offered online by people who call themselves “UFO hunters.”

NASA spokesman Daniel Huot told the technology magazine CNET that the station "regularly passes out of range,” which causes to video signal to disappear.

He also said that the video was part of the agency’s High Definition Earth Viewing experiment. The project includes many different cameras. They are on “automatic controls to cycle through the various cameras,” he said.

So, NASA says, there is no person watching or controlling the video. Huot said the bright object was probably the moon, space debris, or just reflections from the station windows.

And that's What's Trending Today.

Resource: http://learningenglish.voanews.com
Resource: https://www.kvtr.com/news/

One man’s hate for Pokemon Go has gone viral

James Roy’s East Vancouver garden has suddenly become a magnet for people in search of virtual treasure.

“They said ‘Hey Man, can we come in and catch the Pokemon’ and I thought it was an animal, maybe a cat,” said Roy.

The smart-phone wielding visitors weren’t looking for a lost pet but a Pokestop – where people can collect supplies to capture Pokemon.

So his apartment has become a hot spot on the Pokemon Go game that has captured the attention of players worldwide.

After witnessing people peer into his backyard two nights in a row, Roy put up a sign calling Pokemon GO the stupidest thing he’s ever seen.

“I have lived through Hammer pants, Crystal Pepsi…the Macarena, Ten Seasons of CSI:Miami,” reads his sign.

Neighbours posted photos of the sign on various social media sites and has since gone viral.

It has since generated thousands of comments from both Pokemon fans and foes worldwide.

Some accuse Roy of being uptight, while others applaud his initiative.

“I’m not a grumpy old man saying don’t have fun. But we have kale here! Don’t step on the kale!” said Roy.

He admits the approach was tongue in cheek, but hopes players will respect private property.

Roy’s sign was vandalized once. He hopes the Pokemon GO trend will stop before he has to replace it again.

“It’ll be over in a couple of weeks, it’s a fad, just like all these things were.”

The game officially launched in Canada Sunday afternoon.

Resource: http://globalnews.ca
Resource: https://www.kvtr.com/news/

China-based Hi-tech Companies Reach Out to South American Market at ICEEB 2016

The second International Consumer Electronics Expo Brazil (ICEEB) kicked off on 13 July, 2016 at Expo Center Norte, Sao Paolo, Brazil and more than 150 China-based hi-tech companies, including Huawei, Shenzhen FLYPRO Aerospace Tech Co., Ltd. (FLYPRO) and KONKA, joined together as an exhibition group to attend this year's event. Their goal is to develop a strong presence in Brazilian and South American markets and offer a wide and diversified selection of trendy consumer electronics to local distributors and retailers.

FLYPRO's XEagle, a drone, has won the hearts of local consumers with its innovative features, including one-button smart watch control, auto follow and obstacle avoidance. As a result, many leading Brazilian media organizations, including Gazeta TV, Rit TV, CBN Radio, Eletroloja Magazine and Feira & Negocios, have interviewed FLYPRO and written articles about the drone.

In addition to the drones, a mobile phone with a built-in projector, which can stream high-definition TV and full-length movies, with no risk to the viewer's eyes, has also attracted the attention of Brazil's young generation at the event.

The principal exhibits at the event are hi-tech consumer electronics, including drones, 3D printing products, video/4K Ultra HD products, automobile technology, green technology, robotic products, electronic games, intelligent household appliances and wearable devices. ICEEB is the only full category consumer electronics exhibition in Brazil and key go-to event for the country's consumer electronics importers, distributors and consumers.

Resource: http://www.prnewswire.com
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B.C. technology leaders urge province to increase high-tech training

B.C. technology leaders are urging the provincial government to do more to foster the development of homegrown talent as the sector grapples with a labour shortage.

The CEOs, CFOs and owners of 18 B.C.-based high-tech companies, including Hootsuite, Electronic Arts and Vision Critical, published an open letter to Premier Christy Clark last week saying the only long-term solution to the industry’s chronic labour shortage is to ensure colleges and universities are educating more prospective employees.

“This year alone, B.C.’s tech companies will be seeking thousands of new employers. New computer-science and technology graduates from B.C.’s postsecondary institutions simply cannot meet the demand for these well-paying positions,” the letter said.

The leaders also outlined three recommendations on how to nurture the local technology talent pool: invest $100-million to expand technology-related programs at the college and university level; increase the number of co-op placements at postsecondary institutions and boost awareness about job opportunities in the tech sector.

Provincial Technology Minister Amrik Virk said in a written statement he agreed with the letter and that keeping talent in the province is “an immediate priority.”

