ICYME: Pokémon GO-ing live, the new Iron (Wo)man, Durant the Warrior

Our weekly roundup, ICYME, is back and this week some of the biggest news includes the resurgence of Pokémon thanks to a new augmented-reality game, two new Iron Mans…

• Gotta catch ’em all (once they officially get here though). At this point we’re wondering if you live under a rock, but in case you haven’t heard, there’s a new game called Pokémon GO and it’s making everyone go crazy over it. And while it isn’t officially available in the Philippines yet, this AR-based game has caught the attention of MMDA for the dangers it could pose. Here’s a primer on what it’s all about and where you can “catch rare Pokémon.” The last one is more a fun jab at where these creatures can be most likely found in the Philippines.

• Catching all the viruses. If you’ve been impatient, you may have installed a third-party APK that allowed you to play Pokémon GO even if it hasn’t launched here yet. There have been bad rumors circulating around. Niantic, the game’s developer has been speculated to be banning devices themselves when found with the illegal app. Also, sources indicate that the installer may have been putting in keyloggers and malware behind your back.

• Two new Iron Mans? It was announced earlier this week that badass 15-year-old M.I.T. scholar Riri Williams will be taking the reigns of Tony Stark as Iron Man (name might have to change for obvious reasons) following the events that happened to and around Tony in Civil War II. She was first introduced in Invincible Iron Man #6 and we see her working on a prototype suit of armor that resembles Iron Man’s suit. But aside from that, it looks like Dr. Doom will also be donning the Iron Man suit for a new comic called Infamous Iron Man.

• Freedom of Information executive order expected release is next week. Looking to mend fences with the media and perhaps even hoping to influence his counterparts in Congress and the judiciary, President Rodrigo Duterte said last night they want to “hurry up the process” and put the FOI EO in place by next week. Having this in place would require agencies under the executive branch to disclose details of their transactions, except for those related to sensitive data or those related to security.

• Take a gander at the gorgeous new Aston Martin hypercar. The AM-RB 001 is what you get when Aston Martin collaborates with Red Bull Racing’s genius engineer and Formula One legend Adrian Newey. It’s basically a road-legal F1 car but with a 1,000hp V12 engine. Of course, it works beautifully on track, too. And it won’t just be a concept vehicle as Aston Martin plans to release 150 road cars and 25 track-only limited edition models in the future, each going for around £2 or £3 million, which according to Google is around P122- or P183-million.

• Kevin Durant becomes a Warrior. Reminiscent of President Duterte’s indecision with the presidency, Kevin Durant’s short stint in free agency was one filled with  negotiation rumors and team speculation. Even during the Thunder’s last game of the season, the world wondered whether this was the last we’ve seen of Durant as part of the Thunder. All those rumors came to a close when Durant himself announced that he has moved to the 73-win Golden State Warriors, replacing the departing Harrison Barnes in the small forward position.

• No Man’s Sky finishes production (finally). It’s been years since we were introduced to the massive concept of No Man’s Sky. The space exploring RPG features so many planets (18 quintillion, in fact) that it will take five billion years just to explore them all. After its initial announcement, its release date has been delayed for so many times that it’s only this week that Hello Games has finally announced that No Man’s Sky is ready for shipping with a final release date this August.

• Gilas Pilipinas falls, but wins the hearts of fans. It was our last chance to enter the Rio Olympics. Held right here in Manila, the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament features some of the strongest teams and players to duke it out in the court. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the country’s lucky day as the team lost its first two matchups against France and New Zealand, which guaranteed elimination in the first round. Despite crushing defeats, San Antonio Spurs superstar and France player Tony Parker has praised the team for putting up a good fight against one of the world’s strongest teams.