Episode 202 – Everything Old Is New Again

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Michael M starts off this episode with true blast from the past, even if it was in the wrong order from the plan — how modern micro-X-ray techniques are able to bring back images from daguerrotypes that were once thought ruined.  The images of photos taken long ago are now visible again, with amazing detail.

The team then turns to an MIT Technology Review article on AI, which focuses on the challenge that games present, and what can be learned from how artificial intelligence teams play those games.  The game in this case is Dota 2 — Defense of the Ancients 2, a popular e-sports game that pits teams of 5 players against one another.  This is particularly important, as it is not one AI vs one human, rather a team of 5 AIs playing against a team of 5 humans.  While the article highlights that the AI team has “started defeating amateur Dota 2 players in testing”, this success in AI collaboration has important ramifications.  Michael and Michael discuss the speed and methods of effective human team communication vs the possibilities afforded to artificial intelligence teammates playing together as a team.  Furthermore, there are interesting ideas here for how humans can be augmented with an AI who can make for a stronger team.

After discussing an intriguing idea for how unused travel reservations can be resold at a discount, preserving at least some of the investment (historically the preserve of travel insurance), Michael and Michael wind up the show talking about cars, starting with Volvo’s new subscription service for the new S80 T8 Polestar, which is only available via the Volvo app.  Between this, and the retro-future for electrifying classic cars, there are going to be many options for how people will make use of transportation services in the future — in the sharing economy, as a subscription, or refurbishing the clean, classic lines of a 1960s Jaguar E-type with an electric motor.  The remake of the 1969 The Italian Job with modern Mini Coopers springs to mind as well, as the filmmakers were required to electrify the Minis used in the tunnels, as combustion engines were not allowed (clip above).

What’s driving your thinking this week, as the US gets ready to celebrate Independence Day on the Fourth of July?  How do you think that AI is going to revolutionize work?  What do you think is going to be the next big thing in the automotive industry?  Drop us a Tweet over at @gamesatwork_biz and let us know!

Selected Links

TechCrunch Article: New technique brings secrets out of old daguerrotypes — https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/25/new-technique-brings-secrets-out-of-old-daguerreotypes/ 

MIT Technology Review article: AI algorithms worked together to crush humans in a complex video game — https://mailchi.mp/technologyreview/ai-is-starting-to-crush-humans-at-dota-2 

Dota 2 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dota_2 

Free to Play documentary — https://itunes.apple.com/US/movie/id838598746 

Dota by Basshunter — https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/dota-bonus-track/291081295?i=291081753 

The Telegraph article: New ‘eBay for travel’ lets you buy people’s unwanted holidays — https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/transfer-travel-sell-unwanted-flights-marketplace/ 

Transfer Travel — https://www.transfertravel.com 

Engadget article: Volvo’s subscription-only performance hybrid launches today — https://www.engadget.com/2018/06/28/polestar-volvo-s60-t8-phev-care-by-volvo/ 

CNN article:  Classic cars experiencing rebirths as electric vehicles — https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/29/motorsport/classic-cars-are-reborn-as-electric-vehicles-spt-intl/index.html 

Volkswagen’s new Beelte — http://www.vw.com/models/beetle/ 

Chrysler’s PT Cruiser — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_PT_Cruiser 

Ford’s Thunderbird — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Thunderbird#Eleventh_generation_(2002–2005) 

Mini Cooper — https://www.miniusa.com/tools/learning/models-build.html 

Volkswagen’s ID BUZZ — http://www.vw.com/electric-concepts/section/id-buzz/ 

The Italian Job (1969) — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064505/ 

The Italian Job (2003) — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317740/ 

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Episode 201 – WWDC, AR and AI

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This week co-host Michael R. welcomes back long time friend of the show – Andy Piper.


Michael shares his excitement and experiences from Apple’s WWDC conference – including all the other conferences that pop up around WWDC. We then dive in work that Porsche is doing leveraging AR. We also talk briefly about Amazon and the AR (audio reality App) that allows you to experience Skyrim on your Alexa. We look at machine learning via an innovative website called Lobe. And then wrap up the show with a look at how AI is leveraging video games to “learn”.

Co-host Michael M. is unfortunately unavailable but we will have him back next time – at GamesAtWork dot Biz. So sit back, and enjoy this week’s show!

Show Links

Michael’s day five Wrap up from WWDC

AR at use with Porsche

Playing Skyrim with Alexa – It’s real

Machine Learning via drag and drop – on the web

Andy’s Touch Bar recommendation:
Making the Touch Bar finally useful via Better Touch Tool

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Episode 200 – Eye in the Sky

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Michael and Michael take a second podcast to 200 episodes with this show, and celebrate in a very appropriate way — and with no spoilers for Han Solo movie, nor spiders, and almost avoid talking about things that people put in/on their eyes.

Starting out with a follow on from last week’s show, Michael and Michael explore the GDPR compliant National Public Radio website, which is devoid of pictures, and very nearly looks like you would expect a radio station to be online.  

Then, it’s on to drones — one that can follow a car driving around, and another that follows you around in order to prevent the raindrops from falling on your head.  If that is not quite enough tracking enablement technology for one show, the pair also discusses the new $699 digital license plates being piloted in California, which can be personalized to show custom e-ink messages when the vehicle is not in motion.

