Episode 339 – Social Media Robots

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social media robot
Photo by Andrea De Santis on Unsplash

LEGO at work, personal laptops, Sinclair, games for mental health, Diablo II: Resurrected, social media surveillance and iOS15.

Michael and Michael start things off right, with a very tangible example of playing games at work.  More precisely, playing with LEGO sets at work, and the power of taking breaks.  After a remembrance of Clive Sinclair, and his electric vehicle, the co-hosts turn to mental health games.  Michael R play tested The Guardian, which offers the player quests to improve their mental health.  This is a similar game dynamic as Pokemon Go, which encourages outdoor exercise to advance the game.  After discussing The Guardian, Michael and Michael remember several other gamified ways to get things done, like SuperBetter, Chore Wars and Sneaky Cards.  

Staying on the games theme, Michael and Michael discuss Diablo II: Resurrected before turning to an interesting case before the Massachusetts Supreme Court dealing with social media surveillance.  

Wrapping things up for this week, Michael and Michael reflect on what’s in iOS 15 and what is still to come – specifically, SharePlay and Universal Control. 

There’s even more links in the extended remix section, including Gitamini, the robot that influenced the title of this episode.  Check ‘em out!   

Thanks for listening!

Selected Links

Zapier blog post: Why you should build LEGO sets at work — https://zapier.com/blog/lego-productivity/ 

IFTTT — https://ifttt.com 

the Verge article: Why you need a personal laptop — https://www.theverge.com/22671697/personal-laptop-work-security-privacy 

the Verge article: Clive Sinclair, inventor of the ZX Spectrum personal computer, has died — https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/18/22680955/clive-sinclair-home-computers-electric-vehicle-calculator 

Microlino — https://microlino-car.com/en/ 

Microletta — https://microlino-car.com/en/microletta 

Fast Company article: Most mental health apps don’t work as advertised. This one actually does — and it’s a video game — https://www.fastcompany.com/90666879/the-guardians-innovation-by-design-2021 

SuperBetter — https://www.superbetter.com 

Chore Wars — http://www.chorewars.com 

Sneaky Cards — https://sneakycards.com 

Ars Technica article: Diablo II: Resurrected impressions: Maybe not the best time to bring back evil — https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2021/09/diablo-ii-resurrected-impressions-an-uneasy-walk-through-old-remade-dungeons/ 

techdirt article: Massachusetts Supreme Court Being Asked To Decide Whether Cops Can Engage In Warrantless Surveillance of Social Media Users — https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20210911/16480747543/massachusetts-supreme-court-being-asked-to-decide-whether-cops-can-engage-warrantless-surveillance-social-media-users.shtml 

the Verge article: iOS 15 is here, but we’re still waiting on a few new features — https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/20/22684483/ios-15-announced-features-shareplay-airpods-universal-control 

Extended remix links for this week

the Verge article: How to put the Windows 11 Start menu back where it belongs — https://www.theverge.com/22684671/windows-11-microsoft-start-menu-how-to 

the Verge article: Gitamini is a cute, compact, cargo-carrying robot that will follow you around like a dog — https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/22/22685649/gita-gitamini-cargo-carrying-robot-piaggio 

Slashfilm article: Hannah Waddingham And Brett Goldstein Kick Off Ted Lasso Supremacy At The Emmys — https://www.slashfilm.com/609381/hannah-waddingham-and-brett-goldstein-kick-off-ted-lasso-supremacy-at-the-emmys/ 

Slashfilm article: The Problem With Jon Stewart Trailer: Jon Stewart Is Back On TV, Baby — https://www.slashfilm.com/611199/the-problem-with-jon-stewart-trailer-jon-stewart-is-back-on-tv-baby/ 

Slate article: Star Wars Has Figured Out Something Marvel Hasn’t — https://slate.com/culture/2021/09/star-wars-visions-disney-plus-review.html 

Slashfilm article: The Orville: New Horizons Gets Season 3 Release Date & Teaser Trailer — https://www.slashfilm.com/614169/the-orville-new-horizons-gets-season-3-release-date-teaser-trailer/ 

Slashfilm article: Avatar 2: Release Date, Cast, And More — https://www.slashfilm.com/615087/avatar-2-release-date-cast-and-more/ 

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Episode 338 — Flying Rabbit Ears

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jumping man in a rabbit costume
Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

conditions of carriage changes, Apple Watch chip, determining computer generated faces and TV antennas making a comeback

Michael and Michael start off with a ZD Net report about American Airline’s changes to the conditions of carriage, which spell out the contract between a passenger and the airline.  The recent updates are something else.  

Next up is an iMore article about the Apple Watch Series 7, and Michael R gives an interesting perspective on why it may be using the same chip as the Series 6.  Continuing on this theme, a discussion on the challenges of measuring blood pressure without a cuff, and what the future may hold with smartwatches.

Then, a short post about how computer generated faces can be easily identified.  The answer may surprise you.  And in the continuing cat and mouse game, this particular differentiator may be rapidly corrected.  

