Dealing With Augmented Reality Cities; Facebook Under Fire Over Ads

Posted August 11th, 2016 at 11:37 am (UTC-4)
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Today’s Tech Sightings:

A woman plays the augmented reality mobile game 'Pokemon GO' by Nintendo, as a visitor uses an automated teller machine (ATM) in central Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Russia, July 20, 2016. (Reuters)

A woman plays the augmented reality mobile game ‘Pokemon GO’ by Nintendo, as a visitor uses an automated teller machine (ATM) in central Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Russia, July 20, 2016. (Reuters)

Games Will Reshape Cities

As the Pokemon GO craze continues unabated, many countries are restricting and zoning urban areas to prevent players from meandering into government sites and other sensitive areas to hunt Pokemon characters. Writer Geoff Manaugh argues that once this game is forgotten, new augmented reality games that place a virtual layer on top of real locations will show up and might change the urban landscape. He wonders how cities will then deal with virtual sites and inhabitants as they interact with real life locations.

Open Gaming Alliance, Unity Team Up to Create Women’s Speaker Bureau

WISER – Women in Software and Entertainment Representation – is a new women’s speaking bureau intended to foster more women speakers in the gaming industry, thanks to a partnership between the Open Gaming Alliance and Unity Technologies. At the moment, women make up about 22 percent of the game industry. Some industry leaders would like to increase the number.

Adblock Plus Responds Angrily to Facebook’s Plan to Circumvent Ad Blockers

It’s no secret Facebook makes tons of money out of personalized advertisements – those tailored for users based on their internet browsing habits, whether they share them willingly or not. Facebook is now taking action, though, to combat ad-blockers by bypassing the privacy and security settings many people have in place. In response, Adblock Plus described Facebook’s move as ‘anti-user’ and one that could backfire for the company and its advertisers.

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Aida Akl
Aida Akl is a journalist working on VOA's English Webdesk. She has written on a wide range of topics, although her more recent contributions have focused on technology. She has covered both domestic and international events since the mid-1980s as a VOA reporter and international broadcaster.

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