Podcasts about UI

Your freelancer blew the deadline—now what? Learn how to manage freelancers the right way. Subscribe for more leadership tips!What You'll Learn:Why fractional talent often fails to meet expectations—and how to fix it3 proven freelancer management tips that actually workHow to set expectations and onboard freelancers effectivelyWhat to do when a freelancer misses a deadline or underdeliversManaging freelancers shouldn't feel like babysitting but without the right systems, it does. In this episode of The New Manager Playbook, Lia Garvin dives deep into the freelancer horror stories so many founders and leaders are facing. From contractors missing deadlines to UI designers holding projects hostage, you'll hear real-life examples of what not to do when working with remote support staff.But it's not all cautionary tales. Lia shares her 3 keys to successful freelancer management starting with a clear onboarding process and setting realistic expectations. You'll also discover how to build accountability even without formal authority, and what tools you can use to track progress without micromanaging. Whether you're struggling with freelancer deadline issues or want to lead remote teams more effectively, this episode is your playbook.Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!

Employees at the General Services Administration appear poised to test Grok 3, the artificial intelligence tool built by Elon Musk's company xAI, according to a GitHub page referencing the agency's work. The GitHub page operated by GSA and its digital government group Technology Transformation Services references the Grok AI model as one it is testing and that the team is actively discussing as part of its 10x AI Sandbox. A GSA spokesperson told FedScoop in a response to an inquiry about the agency's work with Grok “GSA is evaluating the use of several top-tier AI solutions to empower agencies and our public servants to best achieve their goals. We welcome all American companies and models who abide by our terms and conditions.”A post from Tuesday shows what appears to be one GSA employee trying to access Grok 3 for testing, but struggling to do so. Several names of the people active on the GitHub page match those of workers affiliated with GSA. The 10x AI Sandbox project is described on GitHub as “a venture studio in collaboration with the General Services Administration (GSA). Its primary goal is to enable federal agencies to experiment with artificial intelligence (AI) in a secure, FedRAMP-compliant environment.” It continues: “By providing access to base models from leading AI companies and offering advanced UI features, the sandbox empowers agencies to test and validate new AI use cases efficiently.” The public version of the 10x AI Sandbox project page on GitHub was taken down after the publication of this story, redirecting now to a 404 error page. Interest in testing Grok comes as GSA continues to work on GSAi, an artificial intelligence tool built by the agency and meant to help employees access multiple AI models. At launch, the GSAi tool included access to several systems, including tools from Anthropic and Meta. Notably, Grok came under fire last week after promoting various antisemitic statements on the Musk-owned social media platform X. A top digital rights group is pushing back on the IRS's data-sharing agreement with the Department of Homeland Security, writing in a new court filing that the pact violates federal tax code and fails to take into account the real-world consequences of bulk data disclosure. In an amicus brief filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the Electronic Frontier Foundation argued that the “historical context” of the tax code section that ensures confidentiality of returns and return information “favors a narrow interpretation of disclosure provisions.” EFF also made the case for why the bulk disclosure of taxpayer information — in this case to Immigration and Customs Enforcement — is especially harmful due to “record linkage errors” that set the stage for “an increase in mistaken and dangerous ICE enforcement actions against taxpayers.” Nonprofit groups sued the Trump administration in March, shortly after the data-sharing deal between the IRS and ICE was announced. Soon after, the tax agency's then-acting commissioner resigned, reportedly in protest. In May, a Trump-appointed federal judge refused to block the agreement, allowing the IRS to continue delivering taxpayer data to ICE. The ruling, DHS said in a statement, was “a victory for the American people and for common sense.” As the D.C. Circuit Court considers the appeal, the Electronic Frontier Foundation wants to make sure that the “historical context” of tax and privacy law is taken into account. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

