The Michaels take some time to talk about AI, Apple and Gaming this week, while Andy is out.
While we are not an all Michael podcast, we did see a few Mike posts on Mastodon from Mike Elgan. We start with one of our favorite topics Lego Bricks! Robots are able to create using BrickGPT, creating new builds from a prompt. Speaking of prompting we then look at what may be behind Perplexity’s offer to buy the Chrome browser from Google.
The day before we recorded, Apple re-enabled the blood oxygen sensor on newer models of Apple Watch, while we look back with nostalgia on VCR tapes. Well, at least using the VCR tape metaphor as a means for rediscovering videos in our ever growing Photo libraries. Michael R confesses to having been on the TestFlight for the new Cassette application.
We spend some time marveling at a newly created translucent Game Boy from Natalie the Nerd. We also take a deeper dive at a 1000 Wooden Pixel creation from Ben Holman.
We wrap up with a review about the Scott Pilgrim verses the World video game from a few years back, and decide we should re-watch the movie. Has it really been 15 years!
e524 with Andy and Michael M – stories about AI generated goodnight stories, Med-Gemini, GPT-5, skeuomorphism, scrobbling, seeing through doors and a whole lot more.
Andy and Michael M get things rolling while Michael R is away with some Google Gemini generated goodnight stories. Andy generates a story about a 3D printer that prints a new red car in just a few moments. Aside from a few inconsistencies, it’s actually a pretty good story and images. After an example of Med-Gemini hallucinating a non-existent body part, the team virtually goes to Versailles to interact with the statues via AI. Speaking with the statues reminded Michael of speaking with the plants at the Chelsea Flower Show discussed in e488. Andy shares insights on GPT-5.
Then, the team turns to skeuomorphism with the Macrowave app as a prime example. This leads to a small segue to scrobbling with Last.FM. Andy and Michael wrap up this episode with the Eufy FamiLock S3 Max that allow you to “look through” your door and see who is on the other side.
What skeumorphistic elements are your most and least favorite? Have your bots 🤖 drop our bots 🤖 a line at @gamesatwork_biz (our home for now) and let us know!
These show notes were lovingly hand crafted by a real human, and not by a bot. All rights reserved. That’s our story and we’re sticking to it.
#Macrowave, our native macOS & iOS app that makes it easy and fun to share system audio with friends to listen to music together will be available for everyone on August 7th.
e523 with Michael R and Andy, possibly arriving via carefully-arranged starlings? – stories about AI again, obviously; iPadOS 26; games, old and new; and, an innovative method of data transfer.
Andy and Michael R are back together this week, while Michael M takes a turn being away! We kick off with some AI-related topics, with ChatGPT successfully passing the anti-bot Turing test, CAPTCHA, and then some discussion of AI tools being allowed in Meta’s hiring process. Could the North Koreans be on their way?
Seamlessly gliding (almost like… liquid glass), there’s a discussion of iPadOS 26 public beta, and all the window-y goodness that’s coming to all in September.
Under the heading of games topics, the hosts cover a number of links, including the existential crisis experienced by games characters in a Matrix game, an incredible clay animated music video that revisits the 1980s and 1990s, and then, a brand new game all about the life of… a fly. Yes, a fly.
The last segment covers a different kind of flying creature, and looks at the potential for birds to become digital data carriers. Well, starlings anyway.
Are you switching to bird tech any time soon? Have your bots drop our bots a line on Mastodon at @gamesatwork_biz and let us know what you’re reading and what you’re thinking about!
These show notes were lovingly hand crafted by a real human, and not by a bot. All rights reserved. That’s our story and we’re sticking to it.
e522 with Michael M and Andy – stories about AI in multiple forms: bees that listen, a cat that chats, and then some fun with animating fish you draw, a GameBoy you build and a whole lot more.
Andy and Michael M get things rolling while Michael R is away with a story about Amazon acquiring Bee, the wearable AI company. After a quick reference back to earlier wearable AI examples, the co-hosts turn to Lumo, the AI cat chatbot (catbot?) from Proton. This sparks a rich conversation on search, and the need to find that receipt or email about the upcoming event. A 404 media article covers Google’s AI Overview, and Michael shares how he routinely passes over the sponsored links, which is where the AI Overview currently resides. Andy noted that Google announced Web Guide this week, and the pair give that a once over. Andy also harkened back to his SearXNG aggregator and udm14.com.
Next up, the co-hosts show that we can still have fun things, starting off with an(other) iteration of Doom. This is followed up with Draw A Fish, a simple and fun experience where your drawn fish is animated by the site and placed in a fishtank for you to watch and feed. Then, a delightful experience on Pointer Pointer, where the service gives you a picture with people pointing where you have your cursor.
Andy and Michael wrap things up with another LEGO video game exemplar – this time it’s the Nintendo Game Boy, which sadly doesn’t play a game, but looks very realistic down to the custom LEGO buttons. And of course the pair is excited to see Spinal Tap 2: The End Continues when it comes out.
Will Spinal Tap 2 go up to 12? Have your bots 🤖 drop our bots 🤖 a line at @gamesatwork_biz (our home for now) and let us know!
These show notes were lovingly hand crafted by a real human, and not by a bot. All rights reserved. That’s our story and we’re sticking to it.
