Niantic Updates Pokemon Go, The VCR Is Officially Dead

… [Tech News Digest]

Written by Dave ParrackAugust 1, 2016

Niantic issues controversial Pokemon Go update, the Video Cassette Recorder is no more, Kickstarter has boosted the economy, Google guides you through the 2016 Olympic Games, and how your smartphone is affecting you.

Pokemon Go Update Annoys Gamers

Niantic has released an update for Pokemon Go, the insanely popular mobile game which uses augmented reality to bring Pokemon into the real world. Unfortunately, along with a host of good changes, the update has completely removed a couple of great features, and players are livid.

Pokemon Go version 0.31.0 allows you to customize your trainer and adjust damage values. It also improves some of the animations, improves memory issues, and fixes a host of bugs. These are all good, solid improvements the likes of which you’d expect from an update to an app.

Unfortunately, Niantic has removed the distance indicators for nearby Pokemon, leaving players searching blindly with no indication of how far away each Pokemonis. This feature was buggy, showing all nearby Pokemon as being three steps (300 meters) away, but removing it entirely is surely not the best solution.

The update has also removed the battery-saving mode which let you preserve your battery life while hunting for Pokemon, and Niantic has taken steps to shut down various third-party apps (such as PokeVision) designed to help the more adventurous Pokemon Go players locate and capture Pokemon.

All of which has left a particularly nasty taste in the mouth of those addicted toPokemon Go. Players are complaining on Reddit and elsewhere, and the hype surrounding this game may be about to turn sour. Which was, to be fair, always going to happen; we just didn’t see it happening quite so soon.

The VCR Is Officially Dead

The VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) is officially dead, with the last company left producing them having manufactured their last one in July. Funai, which manufactured its VCRs in China and sold them in North America under the Sanyo brand name, has halted production, meaning there are no more new VCRs being made anywhere in the world.

Funai is blaming a combination of a lack of demand and a difficulty finding parts for the decision. The former isn’t surprising, with most people having moved onto DVD and Blu-ray players, or digital formats, a long time ago. So much so we were surprised to discover DVD players were still being made up to last month anyway.

Home video recording gained mainstream success in the 1970s, and by the end of the 1980s most people owned a VCR. But its success was short-lived, with the DVD rising to prominence around the turn of the century. And now even DVD players are obsolete, having been superseded by Blu-ray, Ultra HD Blu-ray, and high-definition streaming.

Kickstarter Helps Kickstart the Economy

Kickstarter is far from perfect, with plenty of examples of campaign creators taking the money and running, or failing to deliver on their promises. However, the crowdfunding platform has given a real boost to the economy, creating businesses and jobs, and generating serious income.

We know because Kickstarter told us, citing a new study by the University of Pennsylvania. The study found that Kickstarter had created 283,000 part-time jobs and 29,600 full-time jobs, created 8,800 new companies and non-profits, and generated $5.3 billion in income for those creators and communities involved in turning an idea into a product.

These figures shouldn’t be dismissed easily, as they show how much of an impact crowdfunding has had on the real-world economy. And while the failures make the headlines, most Kickstarter campaigns succeed, allowing everybody to walk away happy. Even Amazon, which now has a section dedicated to Kickstarter products.

Google Offers a Guide to Rio 2016

The Rio 2016 Olympics begin on Saturday (August 5), and Google wants to be your guide to the Games. So, as outlined in this Official Google Blog post, it has thrown its best resources at the task, with Google Search, Google Maps, Google Trends, and YouTube all getting utilized in some way.

Google Search is getting the event schedule, medal count, TV viewing times, and information on every sport and athlete involved. Google Maps has added a fresh Street View of Rio de Janeiro. Google Trends will be tracking the hot topics people are searching for. And YouTube will host highlights of the events, as filmed by the official broadcasters.

How Is Your Phone Changing You?

And finally, the vast majority of people now own a mobile phone, but how many of us actually ever take a moment to think about the effects it’s having on us and our bodies? Very few, I suspect, because nobody wants to think about the negative impact of something we use on a daily basis.

This AsapSCIENCE video explores that topic, discovering how using a smartphone is damaging your spine, ruining your eyesight, disturbing your sleep, affecting your social interactions, and altering your brain functions. And if that list isn’t enough to make you look up once in a while then you may have a problem.

Your Views on Today’s Tech News

Are you still playing Pokemon Go? If so, what do you think of the latest update? Do you still own a VCR? If so, why? Have you ever pledged money to a Kickstarter campaign? If so, which one? Will you be watching the Rio 2016 Olympics? Has your smartphone changed your life? If so, has it changed it for better or for worse?

Let us know your thoughts on the Tech News of the day by posting to the comments section below. Because a healthy discussion is always welcome.

Tech News Digest is a daily column paring the technology news of the day down into bite-sized chunks that are easy to read and perfect for sharing.

Image Credit: Tydence Davis via Flickr Source: www.makeuseof.com