Just like the rest of the world, we've gone Pokemon mad this week – and today, we bring you a host of stories about Nintendo's phenomenal new title, including a cautionary tale of why you shouldn't play it while driving!
Plus, we discuss the latest tech on the High Street and all the latest movie and TV news, including a brand new series of tech thriller Mr Robot and the long-awaited launch of the new Ghostbusters move. That's right: it's the Week in Geek!
Top trending tech news
Pokemon Go set to have more daily users than Twitter
Last week, we reported on the launch of Pokemon Go– and now, it’s become a genuine worldwide phenomenon. It seems the whole world has gone Pokemon mad this week, with hordes of young (and not so young) fans taking to the streets in search of the elusive pocket monsters.
One indication of just how popular the game has been is this surprising set of graphs from web analytics company SimilarWeb. These show that the app is surging ahead of well-established players like Tinder and Twitter – and if its current growth continues, it’ll surpass the popular social network in terms of daily users in a matter of days!
Given that app was only released in the UK yesterday, we expect it to smash even these impressive figures soon. Nintendo’s share price has surged by more than £7 billion in the past week in the wake of Pokemon Go’s success – and as long-time fans of the veteran Japanese developer, we couldn’t be happier. The app is available now for Android and iOS.
Twitter increases GIF size limit to 15 MB
Pokemon Go’s runaway success must be causing some consternation at Twitter HQ. Never ones to be outdone by a mere game, the social network’s technicians have made yet another tweak to the platform in an effort to entice users back.
Twitter first allowed users to post animated GIFs back in 2014, but these were limited to 5 MB in size. As of this week, though, that’s been bumped up to a whopping 15 MB. Quite why you’d need to post a GIF that large is beyond us – but hey, if you want to, now you can!
Despite its great cultural influence, Twitter has struggled to grow its userbase in recent years– something that has investors spooked. As such, it’s always looking for new features to increase its appeal to new users – although we seriously doubt there are millions of potential users out there just waiting to post their gargantuan GIF collections.
Pokemon Go nearly claims first victim
Yes, like the rest of the world, we’ve gone Pokemon Go mad this week – but however obsessed you are with the excellent new game, please do remember to use it safely!
You see, Wednesday brought a report that a 28-year-old man in New York state crashed his car after being distracted the game. The man, a former US Marine who really should know better, was allegedly trying to catch a Lapras when he lost control of his vehicle and collided with a tree.
Thankfully, the motorist wasn’t badly injured – but his car was a write-off. You can see pictures, and read more sordid details, over at whistleblowing gossip site The Smoking Gun– and if you’re playing the game yourself, do keep a few common sense safety tips in mind:
First of all, as the app itself warns you, pay attention to your surroundings: it’s all to easy to wander into the road, a river or other dangerous obstacle if you’re glued to your phone!
Similarly, do pay attention if you’re in a secluded location, especially after dark – there have been a number of reports of Pokemon Go players becoming targets for robbers.
Finally – and this really should go without saying – don’t use the app while you’re driving. Seriously!
New on the High Street
Samsung’s new four terabyte SSD costs about as much as a MacBook Pro
Solid state drives – or SSDs – are increasingly replacing old-fashioned hard drives in our laptop and desktop computers, but there’s still a lot holding them back – not least the price.
Because the technology is so expensive, SSDs tend to be considerably smaller in capacity than traditional hard drives – but this week, Samsung launched a four terabyte (4,000 gigabyte) monster in their 850 EVO range, the largest SSD ever designed for consumer-level computers.
The downside? Yep, the price. Through Amazon, the new drive will set you back a cool $1,400 – or about £1,132 in our increasingly devalued currency at the time of writing. That’s more than most computers cost in total – including most current-generation MacBook Pro models.
Money well spent? Well, perhaps. An SSD can give your system a noticeable speed boost, and can particularly boost startup times if your operating system is installed on one – but frankly, four terabytes is overkill for most users.
