Subscription start-up services from non-startups, Memojis & Sim-ifying avatars, assisted reality, letterlocking, Epic games, @TedLasso ’s mustache & @colbertlateshow ’s 20 year cinematic celebration of LoTR Fellowship of the Ring #1Trilly
This week’s episode begins with a story about Toyota’s subscription service for remote start. Toyota cars that are 2018 or newer will require a monthly subscription after the free trial is over for the fob to trigger the remote start. The length of the trial period depends on which audio package was installed in the vehicle.
Next up is a continuation of the Apple rumors, with the ‘hiding in plain sight’ evidence of Memoji, SharePlay and spatial audio to show how the state of the art set of technology can be unified in an augmented or virtual space. The recent addition of arms to Memoji stickers coupled with the advances in the TrueDepth and LiDAR cameras could point to where things are going. EA secures a patent for ‘simifying’ people to more easily facilitate getting an avatar set up that looks like the player. Oppo showcases their new Air Glass ‘assisted reality’ monocle which magnetically (MagSafe, anyone?) to a metal glasses frame.
What’s letterlocking and spiral locking, you say? Have a look at the show notes below and experience the intricate efforts to ensure that there would be zero chance of paper packet sniffers in the 16th century.
Games abound in this episode. First up is battle Scrabble, otherwise known as Babble Royale, which Andy approvingly notes begins with a letter parachuting onto a Scrabble board. Then, the co-hosts turn their attention to Epic’s 15 game giveaway, which starts with Shenmue III.
Wrapping up this week’s episode are a couple of short videos well worth watching. Fans of Ted Lasso well know the main character’s trademark mustache as much as his folksy sayings. This stop-action Christmas special has all the characters working together (kind of) to find his missing facial hair. And, Stephen Colbert, the major Tolkien fan that he is, celebrates the 20th anniversary of Fellowship of the Ring motion picture debut with an amazing rap. Aglar melyanna menal!, which is Elvish for “brilliance dear gift from the heavens”.
What starts you up and gets you going? Could it be Tolkien? Let us know over at @gamesatwork_biz !
Thanks for listening!
Selected Links
The Verge article: Toyota is going to make you pay to start your car with your key fob — https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/12/22831105/toyota-subscription-remote-start-key-fob
AutoBlog article: Toyota’s key-fob remote-start function will require a subscription fee — https://www.autoblog.com/2021/12/13/toyota-remote-start-subscription-key-fob/
MacWorld article: 3 features that prove Apple’s headset is hiding right in front of our eyes — https://www.macworld.com/article/558669/ar-vr-headset-animoji-shareplay-spatial-audio.html
Use Memoji on your iPhone or iPad Pro — https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208986
SimsCommunity article: EA wants to introduce a new way of creating characters in The Sims — https://simscommunity.info/2021/12/16/ea-wants-to-introduce-a-new-way-of-creating-characters-in-the-sims/
The Verge article: Swift Playgrounds 4 is live on the App Store — https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/15/22838251/apple-swift-playgrounds-4-ipad-apps-coding-xcode
The Verge article: Oppo announces Air Glass ‘assisted reality’ device — https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/14/22833796/oppo-air-glass-ar-glasses-announced-china-release-date
Digital Trends article: Find N, Air Glass, MariSilicon X NPU, and everything announced at Oppo Inno Day 2021 — https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/oppo-inno-day-2021-everything-announced-day-1-2/
NPR article: Experts crack the secret to last letter of Mary, Queen of Scots before her execution — https://www.npr.org/2021/12/14/1062790520/mary-queen-of-scots-letterlocking-spiral-lock
The Verge article: Babble Royale turns Scrabble into Fortnite — https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/16/22839745/babble-royale-scrabble-fortnite
The Verge article: Epic is giving away 15 free games during its holiday sale, and the first is Shenmue III — https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/16/22840143/epic-games-store-holiday-sale-free-games-coupon-shenmue-iii-3
Slashfilm article: Ted Lasso Loses His Mustache In A Stop-Motion Animated Christmas Short — Watch It Now — https://www.slashfilm.com/708754/ted-lasso-loses-his-mustache-in-a-stop-motion-animated-christmas-short-watch-it-now/
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Such a fun episode, Michael & Andy! Loved your discussion on Life by You.