Niantic is reversing bans on some 'Pokémon Go' accounts

But folks aggressively violating the app's terms of service will remain blocked.

Pokémon Go players who felt they were wrongly banned might get a reprieve. That's because developer Niantic has said that in its quest to block bots and data scrapers, some people who used third-party map apps to locate the virtual critters were wrongly blocked.

"Each end-user app can be used as a collection tool by the app creator, invisibly collecting and forwarding data to the app creator without the knowledge of the end user," Niantic writes. "These apps can have an effect similar to DDoS attacks on our servers."

The company says it's rearranged of few things in its back-end and can reverse bans on a "small subset" of accounts. That won't apply to accounts doing nothing but remotely accessing and capturing Pokemon, taking part in gym battles or grabbing supplies from Pokéstops. In fact, it sounds like bans for those terms-of-service-violating activities will become even more strict.

"Our main priority is to provide a fair, fun and legitimate experience for all players, so, aggressive banning will continue to occur for players who engage in these kinds of activities."

Source: Pokemon Go Live

Roku's next players reportedly deliver HDR, more 4K support

And get ready for a whole new Roku naming scheme.

If you held off on last year's Roku 4, the company's next batch of media players might be for you. The big upgrade this time around is the addition of HDR support in the high-end "Roku Ultra" and "Roku Premiere Plus" (which replaces the Roku 3), Zats Not Funny reports from a few leaks. And, as you can probably tell, it looks like Roku is giving up on its numbered naming scheme in exchange for something more obtuse (I'm already dreading explaining the differences to confused shoppers).

While the Roku 4 was last year's only model to include 4K support, it looks like the Premiere (replacing the Roku 2), Premiere Plus and Ultra models will all include it this year. That makes sense, now that 4K TVs are getting significantly cheaper. At the same time, it makes the argument for the company's highest end player harder to accept. The Ultra will reportedly be the only model to include optical out and a remote control finder, but it sounds like the Premiere Plus with HDR and 4K will be best buy for most.

On the low-end, the $50 Roku 1 will be replaced by the Roku Express and Express Plus. It's unclear what will differentiate these models, but I wouldn't be surprised to find faster processors than before and a voice-controlled remote in the Express Plus. And, as Zats mentions, these models will likely be the only ones to retain analog RCA ports for connecting to old TVs.

Source: Engadget