Hari Pertama masuk Sekolah, BKKBN mengajak Ayah untuk mengantarkan Anaknya sebagai Simbol Perubahan Budaya PengasuhanHari ini Senin 14 Juli 2025, merupakan Hari pertama tahun ajaran belajar 2025, di berbagai tingkat seperti TK dan SD. Menteri Kependudukan dan Pembangunan Keluarga/Badan Kependudukan dan Keluarga Berencana Nasional(Kemendukbangga/BKKBN), Wihaji mendorong para Ayah (bapak) untuk mengantarkan anak di hari pertama Sekolah. Gerakan ini juga menjadi simbol perubahan budaya pengasuhan di Indonesia, dari yang semula terpusat pada peran ibu, menjadi kolaboratif dan setara. Wawancara dengan Dr. Rita Pranawati - MA - Tenaga Ahli Mendikdasmen, Dosen di Uhamka, konsultan isu anak dan keluarga (baru selesai S3 sosiologi UI), Mantan Waket KPAI.

Google Veo leads the generative video market with superior 4K photorealism and integrated audio, an advantage derived from its YouTube training data. OpenAI Sora is the top tool for narrative storytelling, while Kuaishou Kling excels at animating static images with realistic, high-speed motion. Links Notes and resources at ocdevel.com/mlg/mla-26 Try a walking desk - stay healthy & sharp while you learn & code Build the future of multi-agent software with AGNTCY. S-Tier: Google Veo The market leader due to superior visual quality, physics simulation, 4K resolution, and integrated audio generation, which removes post-production steps. It accurately interprets cinematic prompts ("timelapse," "aerial shots"). Its primary advantage is its integration with Google products, using YouTube's vast video library for rapid model improvement. The professional focus is clear with its filmmaking tool, "Flow." A-Tier: Sora & Kling OpenAI Sora: Excels at interpreting complex narrative prompts and has wide distribution through ChatGPT. Features include in-video editing tools like "Remix" and a "Storyboard" function for multi-shot scenes. Its main limits are 1080p resolution and no native audio. Kuaishou Kling: A leader in image-to-video quality and realistic high-speed motion. It maintains character consistency and has proven commercial viability (RMB 150M in Q1 2025). Its text-to-video interface is less intuitive than Sora's. Summary: Sora is best for storytellers starting with a narrative idea; Kling is best for artists animating a specific image. Control and Customization: Runway & Stable Diffusion Runway: An integrated creative suite with a full video editor and "AI Magic Tools" like Motion Brush and Director Mode. Its value is in generating, editing, and finishing in one platform, offering precise control over stylization and in-shot object alteration. Stable Diffusion: An open-source ecosystem (SVD, AnimateDiff) offering maximum control through technical interfaces like ComfyUI. Its strength is a large community developing custom models, LoRAs, and ControlNets for specific tasks like VFX integration. It has a steep learning curve. Niche Tools: Midjourney & More Midjourney Video: The best tool for animating static Midjourney images (image-to-video only), preserving their unique aesthetic. Avatar Platforms (HeyGen, Synthesia): Built for scalable corporate and marketing videos, featuring realistic talking avatars, voice cloning, and multi-language translation with accurate lip-sync. Head-to-Head Comparison Feature Google Veo (S-Tier) OpenAI Sora (A-Tier) Kuaishou Kling (A-Tier) Runway (Power-User Tier) Photorealism Winner. Best 4K detail and physics. Excellent, but can have a stylistic "AI" look. Very strong, especially with human subjects. Good, but a step below the top tier. Consistency Strong, especially with Flow's scene-building. Co-Winner. Storyboard feature is built for this. Co-Winner. Excels in image-to-video consistency. Good, with character reference tools. Prompt Adherence Winner (Language). Best understanding of cinematic terms. Best for imaginative/narrative prompts. Strong on motion, less on camera specifics. Good, but relies more on UI tools. Directorial Control Strong via prompt. Moderate, via prompt and storyboard. Moderate, focused on motion. Winner (Interface). Motion Brush & Director Mode offer direct control. Integrated Audio Winner. Native dialogue, SFX, and music. Major workflow advantage. No. Requires post-production. No. Requires post-production. No. Requires post-production. Advanced Multi-Tool Workflows High-Quality Animation: Combine Midjourney (for key-frame art) with Kling or Runway (for motion), then use an AI upscaler like Topaz for 4K finishing. VFX Compositing: Use Stable Diffusion (AnimateDiff/ControlNets) to generate specific elements for integration into live-action footage using professional software like Nuke or After Effects. All-in-one models lack the required layer-based control. High-Volume Marketing: Use Veo for the main concept, Runway for creating dozens of variations, and HeyGen for personalized avatar messaging to achieve speed and scale. Decision Matrix: Who Should Use What? User Profile Primary Goal Recommendation Justification The Indie Filmmaker Pre-visualization, short films. OpenAI Sora (Primary), Google Veo (Secondary) Sora's storyboard feature is best for narrative construction. Veo is best for high-quality final shots. The VFX Artist Creating animated elements for live-action. Stable Diffusion (AnimateDiff/ComfyUI) Offers the layer-based control and pipeline integration needed for professional VFX. The Creative Agency Rapid prototyping, social content. Runway (Primary Suite), Google Veo (For Hero Shots) Runway's editing/variation tools are built for agency speed. Veo provides the highest quality for the main asset. The AI Artist / Animator Art-directed animated pieces. Midjourney + Kling Pairs the best image generator with a top-tier motion engine for maximum aesthetic control. The Corporate Trainer Training and personalized marketing videos. HeyGen / Synthesia Specialized tools for avatar-based video production at scale (voice cloning, translation). Future Trajectory Pipeline Collapse: More models will integrate audio and editing, pressuring silent-only video generators. The Control Arms Race: Competition will shift from quality to providing more sophisticated directorial tools. Rise of Aggregators: Platforms like OpenArt that provide access to multiple models through a single interface will become essential.

