Games At Work dot Biz

Episode 262 — Dialing for Dollars

By Michael Martine | February 24, 2020 - 06:16 |February 23, 2020 Podcast

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rotary dial phone — Photo by Mike Meyers on Unsplash

Michael and Michael do not ‘phone it in’ for this episode, even through there are lots to do with phones and (unwanted) phone calls. Starting off with an exchange on whether in-person conferences are passé, the co-hosts then turn their attention to the world of mixed reality, and the reporting around the U.S. Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System.

Ring – ring! No, I don’t need to extend the warranty on my car that expired years ago. If you’ve received a call like this — or calls like this every day, help is on the way. A new service from DoNotPay provides relief by making it easier to sue the robocall companies. Michael R remembered that we talked about this company before, and it was back in 2018, on episode 215 to be precise.

After putting this topic on hold, Michael and Michael marvel at a DYI kit to create your very own rotary dial cellphone, complete with a dial from a Western Electric Trimline phone.

Last, Michael and Michael get the 411 on the Tesla Anti-Handbook Handbook directly from the images on Scribd.

Selected Links

TechCrunch article: Do Trade shows still matter in the age of online business — https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/18/do-trade-shows-still-matter-in-the-age-of-online-business/

Popular Mechanics article: ‘Mixed Reality’ Goggles Will Give U.S. Army Soldiers Super Vision — https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a30898514/mixed-reality-goggles-army/

Gizmodo article: Hate Those Robocalls? This Service Lets You Sue Them for Up to $3,000 Per Annoying Call — https://gizmodo.com/hate-those-robocalls-this-service-lets-you-sue-them-fo-1841730699

Boy Genius Report article: Finally, here’s a secret weapon to use against all those despicable robocallers — https://bgr.com/2020/02/17/robocall-app-lets-you-sue-robocallers/

DoNotPay website — https://donotpay.com

DoNotPay on Apple App Store — https://apps.apple.com/app/id1427999657

Games At Work episode 215 — Great Jumpin Robots: https://gamesatwork.biz/2018/10/15/episode-215-great-jumpin-robots/

Engadget article: You can make your own rotary cellphone — https://www.engadget.com/2020/02/17/rotary-cellphone-kit-available/

Scribd Tesla Anti-Handbook Handbook — https://www.scribd.com/document/446927426/Tesla-Anti-Handbook-Handbook

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:44 — 15.6MB) | Embed

Episode 261 — Flippin’ Phones

By Michael Martine | February 17, 2020 - 06:12 |February 16, 2020 Podcast

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multi exposure of a skier flipping — Photo by **Riccardo Bresciani** from **Pexels**

Starting off on a Valentine’s Day theme, the co-hosts talk about a Ford survey of 1,000 US adults that found that 75% are more likely to date someone if they own an EV.

Switching gears to the intersection of global events and tech conferences, Michael and Michael talk about the impact of the coronavirus, now named COVID-19 on conferences such as Mobile World Congress. At the time of the recording, some major corporations were pulling out of the conference, but the conference was still scheduled to take place. That changed on February 12th with the announcement that MWC would be cancelled this year. The continuing story of the outbreak ripples throughout the globe, with implications to the supply chain for appropriate supplies and food, as well as significant technology implications and privacy challenges. Our sympathies are with those affected in China and all over the world.

Winding up this episode, Michael and Michael talk about the next set of innovative phones coming from Samsung in the form of the Galaxy Z Flip and the interesting possibilities for the user experience that such a multi-screen foldable phone could unlock.

Selected Links

Mashable article: Going electric could be good for your love life — https://mashable.com/article/electric-vehicle-love-attraction-survey/

TechCrunch article: MWC hangs by a thread after Nokia, DT and other big names back out — https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/12/nokia-pulls-out-of-mwc-over-coronavirus-concerns/

GSMA MWC Barcelona — https://www.mwcbarcelona.com

BusinessWire article: GSMA Statement on MWC Barcelona 2020 from John Hoffman, CEO GSMA Limited — https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200212005755/en/

Reuters article: Coronavirus brings China’s surveillance state out of the shadows — https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-health-surveillance/coronavirus-brings-chinas-surveillance-state-out-of-the-shadows-idUSKBN2011HO

Business Insider article: Officials in Hong Kong are using wristbands to track families that are under Wuhan coronavirus quarantine — https://www.businessinsider.com/hong-kong-wristbands-tracking-people-in-coronavirus-quarantine-2020-2?op=1

Medpage Today article: Track the Coronavirus Outbreak on Johns Hopkins Live Dashboard — https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/publichealth/84698

TechCrunch article: WhatsApp hits 2 billion users, up from 1.5 billion 2 years ago — https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/12/whatsapp-hits-2-billion-users-up-from-1-5-billion-2-years-ago/

TechCrunch article: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip hands-on: This is more like it — https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/11/samsung-galaxy-z-flip-hands-on-this-is-more-like-it/

ZDNet article: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip available Feb. 14 for $1,380 in limited quantities — https://www.zdnet.com/article/samsung-galaxy-z-flip-available-feb-14-for-1380-in-limited-quantities-here-are-the-specs/

