Episode 301 — Grinch Bots

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green frowny faced robot
Photo by Alejandro Mendoza on Unsplash

Andy, Michael and Michael start off this episode with Apple’s new sky blue AirPods Max and Fitness+ service.  The power of effectively combining hardware and services is quite evident in Apple’s recent offerings.  The discussion turns to a possible future where Fitness+ becomes an app store for fitness services, much like the music learning services that enabled on GarageBand from artists such as John Legend and Ben Folds, but even more so because of how the iPhone could help determine proper positioning and form with the cameras and LiDAR.

The conversation then turns to Grinch Bots, and the various defenses against them.  The Cnet article describes such bots as those that buy up the available supply of the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S gaming consoles as soon as they are available on retailer websites.  Identifying which square has a stoplight or a crosswalk is not enough of a defense against these bots, and different retailers are trying other actions to thwart them.  There is even legislation being considered in the UK on this subject.

Speaking of games & gaming platforms, you can play version of Doom using the Pico-8 emulator, or stretch your mind even more with a quantum version of chess that makes use of superposition and entanglement of pieces.  Have a look at the show notes below to learn more.

Michael, Michael and Andy touch on the upcoming Dungeons and Dragons movie, and that conversation led to a point about Rona Jaffe’s novel Mazes and Monsters.  As it turned out, there was actual a made for television film based on Mazes and Monsters in 1982.

AR examples in this episode include a restaurant in China, and bringing Grougu to your desktop courtesy of Google.  

What are your favorite holiday movies?  Drop the Games at Work team a line on Twitter to @gamesatwork_biz and share!

Selected Links

AirPods Max – Sky Blue — https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-airpods/airpods-max/sky-blue 

iMore article: There’s an Apple Watch hidden in your AirPods Max and it’s very Apple — https://www.imore.com/theres-apple-watch-hidden-your-airpods-max-and-its-very-apple 

The Verge article: Apple Fitness Plus is now available — https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/14/22174574/apple-fitness-plus-watch-iphone-release-date-price 

Apple Fitness+ — https://www.apple.com/apple-fitness-plus/ 

Apple Support article: GarageBand Learn to Play — https://www.apple.com/shop/help/downloadable_software#Learn 

Cnet article: Walmart doesn’t want bots to snag your new PS5 or Xbox Series X — https://www.cnet.com/news/walmart-doesnt-want-bots-to-snag-your-new-ps5-or-xbox-series-x/ 

Metro article: UK politicians suggest new law to stop PS5 and Xbox Series X scalpers — https://metro.co.uk/2020/12/16/uk-politicians-suggest-new-law-to-stop-ps5-and-xbox-series-x-scalpers-13761482/

PC Gamer article: Poom is a pixelated 1980s version of Doom you can play right now — https://www.pcgamer.com/au/amp/poom-is-a-pixelated-1980s-version-of-doom-you-can-play-right-now/ 

ArsTechnica article: We have a winner in the world’s first quantum chess tournament — https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/12/we-have-a-winner-in-the-worlds-first-quantum-chess-tournament/ 

Schneier on Security blog: Zodiac Killer Cipher Solved — https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2020/12/zodiac-killer-cipher-solved.html 

San Francisco Chronicle article: Zodiac Killer and the ‘340 Cipher’: Our reporter answers your questions — https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Zodiac-Killer-and-the-340-Cipher-Our-15815153.php 

The Verge article: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Review: A Folding Screen Filled With Potential — https://www.theverge.com/22175087/lenovo-thinkpad-x1-fold-review 

The Verge TL;DR article: Baby Yoda can live on your desk thanks to AR and Google Search — https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2020/12/17/22187717/baby-yoda-google-search-ar-star-wars-grogu-the-child 

Slashfilm article: New ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Movie Will Star Chris Pine — https://www.slashfilm.com/dungeons-and-dragons-movie-chris-pine/

Rona Jaffe’s Mazes and Monsters — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazes_and_Monsters

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Episode 300 — Never Gonna Give (You) Up

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sign: never give up
Photo by Thirdman from Pexels

Michael and Michael get together to record the three hundredth episode of Games At Work, starting off the show with an article focusing on Arthur, a new VR app for the socially distant to connect in a 3D space, which uses sunglasses and virtual limbs on the avatars.  These features remind the co-hosts of Men In Black, the typing animation in Second Life and Phantom Limb from the Venture Bros.

Combining the virtual with the physical, Quell has designed a gauntlet to provide a boxing/martial arts experience that looks to have some very interesting applications beyond the gaming applications.  Moving to the world of physics, the co-hosts take a look at a wearable means to harvest energy to power other wearables from breathing and human motion.  Speaking of wearables, Michael and Michael take another look at the Amazon Halo band and consider the Washington Post’s article saying that it is the most invasive tech ever.  Staying on the privacy theme for another article, they then discuss Apple’s strategy for “nutrition labels” to make plain what is being done with the data created, stored and used in an app.  

3D printing homes and the physics of sandcastles bring back memories of the drip method of sandcastle construction.  Each of these construction examples are innovative in their own right.

