11 hot dogs – Photo by Rich Smith on Unsplash

Microsoft’s Windows 11, UGA podcasters, remote controlling thermostats, tiny urban forests, concerts in Sims & Fortnite, Mountain Dew and #LEGOcon

Andy, Michael and Michael start things off with all things Windows 11, barely resisting to make the expected Spinal Tap joke.  OK, so the joke does make it into the podcast.  You knew it would.  So much news about the newest release of the operating system, focused on the consumer market.  See the extensive Verge links in the show notes for many more details.  

Then the co-hosts turn to the University of Georgia, where Michael R did his undergraduate work, and an article about all of the amazing alumni podcasters from the university – just missing one important podcast host that’s been recording this fine podcast for just a few episodes!  Plus it was great fun teaching Andy how to pronounce dawgs properly for the episode title.

Next up, remote controlled thermostats in Texas, and the challenges that IOT systems bring, especially when people who install the smart metering devices don’t read the fine print and understand what they’ve agreed to.  

Tiny urban forests loom large in the next set of stories and then things get incredibly interesting with “Operation Soda Steal” — an engineering story from 2008 for how a user decided to take advantage of the free refills at Taco Bell to enjoy Mountain Dew Baja Blast from the comfort of his home.  The link in the show notes is worthwhile just to see the MS Paint graphics.  By the way, MS Paint remains in Windows 11!  

Other topics in this episode include virtual concerts in The Sims (in Simlish) and Fortnite, AI fighter jet pilots, hackers using gamers to become “crypto-rich” and this weekend’s LEGOcon! 

Selected Links

The Verge article: Here are the visual changes Microsoft showed off in Windows 11 — https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/24/22548895/windows-11-ui-visual-change-roundup-microsoft-upgrade 

Microsoft’s Windows 11 event — https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/event 

The Verge article: Microsoft wants Steam to be part of its new Windows 11 app store — https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/25/22550103/microsoft-new-windows-app-store-steam-welcome 

The Verge article: Windows 11’s Intel-powered Android apps will run on AMD and Arm processors, too — https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/24/22549303/windows-11-intel-bridge-android-apps-amd-arm-processors 

Microsoft Windows Developer Blog post: What Windows 11 Means for Developers — https://blogs.windows.com/windowsdeveloper/2021/06/24/what-windows-11-means-for-developers/ 

The Verge article: Microsoft’s Panos Panay on building Windows 11 during ...