Update to fix vibration notification bug in Pokemon Go's Nearby feature is on the way

An update is on the way to Pokemon Go to fix an annoying notifications bug found in the game's Nearbyfeature. Pokemon trainers are supposed to feel a vibration on their phone to notify them whenever one of the pocket monsters is nearby. But with the bug, incorrect vibrations are being sent out making trainers believe that they are in the presence of a Pokemon, when in reality there is no Pokemon nearby. As Pokemon Go developer Niantic said the other day, "We are aware of and actively working on a fix for a bug that causes incorrect vibration notifications related to the Nearby Pokémon feature."

After being removed from the game, Niantic now says that Nearby can now be found "in most regions of the world." In a separate issue apart from the buggy vibrations feature, not everyone is happy that the latest version of Nearby will find Pokemon only near PokeStops. Niantic has arranged things so that those that live far from a PokeStop can use the Sightings feature to see which Pokemon are close by. 

The next big update is supposed to take place on December 12th. 100 new Pokemon are being added to the game along with some of the legendary persuasion. Players will be allowed to trade Pokemon and the eagerly awaited Player vs. Player battles will commence. In addition, over 10,500 Sprint, Boost Mobile, and Sprint at RadioShack locations will become PokeStops on December 12th.

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The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge is now receiving the Android security patch for December

Updates for Android are always great. Whether a new update brings substantial new features or small improvements here and there, there's always something rewarding about getting the notification that there's new software to download for your handset. The Galaxy S7 edge is one of the most recent Android handsets to get updated, and although the update isn't a new version of the Android OS, it is the most recent security patch for the month of December.

It's likely that this most recent update doesn't bring any real changes or improvements to the way the S7 edge runs, but having the latest and greatest security software is always a plus. The update is officially hitting S7 edge units in Australia, and while there isn't any confirmation as to what other countries will be next, expect the update to start making its way across the globe over the next few days and weeks.

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Win $5,000 in Amazon Credit, an HTC Bolt, and more free goodies from Sprint

It used to be said that everyone loves a clown. But these days, Bozo and his pals are pretty much on the bottom of the list as clowns are now considered to be scary and frightening. So what does everyone love? How about a free phone! Sprint has a sweepstakes for its subscribers that offers among its prizes, a free HTC Bolt. There also is a $5,000 Amazon credit, an Amazon Echo (Echo...Echo....Echo) and a full year's subscription to both Amazon Prime and Amazon Music Unlimited. The former streams video and the latter handles streaming Music.

All you have to do to enter the sweepstakes is to head to Sprint's "Snow Place Like Home" page and follow the directions. And yes, with a title like that, we do think that the carrier does need to find a new Executive Punmaster. To get to the right spot to enter the sweepstakes, click on the sourcelink. You can enter once a day until December 23rd. You can also earn one extra entry per day by following @Sprint at Twitter and tweeting a picture of your favorite holiday tradition with the tag #SprintSnowSweepstakes. 

One Grand Prize winner will be drawn from the entries on January 3rd 2017 and will be notified approximately a week later. The grand prize winner will receive the following prize package valued at $7,746.67:

• $5000 in Amazon.com gift cards
• An HTC Bolt
• Amazon Echo
• 1 year of Amazon Prime & Amazon Music

Twenty HTC Bolt handsets (valued at $600 each) will be handed out to the runner ups. Remember, to enter the sweepstakes you need to be a legal resident of the fifty United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. You also have to be a Sprint subscriber in good standing. If you qualify, Good Luck!

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Alcatel Idol 4 with VR Goggles now on sale for just $99.99 from Cricket

Now throughout the rest of the holiday season, you can buy the Alcatel Idol 4 with VR Goggles for just $99.99 from pre-paid carrier Cricket. The device comes with a 5.2-inch LCD screen, carrying a 1080 x 1920 resolution. Driving the handset is a Snapdragon 617 SoC with an octa-core 1.7GHz CPU, and the Adreno 405 GPU. 3GB of RAM provides smooth multi-tasking, and 16GB of native storage is included (10GB available to the user). Those seeking additional memory can access a 512GB microSD slot.