Unsurprisingly, Rick Astley continues to capture the attention of many, and on Reddit, he has the post of the year, and he has also taken his rickrolling message on to TikTok, starting up what the singer has dubbed “RickTok”.  Here is one musician who is never going to give up.  Michael and Michael can appreciate that sentiment given that between Games At Work and DogearNation, they’ve now combined for 500 podcast episodes.

Closing out this week’s episode, the co-hosts touch on the SpaceX Starship test, Numbskull’s Quarter Arcade cabinets and get ready for Ernest Cline’s Ready Player Two virtual event.

Share what you are never going to give up with the Games At Work team by dropping them a line on Twitter to @gamesatwork_biz.

Selected Links

Wired article: VR Meetings Are Weird, but They Beat Our Current Reality — https://www.wired.com/story/arthur-vr-virtual-reality-meetings/ 

Arthur — https://arthur.digital 

Phantom Limb from The Venture Bros — https://venturebrothers.fandom.com/wiki/Phantom_Limb 

Arthur from The Tick — https://the-tick-animated.fandom.com/wiki/Arthur 

TechCrunch article: Quell raises $3M to turn home fitness into a game — https://techcrunch.com/2020/12/07/quell-raises-3m-to-turn-home-fitness-into-a-game/

Quell — https://quell.tech 

Punch Out!! — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch-Out!! 

Gauntlet — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauntlet_(1985_video_game)

phys.org article: Stretchable micro-supercapacitors to self-power wearable devices — https://phys.org/news/2020-12-stretchable-micro-supercapacitors-self-power-wearable-devices.html 

Washington Post article: Amazon’s new health band is the most invasive tech we’ve ever tested — https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/12/10/amazon-halo-band-review/ 

Halo Band — https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Halo-Fitness-And-Health-Band/dp/B07QK955LS 

The Verge article: Apple’s privacy labels are coming to all apps, including its own — https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/9/22165959/apple-privacy-nutrition-labels-all-apps-preinstalled-messages-web

Ars Technica article: Physicists solve 150-year-old mystery of equation governing sandcastle physics — https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/12/physicists-solve-150-year-old-mystery-of-equation-governing-sandcastle-physics/ 

MIT Technology Review The Download — https://www.technologyreview.com/collection/the-download/

The Verge article: Reddit’s top post of 2020 was a Rick Astley photo, posted by Rick Astley — https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/8/22153292/reddit-rick-astley-top-post-2020-never-gonna-give-you-up-rickroll 

Billboard article: ‘Welcome to RickTok’: Rick Astley Joins TikTok — https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9478168/rick-astley-joins-tiktok/ 

The Verge article: SpaceX flies Starship prototype rocket to highest altitude yet — but doesn’t stick the landing — https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/9/22030125/spacex-starship-prototype-flight-test-12-5-kilometer-launch 

Wired UK article: Inside the obsessive world of miniature arcade machine makers — https://www.wired.co.uk/article/retro-gaming-mini-arcade-machines 

Numbskull Quarter Arcades — http://www.numskull.com/quarter-arcades/ 

Barnes & Noble virtual event: Ernest Cline discusses Ready Player Two — https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/9780062146856-2109 

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Episode 299 — Ugly Sweaters

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ugly sweater
Photo by Jessica Lewis from Pexels

Booting up for the holiday season involves decorating, shopping for gifts, and for some, finding the perfect ugly sweater.  Michael and Michael have found three good ones for Games At Work audience to consider, featuring themes from Microsoft MS Paint, Windows XP and Windows 95.  While there’s not a boot up sound to go with these sweaters, we’re sure that an enterprising listener can find a solution.  And part of the purchase price of these sweaters will go to support Girls Who Code.

Moving from MS Paint, the cohosts turn their attention to a painting from 1770, entitled “The Death of General Wolfe”.  The New York times does a fantastic job walking through the many details of the painting in their interactive article, reminding Michael R of the Prezi presentation software.

A perfect place to wear your favorite ugly sweater could be on your next video conference.  Michael and Michael discuss how AI can provide significant benefits to such online meetings, whether taking notes & summarizing the discussion, to improving engagement by better reacting to the meeting attendees.  The Ars Technica article is worth exploring.

Several tweets introduce some fun discussion – on playing a flight simulation game while on a flight, using LEGO bricks to learn braille and a StoryBundle with 95 books available for purchase.  The cohosts wrap up this episode with a discussion on TRON Legacy, and how DeepFake technology improves the young Jeff Bridges.

The next episode will be the big three-oh-oh!  Share your finds with the Games At Work team by dropping them a line on Twitter to @gamesatwork_biz and be part of this historic milestone! 

