e379 – Jedi Patents

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Photo by Eric & Niklas on Unsplash

In this week’s @GamesAtWork_biz episode, the complete set of co-hosts (Michael, Andy & Michael) get back together to talk games, technology and more.  Starting things off with an iOS 16 enhancement to show sports scores on the iPhone lock screen spins up a discussion about UX, and of course, not wanting to know live scores of a game that you intend to watch on delay later.  

Then the team turns to a massively multiminifig version of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant built entirely out of LEGO in just nine days. Check out the show notes below for the article, and the video of this amazing build.  Check out the illuminated light sabers.  Andy notes that the London LEGO store has reclaimed the title for being the largest LEGO store on this planet.

Next up, is a story about VR representations of universities in the metaverse, and the co-hosts have a good conversation about the meaning of a digital twin.  Then, following up on a continuing story about AI, a US federal circuit court confirms that an AI cannot be a patent author.  Michael R remembers Accelerando by Charles Stross, and how patents feature in this sci-fi story.  Sticking with the AI subject matter, the team then reflects on DALL-E2 with it’s basketball playing llamas, touches on search engines and wraps up with a squirrel robbing an avatar.

What metaversity might you want to apply to? Would you get a minifig with a “metauniversity” top?  Drop us a line at @gamesatwork_biz and let us know! 

Selected Article Links

MacRumors article: iOS 16 Will Show Live Scores from NBA, MLB, and Premier League Games on iPhone Lock Screen

Nerdist article: Watch LEGO Builders Create a Massive Star Wars Jedi Temple Diorama

Brick Fanatics article: LEGO Store Leicester Square reopens today as world’s biggest store

DigitalTrends article: ‘Metaversities’ let you attend digital twins of real-world college campuses in VR

Rolls Royce article: How Digital Twin technology can enhance Aviation

The Verge article: AI systems can’t patent inventions, US federal circuit court confirms

Games at Work e359 – Speak Friend & Enter (for AI copyright discussion)

Accelerando by Charles Stross

Towards AI blog post: I spent $15 in DALL-E2 credits creating this AI image, and here’s what I learned

LEGO Wall-e 

Fast Company article: Is Reddit a better search engine than Google?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 41:00 — 47.1MB) | Embed

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e378 – Lionesses Win!

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Photo by Alexander Grigoryev on Unsplash

Congratulations on England’s Lionesses win, mapping trains (unless your GPS is jammed), who is really building the Metaverse? and, happy 40 years to the Commodore 64. Plenty of discussions between Andy and Michael R this week!

Follow-ups and travels

Michael admits that his prediction of which team would win the Women’s EURO 2022 was wrong, and congratulates England’s women footballers! Moving swiftly along, we thank Alexis for his contribution of how far you can travel by train in 5 hours in Europe; and then look at another Tweet, showing maps of where GPS is being jammed or restricted.

Metaversal musings

We take our regular look into all things Metaverse and consider the lovely Ellisland Farm, home of Scots poet Robert Burns, recreated in Minecraft; talk about how the US Military are contributing to the development of a global-scale digital twin for the Metaverse; and wonder whether the VMA’s “Best Metaverse Performance” has anything to do with the Metaverse at all…

Scientific breakthroughs, and a look back in time

In a short segment dedicated to the absent Michael M, the team stop to talk about a story about researchers using spider-based technology for some pretty cool micro-hydraulics!

To wrap up, there’s a look at teeny tiny emulations of 8-bit computers in the browser, and a shout-out to the mighty Commodore 64 on its 40th anniversary. There’s an Itch bundle to pick up, if you feel like celebrating with us!

Finally: will you be watching the new LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation on Disney+? Make sure to Tweet, and tell the good folks at Disney about our podcast!

Selected Article Links

England win UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 (Wikipedia)

How far can you go by train in 5h in Europe (via @Lxs on Twitter)

GPS Jamming

Ellisland Farm in Minecraft

VentureBeat: The U.S. Army, not Meta, is building the metaverse

VMAs Best Metaverse Performance (via Whatleydude on LinkedIn)

  • 1999 – David Bowie’s virtual world

CBS on Twitter – Researchers have turned dead spiders into necrobotic grippers

Tiny 8-bit Emulators

40 Years of C64 Bundle (via @C64Month on Twitter)

Disney+: Star Wars Summer Vacation

Bonus link: Retrotastic

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:42 — 35.3MB) | Embed

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e377 — Stray Cat Strut

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Photo by Tuna on Unsplash

It’s a lot of feline fun with Stray; wearables, but maybe not for extreme weather (?); retail crossovers from physical to virtual and back; and, exciting upcoming movies and TV shows.

Cats

Andy and Michael R talk about game of the moment, Stray (on PC/Steam, and PlayStation), and then take a musical detour back to the early 80s. Andy has shared some spoiler-free screenshots from his Steam Deck playthrough on Twitter.

Screenshots from Stray

Stray Cat Strut isn’t available on Apple Music in the UK, but we got you with links to Spotify as well.

Something went wrong…

Wearables

There’s a discussion of the news that a UK football club plans to monitor fan emotions via supporter scarves with fitness sensors – let’s hope the weather is more appropriate than it has been in recent weeks… 🔥☀️🔥

Retail

We take a tour of Apple Stores of yesteryear, and also look at the new LEGO Minifigure Factory – if you customize a minifig, send us a photo!

Can YOU order from Minifigure Factory? We can’t! (yet)

Entertainments

The final part of the conversation covers a lot of San Diego ComicCon announcements, with all the latest movies and TV shows that caught our attention.

A handy list of comic book movies…

As always, check out all the links below, and let us know what you think in the comments, or on Twitter!

Selected Article Links

WaPo: ‘Stray,’ a game in which you play as a cute cat, is a meow-sterpiece

Mashable: Cats watching cats on Twitter

Music: “Stray Cat Strut” on Apple Music US, and on Spotify

The Verge: Manchester City is making a smart scarf

9to5 Mac: Apple Store Time Machine app transports you to four iconic locations

The Verge: LEGO’s new Minifigure Factory lets you create a minifig of yourself

SlashFilm: The New Dungeons & Dragons Poster Features Art From The Wrong Roleplaying Game

Jason Coon Tweet – links to upcoming movies

TV Line: Mythic Quest S3 Teaser

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 39:22 — 45.2MB) | Embed

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e376 – Corporate Sharks

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Corporate Sharks by Flying Fish Games
Corporate Sharks by Flying Fish Games

In this week’s @GamesAtWork_biz episode, Michael & Michael welcome special guest Halldor Sigurdson of @FlyingFishGamin to discuss an upcoming new game entitled Corporate Sharks.  Check it out on https://www.flyingfish.games/corporatesharks 

Michael and Michael welcome special guest Halldor Sigurdson of Flying Fish Games to the Games At Work podcast this week.  This episode is all about games, making games, and the fun and games thereof.  Halldor shares what it’s like to design, playtest, market and achieve worldwide renown with making games.  A specific focus on the pre-kickstarter game entitled Corporate Sharks gets a great deal of attention.

Michael, Michael & Halldor

What are your favorite games? Drop us a line at @gamesatwork_biz and let us know! 

Selected Article Links

Flying Fish Games’ Corporate Sharks

The Game Crafter

Diplomacy 

Some of Halldor’s favorite games

Vindication on Kickstarter

Orange Nebula’s Vindication (currently sold out)

Moonrakers on Kickstarter

IV Studio’s Moonrakers 

Moonraker, the James Bond movie (not a game – just a random link)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:14 — 48.5MB) | Embed

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