Episode 304 — Duly meh-ed

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Welcome to Las Vegas sign
Photo by Alex Haney on Unsplash

Andy, Michael and Michael take a good look at the CES innovations, putting an unsurprising focus on the VR and AR capabilities.  Staring off the conversation with the newest Oculus Quest 2, spurs the discussion of how Andy cancelled his preorder upon his successful acquisition of an elusive Xbox Series X (congrats Andy!).  Michael R is grateful that he escaped the infamous “CES crud” this year by attending the famous conference remotely.  

Continuing the smart glasses conversation, the trio examine the Lenovo ThinkReality and Vuzix examples before moving on to robotic swarming fish.  The concept Razer N95 mask attracts the team’s attention, what with the audio amplification of the mask, so as to avoid the “Mr. Mumbles” effect (see link to episode 192 below), and of course, the LEDs that shine on the wearer’s mouth to assist with lip reading.  The namesake Motorola Razr cropped up as well.  

Home office setups have gotten better and better during the pandemic, and having a great monitor is an important part of an amazing workspace.  The newest Dell curved monitor measures in at a whopping 40 inches, and curves right around the user for a great field of vision.  Check it out from the show notes below.

Winding things up, as the co-hosts frequently do with some video/movie/series, Andy, Michael and Michael are excited to experience the sequel to Buckaroo Banzai — at least in written form.  And the new WandaVision series is launching on Disney+ also captures the excitement of the co-hosts.   

There were many more stories and articles this week, however the team ran out of time to get to all of them.  Check out the show notes for the fun stories the co-hosts did not get a chance to discuss on air.

Selected Links

The Verge article: How to use your Oculus Quest 2 to play any PC VR game wirelessly — https://www.theverge.com/22218827/oculus-quest-2-wireless-pc-vr-games-how-to 

Microsoft Xbox Series X — https://www.xbox.com/en-US/consoles/xbox-series-x 

Digital Trends article: Lenovo ThinkReality A3 Smart Glasses Project Virtual Screens — https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/lenovo-thinkreality-a3-smart-glasses-ar-ces-2021/ 

The Verge article: Vuzix’s new microLED smart glasses look like tech you’d actually want to wear on your face — https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/11/22225605/vuzix-microled-smart-glasses-next-gen-ar-heads-up-display-ces-2021 

TechCrunch article: These robot-fish autonomously form schools and work as search parties — https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/13/these-robo-fish-autonomously-form-schools-and-work-as-search-parties 

The Verge article: Razer has created a concept N95 mask with RGB and voice projection — https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/12/22221344/razer-project-hazel-n95-respirator-mask-coronavirus-chroma-rgb-concept 

Games At Work episode 192 — PVP-Y with Mr. Mumbles — https://gamesatwork.biz/2018/01/29/episode-192-pvp-y/ 

Motorola new razr — https://www.motorola.com/us/smartphones-razr/p 

Motorola old Razr — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_Razr 

TechCrunch article: Dell’s 40-inch curved monitor is perfect for a home office command center — https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/13/dells-40-inch-curved-monitor-is-perfect-for-a-home-office-command-center 

Slashfilm article: ‘Buckaroo Banzai’ is Finally Getting That Long-Promised Sequel (But as a Novel, Not a Movie) — https://www.slashfilm.com/buckaroo-banzai-sequel/ 

Slashfilm article: ‘WandaVision Featurette Digs into Marvel’s Mysterious New Series, Sneakily Includes Wonder Man Artwork — https://www.slashfilm.com/wandavision-featurette/ 

Extended remix links for this week

iMore article: You’ll be amazed by how many different discs an iPhone can read — https://www.imore.com/youll-be-amazed-how-many-different-spinning-pieces-plastic-iphone-can-read 

The Verge article: Hack together you own e-paper smartwatch with this $50 open-source kit — https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/13/22229985/customizable-epaper-smartwatch-kit-arduino 

The Verge article: LG’s Rollable phone is real and launching in 2021 — https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/12/22226532/lgs-rollable-phone-launch-release-date-ces-2021 

Cult of Mac article: You can see evidence of AirTags on your own iPhone — https://www.cultofmac.com/732481/you-can-see-evidence-of-airtags-on-your-own-iphone/ 

Ubisoft is making an open-world Star Wars game — https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/13/22227235/ubisoft-star-wars-game-massive-entertainment-lucasfilm

ScreenRant article: How to Gain & Lose Weight in Red Dead Redemption 2 — https://screenrant.com/gain-lose-weight-red-dead-redemption-rdr2/ 

