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U.S.A. Page 8 n THE ASIAN REPORTER July 18, 2016 Players in hunt for Pokémon Go monsters feel real-world pain By Ryan Nakashima AP Business Writer OS ANGELES — Beware: Pokémon Go, a new smartphone game based on cute Nintendo characters like Squirtle and Pikachu, can be harmful to your health. The “augmented-reality” game, which layers gameplay onto the physical world, became the top grossing app in the iPhone app store just days after its release in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand. And players have already reported wiping out in a variety of ways as they wander the real world — eyes glued to their smartphone screens — in search of digital monsters. Mike Schultz, a 21-year-old communications graduate on Long Island, New York, took a spill on his skateboard as he stared at his phone while cruising for critters. He cut his hand on the sidewalk after hitting a big crack, and blames himself for going too slowly. “I just wanted to be able to stop quickly if there were any Pokémons nearby to catch,” he says. “I don’t think the company is really at fault.” Real world, virtual creatures The game was created by Niantic Inc., a San Francisco spinoff of Google parent Alphabet Inc. that previously became known for a similar augmented-reality game called Ingress. To play, you fire up the game and then start trekking to prominent local landmarks — represented in the game as “Pokéstops” — where you can gather supplies such as pokéballs. Those are what you fling at online “pocket monsters,” or Pokémon, to capture them for training. At other locations called “gyms” — which may or may not be actual gyms in the real world — Pokémon battle one another for supremacy. Naturally, the game has also induced people to post pictures of themselves on social media chasing creatures in all sorts of dangerous situations. Zubats and Paras have appeared on car dashboards. Caterpies have been spotted at intersections. Police in Darwin, Australia, have even asked players not to waltz into their station, which of course is a Pokéstop in the game. “You don’t actually have to step inside in order to gain the pokéballs,” the Northern Territory Police Fire and Emergency Services says on its Facebook page. Ankle injuries, mishaps with revolving doors, and walking into trees have been among the painful results. Kyrie Tompkins, a 22-year-old freelance web designer, fell on the sidewalk and twisted her ankle while wandering in downtown Waterville, Maine. “It vibrated to let me know there was something nearby and I looked up and just fell in a hole,” she says. Her parents had to drive her and her fiancé home. As an upside, players get more exercise than usual and can learn more about the historical landmarks incor- porated into the game as Pokéstops. Digital signposts describe their significance in the real world. A new social medium And players are actually meeting face to face, despite L Incoming freshman guard Kobe Paras withdraws from UCLA LOS ANGELES (AP) — Guard Kobe Paras won’t be attending the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) this fall and won’t be playing basketball for the Bruins. The school said Paras has withdrawn from school after failing to meet academic conditions that were part of his admittance. Paras had signed a national letter of intent with the Bruins during the early signing period last November. The 6’5” guard spent the last two years in Los Angeles after growing up in the Philippines. He was a senior at Cathedral High School. Paras helped lead the Philippines to a gold medal in the International Basketball Federation’s (FIBA) Asia Under-18 3x3 championship in May 2013. He won the slam dunk contest at the FIBA 3x3 championships in June 2015 while representing the Philippines. Kobe’s father, Benjie, played professionally in the Philippines. q Marvel Comics’ new Iron Man to be black female teen DANGEROUS DISTRACTION? Beware: Pokémon Go, a new smartphone game based on cute Nintendo characters like Squirtle and Pikachu, can be harmful to your health. The “augmented-reality” game, which layers gameplay onto the physical world, became the top grossing app in the iPhone app store just days after its release in the U.S., Austra- lia, and New Zealand. (AR Photo/Dinah Nguyen) the fact they arrived at nearby high schools, water towers, and museums by staring at their screens. Lindsay Plunkett, a 23-year-old waitress in Asheville, North Carolina, made a point of parking six blocks away from the restaurant where she works, instead of the usual three. “Just so I could get some more Pokéstops on the way,” she says. She’s still nursing a bruised shin from the previous night, when she and her boyfriend spent hours