Pokémon GO

Anyone else here notice all the peeps walking around concentrating intently on their smartphones while playing Pokémon GO? Apparently the game is about walking around your local real world neighborhood while capturing as many Pokémon as you can in an overlaid virtual Pokémon world. That's my interpretation of the game. I noticed a few players yesterday and more today. At least the kids are out and about, fresh air, exercise... Pokémon... Life is Good

For the record, I have no (zip zero nada) affiliation with Pokémon or the Pokémon virtual world. I'm not a player, just amused watching players in the park.

I wish I owned stock. I don't believe I have ever seen any company earn that much money that quickly or seen stock prices go up that much in such a short amount of time.

http://fortune.com/2016/07/11/pokemon-go-nintendo-market-value/

Jeanette Isabelle

It's not in Canada yet, but apparently there's some way we can get and play it too. Sounds like a cool game, except for the side effect of injuries. Apparently players are concentrating too hard on their screens in many instances.

Honestly, I don't know if I'll let my kid play this one. He has ADHD and will hyper-focus on a game to the exclusion of everything else around him. Not safe when he's mobile. I want him outside, but concentrating on something other than a screen. I've found that he actually does best at disconnecting if we just leave the technology at home, and the spin off is that he then "plugs in" to the people and world and around him. Connecting by disconnecting is my parenting strategy.

Some of his friends are way more addicted to their video games, and either won't be drawn out of the house, or won't leave without their devices. In our neighbourhood, we have bike trails, a pool, a basketball court and a great spot for road hockey, but once the kids around here hit video game age, we rarely see them outside anymore. It's sad.

What an interesting observation. I do not wish to turn the (analog) clock back on technological progress, but I am glad I grew up when most toys did not require electricity to operate.

We were even limited on how much television we could watch each day.



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We've already seen some armed robberies where game elements were used to lure players into isolated areas.

On the radio today there are reports of people walking into traffic to capture Pokémon. Next we'll have drivers playing while driving getting points in the virtual world and the real world at the same time. If you think texting while driving is bad... hopefully LE will be all over this.

That is certainly NOT a game that I would want to rush out and play. But I guess some people are so tied to their cellphones and personal entertainment, that they'll allow anything just to play a game. Security? Who cares about security! Give me the game!

http://www.news.com.au/technology/pokemo...98a14f40f357c3c

I can't understand anyone being willing to allow this. Game developers are evidently saying, "This was an accident, we won't do anything with your data. We promise." Plausible? Believable? Not for me.

Not having signed up I didn't realize the security implications until I read that link, not good. Who would agree to that? Someone who maybe doesn't read the agreement???

People often do not realize what "full access" means. They do not realize the value of personal data either. They desparately want to play the game though. That is very common. I often get offers for some "free" things I would have had to pay for them with personal data. So far I declined those offers.
Some of the people I know get even angry when they learn that the email address they received from me is "throw away" and actually gets thrown away after security breaches they consinder minor (e. g. spam or malware mails or mail from people they gave it to). They get even more angry, when they learn that it was the only email address they´ll ever get from me.
I have even seen software developers give away login info. They should really know better.

It's not officially out here in europe yet. Yet I have seen more people walking around starting at there phones.

News are reporting people having to be removed near train tracks while they were looking for pokemons, a hospital tell people to not enter (closed) spaces, etc...

I remember almost having run over a person who ran a red light on his bicyle, wearing head phones and having both hands on the phone and staring only at the screen with 3 lanes of moving traffic... Now we get more people staring at a screen. Ugh...

Yet another variant on the "distracted pedestrian". Plugged in, tuned out, and commonly turned into bumper paste by passing trains, busses, and cars. I remember one experience where a jogger, in the middle of the road, was completely oblivious to the stake bed truck on his ankles.

We need a color for something below condition white on the Cooper scale.

I think you could argue that it is essentially Condition Black

I've heard descriptions of stupid people, "Sometimes the gene pool needs a little chlorine."

Looks like with these new phone games, the gene pool has learned how to self-chlorinate.

Natural selection at it's finest.

I thought Condition Black was panicking or moving purely on instinct. Your Lizard brain taking control from the OODA loop. Maybe Condition Clear? "Clear" as in empty or nothing there. i.e. clear skies, a clear road, etc.
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I don't mind the natural selection so much. But, it tends to be a messy affair when involving moving vehicles.

I think Condition Black is already taken (Black on ammo means your ammunition supply has been depleted, I believe).

Condition Rainbow?

(LEO use it for indications of mental problems in the subject under discussion)

Condition Butterfly? (as in - chasing them....)