Rounding out this week’s episode is a short take on an article about Twitter Super Follows, one about why TV antennas are making a comeback now, and an advance look at the upcoming Hawkeye show.

Do you have a set of rabbit ears attached to your TV?  Let us know over at @gamesatwork_biz ! 

Thanks for listening!

Selected Links

ZD Net article: American Airlines just made a sneaky decision that may appall customers — https://www.zdnet.com/article/american-airlines-made-a-sneaky-decision-that-may-appall-customers/ 

iMore article: Apple Watch Series 7 shares the same chip as the current model — don’t expect a performance bump this time around — https://www.imore.com/apple-watch-series-7-shares-same-chip-current-model-dont-expect-performance-bump-time-around 

The Verge article: Why Smartwatch-Measured Blood Pressure Still Isn’t ‘Ready for Primetime’ — https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/16/22677381/smartwatch-blood-pressure-samsung-fitbit-apple 

Schneier on Security post: Identifying Computer-Generated Faces — https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2021/09/identifying-computer-generated-faces.html 

TechCrunch article: Twitter Super Follows has generated only around $6k+ in its first two weeks — https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/16/twitter-super-follows-has-generated-only-around-6k-in-its-first-two-weeks/ 

Wall Street Journal article: Why TV Antennas Are Making a Comeback in the Streaming Age — https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-tv-antennas-are-making-a-comeback-in-the-streaming-age-11631819804 

Slashfilm article: Hawkeye Trailer Breakdown: Christmas Comes With a Bow And Arrow — https://www.slashfilm.com/602433/hawkeye-trailer-breakdown-christmas-comes-with-a-bow-and-arrow/ 

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Episode 337 – Spark AI at Home

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electric blue light going into a home
Photo by Ihor Saveliev on Unsplash

smart home technology, AI in knowledge work, reverse deepfakes, & recordings, an AR Easter egg, and sparking joy with the new KonMari and New World games

Michael and Michael start off this week’s episode with stories about how to make your home smarter and easier.  First up is Home Depot’s app Hubspace which allow the user to scan the QR code on the packaging and control the devices without needing to set up a hub.  Next, the co-hosts discuss the new Logitech dock, which doubles as a speakerphone in addition to being a USB hub.  The Opal C1 webcam Michael M was thinking of has been added to the show notes below.

Turning to artificial intelligence, the pair have a number of articles to review.  Michael R had a chance to attend the recently held UNC School of Information and Library Science symposium on AI and Knowledge work, and the link to the contents & replays may be found below.  In a reverse deepfake twist, AI is used to make realistic humans out of characters from video games.  During the quick hit on the Tape It app, Michael and Michael discuss Apple’s Music Memos, which will be going away in iOS 15.  

Speaking of the next gen iOS, Apple’s California Streaming event is scheduled for Sept 14.  While the co-hosts resist the temptation to discuss what may be announced, they do spend a little time talking about the AR Easter egg embedded in the invitation.  Give it a try for yourself, following the instructions below.  Continuing on the apple theme for a few more minutes, the team discusses how Samsung is using apple peels to create eco-friendly watchbands.

The co-hosts then touch briefly on a few topics: new football/soccer statistics courtesy of AWS for the Bundesliga, the iconic VW microbus coming back in electric robotaxi form, a LEGO GameBoy transformer and a trailer for the upcoming Matrix movie.

Michael M cleans up with the newly announced KonMari game, and Michael R is excited to play the New World open beta.

What are you playing?  Let us know over at @gamesatwork_biz ! 

Thanks for listening!

Selected Links

The Verge article: Home Depot says its smart home app is for people who find the smart home space ‘intimidating’ — https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/4/22654623/home-depot-smart-home-amazon-alexa-google-home 

The Verge article: Logitech’s new dock is designed for a work from home world — https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/8/22662237/logitech-logi-dock-features-pricing-release-date

Cult of Mac article: Ex-Apple and Beats designers launch premium Opal C1 webcam for Mac — https://www.cultofmac.com/752124/ex-apple-and-beats-designers-launch-premium-opal-c1-webcam-for-mac/ 

Opal C1 — https://opalcamera.com 

UNC School of Information and Library Science AI and Knowledge Work symposium — https://tarheels.live/aikw2021/ 

Kotaku article: AI Gives Street Fighter Characters Human Faces — https://kotaku.com/ai-gives-street-fighter-characters-human-faces-1847594479 

TechCrunch article: Tape It launches an AI-powered music recording app for iPhone — https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/08/tape-it-launches-an-a-i-powered-music-recording-app-for-iphone/ 

Six Colors post: Apple’s “California Streaming” next week — https://sixcolors.com/post/2021/09/apple-will-be-california-streaming-on-sept-14/ 

Cult of Mac article: How to see the AR Easter egg hidden in Apple’s September 14 event invite — https://www.cultofmac.com/751846/how-to-see-the-ar-easter-egg-in-apples-september-14-event-invite/ 