wandering downtown in the rain. She tripped over a cinder block that had been used as a doorstop at a local women’s museum. But she’s got something to look forward to. Soon, she’ll be travelling cross country to California with a friend. That means more chances to encounter Pokéstops and Pokémons “the whole way,” she says. At least the game has one failsafe — you can’t hatch digital eggs while driving. That requires slower in-person movement in the real world. “It doesn’t count as walking if you’re going more than 20 miles per hour, so that’s good, I guess,” Plunkett says. LOS ANGELES (AP) — A black female teenager will be the new Iron Man. Marvel Comics veteran writer Brian Michael Bendis said in an interview with TIME that Tony Stark will step away from his superhero alter-ego and a new character named Riri Williams will assume the laser-blasting role. Bendis describes Williams as a science genius who enrolled at MIT at the age of 15. Williams comes to Stark’s attention when she builds her own Iron Man suit in her dorm. Marvel has bestowed several diverse characters in recent years with long-running superhero mantles, including a Muslim Ms. Marvel, Asian-American Hulk, biracial Spider-Man, female Thor, and African-American Captain America. However, those characters have yet to appear in Marvel film or television adaptations. Williams will debut in Invincible Iron Man comic book this fall. q Secret Life of Pets fetches $103 million in opening days By Lindsey Bahr AP Film Writer OS ANGELES — It’s a good time for animated animals at the box office. The Secret Life of Pets follows Zootopia and Finding Dory as the latest success this year, opening to a massive $103.2 million, according to studio estimates. The Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures film cost only $75 million to produce, and features the voices of Louis C.K. and Kevin Hart. Pets unseated Finding Dory from its three-week run in first place. The little blue fish actually fell to third place with $20.4 million, behind The Legend of Tarzan, which took in $20.6 million. L Pacquiao plans to return to the ring November 5 By Tim Dahlberg AP Boxing Writer AS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao isn’t ready to give up his night job just yet. Pacquiao, who said before his last fight in April that he would retire, now plans to return to the ring in November against an opponent who has yet to be selected. Promoter Bob Arum said Pacquiao got permission to take a break from his new duties as a senator in the Philippines to take another fight. It will be held November 5, likely in Las Vegas. “He likes to fight and he likes the atten- tion,” Arum said of Pacquiao’s return. Pacquiao looked impressive in his last fight in April, returning from a layoff to knock down Timothy Bradley on his way to a unanimous decision. After the fight he wavered on his previous plans to retire. “If you ask me to come back, I don’t know,” Pacquiao said. “I may be enjoying retired life. I’m not there yet so I just don’t know.” Pacquiao, who was formerly a congressman in his native country, was elected to the senate in May and there L were fears that increased duties would prevent him from fighting again. But Arum said the head of the senate told Pacquiao he was free to fight after the country’s budget is settled on October 15. “He would train in the Philippines and leave on the 16th to come to the U.S., train for two weeks, and then come to Vegas,” Arum said. “The only issue is getting an arena for the fight.” Arum said he is talking with MGM Resorts about an arena to host the fight. He had reserved the Mandalay Bay arena for October 15, but Pacquiao can’t leave his senate duties that early. The fight also could be held at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) campus arena, he said, though UNLV would have to move a scheduled basketball exhibition from the date. There were reports that Pacquiao might fight Adrien Broner, but Arum said he wanted the same money as Pacquiao, which was a non-starter. Another possible opponent would be Jesse Vargas, who fights for Top Rank, and holds a piece of the welterweight title. Pacquiao was off for nearly a year after losing in May 2015 to Floyd Mayweather Jr., healing from a shoulder injury. But he seemed reinvigorated after beating Brad- ley in April in a performance that received good reviews from most, including trainer Freddie Roach. “When I see Manny Pacquiao like that, this is the best Manny Pacquiao,” Roach said after the fight. “He hasn’t missed a beat. I would like to see him fight again.” Give blood. To schedule a blood donation call 1-800-G IVE-LIFE or visit HelpSaveALife.org. Become an online reader! 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