Episode 328 — Classic BMW

Brickit AR app for LEGO bricks, AI voices & immortality, Fibonacci, cooling PCs & t-shirts, cool NASA code and one cool Asgardian (Loki)

Andy, Michael and Michael assemble to consider a wide variety of topics in this week’s episode.  While on vacation, Michael M puts the Brickit iOS app from last week’s episode to the test with fantastic results.  Appropriate for the beach, he builds a LEGO sailboat from the app, and is helped to find the necessary pieces by the AR functionality.  

Turning to the world of AI, the co-hosts talk about the rapidly evolving AI voice actors, and how quickly they are sounding more and more natural in their inflection and cadence.  After a quick hit dealing with NaviLens, a new QR code type of communication, the trio unpacks the Windows patch for the PrintNightmare vulnerability.  Fractals, Fibonacci numbers and phi are all part of how cauliflower grows – have a look at the referenced Ars Technica article to learn more.  

Given the summer heat gripping many areas in the world, the next stories deal with cooling – hardware and software.  The hardware is a custom build that uses mechanical bellows to cool a PC – check out the video to see how.  The software deals with titanium dioxide nanoparticles embedded in polymer fibers to reflect photons away and generate a cooling effect of 3º C for a person wearing a vest made from these fibers.

In the automotive world, a business article highlights that analysts are thinking of car companies more as technology companies, complete with the associated valuation multiples.  Given the explosive growth expected in the race to provide to electric vehicles, this is not quite a surprise.  And Michael R found an article about the very cool Peugeot 9X8, a new hybrid hypercar that will race in the World Endurance Championship series.

Next up, space, the final coding frontier.  Michael, Michael and Andy take a look at the free catalog of NASA software that was developed as part of NASA’s space mission.  Take note that NASA is hosting a webinar on their software this Tuesday where you can ask questions and learn more about all the software available.  

On the subject of immortality enabled by AI, the Wall Street Journal covers this topic in a recent article.  Longtime Games At Work listeners will remember an intriguing discussion about this way back in 2012.  See the link to episodes 26 and 218 in the show notes below.  

Wrapping up this episode, the cohosts are getting excited about the next Alto’s Odyssey game, the next episode of Disney’s Loki and enjoys the Simpsons-Loki crossover.

Oh, and this week’s title is because 328 is an iconic BMW model, so of course the episode had to have that in the title.  Have an idea for an upcoming episode number you’d like to name?  A new and intriguing way that AR/VR/AI is being used?  Drop the Games At Work team a tweet and perhaps your story will find it’s way into the next episode.  Thanks for listening!  

Selected Links

Appropriately nautical themed first @LEGO_Group build using #brickitapp as discussed on last week’s @GamesAtWork_Biz podcast https://t.co/UsefOdfUpc pic.twitter.com/jKStSUJz3C

— Michael Martine (@carolinabigblue) July 7, 2021

MIT Technology Review article: AI voice actors sound more human than ever — and they’re ready to hire — https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/07/09/1028140/ai-voice-actors-sound-human/

BBC news article: The codes helping visually-impaired people shop —  https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57679943

The Verge article: Microsoft issues emergency Windows patch to fix critical ‘PrintNightmare’ vulnerability — https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/6/22565868/microsoft-printnightmare-windows-print-spooler-service-emergency-patch-hotfix

Ars Technica article: What fractals, Fionacci, and the golden ratio have to do with cauliflower — https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/07/what-fractals-fibonacci-and-the-golden-ratio-have-to-do-with-cauliflower/

Yanko Design article: World’s First DIY Breathing PC Uses Magnetic Bellows To Stay Cool — https://www.yankodesign.com/2021/07/05/worlds-first-diy-breathing-pc-uses-magnetic-bellows-to-stay-cool-watch-the-video/

Ars Technica article: New fabric passively cools whatever it’s covering — including you — https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/07/new-fabric-passively-cools-whatever-its-covering-including-you/

Barron’s article: GM Is a Tech Stock, and Its Valuation Could Soar.  Here’s Why. — https://www.barrons.com/articles/general-motors-is-tech-stock-51625779777

The Verge article: Peugeot reveals a wicked wingless hypercar — https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/6/22565547/peugeot-le-mans-hypercar-wec-endurance-sports-car

Slashgear article: NASA’s most popular free software was originally designed to enable space exploration — https://www.slashgear.com/nasas-most-popular-free-software-was-originally-designed-to-enable-space-exploration-03680950/

NASA Technology Transfer Program — https://software.nasa.gov 

NASA free webinar on the Technology Transfer program, July 13, 2021 — https://go.nasa.gov/3iPFX7l 

TechCrunch article: Can advertising scale in VR? — https://techcrunch.com/2021/07/08/can-advertising-scale-in-vr/

Boy Genius Report article: Be careful: Apple’s latest software update is bricking some HomePods — https://bgr.com/tech/be-careful-apples-latest-software-update-is-bricking-some-homepods/

Wall Street Journal article: Could AI Keep People ‘Alive’ After Death — https://www.wsj.com/articles/could-ai-keep-people-alive-after-death-11625317200 

Games At Work episode 26 — Business Process Management and Immortality — https://gamesatwork.biz/2012/11/04/episode26/ 

Games At Work episode 218 — Virtually Married — https://gamesatwork.biz/2018/11/26/episode-218-virtually-married/ 

Engadget article: ‘Alto’s Odyssey: The Lost City’ trailer previews the new urban backdrop — https://www.engadget.com/altos-odyssey-the-lost-city-apple-arcade-teaser-trailer-152416933.html

The Simpsons, The Good, the Bart and the Loki — https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-good-the-bart-and-the-loki/umc.cmc.23c8srvfp978rj3i3hp3itif3

Loki — https://disneyplusoriginals.disney.com/show/loki 

Daffy Duck — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daffy_Duck 

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