Apps

Here’s why Pokémon Go isn’t available in your country yet

Published

July 11, 2016

Monch Lopez

Pokémon Go has captured the interest of the world, and now it seems the augmented-reality mobile game from developer Niantic Labs and Nintendo has become too popular for its own good.

The always-online game, which is currently the most-downloaded and top-grossing app in U.S., has proved so popular that it has caused sign-up difficulties and server outages, leaving many players frustrated and miffed at not being able to play it some more.

But it turns out the biggest impact of Pokémon Go’s meteoric rise to fame and fortune — think $1.6 million per day in the U.S. App Store alone, according to one analyst — will be felt by those who are still waiting to play it.

Speaking to Business Insider, Niantic CEO John Hanke said the international release of Pokémon Go has been “paused until we’re comfortable.” That means folks outside Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. will have to wait indefinitely before living out their dreams of becoming a pokemon trainer in the real world.

We feel you, Pikachu

Of course, launch-day hiccups are nothing new to online games, but Hanke says the number of people playing the game was much higher than they anticipated. “We thought the game would be popular, but it obviously struck a nerve,” he added.

That’s rather unsettling hear, especially since Go is one of the most promising titles to bear the Pokémon license in recent years — and it’s free-to-play and available on both the iPhone and Android. And then there’s this promo reel that made our hair stand on end.

It looks as if we’ll have to wait a long time before Go reaches a global audience. But it may be worth the wait once it matures a bit, like a pokémon evolving into a powerful new form.

Regardless, we highly advise you against getting it from an unofficial source, as doing so may cause you more headache than you’re willing to deal with.

For the curious and daring, our sources in Malaysia and Indonesia tell us the game is working fine in their respective countries. Some people in the U.K. have reported the same thing after manually installing it onto their Android devices. If you’ve had the same luck, do let us know in the comments below.

[irp posts=”7981″ name=”How to catch Ditto in Pokémon Go”]

Source: Business Insider

Apps

Netflix suddenly resurrects 30-day free trials

It’s available only in some countries.

Published

July 13, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Over the weekend, a report emerged about Disney+ allegedly considering a new tier offered to users for absolutely free. Apparently, Disney isn’t the only one. Netflix is now resurrecting its free trial program in select countries.

Back in the day, it was easy to get into Netflix. With a 30-day free trial, you can watch the shows you’ve always wanted to catch. If you liked what you saw, you can pay the monthly fee to access the entire library without constraints. Eventually, the platform got rid of this system to favor a cheaper ad-supported tier.

Perhaps not seeing the benefits of ad-supported tiers, Netflix has suddenly resurrected its free trial program. Spotted online (via Android Authority), some countries, including Brazil and India, are experimenting with the program again. New users can get 30 days of free Netflix access.

Because only regular users are spotting this (rather than an official announcement), we don’t have a list of where the free trials are available.

Still, it’s an interesting move. Cable isn’t a thing anymore so “cutting the cable” isn’t a popular phrase anymore, but people are definitely cancelling subscriptions over rising prices. Some even rely on short clips from YouTube to catch up with their shows. Having a free trial opens up more possibilities for users, but it remains to be seen whether it’s enough for users to return to Netflix.

Apps

Disney+ might get a free tier

What would you like to see in a free Disney+ tier?

Published

July 13, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

In a world disappointingly obsessed with increasing prices beyond our means, Disney+ has miraculously remembered the phrase, “free sample.” According to a report, the streaming platform is considering making a free subscription tier.

As of late, it’s been difficult to maintain a healthy collection of streaming services. When you have to pay the equivalent of a full-course meal every month for just a single platform, you start to evaluate which ones really matter.

Perhaps feeling the sting of users leaving the platform over pricing, Disney+ is reportedly experimenting with a tier that comes at no cost to users (via Business Insider). According to two sources, adding such a tier might help the platform reach customers more.

Now, it’s still a mystery how this tier might work. Disney+ already offers an ad-supported tier, so it’s unlikely to be another one like that.

One possibility is a heavily curated feed of content either designed specifically for free users or limited exactly to give users a free sample. For the latter, think of the limited content you get on a plane. Sure, you might get the first three episodes of The Mandalorian, but you’ll have to fork over cash if you want to see the rest of the story.

And for the former, you can imagine short-form content available for free. Going back to Star Wars, you might see a short anthology series like Star Wars: Visions.

Either way, it’s an interesting concept. If the tier does offer full content, it’s a great way to get into franchises you were thinking of trying without the need to spend for a taste.

Apps

WhatsApp will introduce usernames to hide your phone number

Hide your number from others.

Published

June 30, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

WhatsApp is about to get an extra later of protection. After thriving on number-based chatting, the platform will soon add usernames, eliminating the need to share your number with strangers.

Usernames are the standard way of maintaining your anonymity online. Though most platforms today require users to log their email addresses or phone numbers, establishing a username can prevent other users from seeing this information way too easily.

Today, Meta has started rolling out reservations for WhatsApp usernames. The feature itself isn’t available yet, but early adopters can grab theirs as soon as the setting becomes available on their app.

To access the reservation, users can go to Settings > Account > Username. Of note, this isn’t available for everyone yet. But if you want to take dibs on a specific name, be on the lookout for the setting.

As for the username itself, users can reserve anything as long as it’s unique. Business owners and creators can also use their Facebook or Instagram handles as their WhatsApp usernames.

The feature, once it launches, will stop users from accessing your phone number when messaging. Similarly, other users will now need your exact username to start a conversation. Users can also set a separate code to protect conversations further.