Selected Links

The Verge article: Microsoft is selling ugly Windows sweaters, and part of the proceeds benefit Girls Who Code — https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/1/21779499/microsoft-windows-ugly-sweater-paint-xp-95-girls-who-code 

XBOX Gear Shop — https://gear.xbox.com/pages/windows?ocid=Evergreen_soc_omc_xbo_tw_Photo_buy_HolidaySweater 

Girls Who Code — https://girlswhocode.com 

New York Times interactive article: The Myth of North America in One Painting — https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/25/arts/benjamin-west-general-wolfe.html 

Prezi — https://prezi.com 

Ars Technica article: AI can run your work meetings now — https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2020/11/ai-can-run-your-work-meetings-now/ 

Airplane Mode game — https://store.steampowered.com/app/931310/Airplane_Mode/

LEGO Braille Bricks — https://www.legobraillebricks.com 

StoryBundle — https://storybundle.com/games 

Slashfilm article: The Morning Watch: ‘TRON Legacy’ Updated with DeepFake, Looking Back at ‘Small Soldiers’ & More — https://www.slashfilm.com/morning-watch-tron-legacy-deepfake-looking-back-at-small-soldiers-and-more/

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Episode 298 — Black Friday & Light Beer

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black friday shopping bag and beer
Photos by Max Fischer from Pexels & Tembela Bohle from Pexels

With the recent launch of the new Sony and Microsoft gaming consoles, it’s no wonder that other companies wanted to get in on the fun.  Bud Light and Miller Light provide the subject for Michael, Michael and Andy to talk about to start up this week’s episode.  For those that are under travel restrictions, whether self-imposed or not, Jose Cuervo is providing a chance to send a cardboard cutout of you to your family gathering so that you can be there in spirit even if you can’t be there in person.  

With so many people working from their home office, we’ve talked about stories such as bringing the sounds of the office to the home, and in this episode, several examples of 2D representations of 3D spaces where the serendipity of walking past an open door might be an invitation to visit or collaborate with a coworker.  The examples of Gather, Huddle and Branch are discussed, and remind Michael and Michael of the conversations from way back in March of 2017 during episode 165, when they explored the Sococo environment.  Google Maps provides new guidance on the crowdedness of mass transit, and Fetch Robotics brings the Breezy One safe sanitation robot to workspaces.

For this week in Star Wars, there are a couple of stories: Minecraft now offering 12 Star Wars planets to explore, replete with spacecraft, skins, droids and more.  Also on the docket was a trailer to a new documentary on the nearly universally decried holiday special (not the new LEGO one) and why it was actually fit for purpose.  Speaking of LEGO, the company has unveiled the newest, largest LEGO set ever – an amazingly huge model of the Colosseum in Rome with over 9k bricks.

Winding up this week are a couple of Slashfilm stories – one on the potential continuation of The Venture Bros (Go Team Venture) and the reboot of the Animaniacs over on Hulu.

What will you be watching for on Black Friday this year?  Share your finds with the Games At Work team by dropping them a line on Twitter to @gamesatwork_biz ! 

Selected Links

The Verge article: Bud Light made a video game console that also cools two beers — https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/17/21571448/bud-light-bl6-console-tekken-soulcalibur 

Cantroller by Miller Lite — https://www.millerlite.com/cantroller

The Verge article: As the pandemic continues, cleaning robots are showing up for duty at the office — https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/18/21573053/cleaning-robots-autonomous-covid-19-coronavirus-uv-foggers-offices-breezy-one 

Fetch Robotics Breezy One — https://fetchrobotics.com/breezyone/ 

TechCrunch article: Virtual HQs race to win over a remote-work-fatigued market — https://techcrunch.com/2020/11/18/virtual-hqs-race-to-win-over-a-remote-work-fatigued-market/ 

Gather — https://gather.town 

Huddle — https://www.huddlehq.io 

Branch — https://branch.gg 

Sococo — https://www.sococo.com/ 

Episode 165 – Virtual Math — https://gamesatwork.biz/2017/03/13/episode-165-virtual-math/ 

MacRumors article: Google Maps Gains Real-Time ‘Crowdedness’ Transit Data, Live Food Delivery Status, and More — https://www.macrumors.com/2020/11/17/google-maps-crowdedness-data-food-delivery/ 

TechCrunch article: You can now embed Apple Podcasts on the web — https://techcrunch.com/2020/11/16/you-can-now-embed-apple-podcasts-on-the-web/ 

The Verge article: Star Wars comes to Minecraft — https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/17/21571450/minecraft-star-wars-dlc-pack-game-skins-map-features 

Slashfilm article: ‘A Disturbance in the Force’ Trailer: A Documentary That Investigates the Infamous ‘Star Wars Holiday Special’ — https://www.slashfilm.com/a-disturbance-in-the-force-trailer/ 

Mashable article: Lego unveils new Colosseum set, its largest yet, with 9,000-plus pieces — https://mashable.com/article/lego-colosseum-largest-set/ 

Slashfilm article: HBO Max is Working to Save ‘The Venture Bros.’ After Its Recent Cancelation by Adult Swim — https://www.slashfilm.com/hbo-max-working-save-the-venture-bros/ 

Slashfilm article: ‘Animaniacs’ Reboot Review: The Warners Don’t Miss a Step in This Sharp, Hilarious and Zany Comeback — https://www.slashfilm.com/hulu-animaniacs-reboot-review/ 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:25 — 55.7MB) | Embed

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