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Pokemon Go Leads to Reckless Driving, Injuries, and A Corpse (chicagotribune.com)
Since its release Wednesday night, Pokemon Go has already gone on to become the top-grossing game in the three countries where it's available, and Forbes contributor Tero Kuittinen calls it "the first example of an AR product becoming a national obsession." An anonymous Slashdot reader writes:
Some fans are now tweeting about playing the game while driving, and the Chicago Tribune quotes one user who says "Pokemon Go put me in the ER last night... Not even 30 minutes after the release...I slipped and fell down a ditch." In Australia the game has been leading some players to their local police station, and a woman in Wyoming reports that the game actually led her to a dead body floating in a river. And at least one Pokemon Go screenshot has gone viral. It shows a man capturing a Pokemon while his wife gives birth.
The app's popularity has created lagging servers and forced Niantic to delay its international roll-out, meaning "Those who have already downloaded the game in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand can still play it, while those in the U.K., the Netherlands and other countries will have to wait." Meanwhile, Motherboard warns that a malicious sideloaded version of Pokemon Go is being distributed that actually installs a backdoor on Android devices, and also reports that some players are already spoofing their GPS coordinates in order to catch Pokemon without leaving their house.
The app's popularity has created lagging servers and forced Niantic to delay its international roll-out, meaning "Those who have already downloaded the game in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand can still play it, while those in the U.K., the Netherlands and other countries will have to wait." Meanwhile, Motherboard warns that a malicious sideloaded version of Pokemon Go is being distributed that actually installs a backdoor on Android devices, and also reports that some players are already spoofing their GPS coordinates in order to catch Pokemon without leaving their house.
Once everyone remembers that physical activity and going outside are exactly the things they're trying to get away from by playing video games, people will get sick of this.
All that's left is to predict the total body count.
Most of these people are adults. Don't they have anything better to do?
Sadly, no. No they don't. They'd love a job, though. Your dad hiring?
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Anyone have specs for niantic servers or hardware? Usually game companies just farm this out to saas or pass like softlayer and pay no real price when a cluster of shared vps shit the bed from exhaustive jvm load. I wouldn't be surprised of GO servers were java.
Good people go to bed earlier.
some players are already spoofing their GPS coordinates in order to catch Pokemon without leaving their house.
Why go outside and explore your environment when you can sit on your fat, artery-clogged ass and do nothing? Every day wall-E becomes more reality than fiction.
We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
They should probably cut the hours it can be played. Perhaps 11pm to 7am shouldn't work. This prevents people from going out at night and causing "problems".
They probably should mention something in the game, if they don't, to "NOT TRESPASS".
It might also be a good idea to increase the range in which someone can catch. Or however it works.
It might be a good idea to allow people to edit the map to remove pokémon on their property.
Also, just disable the game when in moving vehicles. I mean, smartphones can detect motion, right? If something is over 5mph, just stop it.
As usual, neither the company, nor the rest of society, are responsible for the stupidity and mental retardation of Pokemon playing retards who die to snake bites, alligators, sewer drops, accidental minefield intrusions, and other self-induced deaths and injuries born from negligence and a lack of proper parenting skills in their respective families. No sympathy for mortal stupidity.
Most GPS spoofing apps on android don't change the visible satellites or signal strengths. This is how many company tracking apps try to detect spoofing. If you appear to be in Japan, but you see sats that would be under the horizon that is strange.
Spoofing at the GPS antenna input, if done right, is of course completely invisible to the software on the phone, but also much more complicated.
Should I feel bad for taking my 8 YO out to play it? Waited several hours to sign up, then it let me in. This thing is going to result in lots of police calls with people snooping around at night. Dead batteries and dropped phones too. Who decided what landmarks get in the database?
This game is going to be completely dominated by bus drivers, truck drivers, taxi drivers and mail men (mail people?). It will also be a lot easier in cities than in rural areas, and cemeteries will have lots of Pokemon if Niantic uses the Ingress "portal" database.
And these are the grownups. Still playing Pokemon. How about a reverse age restriction? You can't be old enough to drive to play this game... or just let augmented natural selection run its course.
"Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
This is admittedly interesting news, but what I'm really dying to know is what Kim Kardashian has to say about Pokemon Go.
I'd also like to know more about the top 10 weirdest things that have happened to people while playing Pokemon Go and how to easily make hundreds of dollars a week by playing Pokemon Go.
pokemon go is the stupidest 'game' i have ever seen.
Probably shot by the cops.
probably a cop.
I'd strongly suggest that people not trespass in the deep south of the US, as you can be legally shot and killed for that.
I'm also expecting the first of many lawsuits any day now, as users fall in ditches and rivers, and wander onto interstate Highways.
These are millenials, folks - people who have never been outside by themselves before - you can't expect them to be used to that situation immediately.
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
Ah, papasan, tasty uhman.
There is only one solution for XXX = "I myself".
If Pokemon can get one into the ER and one is not just an undiagnosed case of epilepsy than oneself is responsible.
What is it with the people? Did nobody do OHSAS for your everyday life?
Only on the job you have people thinking for you.
And reminding you about the previously unkown hazzard, slippery when wet?
Don't drill into a generator?
When grinding use protective googles?
When loud use ear plugs?
Don't let idiots handle guns?
Sometimes I think we need Darwinism 4.0-beta3, natural selection by degree of situation awareness.
Thank you Pokemon you got rid of at least some people,
sadly the safety standard in todays cars is too high and people survive their dumbness and even Pokemon!
Yes, this was a rant!
...That escalated quickly.
My son (mid 20's) was out around midnight the other night wandering around our development, playing Pokemon Go. He noticed a big dog wandering around near him, and then looked up to see a telephone pole with a "lost dog" poster that matched the dog he was looking at. He called the number on the sign, and the owners came to collect the dog.