There is a dark side to that kind of selection too.
When a driver hits a person on foot or bicycle, it often does not end with the immediate mess. There also are law suits and maybe even trials for injuring or killing a person. Most people suffer from such an event even when they could not have avoided it.
I am not so fond of natural selection when it involves people other than the ones not selected.
I would really appreciate when law enforcement gives those Pokemon players an appropriate lesson about negligence. In Germany that might earn a person suspension or loss of the driver license.

"Pokémon Go" Nearly Claims First Victim
"Motorist, 28, slammed auto into tree while he was playing game"

People have bumped into me a couple times playing that game. They did not even notice they bumped into me. It pissed me off pretty good. I was thinking that they would make good marks for a robber.

It is also a bit of "Hey, everybody else is doing it; so the IV connection to my private data cannot be that bad."

I'm not much for being a dumb*** should get you victimized line of reasoning, but the thought of them getting pickpocketed while being a poke-head elicits a certain schadenfreude.

I'm just waiting for the first time a poke-head walks right into a baby stroller, or some equally rage producing situation. What's the law on provoking your own beat down?

Is it just me, or am I developing less tolerance for voluntary idiocy as I get older?

It's not just you...

What burns me is the idiot who insists he or she is right.

At the time I had an older TV with mono sound and a stereo receiver and I wanted to put together a home entertainment system. I studied and work with electronics so I know what I'm doing. I go into an electronics store, looking at their products. A store employee was so certain that she is right and that I'm wrong that I wonder if an actual demonstration would change her mind.

Let me throw out this simple challenge to see how many people are smarter than this store employee: You have a DVD player, a mono TV, a stereo receiver and a pair of speakers. The video cable goes from the DVD player to the TV. The audio cables go directly from the DVD player to the stereo receiver. If the DVD is recorded in stereo, will you get mono sound or stereo sound from the stereo amplifier and speakers?

Jeanette Isabelle

Stereo. I had this system for years. Furthermore, if the player outputs 5.1 audio, and your audio receiver accepts 5.1, you get 5.1.

Back in the day, I was told by a store employee that I could not record (on the new VHS recorder) and watch at the same time!

Definitely stereo. I too did this years back using my Kenwood 9600 receiver (still have it and it still sounds great) and two sets of Bose speakers -- an old pair of 301's & what I think were the first version of Acoustimass® speakers (no longer available). The 301's were near the TV, the Acoustimass sub-woofer sat in a corner and the Acoustimass treble set did their direct-reflecting thing -- great all-around sound.

But what does this have to do with the idiocy of Pokémon Go other than dating us as too old to understand the idiocy LOL (pronounced Loll)...

I'm glad we got some intelligent people here. The store employee was insistent the stereo equipment would not produce stereo sound (though the audio cables go directly from the media player to the stereo amplifier) because the video cable goes to a mono TV.


The conversation drifted slightly to voluntary idiocy. I could not think of a better example of intentional idiocy.

Jeanette Isabelle

This from some security people I know:

You may remember Pikachu and the rest of the gang from the 1990s Nintendo game. And you have most likely heard of the latest craze sweeping the globe – Pokémon Go which has revived the gamed and turned it into a reality app game. Attached is a description of the game if you aren’t sure just what it is. This article from The Atlantic addresses some of the Cyber Security/Identity issues associated with the game.

Though it is designed for fun and his getting people outside and moving around, it can be manipulated by those looking to do harm. It also has some inherent risks. Please heed these warnings and consider the risks before you decide to play

· The App uses your GPS to show you where the Pokémon are and thereby is collecting your locations.
· It uses and has complete access to your Google account – can send emails, retrieve pictures and information about you. They are reportedly working to fix some of these flaws.
· There are false apps that install Remote Access Toolkits (these allow your device to be hijacked)
· Users have reported being lured out to chase Pokémon and being robbed or otherwise disturbed
· Players have walked into traffic from being glued to their phones and oblivious to their surroundings – look up from your phone!
· Pokémon can be just about anywhere i.e. businesses, neighborhoods, woods, etc. Be aware of where you are going as you chase them as this could lead to trespassing or secluded areas where criminals could strike.
· Do not play and drive – enlist a co-pilot!
· Monitor your kids if they are going to play and talk to them about the risks and precautions to take


Just to make people aware.

... and for the players who need to capture points inside a fire station, Attention Pokémon Chasers: Police, Fire Officials Want You To Stop Calling 911 Really?

I take what I said back. Voluntary idiocy has reached a new level.



