Episode 194 – Human Roombas

Michael and Michael get back together to talk about the latest smart home news, starting with the Amazon acquisition of Ring.  The pair speculate on what this level of integration in the Amazon ecosystem could bring — everything from delivery verification, to drone delivery enablement to package recipient identification. Mobile apps captured their attention with location-based & experience-driven marketing as well as with augmented reality.  Augmented reality also features in this week’s episode in the form of a motorcycle helmet prototype  and the upcoming Ghostbusters mobile game. What do you think will be the next big thing in IoT?   … Continue reading

Episode 193 – Icy Robotic HomePods

Curling at the 2018 Pyeonchang Winter Olympics Michael M welcomes the HomePod and it’s robotic assistant Siri to his home, and shares some of his good experiences with his new smart speaker, not the least of which was listening to the radio broadcast of the Tar Heel Sports Network synchronized to the television video courtesy of the Tunecast app and the HomePod. The 2018 Pyeong Chang Olympics’ opening ceremony incorporated augmented reality and drones, much to the delight of the Games At Work crew.  Michael R pointed out the challenges involved in the droneshow, remembering the Super Bowl 51 weather, … Continue reading

Episode 192 – PVP-Y

  On a Games at Work busy day — the co-hosts start with follow up to the last two episodes dealing with smart speakers about the new HomePod being released.  While not said on the show, Michael M is looking forward to experiencing the dulcet tones of the Games At Work podcast on his HomePod in just a short few days! Robotics & automation loom large for this episode with many stories converging on the concept of whether automation will be a net job destroyer or creator.  The MIT Technology Review article gives a comprehensive snapshot of a variety of … Continue reading

Episode 189 – Year End Tech Blues

Did you know if you play In the Air Tonight from the Secret Policeman’s Ball starting at any time before midnight on the 31st of December, you won’t hear the drum solo at all?  Well, we did. As we wrap up the last episode of 2017, we have several examples of tech you may find as intriguing as we did. First, non-powered, non-battery operated devices that can communicate with WiFi, simply explained by sound waves.   Michael R highlights the DTNS show where the concept of transmission over a wet string is explained.  Michael M remembers the Monty Python String … Continue reading