Episode 289 — Mysty AI

Misty Alaskan landscape
Photo by Michael Martine, Alaska 2012

Starting things off right with an augmented reality automotive repair use case, Michael and Michael remember similar examples discussed years ago.  What is interesting now is that these stories are not limited to technology websites and magazines, but is showing up more and more mainstream press.  Moving right along to VR, we have a story to share about Myst, returning in a virtual reality format with the Oculus Quest 2 headset.  

Michael and Michael share their thoughts about generative adversarial networks and fake data (aka synthetic data) being used to train machine learning algorithms in a way that surprisingly removes bias.  Staying on the development front, the co-hosts talk through the challenges associated with having one day between announcement and deployment of a new operating system.  Michael R points out that his app, Wasted Time, was ready to go on announce day for iOS 14.  The Ford-developed pickup truck emoji for iOS 14 also get’s some time in the sun – check out the fun video from the Ford team on what went into the development of this “iconic” F-150 emoji.  

Closing things off for this week’s episode, Michael and Michael discuss the importance of vacation time, which is not wasted time at all, even if you’re not traveling.  Michael R shares a game that he is playing on Apple Arcade, and Michael M shares a Netflix show that has surfaced three times in the past three days, so it must be a sign that he needs to watch it.

Share with the Games At Work team what you’re watching, whether in AR, VR or TV, and your topic may be part of next week’s episode, right here on Games At Work… dot… bizzzzzz.

Selected Links

LuxuryLaunches article: Mercedes-Benz technicians in the US will now use Microsoft HoloLens 2 and Augmented Reality to fix cars — https://luxurylaunches.com/gadgets/mercedes-benz-technicians-in-the-us-will-now-use-microsoft-hololens-2-and-augmented-reality-to-fix-cars.php 

The Verge article: The original Myst is coming to VR — https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/16/21436681/myst-trailer-cyan-worlds-remake-vr-oculus-quest-announcement 

Slate article: Fake Data Could Help Solve Machine Learning’s Bias Problem — if We Let It — https://slate.com/technology/2020/09/synthetic-data-artificial-intelligence-bias.html?mc_cid=5fc04732dc&mc_eid=44a4490b90 

Six Colors article: Apple Launches New OS Versions on One Day’s Notice — https://sixcolors.com/link/2020/09/apple-launches-new-os-versions-on-one-days-notice/ 

The Verge article: Apple developers are scrambling over accelerated iOS 14 release — https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/16/21439674/ios-14-developers-iphone-surprise-release-golden-master-beta-development 

TechCrunch article: New iOS 14 widgets you can try today — https://techcrunch.com/2020/09/16/ios-14-widgets-you-can-try-today/ 

Random Thoughts blog post: Wasted Time for Apple TV – Available — https://michaelrowe01.com/index.php/2020/09/19/wasted-time-for-apple-tv-available/ 

Jalopnik article: Apple’s New iOS 14 Will Have A Pickup Truck Emoji Designed By Ford But It Has A Big Problem — https://jalopnik.com/apples-new-ios-14-will-have-a-pickup-truck-emoji-design-1845068468 

Chevy El Camino — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_El_Camino 

Wired Article: You’ve not used up your holiday allowance and now it’s too late — https://www.wired.co.uk/article/annual-leave-coronavirus-holiday 

Pocket Gamer article: Towers of Everland, a stylish first-person dungeon crawler, is this week’s Apple Arcade game — https://www.pocketgamer.com/articles/083091/towers-of-everland-a-stylish-first-person-dungeon-crawler-is-this-weeks-apple-arcade-game/ 

Cobra Kai sequel to the hit “Karate Kid” films — https://www.netflix.com/title/81002370 

We are now available via Amazon Music’s Podcasts — https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/763c3757-6283-4eea-9a7e-28e5999d881e/Games-At-Work-dot-Biz 

Episode 287 — COVID Cars

car rear view mirror
Photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash

Travel, both real and virtual, has changed dramatically as a result of COVID-19.  It’s amazing to think that there would be a game of virtual experience of flying on a big ol’ jet airliner.  Or that people could virtually fly to real virtual places.  Or use their own vehicles as an office or getaway.  But all these things exist, and are part of the stories discussed by Michael and Michael this week.

The real and virtual blend in Niantic’s Pokémon Go and Nintendo’s new Mario Kart games.  Microsoft’s Video Authenticator helps to determine what is real and what is a deepfake.   And Unhueman’s virtual models use CGI-generated forms on the fashion runway.  And LEGO is taking the reality created by movie magic and rendering it physically in brick and minifig form.

Check out this episode and see if these experiences match with your reality in 2020.  And share your stories and links with the Games At Work team for discussion on a future episode.