The link that Michael M was afraid was going to show some kind of eye surgery turned out not to be quite so invasive — researchers at Newcastle University have created a technology with 3D printing used to create custom corneas, which are sorely in need by many people awaiting a transplant.  

No show would be complete without a good VR/AR story, and this 200th episode does not disappoint.  Michael and Michael share some thoughts about the Facebook capability called Venues, and what is done to give the participant in Venues a sense of space and being with a crowd, all via a virtual reality experience.  The Microsoft Surface Hub group collaboration space is a big step forward in the evolution of the corporate collaboration solution from Microsoft and SAP that Michael M shared from way back in episode 137.  Michael R pointed out that this new Surface Hub can allow for a person to be in the whiteboard — and speak naturally and face to face with people in a room thousands of miles away.  

We hope that you are enjoying listening to these episodes as much as we enjoy producing them!  Here’s to the next hundred!

Selected Links

National Public Radio’s GDPR link — https://text.npr.org/ 

TechCrunch article:  Skydio’s self-flying drone can now track down cars — https://techcrunch.com/2018/05/30/skydios-self-flying-drone-can-now-track-down-cars/

Gizmodo article:  Flying, Hands-Free Umbrellas Just Might Be the Perfect Use For Drones — https://gizmodo.com/flying-hands-free-umbrellas-just-might-be-the-perfect-1826481750 

TechCrunch article: Researchers create the first 3D-printed corneas — https://techcrunch.com/2018/05/31/researchers-create-the-first-3d-printed-corneas/

Gizmodo article:  California’s New Digital License Plates — https://gizmodo.com/californias-new-digital-license-plates-give-you-the-cha-1826372642 

Wired article:  With Venues, Oculus and Facebook Push VR Into New Territory — https://www.wired.com/story/oculus-venues/ 

Microsoft Surface Hub: — https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/business/surface-hub 

Episode 137 – Augmented Reality in the Boardroom & Beyond — https://gamesatwork.biz/2016/05/22/episode-137-augmented-reality-in-the-boardroom-beyond/ 

Soonish: Ten Emerging Technologies That’ll Improve and/or Ruin Everything — https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34490192-soonish 

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Episode 199 – Augmented GDPR Reality

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Events have conspired against the co-hosts getting together recently, yet, Michael and Michael have doubled-down on their schedules to ensure the recording and publication of this episode for the US holiday weekend.  Michael R starts us off, sharing his experiences at the recently concluded Moogfest in Durham, which was an edu-staycation for him to experience new ideas in music, art and technology close to home.  

Maps abound in this week’s episode of Games at Work!  Starting with Google’s augmented reality experience with Google Maps, featuring a cute fox animation, that causes the co-hosts to wonder what the fox might say.  Animated Dungeons & Dragons maps from Dynamic Dungeons transform a tabletop into a moving environment to lose yourself in — prompting both Michael and Michael to snap a couple pictures of their lead figures.

And what technology-focused podcast would be complete without marking this past Friday as the implementation date for the European GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) law — with everyone’s inbox being flooded with “we’ve updated our terms of service” notifications to comply with the new rules.  

It is great to be back in the podcasting saddle, and there is much to share and discuss!  What intrigues you in the world of mixed reality, robotics, social computing and games?  Drop us a line here or on Twitter, Facebook, or any of our other channels, as we get ready for episode 200, coming up very soon! 

Selected Links

Moogfest — https://www.moogfest.com/about 

Michael R’s Random Thoughts blog post: Moogfest day 4 and Wrap up — http://michaelrowe01.com/index.php/2018/05/22/moogfest-day-4-and-wrap-up/ 

Business Insider article: Google created a cute augmented-reality fox — http://www.businessinsider.com/google-showcases-augmented-reality-navigation-on-google-maps-2018-5 

Ylvis – The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) [Official music video HD] — 

@jdolcourt tweet on ARCore & ARKit compatibility — 

Facebook for developers blog: AR Studio: Create & Distribute New, Rich AR Experiences with Ease — https://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/2018/05/01/ar-studio-create-distribute/ 

Kotaku article: Animated Dungeons & Dragons Boards Look Like The Future — https://kotaku.com/animated-dungeons-dragons-maps-look-like-the-future-1826182730 

@andypiper tweet on Animated D&D boards — 

Dynamic Dungeons patreon site — https://www.patreon.com/dynamicdungeons/overview 

More lead figures from Michael R — 

And some from Michael M — 

 

TechCrunch article: Facebook, Google, face first GDPR complaints over ‘forced consent’ — https://techcrunch.com/2018/05/25/facebook-google-face-first-gdpr-complaints-over-forced-consent/ 

Wired article: Supreme Court Rules Against Workers in Arbitration Case — https://www.wired.com/story/supreme-court-rules-against-workers-in-arbitration-case/ 

Laughing Squid article: Comparing the Sizes of Monsters in Video Games — https://laughingsquid.com/comparing-the-sizes-of-monsters-in-video-games/ 

Alto’s Odyssey — https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/altos-odyssey/id1182456409?mt=8 

Honda’s Odyssey — https://automobiles.honda.com/odyssey 

 

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