The Verge article: Samsung releases eco-friendly watchbands made from apple peel — https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/10/22666328/samsung-eco-friendly-sustainable-limited-edition-galaxy-watch-4-bands 

ZDNet article: AWS bringing two new advanced statistics to German Bundesliga broadcasts for upcoming season — https://www.zdnet.com/article/aws-bringing-two-new-advanced-statistics-to-german-bundesliga-broadcasts-for-upcoming-season/ 

The Verge article: VW is reviving its iconic microbus as an electric robotaxi — https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/6/22659306/vw-autonomous-id-buzz-reveal-argo-iaa

The Matrix Resurrections Official Trailer 1 — https://www.whatisthematrix.com 

The Nerdist article: LEGO Game Boy Robot Is One Cool Transformer — https://nerdist.com/article/lego-nintendo-game-boy-robot-transformer/ 

KonMari Spark Joy! — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/konmari-spark-joy/id1557213958 

New World open beta — https://steamcommunity.com/app/1724660 

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Episode 336 — Pancaking Robots

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robot talking about pancakes
Composite photos from  수안 최 on Unsplash & Ariana Suárez on Unsplash

cargo ship canal drifting, drones that crash & get crashed into, co-designing rooms with Pancake, NFTs and the quantum tick tocks of clocks.

Michael and Michael start of this week’s episode with an interesting game that reminded Michael M of Desert Bus.  While there is nothing in the article or Steam game description of Whatever being a real time simulator, it’s fun to imagine that there might be a gameplay mode like Desert Bus.  Whatever allows you to take on the role of a cargo ship captain, and chart a course through increasing difficult rivers and canals, inspired by the Ever Given.

The co-hosts then deal with drones that crash into planes, and humans that crash into robots.  In the first story, a York Regional Police drone struck a Cessna coming in for a landing in Toronto.  In the second story, a driver clipped a Starship Technologies autonomous delivery robot that was attempting to cross an intersection.

A listener tweet from @Lxs inspires an interesting NFT conversation.  Michael R links this back to the hype cycle discussion from last week’s episode.  Michael M envisions exotic financial instruments based on NFTs.

Pancake provides furniture-as-a-service, linking consumers with designers to design their space in real time.  After uploading a room’s dimensions and scheduling a time, the client co-creates their space with the Pancake designer and can buy the furnishings with a single click at the end of their work.

Quanta Magazine quotes Dr. Gerard Milburn from the University of Queensland in Australia “A clock is a flow meter for entropy,” in an article outlining what clocks are, and what makes them tick (so to speak).  The relationship between entropy and accuracy is intriguing, as is the the example of a clock composed of three entangled atoms.

Rounding out the episode are stories about the new Philips Hue lights and Bud Light’s new hard seltzer flavors which include pumpkin spice as well as toasted marshmallow, maple pear and apple crisp.

Do you have a favorite seltzer flavor?  Let us know over at @gamesatwork_biz ! 

Thanks for listening!

Selected Links

Axios article: Finally, a video game about the Ever Given — https://www.axios.com/ever-given-video-game-8a884f1c-4153-47a7-858f-2c457d41e69f.html 

Whatever — https://store.steampowered.com/app/1734230/WHATEVER/ 

Desert Bus — https://desertbus.org 

MIT Technology Review — https://www.technologyreview.com/newsletter-preferences/ 

Persuasive Games — http://bogost.com/games/persuasive_games_1/  

Episode 17 — Things are weirder than expected with Ian Bogost — https://gamesatwork.biz/2012/08/26/episode-17-things-are-weirder-than-expected/ 

Gizmodo article: This Touchscreen Coffee Table Makes Digital Board Games a Blast — https://gizmodo.com/this-touchscreen-coffee-table-makes-digital-board-games-1847496122 

Techdirt article: Canadian Cops Blow Off Drone Operations Laws, Crash Their Drone Into A Landing Airplane — https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20210824/19471947428/canadian-cops-blow-off-drone-operation-laws-crash-their-drone-into-landing-airplane.shtml 

The Verge article: The time a human-driven car ran over an autonomous robot — https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/1/22652980/starship-delivery-robot-kentucky-car-accident 

Gizmodo article: Philips Hue Want to Put a Smart Light in Every Room in Your House — https://gizmodo.com/philips-hue-wants-to-put-a-smart-light-in-every-room-in-1847593336 

Pancake aims to make customers flip for its virtual home design platform — https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/02/pancake-aims-to-make-customers-flip-for-its-virtual-home-design-platform/ 

Pancake — https://www.pancake.live 

IKEA Place — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ikea-place/id1279244498 

Quanta Magazine article: The New Thermodynamic Understanding of Clocks — https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-new-science-of-clocks-prompts-questions-about-the-nature-of-time-20210831/ 

CNN Business article: Bud Light is launching a pumpkin spice spiked seltzer — https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/31/business/pumpkin-spice-bud-light-seltzer/index.html 

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