Michael and Michael are glad to have Andy Piper join in for this first fall episode of Games At Work, and start things off right with some AR and VR stories, an AR one from Fukushima Daiichi workers using smart glasses to conduct their work faster, and a VR one showcasing passthrough camera capabilities and Infinite Office integration.
Then, games. The new No Man’s Sky video is really impressive given the infinite number of worlds, which sparked a conversation on Spore. The celebratory Microsoft Flight Simulator video going back to the original original version, also provided a short trip down memory lane with a reminder about the Battlezone arcade game. My how far gaming has come in these last few years. Almost so far that someone might make a podcast focused on the technologies used for gaming, and how they are applicable to business. Hmm…
Turning to AI, the Toonify app gets the conversation going on how this AI model takes an ordinary headshot and makes it look like a cartoon character. See the show notes for the details and a link to try it out for yourself!
After a discussion about the new Ring indoor camera drone named Always Home Cam, which seems just such an apt description of everyone’s 2020, so not sure why one might need such drone, Michael R shares a very cool open source project called MeetingBar which allows you to easily launch the next virtual video meeting you are in directly from the top of your screen. And you know, you’re in at least a couple of such meetings every day!
Rounding off this episode with a futuristic bicycle helmet, replete with lights, and messaging capabilities, an awesome lightsaber design and the requisite LEGO builds (new wall mountable Batwing, and baby Yoda!), Andy, Michael and Michael wrap up this week’s conversation.
The team would love to know what you’re finding intriguing around the house, or around the web. Drop a line over on Twitter at @gamesatwork_biz and your topic may be on the agenda for next week’s episode!
Selected Links
NHK World-Japan article: Fukushima Daiichi workers use ‘smart glasses’ — https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200920_17/
Venture Beat article: Oculus Quest 2 getting Infinite Office with Logitech keyboard and adjustable passthrough — https://venturebeat.com/2020/09/20/oculus-quest-2-getting-infinite-office-with-logitech-keyboard-and-adjustable-passthrough/
Microsoft Bob — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Bob
No Man’s Sky Origins
— Sean Murray (@NoMansSky) September 23, 2020
Version 3.0
A huge update to the universe. Billions of new worlds to discover. Rich in variety with new flora & fauna. More detailed, vast and diverse than ever possible before.
Free – Out Now on PS4, XBox, VR & PC
Patch notes – https://t.co/YmUls1gIpD pic.twitter.com/04XURMcq2V
Spore — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spore_(2008_video_game)
The Verge article: This Microsoft Flight Simulator video highlights 40 years of PC gaming changes — https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/22/21450859/microsoft-flight-simulator-history-40-years-microsoft-ignite-video
Battlezone — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlezone_(1980_video_game)
The Verge article: Microsoft is acquiring Bethesda Softworks parent company ZeniMax — https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/21/21448877/microsoft-bethesda-softworks-zenimax-acquisition-xbox-game-pass-series-x
Gizmodo article: I Have Seen the Face of God — https://gizmodo.com/i-have-seen-the-face-of-god-1845133084
Justin Pinkney’s Toonify Yourself blog post — https://www.justinpinkney.com/toonify-yourself/
Toonify Yourself webpage — https://toonify.justinpinkney.com
This Person Does Not Exist — https://thispersondoesnotexist.com
Gizmodo article: Ring’s New Always Home Cam Is Actually An Indoor Spy Drone — https://gizmodo.com/rings-new-always-home-cam-is-actually-an-indoor-spy-dro-1845170272
MeetingBar — https://github.com/leits/MeetingBar
Fantastical — https://flexibits.com/fantastical
Calendar 366 — https://nspektor.com
TechCrunch article: The Lumos Matrix is the ideal urban bike helmet for a smarter, safer day trip — https://techcrunch.com/2020/09/21/the-lumos-matrix-is-the-ideal-urban-bike-helmet-for-a-smarter-safer-day-trip/
Gizmodo article: Star Wars: The High Republic’s Answer to Excalibur Is Exquisite — https://io9.gizmodo.com/star-wars-the-high-republics-answer-to-excalibur-is-ex-1845168113
Slashfilm article: Cool Stuff: New LEGO Batwing Set Lets You Build One of Batman’s Wonderful Toys — https://www.slashfilm.com/lego-batwing/
The Verge article: Lego is making a Baby Yoda set. and I love him already — https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2020/9/21/21449221/baby-yoda-lego-set-the-mandalorian
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Great show guys! Sorry I missed the recording.