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‘Pokémon Go’ will stop working on old Android and iOS devices in October

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An upcoming Pokémon Go update for October could mean you won’t be able to access the game anymore if you’re using an older iPhone or Android device. Niantic has announced that the game will stop supporting devices running Android 5, iOS 10 and iOS 11. For Apple owners, in particular, the game will no longer work on the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6 even if you install iOS 12 on it.

The developer didn’t explain why it’s cutting off the old mobile platforms and phones, but there could be an element in future updates that would prevent the game from running on older devices. As 9to5Mac notes, Pokémon Go is an augmented reality game that’s more technically demanding than non-AR titles. Whatever Niantic’s reason is, it says you won’t be able to access the game, your items or your PokeCoins when the update rolls out in mid-October if you’re using one of the aforementioned platforms and phones. And the company won’t provide support for technical issues if you find a way to keep the game running without upgrading devices or mobile OS.



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Facebook threatens to block all news in Australia

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Facebook users in Australia could lose their ability to share news on the social network, the company is warning. The threat is the result of a proposed law from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) that would require Facebook and other tech companies to pay publishers for their content. Facebook has maintained that news content “is not a significant source of revenue” and that such a law “ignores the financial value we bring publishers.”

Now, Facebook is making clear what it previously has only hinted at: if the ACCC’s proposal becomes law, it will “reluctantly” shut off the ability for publishers or users to share news in the country. The ban would affect news from local Australian organizations as well as international media, and would impact both Facebook and Instagram. 

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Twitter makes sure Quote Tweets are just one click away

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Twitter’s ever-evolving approach to conversation on its platform has another tweak, as now you’ll see a Quote Tweet button in between the count of Retweets and Likes when you zoom in on a particular tweet. The standardized quote tweet arrived about five years ago, and has served as a way to highlight other posters you either really agree with or really disagree with.

Twitter - Quote Tweet counter

Twitter

A few months ago Twitter pushed Retweets with Comments into a space along with standard retweets, but this new change makes it more apparent how many there are and puts them one click away instead of two. It first popped up a few weeks ago, and is interestingly timed just after Twitter enabled a feature that let posters limit who is allowed to reply to their tweet.

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PayPal has an ‘invoice’ fraud problem

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I should know: It happened to me this weekend. I was able to resolve it easily enough but, being a reporter by training, decided to put on my journalist hat and try to understand why this is happening, or at least what PayPal is doing about it.

For starters, a basic search of Twitter and user forums suggests I’m not alone, and this scam isn’t new. The organization in question isn’t always DirectRelief (GoDaddy and World Health Organization have also been impersonated), but the general email template remains consistent. (The spelling and copy editing, not so much.)

In a statement to Engadget, a PayPal spokeswoman acknowledged the scams. “We are aware of this and believe it to be a common scheme leveraging a brand name,” the spokeswoman said. “We take every instance of potential fraudulent schemes seriously, have worked to remove the incorrect invoices, and ensure our customer’s information is secure.” The representative continued, alluding to preventive measures in place: “In addition to employing a range of sophisticated proactive detection and mitigation methods, if a situation does occur we’ll take swift action to protect our customer’s accounts.”

The spokesperson declined to clarify what PayPal’s fraud detection tools include. She also did not respond to questions asking what guardrails prevent someone from sending an invoice. It would seem, barring further clarification from PayPal, that anyone can invoice anyone.

If that’s the case, your best recourse might be of the reactive sort: disputing the transaction through PayPal. Which is hardly a satisfying solution. It’s worth a reminder that PayPal, a company with a market cap of $239.5 billion, does not have 24/7 customer service. Its Resolution Center is not available in the mobile app — the web dashboard only — and you need to wait for the transaction to cross the threshold from pending to complete for it to even be reportable. PayPal clearly has a fraud problem. But until the company improves its detection tools, it’s up to customers to play whack-a-mole.



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Revel’s electric mopeds come to San Francisco amid growing safety concerns

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Despite ongoing safety concerns about its platform, Revel is expanding into San Francisco. As The Verge notes, Monday’s announcement is not the electric moped rental company’s first expansion into the Bay Area; it also operates in Berkeley and across the Bay Bridge in Oakland. But San Francisco area users will have access to a slightly different moped than the one available in other markets. The 430 new vehicles feature 2,960-watt motors “designed to tackle those famous SF hills.”

As mentioned above, the expansion comes as Revel faces questions about the safety of its platform. In July, the company temporarily suspended service in New York City after at least two people died — and dozens more injured themselves — riding its mopeds. On August 27th, Revel returned to NYC with new safety measures. The company now requires all users to complete a mandatory in-app safety test, as well as snap a photo of themselves wearing a helmet before they can use one of its mopeds. But questions remain. For instance, how does the company verify someone hasn’t taken off their helmet after sending a selfie?