Samsungovo letnje pojavljivanje stalo je u jednu reč - tanko. Tanka silueta koju je prošetao Galaxy Fold7 spasiće Samsung svega ostalog što smo videli na letnjem raspakivanju. Sedmicu u imenu dobio je i Flip, a satovi imaju novi dizajn i staru priču. Iako je Samsung dao sve od sebe da nas ubedi kako je AI novi UI, ključna AI tačka ovog puta je Gemini koji na Androidu počinje da prati i druge aplikacije, pa se naoružajte oprezom pre nego što uskočite u taj vagon. Danska proba LibreOffice umesto Microsoftovog, Windows će vas doslovno zavijati u crno, Cloudflare proba alat kojim ćete AI botovima moći da naplaćujete ulaz na svoj sajt, OpenAI bi mogao da napravi browser, a prva kompanija koja je prešla cifru of 4 biliona ipak je Nvidia. Hvala na slušanju!

AI is changing how companies build and scale. But most pitch decks haven't caught up.Karthik Chakkarapani, CIO of Zuora, has heard plenty of startup pitches but only a few stand out. He shares why most pitches fall flat, how to fix them, and how to present both the founder and the company in a way that drives real interest.We unpack what should go into your 30-second elevator pitch, why “Time to Value” needs its own slide, and how to bring up AI without sounding like everyone else.SaaS is changing fast and it's no longer just about features, but about speed, clarity, and proof of value. We explore how the next wave of SaaS companies can truly differentiate themselves.Building a startup is different in a post-UI world, where users don't click through screens but simply prompt systems to act. We discuss what it takes to build in a world of API-driven AI agents, along with real lessons on what most founders get wrong about working with large companies.If you're building SaaS in 2025, this conversation is for you.0:00 – Trailer1:05 – How the CIO Role Has Changed3:21 – How Zuora Enables the Subscription Economy5:45 – Is SaaS Becoming Headless?7:55 – Are We Entering a Post-UI World?10:37 – What's the New Competitive Advantage?12:31 – Will Entry-Level Jobs Be Replaced by Tools?14:05 – What Metrics Will Matter in an Agentic AI World?15:55 – How to Measure AI Adoption in Your Company18:38 – What's the Hype-to-Reality Ratio for AI?20:19 – What Is the Biggest ROI AI Has Delivered?23:53 – How Startups Can Get Deployed in Enterprises27:10 – How Founders Should Use AI in Their Pitch28:45 – Bolt-On AI vs. Built-In AI32:26 – Most Common Myth About CIOs35:03 – Why You Need a Prompt Library36:04 – What to Avoid in Your Pitch Deck37:21 – How Atomic Work Came Onboard42:47 – The Underrated Soft Skills Founders Need47:55 – 3 Examples of Killer 30-Second Elevator Pitches51:59 – The “Time-to-Value” Slide Explained53:46 – What Founders Get Wrong About Enterprises54:58 – Top SaaS Misconceptions About Enterprise57:00 – Where Enterprises Adopt AI the Fastest59:45 – How the Next SaaS Companies Will Differentiate1:00:33 – Bay Area vs. Bangalore vs. Chennai1:03:33 – Rapid Fire Round-------------​​India's talent has built the world's tech—now it's time to lead it.This mission goes beyond startups. It's about shifting the center of gravity in global tech to include the brilliance rising from India.What is Neon Fund?We invest in seed and early-stage founders from India and the diaspora building world-class Enterprise AI companies. We bring capital, conviction, and a community that's done it before.Subscribe for real founder stories, investor perspectives, economist breakdowns, and a behind-the-scenes look at how we're doing it all at Neon.-------------Check us out on:Website: https://neon.fund/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theneonshoww/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/beneon/Twitter: https://x.com/TheNeonShowwConnect with Siddhartha on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharthaahluwalia/Twitter: https://x.com/siddharthaa7-------------This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.Send us a text