Jeanette Isabelle

I've been hearing similar. It's a massively intrusive piece of software, and with access to GPS and camera, a bit of a physical security nightmare.

Geocaching took quit a bit of time before it reached that level.
I guess it wont take long before we hear about fatalities caused by Pokemon GO just like we do with geocaching. The players might be about the same kind of people for both games. I had some opportunity to witness a pair of players. The situational awareness is significantly lower with Pokemon GO as there is apparently no location that can be compromised.
I will defintely be more alert when driving my vehicles.

Last I heard, a pair of poke-heads walked themselves off of a 90ft cliff in Encinitas (near San Diego, CA). But, I think they survived. If it's the area I'm thinking of, it's not a straight drop, but more of a Pachinko machine ride to the bottom.

As far as geocachers goes, they're not as bad. But, they still tend to make some monumentally bad choices (like putting a cache in the middle of the shooting range).

I've in two days had a man crash into me on a busy city street while playing PG, and had another person swerve her car into my lane (causing me to make an emergency lane change maneuver), also while playing PG. The driver flipped me off with one hand while holding her phone with the other.

http://www.outdoorhub.com/news/2016/07/18/copperhead-bites-texas-teen-playing-pokemon-go/

Next up, augmented reality first person shooters. Talk about opening up a can of Dune sized worms...

http://www.wired.com/2015/09/bow-indie-game/
https://techcrunch.com/2016/02/23/this-1...person-shooter/
http://www.playgunman.com/

Pokémon GO officially arrived in Canada on Sunday and the craze is just beginning. I thought it was bad before seeing people reading texts, etc while walking but this is even worse because people are driving and GOing at the same time. Its as if mass hysteria has taken a hold of society. If Darwinism holds true to life we will lose more than a few people off this earth, I just these gamers don't take me with them.

Border Patrol detains Canadian teens who crossed border playing 'Pokemon GO'

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/07/23/bor...pokemon-go.html

At least they can say they got the illusive "Megalastupidon" pokemon before death. ..

I can see a spate of new magazine articles and pinterest pins such as

ARE YOU READY? Your Pokemon Go Bag!

MEET THE CHALLENGE Put together a pocket pokemon survival kit.

YOUR THREE DAY POKEMON Paranaphalia pac

FISHING AND FRYING POKEMON FOR SURVIVAL . . .

HELP US!

Pokemon Go and police car. 'Nuff said --

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd_LchqEO2s

Gunman gets shot in Las Vegas by Pokemon GO player he tried to rob

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/07/26/gun...ied-to-rob.html

Man gets stuck in mud pit while playing Pokemon Go at night

http://www.fox5ny.com/news/181628224-story

Very cool. Not the guy getting stuck, but the availability of tech to the dispatcher in order to direct LE to the gamer. Is that differential algorithm (my words) tech widely available?

That technology is widely available. The ping is usually a so called "silent SMS". The response from the phone leaves data about the call (e. g. ID, signal strength, sector and cell station) from that it´s just simple geometry. Depending on coverage the accuracy can be between 10m and 50m. In Germany it´s sometimes used to locate missing people or bad guys. Police has so called IMSI catchers to get their own data. I am sure intelligence services have it too.

All over the local TV news,
Calvin Riley was shot and killed Saturday night at Aquatic Park in San Francisco, he was playing pokemon go with a group
...
they're calling it random

Unfortunately, I predict new laws to address these Pokemon mishaps. When people act like children and cannot control themselves, we get new laws to restrict our freedoms.

Iran has allready forbidden Pokemon Go.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/08/iran-bans-pokemon-go

With a little luck the company excludes sensitive by itsself and no new law a re required. In an augmented reality game that should not be that hard to implement.
It kind of worked for geocaching too. Groundspeak tightened the reigns on their players a bit. In Germany some areas require written permission of the owner.
BTW: Did they already catch people using GPS in simulator mode to hunt Pokémons? UAVs seem to be in use for the hunt.

Iran forbids a lot of stuff.

I don't think forbidding the game is going to help much, nor is that the right direction for a government to take IMHO. The game is not inherently bad or dangerous. It's the inattentive and inconsiderate idiots who are playing it who are causing the problems.

The article reads like they have not given permission to play the game yet. They have not even been asked for it.
Shooting or arresting an incosiderate idot close to military facilties might bring bad publicity. I understand that they would not like the game to be played in certain areas.

Some companies seem to have concerns too:
http://eurasiadiary.com/news/sience/62654-volkswagen-has-banned-employees-to-play-pokemon-go-to-work