Comicbook article: You Can Play Pokemon Red Using Someone’s Twitter Profile Picture — https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/pokemon-twitter-profile-picture-comments-playthrough/ 

Slashfilm article: Amazon’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Series Has an Official Synopsis and You Can Read It Here — https://www.slashfilm.com/amazon-the-lord-of-the-rings-series-synopsis/ 

Kotaku article: Defunctland VR Lets You Experience A Classic Disney Ride 25 Years After It Was Closed — https://kotaku.com/defunctland-vr-lets-you-experience-a-classic-disney-rid-1846013568 

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Episode 303 — ARt imitates life

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5pointz art in NYC
Photo by Julie Ricard on Unsplash

For the first episode of 2021, Michael and Michael start off with a couple of technology and gaming focused articles related to the attack on the US Congress on the 6th.  The Washington Post article focuses on what is being done to preserve the live streams, both for posterity and as evidence, and a Mashable post draws similarities to alternate reality games (ARGs).  The cybersecurity breach via SolarWinds appears to be even worse than originally thought.  For more details, check out Steve Gibson’s Security Now podcast link in the show notes below.

There is a bevy of AR topics, starting with Looking Glass, which takes advantage of your phone to capture holographic imagery.  The DC Metro includes a full map of the metro in augmented reality on every Metro card.  And, there is a concept of macOS in AR that looks just fantastic. Between these examples and the new art installation at LaGuardia’s airport, we can truly say that AR imitates life.  Don’t miss the combination of Mario Kart Live with LEGO Super Mario – what a great concept. 

Speaking of concepts, an intriguing idea for wireless recharging is expressed in an Apple patent “Inductive charging between electronic devices” whereby a MacBook or iPad could provide power to other devices like phones or watches.  

Screens get some air time during this podcast as well – the OLEDs from LG as well as the new Mercedes Hyperscreen.

Before closing out this week’s episode with a new video of Boston Dynamics dancing robots, Michael and Michael muse on the idea of immortality that could be afforded by machine learning engines ingesting text, audio and video of a loved one in such a way that would allow post mortem interaction with the trained AI model.  Much to think about – and a cool flashback to Games At Work episode 26 from 2012 on this subject.

Selected Links

Washington Post article: The Capitol mob recorded its own history. Now, volunteers are trying to preserve the record. — https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/07/capitol-mob-recorded-its-own-history-now-volunteers-are-trying-preserve-record/ 

Curiouser Institute post: A Game Designer’s Analysis of QAnon — https://medium.com/curiouserinstitute/a-game-designers-analysis-of-qanon-580972548be5 

The Verge article: SolarWinds hack may be much worse than originally feared — https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/2/22210667/solarwinds-hack-worse-government-microsoft-cybersecurity 

Security Now episode 800 Solarblizzard — https://twit.tv/shows/security-now/episodes/800?autostart=false 

TechCrunch article: Looking Glass is launching 3D photo software for its holographic tech — https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/06/looking-glass-is-launching-3d-photo-software-for-its-holographic-tech/ 

Looking Glass Factory — https://lookingglassfactory.com 

Cult of Mac article: Awesome macOS concept imagines the AR iMac of the future — https://www.cultofmac.com/731723/awesome-macos-concept-imagines-the-ar-imac-of-the-future/ 

Cult of Mac article: Making MacBooks and iPads into wireless chargers is a brilliantly dumb idea — https://www.cultofmac.com/731761/apple-patent-mac-ipad-wireless-chargers-charging/ 

WUNC article: Epic Games To Move HQ To Cary Towne Center — https://www.wunc.org/post/epic-games-move-hq-cary-towne-center 

Gizmodo article: Combining Mario Kart Live With Lego Super Mario Creates the Ultimate IRL Video Game Experience — https://gizmodo.com/combining-mario-kart-live-with-lego-super-mario-creates-1845983472 

Travel + Leisure article: LaGuardia Airport’s New Art Installation Will Turn You Into NYC Graffiti — https://www.travelandleisure.com/airlines-airports/laguardia-airport/5pointz-graffiti-interactive-installation-laguardia-airport 

Mashable article: LG wants to put transparent OLEDs in restaurants and subways — https://mashable.com/article/lg-transparent-oled/ 

TechCrunch article: Mercedes unveils Hyperscreen, a cured 56-inch screen for its flagship EQS electric vehicle — https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/07/mercedes-unveils-hyperscreen-a-curved-56-inch-screen-for-its-flagship-eqs-electric-vehicle/ 

The Times article: Chatbot could let you speak to relatives beyond the grave — https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/chatbot-could-let-you-speak-to-relatives-beyond-the-grave-2929fp3xk 

Games At Work episode 26 — Business Process Management and Immortality — https://gamesatwork.biz/2012/11/04/episode26/ 

The Verge article: Amazon marked free podcasts as costing $8.95 with a discount for Audible subscribers — https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/6/22216803/amazon-audible-subscription-podcast-advertisement 

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Episode 302 — Good Riddance

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goodbye 2020 bus on a beach
Photo by Nubia Navarro from Pexels

Andy, Michael and Michael start off with another unobtanium console. This time, it’s the KFConsole, which keeps your fried chicken toasty while you play games.  Michael and Michael bring in KFC stories from Japan and Hungary to compliment the gaming platform.