Send us a text!This week, Leander and Griffin are joined by Graham Bower to talk about the latest iPhone 17 leaks, Jeff Williams stepping down and what that means for Apple's next CEO, toning down Liquid Glass in iOS 26, how to vibe code to make your next iOS app, a perplexing user setup, MacBook Pro buying advice… and a review of an exciting handheld video game console!This episode supported by:The Cult of Mac Today Newsletter. Get all the top stories, Leander's daily musings, top tweets, the daily wallpaper, inspirational Steve Jobs quote and vote in our reader polls — all delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up at newsletters.cultofmac.comThis week's stories:iPhone 17 leak teases Pro-exclusive design upgradesThe upcoming iPhone 17 series may pack big design changes, at least on the Pro models, with the base variant featuring subtle changes.Majin Bu: iPhone 17 Air Could Be Available in 4 New Color OptionsJeff Williams stepping down as Apple COOJeff Williams, whose role as COO put him charge of Apple's global operations since 2010, will retire later this year.Why this dark horse candidate could be Apple's next CEOEverything new in iOS 26 Beta 3iOS 26 beta 3 tweaks the Liquid Glass design, making the UI elements frosty to improve readability while making multiple smaller changes.Vibe codingReps & SetsApple's Swift tutorials in Swift PlaygroundSwiftUI tutorialsApple's Human Computer Interaction guidelinesCursor IDEApple Developer ProgramYamaha studio monitors power MacBook Pro rig's soundFor MacBook setup speakers, you can do worse than this user's Yamaha studio monitors. And his headphones and audio interfaces impress, too.Under Review

In this episode of PodRocket, Michael Shilman, product lead at Storybook, joins us to explore the major updates in Storybook 9. We dive into component testing, browser mode in Vitest, AI workflows, React Server Components, accessibility audits, and Storybook's growing support for frameworks like Next.js, Svelte, and React Native. Michael also shares behind-the-scenes insights on Storybook's evolution from a documentation tool to a full-fledged UI development and testing suite. Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shilman Github: https://github.com/shilman X: https://x.com/mshilman Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/shilman.net Resources Storybook 9 (https://storybook.js.org/blog/storybook-9/) We want to hear from you! How did you find us? Did you see us on Twitter? In a newsletter? Or maybe we were recommended by a friend? Let us know by sending an email to our producer, Em, at emily.kochanek@logrocket.com (mailto:emily.kochanek@logrocket.com), or tweet at us at PodRocketPod (https://twitter.com/PodRocketpod). Follow us. Get free stickers. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, fill out this form (https://podrocket.logrocket.com/get-podrocket-stickers), and we'll send you free PodRocket stickers! What does LogRocket do? LogRocket provides AI-first session replay and analytics that surfaces the UX and technical issues impacting user experiences. Start understanding where your users are struggling by trying it for free at LogRocket.com. Try LogRocket for free today. (https://logrocket.com/signup/?pdr) Special Guest: Michael Shilman.