Carphone Warehouse announce their own VR headset
Virtual Reality is all the rage these days– and while big hitters like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift are stealing most of the headlines, budget alternatives like Google Cardboard and Samsung’s Gear VR are making waves, too.
Joining this crowded field is a new headset from our parent company, Carphone Warehouse – and while we’re contractually obligated to sing its praises, it’s actually a really great option for VR on a budget.
The Goji Universal VR Headset, as it’s known, costs just £39.99, making it considerably cheaper than the similar Gear VR – and better yet, it doesn’t require a Samsung phone! Google’s cheapo Cardboard offering works with most Android handsets – but with the Goji Universal supporting iPhones too, the new device is an extremely accessible entry point to VR for the masses.
You can find out more about the new headset over at Carphone Warehouse’s Lowdown blog.
The latest movies and TV
Mr Robot season two ‘leaked’
Mr Robot was one of the surprise TV success stories of last year, coming out of nowhere to captivate millions with its high-tech tale of computer hacking and corporate sabotage.
The second season is eagerly awaited here at Geek Squad towers – and this week, we were treated to a rare preview as the show’s creators ‘leaked’ the first episode of the new series to social media.
The show’s Twitter, Facebook and YouTube accounts were ‘hacked’ last Sunday, before all posted the episode in full. Naturally, the ‘hack’ turned out to be a publicity stunt, and the show was soon removed again – but not before telly geeks worldwide had a chance to check it out.
For those who missed it, the series premiered in the US on the USA network this Wednesday. Amazon Prime Instant Video has the rights to the show in the UK, and the new series made its debut there yesterday.
If you missed Mr Robot the first time around, it’s definitely worth your time. The show tells the story of Elliot Alderson, a precocious young hacker who falls in with a group of anarchic cyber-activists in an effort to destroy the corporation that killed his father.
Despite the show’s impressive technical accuracy, it’s far from dry: it's packed with intrigue, tension and outrageous twists, and tackles some of the most interesting and relevant issues of our age. Check out the trailer above.
Ghostbusters reboot hits the big screen
This week also saw the long-awaited released of the new Ghostbusters reboot, directed by Paul Freig and starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon as the titular spook-hunters.
In case you've been living under a rock for the past 30 years or so, the 1984 original tells the story of a team of faintly ridiculous paranormal investigators who unexpectedly find themselves saving the world after it's proven that ghosts really are all too real.
The new movie switches things up by featuring an all-female team of 'busters, in contrast to the original's all-male line-up. This decision caused some controversy among stick-in-the-mud purists, but the critical consensus seems to be that the new cast have more than risen to the challenge. The movie has been picking up positive reviews left, right and centre, and currently enjoys a 76% 'Fresh' rating on RottenTomatoes.com.
Ghostbusters is in cinemas now, and you can check out the official trailer above.
And finally...
British Wolfenstein developer bought out... by Chinese chicken company
We gamers like to imagine that our hobby is an artform, but in many respects, it's also a major industry – and as with all industries, mergers and accquisitions are nothing new.
That said, one particular corporate buy-out this week did raise many eyebrows across the gaming world. Splash Damage, the British developers behind Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory and the multiplayer for the popular Gears of War 4, have been bought out by Leyou Technologies – a Chinese chicken meat supplier!
In a statement seen by industy site Eurogamer, the company claimed that the unusual diversification was an attempt to mitigate the risks of the "harsh operational environment" and "limited control of the business results and profitability" found in the Chinese chicken biz.
Perhaps they're hoping Splash Damage will do a Nintendo and add billions to their stock price in a matter of days. Hey, it could happen, right? Right?
Check out some of the most inspiring moments in chicken/gaming unity in the video above.
That's it for another crucial round-up of the week's stories – but be sure to tune in next Friday for another edition of the Week in Geek! And for more great stories from our Agents straight to your inbox each month, get your name down below for the Geek Squad newsletter.