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Pokemon Go: Have you caught the fever? (The 3:59, Ep. 75)

On our big 75th episode, we talk about the phenomenon that is Pokemon Go, and we discuss Amazon's Prime Day.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
Expertise Mobile, 5G, Big Tech, Social Media Credentials
  • SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
See full bio
Ben Fox Rubin Former senior reporter
Ben Fox Rubin was a senior reporter for CNET News in Manhattan, reporting on Amazon, e-commerce and mobile payments. He previously worked as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal and got his start at newspapers in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
See full bio
Joan E. Solsman Former Senior Reporter
Joan E. Solsman was CNET's senior media reporter, covering the intersection of entertainment and technology. She's reported from locations spanning from Disneyland to Serbian refugee camps, and she previously wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. She bikes to get almost everywhere and has been doored only once.
Expertise Streaming video, film, television and music; virtual, augmented and mixed reality; deep fakes and synthetic media; content moderation and misinformation online Credentials
  • Three Folio Eddie award wins: 2018 science & technology writing (Cartoon bunnies are hacking your brain), 2021 analysis (Deepfakes' election threat isn't what you'd think) and 2022 culture article (Apple's CODA Takes You Into an Inner World of Sign)
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Roger Cheng
Ben Fox Rubin
Joan E. Solsman
Hitoshi Yamada/Getty Images
Watch this: Pokemon Go: Have you caught the fever? (The 3:59, Ep. 75)

Have you caught them all?

Pokemon Go launched last week, and it's a legitimate phenomenon, with people taking "Pokewalks" around their neighborhoods to find the digital monsters and power-ups on their phone. Nintendo and its developer partner, Niantic, have struggled to keep up with demand from players, with server outages and app crashes a frequent occurrence. But that hasn't dampened enthusiasm for the game.

It's the first instance where augmented reality, which overlays digital images on top of the real world, has been wedded to a pop culture icon.

When not talking about our sad number of Pokemon caught, we also talk about Amazon's Prime Day and what our ideal Prime Day discounted items would be. Either way, be prepared for a slew of deals come Tuesday.

The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about the top stories of the day, brought to you by CNET Executive Editor Roger Cheng, Senior Writer Ben Fox Rubin and Producer Bryan VanGelder.

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