Patrick McKenzie (patio11) is joined again by Ricki Heicklen to discuss the evolution of her trading education business, Arbor, one year after their first conversation. They dive deep into the pedagogy of trading, exploring how simulated markets teach concepts like adverse selection, team dynamics, and risk management through hands-on experience. Ricki shares war stories from the bootcamp trenches—infinite loop bugs that mirror Knight Capital's disaster, WiFi outages that create unexpected trading opportunities, and that the most successful trading teams often focus on internal team communication even more than trade execution or technical acumen.See the full transcript: https://www.complexsystemspodcast.com/think-like-a-trader-ricki-heicklen/–[Patrick notes: Complex Systems now produces occasional video episodes.You can access them directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@patio11podcast. My kids inform me that I'm supposed to tell you to like and subscribe.]–Links:Trading Camp : https://trading.camp/Metagame: https://www.metagame.games/#tickets Story of Knight Capital: https://www.sec.gov/files/litigation/admin/2013/34-70694.pdf–Timestamps:(00:00) Intro(00:46) Ricki's journey from trading to teaching(01:25) The birth of Arbor and first bootcamps(03:32) Developing a trader's mindset(05:53) Understanding heuristics in trading(08:21) Adverse selection in everyday life(15:40) Insights from teaching trading bootcamps(21:07) Pedagogical approach: learning by doing(32:00) Handling mistakes and learning opportunities(36:17) Unplanned bugs and real-world lessons(39:47) Learning from Knight Capital's bug(40:24) Understanding exchange-side bugs(43:10) Risk limits and strategy separation(44:41) Importance of UI in trading bots(46:53) The Madagascar button(48:20) The big red button in manufacturing(49:45) Simulated trading and information aggregation(50:29) Sibling trading game explained(53:24) Modeling and hidden information(01:01:15) Trading behavior and market updates(01:04:38) Real-world applications and lessons(01:13:58) Surprises and market opportunities(01:16:24) Pedagogical approaches in trading education(01:17:08) Market dynamics and counterparty behavior(01:17:53) Retail vs. institutional order flow(01:19:23) Simplifying trading concepts for beginners(01:21:27) Introducing market characters and their roles(01:31:31) Team dynamics and communication in trading(01:39:13) The importance of redundancy in trading systems(01:47:52) Future of trading education and online classes(01:53:47) Wrap

News and Updates: Google Earth turns 20 — Google celebrates two decades of Earth exploration with historical Street View now added to Google Earth. Highlights include viral launches, disaster response after Katrina, aiding scientific discoveries, the Saroo Brierley story from Lion, and the viral #somewhereonGoogleMaps trend. 400 million Windows PCs vanished — Microsoft quietly revealed Windows active devices dropped from 1.4B in 2022 to 1B in 2025 as home users retire PCs without replacing them. The market is shifting toward business and mobile-first devices. Microsoft offers cheaper Windows 10 security updates — Instead of a $30 fee, consumers can now enroll in Extended Security Updates with 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points or by using Windows Backup on OneDrive. The Blue Screen of Death turns black — Windows 11's infamous BSOD gets a minimalist black redesign in version 24H2, ditching the frowny face and QR code in favor of a cleaner UI. Windows 11 restore points now expire faster — With the June 2025 update, system restore points in Windows 11 24H2 expire after 60 days instead of 90, requiring users to monitor backups more closely. Microsoft makes AI use mandatory for staff — Company leaders are pushing employees to adopt internal AI tools like GitHub Copilot, with some teams considering AI usage as a formal review metric starting next fiscal year.