The primary rear-facing camera weighs in at 13MP, while the 8MP front-facing camera shoots selfies in wide angle. There also is a front-facing flash that can be used to take selfies in low-light conditions, and keeping the lights on is a 2610mAh battery. Android 6.0 is pre-installed, and the phone is available in metallic silver.

If these specs sound familiar to you, it is because the exact model is being re-branded by BlackBerry as the DTEK50. Keep in mind that the DTEK50 is available from BlackBerry for $299. You can buy essentially the same phone from Cricket for almost $200 less. And the Alcatel Idol 4 from Cricket includes a free VR headset, an accessory not offered by BlackBerry for its version of the phone. 

Remember, this is a limited time deal that runs for the remainder of the holiday season. Cricket has three plans that offer unlimited talk and text. For $45 a month with auto pay, you can get 8GB of data. $55 a month with auto pay will give you 10GB of data. For $65 with auto pay, you can receive unlimited data (data speed capped at 8Mbps for LTE coverage).

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Prices for the original Apple iPhone still sealed in the original box run as high as $22K on eBay

For many people, their lives changed on January 9th 2007 when Steve Jobs introduced the Apple iPhone at MacWorld. This was the device that everyone wanted. With a signed two-year pact with Cingular (which became AT&T days later), the 4GB version of the handset was $499 and the 8GB model was $599. Apple ran a series of ads that many still remember to this day, showing off how the desktop version of the New York Times looked on mobile Safari, and introducing many to YouTube thanks to a skateboarding dog.

As cool as the original iPhone was, it was far from perfect. Jobs decided to use the slower EDGE network instead of 3G, which meant that if you used the browser, you would end up missing phone calls. The 2MP camera did not have auto focus or a flash and the handset did not support stereo Bluetooth. Also missing was MMS. Still, the features that were on the phone and the sleek touchscreen design made the iPhone a hit. And years later, the introduction of each new iPhone is a major event.

The original iPhone still gets listed and sold on eBay as a collectors' item. The big pay day comes to those who bought the phone, but decided not to take it out of the box. Even if it was all dumb luck, those with a mint condition iPhone still in the sealed box can reap as much as $20,000 on eBay from a willing buyer. And yes, sellers are actually getting these prices.

Maybe its just us, but we'd rather spend a small percentage of that money on a brand new Apple iPhone 7 Plus with features that we couldn't even dream about in 2007.

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My Disney Experience receives an update; this is the app that should accompany you to the parks

A Disney World vacation can be hectic to say the least. If you're not ready to have a little bit of organization, the whole vacation could go south in a heartbeat. And no matter how many times your kids get to hug Mickey Mouse or hear Idina Menzel sing "Let It Go," having to search the park for a missing child can put a damper on the trip.

To avoid all of this, you might want to install My Disney Experience on your handset. The beauty of it is that it offers many different features in one app. Dynamic Wait Times give you an idea of how long you will need to wait to see Carousel of Progress or experience Splash Mountain. The GPS based map gives you dining options and offers step-by-step directions to certain attractions. You can even purchase theme park tickets or make dining reservations using the app.

A new update to the app makes it more streamlined as maps and menus have been revised. Maps, for example, now have a white bar on top which eliminates the old style hamburger menu that was unwieldy. Swipe to the left or right to see your options at the top of the screen.

If you want your Disney vacation to go as smoothly as possible, it is imperative that this app be installed on the handset of each of your family members and friends making this journey with you. To install the app, click on the appropriate link in the sourcelink.

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OnePlus 3T review: 10 key takeaways

The OnePlus 3T, an affordable 5.5" phone selling for nearly half the price of devices with similar hardware like the Google Pixel XL and Apple iPhone 7 Plus, is here.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ONEPLUS 3T

But before even considering buying it, you should know a few things. First, you should know about the OnePlus brand, a new start-up that began as an off-shoot of Chinese phone maker Oppo, but focused on delivering a great phone that works well in the United States in Europe. The OnePlus 3T is fully equipped with the necessary 4G LTE bands and while it is designed and made in China, it feels like a device that is tailor made for Western markets.

So what is special about it? We've been using the OnePlus 3T in the past couple of weeks and we've already published our full review here, but if you want the 10 most important facts about the 3T and don't feel like reading through the full review, just check out the slides right below.

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