Funny to note that in this week’s selection, we have several newspaper articles from the Times — from New York, LA and the UK.  A slightly new twist on augmented reality clothing comes from a NYT article that focuses on footwear, and the ability to see what the shoes might look like on your own feet.  The LA times article showcases the VR possibilities of visiting the Disney Star Wars Galaxies Edge theme park. It also expands on the point of a metaverse experience where you have physical architecture, props & people to interact with, alongside a digital experience that enhances those IRL elements.  One would say that it augments them.  

For your blockchain entertainment, check out Conga Comics, and as an added entertainment bonus, read them out of order.  In automotive entertainment, you can change the sound of your Tesla horn with this week’s update to anything you wish to record provided you have the optional pedestrian speaker feature.  A favorite is the sound of European swallow delivered coconuts clapping.

A discussion on strategies raising awareness of email phishing attacks outlines an opportunity to show how sophisticated the trickery is these days. The hosts also provide a possibility to reward people who don’t fall for the attack.

As the global COVID-19 vaccinations begin to be administered, the idea of how to recognize who has had which shot is being addressed in multiple ways. Both the Apple and Google wallets provide a digital representation (perhaps supported by blockchain) of the vaccination record.

Winding up the show, Michael, Andy and Michael reflect on how actor James Doohan, Scotty of Star Trek, has managed to get into space aboard the ISS through a clever act and extend his 5 year mission.

There you have it – almost all of the favorite topics wrapped up in one episode to close out the year.  To work in one more, the title of the episode surfaces close to the end of Tolkien’s Return of the King, where Sam comments on the events that lead to the naming of what became known as Sharkey’s End.  

The Games At Work team is looking forward to starting our season X and wishing you a very healthy and happy New Year!

Selected Links

NME article: The KFConsole is real and is said to bring the end to console wars — https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/kfc-the-kfconsole-is-real-and-will-end-the-console-wars-2844512 

LAD Bible article: More Than Three Million Japanese Families Will Eat KFC On Christmas Eve — https://www.ladbible.com/news/food-more-than-three-million-japanese-families-eat-kfc-on-christmas-eve-20201224 

KFC in BP — https://mammut.hu/en/stores/kfc 

Bud Light and Miller Lite consoles discussed in e298 — https://gamesatwork.biz/2020/11/23/episode-298-black-friday-light-beer/ 

New York Times article: Does the Shoe Fit? Try It On With Augmented Reality — https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/22/technology/augmented-reality-online-shopping.html 

LA Times article: How the new virtual reality ‘Star Wars’ experience gets us closer to a theme park ‘metaverse’ — https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-12-28/virtual-reality-showcase-tales-from-galaxys-edge-is-my-favorite-star-wars-theme-park-experience 

Conga Comics — https://congacomic.github.io 

Mashable article: Tesla drivers can now set their horns to fart sounds — or record their own — https://mashable.com/article/tesla-horn-fart/ 

The Verge article: GoDaddy wins our 2020 award for most evil company email — https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/24/22199406/godaddy-wins-2020-stupidity-award 

9 to 5 Mac article: COVID-19 vaccination proof can be added to Apple Wallet in Los Angeles — https://9to5mac.com/2020/12/28/covid-19-vaccination-proof-can-be-added-to-apple-wallet-in-los-angeles/ 

CNN video: ‘It didn’t hurt at all’: 91-year-old Briton on receiving Covid-19 vaccine” — https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2020/12/08/uk-coronavirus-covid-19-pfizer-biontech-vaccine-rollout-vanier-intv-intl-ldn-vpx.cnn 

The Verge article: The ashes of Scotty from Star Trek are aboard the International Space Station — https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/27/22201874/ashes-james-doohan-scotty-star-trek-international-space-station 

The Times article: Ashes of Star Trek’s Scotty smuggled on to International Space Station —https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ashes-of-star-treks-scotty-smuggled-on-to-international-space-station-6lpgs05n6 

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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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