In the last lesson, I talked about the four types of UX resources that can help you scale your influence across the organization. This time, we're going to zero in on one of the most powerful tools at your disposal: the design system.If you want to move from being an implementer to a UX leader, someone who empowers others to create better experiences, a good design system is your best ally. It makes user-centered design easier for everyone else. That, in turn, frees you up to focus on the bigger picture.Let's talk about why that matters and what makes a design system truly useful.Why Design Systems Matter (Even if You Think You've Got One)I'm not just talking about a Figma file with some buttons and colors. I mean a real design system. One that's robust, well-documented, and tightly integrated with your development process.Because, people across your organization need to visualize, prototype, and test ideas quickly. If they're constantly reinventing layouts or relying on you to build everything, you become the bottleneck. A good design system short-circuits that by giving them the building blocks to create user-friendly interfaces without needing to be UX experts.That helps in several ways:Speed: Reusable components make it faster to go from idea to mockupConsistency: Interfaces follow the same design logic, reducing confusion and frictionScalability: Teams don't need to wait on you to build every screenBuilt-in best practice: Accessibility and UI standards are baked inBut for any of that to work, you've got to go beyond just handing over a Figma file.What Makes a Design System Effective?It's easy to underestimate what goes into a good design system. But if you want others to use it correctly and confidently, it needs to tick a few critical boxes.Clear DocumentationThink brand guidelines, but for components. Your team needs to know how and when to use each item. That includes the "dos and don'ts" and examples of what not to do. Misusing components is common. Like placing white text on pale backgrounds or combining elements in awkward ways. A few screenshots can save a lot of confusion.Developer-Friendly IntegrationDesign systems shouldn't just work for designers. Developers need to be able to take what they see in Figma and translate it into code. That means making component names and logic consistent between tools. Ideally, it also includes code snippets they can copy directly.Reusable Code ComponentsIf you've got a design system in Figma but no matching code components in your front-end library, you're only halfway there. Work with engineering to make sure each design element has a reusable, implementable counterpart in code.Modular and MaintainableYour system needs to grow with your organization. Whether you're rebranding or adding new features, your design system should make updates easier, not harder. Modular components help with that and make it easier to iterate as standards evolve.Governance and Ongoing OwnershipThis isn't a "set and forget" resource. A design system needs love and maintenance. Set up lightweight processes for reviewing and updating it regularly. That might mean assigning someone ownership or scheduling a quarterly design system review.You Don't Need to Build It All at OnceA solid design system is a powerful investment. But it doesn't need to be perfect or comprehensive from day one. Start small. Pick a few high-use components like buttons, form fields, and modals, and document those well. Build from there as your needs and capacity allow.The important part is getting something usable into people's hands as early as possible.Your Action StepStart by taking inventory. What components or styles are you re-creating over and over again? Could you package those into a starter design system for others to use?Next time, we'll talk about the tools you can provide that make research, testing, and prototyping much easier for your colleagues.

Dans cet épisode de Head of Design, Paul Menant reçoit Bastien Bigot, designer et cofondateur de Cébette, la première plateforme de cuisine sur mesure.Bastien partage son retour d'expérience complet sur le rôle du design dans les premiers mois d'une startup tech, entre vision produit, agilité, et stratégies pour scaler efficacement.

In this episode, Will and Christy talk about everything from big Squarespace updates (especially around e-commerce), to taking real sick days (or not), and why it's actually okay if your website isn't the prettiest thing on the internet. We get into what dogs can teach us about web design, using loyalty and clear directions as guiding lights, and even where to find that “sunny spot” for your work and wellbeing. You'll walk away with practical changes you can make to your Squarespace site, and a few reminders that taking care of yourself is just as important as impressing your clients. Oh, and we share a lot of love for pets, so if that's your thing, stick around!Sponsor: SquareKickerWhat if you could have unlimited creativity on Squarespace? ⁠⁠⁠⁠The SquareKicker Pro Extension⁠⁠⁠⁠ gives you powerful design control, with an intuitive, visual UI right inside your Squarespace editor.Created by designers, for designers, over 100 no-code tools empower you to customize Squarespace far beyond its native capabilities. Visit squarekicker.com for a free trial—no credit card required. Use SOMEWHAT15 to get 15% off all SquareKicker products today.⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn MoreDonald Miller book: https://storybrand.com/building-a-storybrand-book-new/See the site Christy made about BeylaWill's Squarespace Designer Toolkit Chrome ExtensionWorkflow.DesignChristy's Workflow.Design walkthroughWhere to find Kristine:https://kristineneil.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristineneil/https://www.youtube.com/@kristineneil 