Mr. Virk said that since 2002, the government has increased the number of undergraduate engineering-related degrees by 71 per cent, and co-op placements have increased by more than 45 per cent over the past seven years.

In January, the Premier unveiled plans to introduce computer coding to its school curriculum. A month earlier, the government created a $100-million venture fund to finance tech startups.

However, Andrew Reid, the founder of Vision Critical, one of Canada’s most successful emerging tech companies, said the government can still do more.

“Everyone recognizes the importance of postsecondary education, but we need to see more programs, more spots, more availability. You could double all these programs and you would still see 100-per-cent placements,” said Mr. Reid. “I commend the Premier for what she’s done with her tech initiative, but I think we have to do more.”

With a limited number of technology-related programs in the province, plus the lure of Silicon Valley, Mr. Reid says it can be difficult to recruit top talent in B.C.

Igor Faletski, the chief executive officer at Mobify, says he has seen high-paying job postings go unfilled for months because talent in the area is scarce.

“Technology is going to continue to be more and more important and represent a larger portion of our economy,” Mr. Faletski said. “We want to raise awareness about this issue,”

Although Mr. Reid would like the province to double the number of co-op opportunities, he says he’ll be happy to see the issue of talent retention move up on the government’s list of priorities.

“People talk about us being the Silicon Valley of the north,” Mr. Reid said. “To really own that, we need to focus on more support, and a lot of that can be done at the postsecondary education level.”

Resource: http://www.theglobeandmail.com
Resource: https://www.kvtr.com/tech/

Female entrepreneurs disrupting tech industry in B.C.

Technology entrepreneur Tammy Meyers does a mental count every time she attends a business conference promoting the augmented reality company she co-founded. Almost always, she’s one of the only women in the room.

Ms. Meyers is chief operating officer of QuestUpon, a British Columbia tech firm that’s been garnering accolades for virtual tourism experiences, similar to the new Pokemon Go craze. She’s been watching the province’s tech industry advance rapidly, but hasn’t seen women prosper at the same rate. “There’s probably more of a hill to climb for women to prove themselves, when it’s a male-dominated space,” she said.

Ms. Meyers blames the imbalance on factors from subtle sexism to lack of women in prominent roles, a view shared by several other female entrepreneurs. They also share a vision for spurring progress equal to the tech boom that’s transforming the provincial economy and say their involvement is key to being globally competitive.

A gathering of 500 female business leaders and 500 young women will tackle their lagging entry into the exploding tech-driven business world. Organizers of the Vancouver forum “We for She: Championing the Next Generation,” have calculated it will take 100 years for women in Canada to achieve parity in the industry at the current rate of advance.

Women make up 54 per cent of British Columbia’s post-secondary graduates in science and technology, but hold less than 10 per cent of senior leadership, according to the BC Innovation Council. The forum, taking place in October, will highlight research about the snail’s pace of change, said co-chair Lois Nahirney. Participants will examine unconscious bias and systemic barriers holding women back from leadership positions.

“It’s exhausting, it’s like always having to dance backwards in heels,” said Ms. Nahirney, chief executive officer of dnaPower Inc. and chairwoman of the Premier’s Women’s Economic Council.

Creating a welcoming environment that doesn’t discriminate against hiring women and includes policies supporting life and family balance are vital to improving the dynamic, she said.

Angela Robert, a software engineer who co-founded Conquer Mobile, believes more women will enter the industry if companies allow part-time work, telecommuting and flexible maternity leave. She said tech hasn’t evolved to meet women’s needs, nor does it reflect their image. “Think of the key people who everyone looks up to, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. How is that appealing to a woman to be like those guys?”

Paris Gaudet is one of two women in B.C. running a technology organization, and she has encountered men “either threatened or challenged” by her. “It’s a slight word, or subtle body language, or it’s something like, ‘Paris, are you taking notes?’” said Ms. Gaudet, executive director of Nanaimo-based Innovation Island.

But she’s heartened that a new generation of women may gain ground thanks to workshops such as Ladies Learning Code and the addition of coding to B.C.’s school curriculum. Ms. Gaudet is urging women to band together to establish a tech incubator “for women, about women,” to help grow businesses. “If we want to kick this thing in the butt, and we want to spark and inspire and revolutionize the way women are leading the tech space, we need to colour outside of the lines,” she said.

Several women working at Vancouver tech accelerators, organizations that mentor startup companies, began supporting each other coincidentally and dubbed themselves the “startup sorority.”

Resource: http://www.theglobeandmail.com
Resource: https://www.kvtr.com/tech/