Selected Links

Fast Company article: ’Pokémon Go’ maker Niantic wants to turn AR into 5G’s first killer app — https://www.fastcompany.com/90545662/pokemon-go-maker-niantic-wants-to-jumpstart-5g-augmented-reality 

Feeding Edge blog post: Flying virtually to a real virtual place — https://www.feedingedge.co.uk/blog/2020/09/04/flying-virtually-to-a-real-virtual-place/ 

Reconfigure — https://www.feedingedge.co.uk/blog/reconfigure/ 

Cont3xt — https://www.feedingedge.co.uk/blog/cont3xt-book/ 

Travel + Leisure article: Miss Flying? The New Video Game ‘Airplane Mode’ Lets You Recreate the Experience — https://www.travelandleisure.com/culture-design/airplane-mode-video-game-flying-simulation 

Airplane Mode — https://www.playairplanemode.com 

USA Today article: COVID-19 has changed the way people use their vehicles — https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2020/08/31/people-how-they-use-cars-coronavirus/5678255002/ 

TechCruch article: Sarcos raises $40 million to bring its Guardian XO exoskeleton to market — https://techcrunch.com/2020/09/01/sarcos-raises-40-million-to-bring-its-guardian-xo-exoskeleton-to-market/ 

The Verge article: Overcast’s latest beta update tells listeners which podcasts are tracking them — https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/31/21408823/overcast-podcast-app-beta-data-tracking 

TechCrunch article: Microsoft launches a deep fake detector tool ahead of US election — https://techcrunch.com/2020/09/02/microsoft-launches-a-deepfake-detector-tool-ahead-of-us-election/ 

Microsoft blog: New Steps to Combat Disinformation — https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2020/09/01/disinformation-deepfakes-newsguard-video-authenticator/ 

Spot Deepfakes — https://www.spotdeepfakes.org/en-US 

LA Times article: Is this the end of the supermodel?  Why the next Gigi, Kaia and Kendall will be digital — https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-09-03/christian-guernelli-virtual-modeling-agency 

Unhueman — https://www.unhueman.com 

Financial Times article: Lego defies toy sector gloom as sales and profits rise — https://www.ft.com/content/57516281-3522-47a9-ae99-caaa049f490a?sharetype=blocked 

New Elementary article: LEGO Harry Potter 75978 Diagon Alley: The New Parts — https://www.newelementary.com/2020/09/exclusive-lego-parts-harry-potter-75978-diagon-alley.html?m=1 

Brickfanatics article: LEGO Star Wars 75290 Mos Eisley Cantina revealed — https://www.brickfanatics.com/lego-star-wars-75290-mos-eisley-cantina-revealed/

Episode 286 — Tiny Tech

Photo by Michael Martine, 2020

Miniaturization takes center stage for Michael and Michael for this week’s episode, with a mini Raspberry Pi-powered iMac and a working LEGO NES for all you makers out there.  

Security features once more across several disciplines – physical locks, quantified self and audio data security and random key generators.  The math alone is enough to boggle the mind.

And on the art imitating life (or is it life imitating art) front, there are stories about a new album released as an RPG and a new animated television series based on Blizzard’s World of Warcraft RPG.

If there is an intriguing tech story you’ve come across, share it with the Games At Work team!  It’s fun and easy to do so — a quick tweet to @GamesAtWork_biz and perhaps your random discovery could find it’s way onto the next episode of the podcast.

Selected Links

The Verge article: Watch an engineer build the world’s most adorable, tiny iMac — https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2020/8/26/21402693/imac-tiny-build-youtube-engineer-3d-printing-raspberry-pi-diy 

Input Magazine article: How I hacked my Lego NES into a real console — https://www.inputmag.com/gaming/how-i-transformed-my-lego-nes-into-a-real-console-using-cheap-hdmi-display-nes-classic 

The Verge article: Level’s latest smart lock can be unlocked with a touch — https://www.theverge.com/21400301/level-touch-smart-lock-price-design-features 

TechCrunch article: Amazon debuts Halo smart health subscription service and Halo Band wearable activity tracker — https://techcrunch.com/2020/08/27/amazon-debuts-halo-smart-health-subscription-service-and-halo-band-wearable-activity-tracker/ 

TechCrunch article: Vue’s $179 Lite smart glasses have built-in speakers for music and calls — https://techcrunch.com/2020/08/25/vues-179-lite-smart-glasses-have-built-in-speakers-for-music-and-calls/ 

The Verge article: Microsoft’s new Transcribe in Word feature is designed for students, reporters, and more — https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/25/21400623/microsoft-transcribe-in-word-transcription-audio-microsoft-365 

Otter.ai:  transcription service — https://blog.otter.ai 

Ars Technica article: DiceKeys creates a master password for life with one roll — https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/08/dicekeys-creates-a-master-password-for-life-with-one-roll/ 

INDY Week article: Body Games Crafts a Love Letter to Carrboro in the Form of a Retro Video Game — https://indyweek.com/music/features/body-games-carrboro-video-game/ 

The Verge article:  Blizzard is making a World of Warcraft animated series called Afterlives — https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/24/21399597/world-of-warcraft-afterlives-blizzard-animated-series