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Ninja and MrBeast are getting ‘Fall Guys’ skins after $1 million charity contest

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A team that includes Tyler “Ninja” Blevins has won the charity competition to have their likeness included in Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, the adorable but deceptively brutal battle royale everyone on Twitch has been playing. At nearly the last minute of the two-week-long competition, the popular Fortnite streamer said he would team up with G2 Esports, Aim Lab and YouTuber MrBeast to donate $1 million to SpecialEffect, a UK-based charity that helps those with physical disabilities experience video games. Each of the four contributors will get their own skin added to the game.

Developer Mediatonic announced the competition on August 17th, just two weeks after it released Fall Guys and the title became all anyone was playing. “The thirst from brands has been unreal… so we’re turning it into something positive,” the studio said at the time. It promised to add a skin to Fall Guys representing the brand that was willing to donate the most amount of money to SpecialEffect. Initial bids came in the tens of thousands of dollars, but things quickly escalated. At one point, Warframe developer Digital Extremes pledged $20,000. Before Ninja and company came in with their pledge, the leading bid was $510,000.



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Call of Duty League is moving to four-player teams next season

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Call of Duty esports centered around four-player teams for many years before the 2018-2019 World League season. Indeed, the move marks a “return to our roots,” CDL Commissioner Johanna Faries suggested in an announcement. “This decision was made in close collaboration with our teams and players, and it was not made lightly.”

The league will reveal more plans for 2021 — including details on maps, formats and the schedule — during the offseason. There’ll also be a shift from Modern Warfare to the upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.

Meanwhile, there’s a bit more CDL action on the way this year. The All Star Weekend takes place from September 12th-13th, which could mark the last time fans will see pros compete in five vs five matches anytime soon. The 2021 CDL year starts the following day.

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Apple’s App Store appeals process is now open for developers

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As you may remember, Apple came up with these changes shortly after a public battle with Basecamp over the “Hey” email app. Apple rejected Basecamp’s bug fixes because the app required users to sign up for Hey on the web and there was no option for in-app purchases or trials, which would have generated a commission for Apple. Later, Apple reversed its decision, allowing the bug fixes to go through, and Basecamp came up with a compromise, a free trial available through the app.

These changes, announced shortly after that debacle, could avoid a similar situation from happening in the future. But less than two weeks ago, Apple reportedly blocked WordPress app updates to force in-app purchase support, and Apple is fighting another battle with Epic Games, which recently started offering Fortnite discounts for players who bypass App Store purchases. 

You have to wonder how receptive Apple will be to suggestions, when so many have pushed back against its policy of collecting hefty commissions on in-app purchases.

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Google starts displaying licensing details for image results

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Since sifting through a ton of images can be a bit daunting, Google has also rolled out the ability to filter results based on licensing information. If you only want to use images under Creative Commons, then simply select the CC option under Usage Rights in the dropdown menu on Google Images. You can also use the “Commercial and other licenses” filter if you’re willing to purchase an image.

Google

Google

Google teamed up with image creators and stock photo providers to design and roll out these new licensing features. Ken Mainardis, SVP for Getty Images & iStock by Getty Images, said in a statement:

“We live in a dynamic and changing media landscape where imagery is an integral component of online storytelling and communication for more and more people. This means that it is crucial that people understand the importance of licensing their images from proper sources for their own protection, and to ensure the investment required to create these images continues. We are hopeful Google’s approach will bring more visibility to the intrinsic value of licensed images and the rights required to use them.”

The tech giant has been working on making image results richer and more informative recently. Over the past few months, it started marking images with icons that can indicate whether they link to pages with products for sale, to pages with recipes or to video content. Google also rolled out a deeper integration of its Knowledge Graph with image results back in July.

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8BitDo is making a customizable arcade stick for Switch and PC players

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The flexibility doesn’t stop there, though. You can connect the stick over Bluetooth, a USB-C cable, or a wireless 2.4G receiver that’s cleverly stored on the underside of the stick. It also has a rechargeable 1000 mAh battery, so you can go anywhere — the park, a coffee shop, or an airport terminal with zero power outlets — and play some Mortal Kombat 11 with your Switch in tabletop mode. If you’re carrying a laptop too, you can flick a knob to instantly toggle between the stick’s Switch and PC-centric XInput modes. The red buttons will immediately remap and, impressively, their labels will change thanks to some LEDs built into the dark grey panel.

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