Even PokémonGo Can’t Stop The Internet

I’m sure you all know what Pokémon Go is (#TeamValor). And i’m sure you’re just as upset as everyone else about yesterday’s update. But fret not, the internet always find a way.

If by some social miracle you don’t quite see what i’m getting at, then here’s some context for you. Yesterday Niantic (the company that developed Pokémon Go) pushed an update to their viral game that would not only remove the feature which allowed users to see how far away pokémon were, but also changed the way the GPS worked with the application, effectively disabling all third party GPS pokéfinders; like POKEVISION (pictured left). Real bummer this was, as the in-game feature was bugged; and apps like POKEVISION served as a helpful alternative. With this update Niantic and Pokémon were saying that “not only do we not support 3rd party applications that use GPS to show the spawnpoints of pokémon, but we ourselves will no longer offer helpful tips as to the whereabouts of pokeémon spawns”. The internet did not take this well. A wealth of refunds, uninstalls and complaints ensued directly after. Users complained that they made purchases with expectations of the application function in a specific way, and refunds were actually granted. But amidst the anger, Pokémon Go remained the ‘Top Free’ app in both Apple’s App Store and in Google’s Play Store. Enter Smart Poke V2.

Working directly through Google Maps, Smart Poke V2 works perfectly despite Niantic’s recent update. It even allows you to filter out any pokemon you are sick of seeing (cough* Rattata & Pidgey cough*) All you need is the app, and a valid PTC (Pokemon Trainer Club) profile. As soon as I installed it, I found a Dodrio right down the street from my house. Was it cheating? Felt like it, but this is just further confirmation and the unstoppable force that is the internet will not yield… well that and people are REALLY getting sick of Rattas and Pidgeys.