Mobile Nations Weekly: Pokémon Going

By Derek Kessler
last updated

I'm not sure if you've heard, but there's this new game called Pokémon Go and well, everyone is playing it. Everyone. Including you.

Out now for Android and iPhone, Pokémon Go brings the classic Pokémon into the modern smartphone world. Not only do you capture and train your Pokémon to fight others, but you can actually go out into the world and capture Pokémon — it is perhaps the most intrinsically mobile of games.

Apart from that, Verizon fiddled with their data plans, giving customers more data but demanding more money in the process — at least there's now roll-over data and throttled overages. Speaking of Verizon, the launch-exclusive Moto Z Droid Edition and Moto Z Droid Edition are coming on July 14.

BlackBerry killed the BB10-powered Classic, but don't fear — the BlackBerry keyboard is here to stay. And even though it seems like WWDC 2016 was only a few short weeks ago, but the public betas for iOS 10 and macOS Sierra are now available for you to download and try.

New builds and rumors abounded for the Windows crowd, with fresh Windows 10 Anniversary Update builds for PC And Mobile and the addition of double-tap to wake on the Lumia 950. Rumors are continuing to swirl about the next Surface, supposedly due in the fall, and the anticipated HP Elite x3 will evidently come in blingy gold.

iMore — They're here! They're here!

Pokemon Go!

Apple has released the long-anticipated betas for both iOS 10 and macOS Sierra and iMore has everything you need to know to prepare, download, use, and — if it doesn't work out! — downgrade to and from the new software!

Oh, you thought we were talking about Pokemon Go? Yes, that's finally here to! We have all the Pokemon Go tips and tricks you need to know, and we'll even show you how to track and find nearby Pokemon.

Android Central — Pokemon GOOOOO

Now that Pokemon Go is finally fully open and available, we're getting to see the wave of awesomeness wash over everyone. Our full Pokemon Go game guide is a great place to start your adventure! And hey, don't download and side-load Pokemon Go APKs.

As we expected, Verizon rolled out changes to its plan structure this week. Plans are getting price bumps, but also data bumps, across the board — and there's a new feature called Safety Mode that'll throttle back your data speeds instead of charging you overages … of course, you'll have to pay $5 for the privilege unless you're on an XL or XXL plan. For those who want to stick with Verizon, the carrier will unveil its pricing and availability for the Moto Z Droid Edition and Moto Z Droid Edition on July 14.

After a little bit of a hiccup, the OnePlus 3's latest OTA update has resumed its rollout, bringing lots of fixes and a couple new features. And for our friends over in the UK, now's the time to buy a OnePlus 3 before the price hikes up thanks to a weaker pound.

CrackBerry — The keyboard life

BlackBerry Classic keyboard close-up

If you thought last week's news of the U.S. Senate dropping BlackBerry caught attention, it was nothing compared to the news BlackBerry put out this week confirming something CEO John Chen initially mentioned back in April - the discontinuation of the BlackBerry Classic. While many outlets ran their typical 'BlackBerry is dead' articles, BlackBerry also confirmed users have nothing to fear, the keyboard is here to stay. Odd how the follow-up comments went largely ignored. In OS news, BlackBerry pushed out the July 5 security update for Priv owners and a new 10.3.2 build has appeared for those who are willing to manually install it.

Tesla Central — Biases and responsibilities

The Tesla community and the media is still grappling with the fallout from the previous week's revelation of a fatal accident that occurred while the car was driving on Autopilot. Most Tesla owners know the reality of it though — Autopilot is a driver assist system, not something that you can activate and then tune out from the road.

But that's not stopping more people from blaming Autopilot for their wrecks, even though [the human in the driver's seat is the ultimate responsibility and authority[(http://www.teslacentral.com/drivers-more-likely-to-wreck-than-autopilot) in the car. And then there's how the media is handling all of this — it's not a story of bias, it's a story a feeding the 24-hour news cycle.

Enter to win a Tesla Model S for kids by Radio Flyer!

Windows Central — In the Groove

On August 2, Microsoft will release the Windows 10 Anniversary Update to PC and Mobile, and Insiders are inching closer to that final release. Build 14383 for PC and phone was made public to Insiders as Microsoft adds polish to the latest iteration of their universal OS. The Lumia 950 and 950 XL also started to get new firmware that brings 'double-tap to wake' to the phones.

Rumors of new Surface hardware for the fall gained some momentum from newly sourced information. The powerful HP Elite x3 Windows phone is getting a second blinged-out color in gold, evidently.

Curious about Microsoft's Groove Music? We have a detailed guide on getting started. The New York Times Crossword app is now for Windows 10 and Mobile and lets you use a digital pen for that authentic feel.

Find great Windows 10 apps and Office add-ins with twelve awesome #DoMoreEveryDay Gems

Derek Kessler
Derek Kessler

Derek Kessler is Special Projects Manager for Mobile Nations. He's been writing about tech since 2009, has far more phones than is considered humane, still carries a torch for Palm, and got a Tesla because it was the biggest gadget he could find. You can follow him on Twitter at @derekakessler.