This is what happens when you're a criminal. Don't want to be shot? Don't be a criminal.
We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
Playing while driving, injuries, dead bodies, people blocking emergency services buildings... yup, that's how I remember Ingress. The only difference I can see is that the Pokemon game lore is comprehensible.
sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f(q{sub f{($f)=@_;print"$f(q{$f});";}f});
Dead bodies, wreckless driving, live birth.
This is PR that you just can't buy.
Kudos to the Pokemon marketing department!
This is what happens when you're a criminal. Don't want to be shot? Don't be a criminal.
Why do you need privacy if you nothing to hide?
"Dumb people that play Pokemon go try to blame a video game for their dumb behavior."
Sounds like a fusion of Pokemon and Ingress.
Anyone know if the Ingress developers are getting royalties on this?
no, those "commit suicide"
lucm, indeed.
Darwinism at work.
I was wondering when this would start happening. It's bad enough now with people watching their phone instead of where they are going.
This is what happens when you're a criminal. Don't want to be shot? Don't be a criminal.
Tell that to Philando Castille.
...or be driving with a bad tail light.
Yep, you just keep on excusing the jackbooted thugs who commit cold blooded murder under color of law, you racist fuck
"Hey, this company wants to know where I go all the time. But that's ok, I caught this bitchin' new pokemon."
People making a foolish decision to be inattentive while committed to dangerous and risky tasks is the problem, not Pokemon. The US DOT estimates 22% of all auto accidents involved distracted (a euphemism for deliberately and negligently inattentive) drivers. This is just another excuse for fools to increase their driving risks by not paying attention to their driving and risking their safety and that of others.
Haaarrvey! (drops & breaks phone; cries into beer) ...
That's technically a crime, though. As far as smooth wombat is concerned, every crime warrants an immediate death penalty.
... that should be grounds for your insurance company to jack up your rates when you come up for renewal.
Same goes for doing anything else reckless while driving, like watching a movie (obviously excluding guys who self-nominate for the Darwin Award, like this guy).
Of course, if you play while driving and don't brag about it, your insurance company will never know. But that's the "real" idea here: We don't want to encourage others to drive unsafely, and when you brag about driving unsafely, it tends to encourage others to do the same.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
Except that the tail light wasn't bad. It was just a bullshit excuse to check out the driver.
No it isn't. The police don't even call that a crime. It's a policy violation, and a minor one at that.
Here's a hint: crimes have victims.
Fine,install surveillance cameras in your bathroom. You've got nothing to hide
It's a moving violation. "Crime" or not, it is against the law and it is punishable. And it would be difficult to argue that it is against the law but not a "crime". Merriam Webster defines "crime" as "an illegal act".
Not all of them do. Not an identifiable specific "victim". Malicious destruction of property is a crime. In Massachusetts it can be either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the value of the property and whether the property is a motor vehicle. Vandalism in Massachusetts is a felony. This is true even if the property is not owned by a "victim" - i.e., city property; for example parking meters. Who do you think was or were the "victim(s)" of Edward Snowden's alleged illegal activities? He was charged with the crimes of violation of the Espionage Act of 1917 and theft of government property. Don't focus on whether his actions were justified by wider considerations, or whether the Espionage Act of 1917 should be held to be constitutional, or whether the government was actually deprived of anything tangible. Just consider the premise that crimes must have "victims".
Mr. Castile had a record of 52 traffic stops, including operating after revocation of license and "not carrying a proper insurance card". Nonetheless I will consider your suggestion, very seriously, after you tell me: did Mr. Castile, after informing the police that he had a licensed firearm with him, and being told not to move - did he then move, or did he not? And did he "display" the gun or not? An investigation has been opened as to justification or lack of it, and possible culpability. Let's wait for the process to finish investigating. If at that time, you want to criticize the process, then that would be entirely appropriate.
I remember the time when animations about Pokemon let to child mortality. Hundreds of children jumped out of a window or roofs. The history repeats itself. Do we really need in such entertainment?
And it would be difficult to argue that it is against the law but not a "crime". Merriam Webster defines "crime" as "an illegal act".
They are explicitly not crimes. If they were, you'd have increased legal protections. They are "infractions" and all that goes with that.
Dictionary definitions are unrelated to the legal definitions. If you want to chime in on a definition for a legal term, consult a legal dictionary, not an English dictionary. Many terms are used in Law and English that don't have the same definition for both.
Learn to love Alaska
[after] being told not to move - did he then move, or did he not?
He was told to not move and told to present his license. Regardless of which he complied with, he would have been not complying with the order of an officer. There was a professor beaten at the US border coming back from Canada for doing that (ordered out of his car, and ordered into his car, and beaten for not complying with both mutually-exclusive orders at the same time.
Apparently, being confused is a capital crime.
Learn to love Alaska
Mr. Castile had a record of 52 traffic stops, including operating after revocation of license and "not carrying a proper insurance card". Nonetheless I will consider your suggestion, very seriously, after you tell me: did Mr. Castile, after informing the police that he had a licensed firearm with him, and being told not to move - did he then move, or did he not? And did he "display" the gun or not? An investigation has been opened as to justification or lack of it, and possible culpability. Let's wait for the process to finish investigating. If at that time, you want to criticize the process, then that would be entirely appropriate.
I seriously doubt that anyone with a open mind could look at his "crime of the century" driving record and conclude anything other than he was repeatedly cited for DWB.
Or perhaps reaching for your license after informing a police officer you conceal carry and being asked not to reach for your license?
APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
"Pokemon Go put me in the ER last night... Not even 30 minutes after the release...I slipped and fell down a ditch."
Seriously? YOU MADE YOURSELF do theses moronic things knuckle dragger!