Cnet download article: LCARS interface for Windows 10 — https://download.cnet.com/LCARS-Interface-for-Windows-10/3000-31711_4-77571542.html

TechCrunch article: Microsoft launches new dev tools for building Windows 10X dual-screen experiences — https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/11/microsoft-launches-new-dev-tools-for-building-windows-10x-dual-screen-experiences/

Games At Work on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/GamesAtWorkBiz/

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:53 — 16.2MB) | Embed

Episode 260 — 1984 Tesla for Sale

By Michael Martine | February 10, 2020 - 06:16 |February 9, 2020 Podcast

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Tesla interior — Photo by Bram Van Oost on Unsplash

Michael and Michael start this episode off with a discussion on how to speed up getting to the good parts of your favorite podcasts by using a tivo-esque feature to skip the introductory or closing credits, and an internet archive of 36,000 Flash games for your perusal and enjoyment.

Switching once more to the automotive world, the co-hosts discuss an intriguing hack to create fake traffic jams on Google Maps is done by walking around with 99 phones in tow, simulating the owners moving very slowly on a road.

The most intriguing topic for this episode centers on the case of a person who according to the original article in Jalopnik, purchased a used Tesla from a dealer with the Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self Driving Capability options that were removed from the vehicle by Tesla in an over the air update slightly afterwards. The co-hosts discuss how software changes the game significantly across a variety of industries, and that licensing is sometimes bound to the user, sometimes to the physical product, and in all cases will require new thinking and clarity for consumers to make their purchasing (licensing) decisions. This reminded the team about the case a few years ago when a digital download of George Orwell’s 1984 just disappeared from consumer readers.

Incidentally, according to the wikipedia article, 1984 will go into public domain 1 Jan 2021. Have an interesting story on digital rights management or over the air updates? Drop us a line, and we’ll see about fitting it into an upcoming episode!

Selected Links

Engadget article: Overcast can skip podcast intros and outros — https://www.engadget.com/2020/02/02/overcast-can-skip-podcast-intros/

Overcast — https://overcast.fm

Downcast — https://downcast.fm

Slashgear article: Flashpoint is saving 36,000 Flash games from going into the night — https://www.slashgear.com/flashpoint-is-saving-36000-flash-games-from-going-into-the-night-02608294/

Mashable article: Man says he caused fake traffic jams on Google Maps with 99 phones — https://mashable.com/article/google-maps-99-phones/

99 Luftballons

the Verge article: Tesla remotely disables Autopilot on used Model S after it was sold — https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/6/21127243/tesla-model-s-autopilot-disabled-remotely-used-car-update

Jalopnik article: Tesla Remotely Removes Autopilot Features From Customer’s Used Tesla Without Any Notice — https://jalopnik.com/tesla-remotely-removes-autopilot-features-from-customer-1841472617?rev=1580941196331

George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four book wikipedia article — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four

Gizmodo article: Amazon Secretly Removes “1984” From the Kindle — https://io9.gizmodo.com/amazon-secretly-removes-1984-from-the-kindle-5317703

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:39 — 15.6MB) | Embed

Episode 259 — Going Viral

By Michael Martine | February 3, 2020 - 06:21 |February 2, 2020 Podcast

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This episode is action-packed with AR, VR, mobile computing and automotive innovation and the coronavirus.

Michael and Michael start things off with Ian “epredator” Hughes’ article on the evolution of games and the games industry, especially as it relates to edge computing and the cloud. Some intriguing examples of AR and VR are brought into focus with Pintrest’s virtual makeup try on feature, Spatial’s holographic 3D workspace and NASA’s use for astronomy and engineering.

An intriguing set of patents by Apple to ‘dock’ iPhone and iPad into laptop computers remind Michael M of Voltron and Battle of the Planets, and Michael R of the Samsung DeX Mode.

Tesla’s “Battery Day” is coming up soon, fueling expectations for significant new capabilities to be announced.

Rounding out the show, Michael and Michael talk about the coronavirus, and the implications across the world.

Selected Links

451 Research article: The Evolution and Complexity of the Games Industry Applied at the Edge and in the Cloud — https://go.451research.com/2020-mi-evolution-and-complexity-of-the-games-industry-at-edge-and-in-cloud.html

TechCrunch article: Pintrest launches virtual makeup ‘Try on’ feature, starting with lipstick — https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/28/pinterest-launches-virtual-makeup-try-on-feature-starting-with-lipstick/?guccounter=1

My Virtual Model — http://myvirtualmodel.com

TechCrunch article: Spatial raises $14M more for a holographic 3D workspace app, a VR/AR version of Zoom or Hangouts — https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/30/spatial-raises-14m-more-for-a-holographic-3d-workspace-app-a-vr-ar-version-of-zoom-or-hangouts/

TechCrunch article: NASA finds real uses for VR and AR in astronomy and engineering — https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/29/nasa-finds-real-uses-for-vr-and-ar-in-astronomy-and-engineering/

Apple Insider article: Apple explored iPhones and iPads that dock inside larger devices like MacBooks — https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/01/28/apple-planning-iphones-and-ipads-that-can-dock-inside-macbooks

Voltron — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086824/

Battle of the Planets — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076983

Samsung DeX — https://www.samsung.com/us/explore/dex/