Awesome Pokemon Go Functioning Costume!

This costume is hilarious- the dude made himself into a “functioning” game of Pokemon Go for Halloween this year! Watch the video below.

This year for #halloween it's #pokemongo time. #halloweencostume #halloween2016 #ポケモン #ハロウィン #nintendo

A video posted by Matt Borgelt (@mattcyborgelt) on

Nintendo Switch Video

Nintendo released a video of their upcoming gaming system “Switch”. Pretty interesting concept of using a single system for both mobile and home/console based gaming. The video is a bit weird as it seems to endorse full-on game addiction- I mean, can’t you even take your dog for a walk without keeping your eyes glued to a gaming screen? But anyway, have a watch and comment below!

Latest features added to Pokefind.com!

We have a new feature added to the pokefind.com Pokemon finder map – You can now filter the map to only show sightings reported in the last Month or Week… or, still show everything ever reported (as the default option has been until now). We’ve heard that the most important sightings are the more recent ones, so using the “last week” filter will help narrow in on areas with only more recent activity.

You may have alos noticed some new icons on the Pokefind map recently- orange icons over larger cities showing “chat” for that area.

conversations in pokefind

This feature has not been deployed yet, but it will allow you to add comments and communicate with other players in the area. We currently have the chat locations set over larger cities only, but we will likely be adding to smaller towns as it is further developed. We’re going to deploy a simple version of the actual discussion soon (so those icons will start working then). We will be looking for feedback on this – let us know how to make it better!

Augmented Reality Makes Pokémon GO Hands-Free

Pokémon Go is one of the most popular games of all time. Being that it gets folks outside, it’s unlike any other video game we’ve seen in the past. No consoles or computers are needed, just your mobile phone or tablet and for serious players, an external battery for Pokémon Go.  It’s not uncommon to see people walking through the neighborhood or into the street with their eyes glued to their screen in an attempt to catch ’em all.

Unfortunately, doing so has already led to accidents and will likely lead to more in the future if players don’t come up with a better way to visually multi-task.  That’s exactly why Recon has ported the popular game to the Recon Jet Smart Eyewear, a pair of Android-based smart glasses the company released last year. The setup leaves much room for improvement, but so far, it’s a great example of what we have to look forward to in the future of augmented reality.

Pokemon+GO+on+Recon+Jet+smart+eyewear
Pokémon Go, as seen on the Recon Jet

Given the Jet already has GPS, WiFi and a fully baked operating system, it wasn’t difficult for Recon software developer, Patrick Cho, to move Pokémon Go over to it as a standalone app. The caveat here is that the Jet doesn’t have LTE, so you’ll have to figure out how to get WiFi if you’re out and about. Using a hotspot connection to a phone for your internet connection is a good idea, but that requires a second device. Cho also had to reorient the Pokémon Go screen from portrait to landscape mode to accommodate the Jet’s 428 x 240 resolution display.

Recon Jet for Pokemon
Recon Jet for Pokemon Go

Being an unofficial port, there’s a need for optimization as there’s a feeling of lag in the app, which is prone to stalling and even crashing. So far, the app feels like a good proof of concept, but definitely needs some more work before it’s ready for prime time. The best part is that the game takes up only a small corner of the wearers peripheral vision. You can still see and interact with the world as you play the game. This way, you can track monsters and still be aware of your surroundings.

Of course, the potential downside here is that the Recon Jet’s battery life likely isn’t long enough to withstand hours of play, but we’ve already written about some good battery solutions that can charge any USB device, so that could be an option as well. Being able to play Pokémon Go without having to keep your eyes on your phone is much safer, either way. Maybe with enough tweaking, it’ll be a real solution in the future of AR and mobile gaming.

Battery Guide for Pokémon on the GO

In a world of mobile devices, one thing we all could use a little more of is power. With the rise of gaming, maps and augmented reality, phone and tablet batteries are going to need to step it up on capacity, but for now, there’s portable charging docks. Batteries come in a whole array of sizes, shapes, capacity, and amperage options. Some charge one phone while others can be used to charge a phone and tablet simultaneously. We’ve gone through and collected the best ones for Pokemon GO players. All of these are small enough to fit in your pocket or a small bag, are lightweight and work for both Android and iPhone.

Anker PowerCore+ mini 3350mAh

Anker PowerCore
Anker PowerCore- Lipsticks Sized Battery

Pros: Inexpensive, adds roughly one full charge to most iPhones and Android phones, PowerIQ Fast Charging up to one amp

EasyAcc Monster 20000mAh Power Bank

EasyAcc Monster
EasyAcc Monster Battery with Light

Pros: Charges up to 4 devices at once, Fast charging for phones up to 7.5 times, Smart shut-off prevents over charging, Duel input reduces charge time by 50%, small built-in flashlight, 18 month warranty

EMTEC Power Pouch 6000 mAh for Apple iPhone (Android sold separately)

EMTEC Power Pouch
Emtec Power Pouch Battery

Pros: holds and protects phone when not being used, clips to belt loop or lanyard for safety, up to 2 full charges

Neptor 2800mAh 1.0A Clip On Lipstick External Battery

Nestor Clip On
Nestor Clip-On Battery

Pros: Very small, loop can be attached to keychain, fast charging, flashlight with SOS and solid illumination, least expensive

Mophie Juice Pack Air – Slim Protective Mobile Battery 

Mophie Juice Air
Mophie Juice Air Battery

Pros: Protects phone from scratches, no cables to carry with you in order to charge, looks much sleeker than most external batteries