Text the show! The link's in the episode notes — let's talk storyHave you ever felt stuck in a cycle? The same argument, the same tension, the same heavy feelings that show up over and over again?In this episode of The Faith & Aloha Show, I'm opening up about a pattern in my marriage with Danny that's repeated for years — especially before he left for work trips. Every time, there would be tension, fighting, and a heaviness that lasted the whole time he was gone.But this time, something shifted. Through quiet inner healing (which we talked about last week) and the power of asking for prayer, I experienced a new kind of peace — for the first time in years.We'll look at Isaiah 26:3 and Philippians 4:7, and talk about how peace doesn't always show up loud and dramatic. Sometimes, it arrives gently, through surrender, prayer, and small heart changes that break big cycles.If you're longing for peace in your relationships, or praying for a breakthrough in your marriage, this episode is for you.Mahalo for joining me today and for letting me share this space with you. Let's keep walking in faith and aloha, together. Find me on Instagram @uikumuhoneConnect with me on Facebook @Uilani Kumuhone [personal] The Fait&Aloha Space Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16SLYE4QC4/ I would love to connect with you! If you would like to be a guest on the show email me uilanikumuhone@gmail.com I would love to have you on and talk about how God is working in your life. supporting biblical resources You Version bible website:https://www.bible.com/ Topical bible verse search: https://www.openbible.info/topics/ Come as you are. Grow as He leads. Walk in aloha.

As CEO of Razorfish, Dani Mariano leads teams who are focused on delivering performance outcomes rooted in brand purpose. Innovation is in Razorfish's DNA, and Dani is leading the agency's day-to-day operations at a time when exponential growth in emerging spaces such as AI and Web3 has never been more attainable. She is committed to discovering how Razorfish can help brands build relationships in this new digital age through valuable consumer touch points, and how to keep companies at the forefront of the latest technology advancements to future-proof them for what's to come. Most importantly, she empowers the agency's team members to seek opportunities for growth that will prepare them to be the next generation of agency leadership.During her time at Razorfish and its parent company, Publicis Groupe, Dani has led an award-winning global digital marketing transformation for Samsung spanning the Web3 launch of 837X and Discord channel, DTC commerce experiences, social commerce innovations, global website UI-redesign, and advanced analytics & measurement – all underpinned by a relentless focus on consumer behavior fueled by data insights.  Dani's blend of deep expertise in marketing, pioneering approach to new technologies, and digital-first innovation has translated into a track record of industry recognitions, such as Hermes Creative Award 2022, Data Breakthrough Award 2022, Effie 2022, Adweek Media Plan of the Year 2021, and multiple Webby Awards.Prior to joining Razorfish and Publicis, Dani spent over 20 years in marketing leadership roles working with brands such as Nestle, Avery Denison, DIRECTV, Honda, Alterna Hair Care, and Public Storage.When Dani is not following her relentless curiosity around emerging technology and the implications for consumer experiences, she can be found around Los Angeles or relaxing at the beach with her family.

Todd Olson joins me to talk about making analytics worth paying for and relevant in the age of AI. The CEO of Pendo, an analytics SAAS company, Todd shares how the company evolved to support a wider audience by simplifying dashboards, removing user roadblocks, and leveraging AI to both generate and explain insights. We also talked about the roles of product management at Pendo. Todd views AI product management as a natural evolution for adaptable teams and explains how he thinks about hiring product roles in 2025. Todd also shares how he thinks about successful user adoption of his product around “time to value” and “stickiness” over vanity metrics like time spent.    Highlights/ Skip to: How Todd has addressed analytics apathy over the past decade at Pendo (1:17) Getting back to basics and not barraging people with more data and power (4:02) Pendo's strategy for keeping the product experience simple without abandoning power users (6:44) Whether Todd is considering using an LLM (prompt-based) answer-driven experience with Pendo's UI (8:51) What Pendo looks for when hiring product managers right now, and why (14:58) How Pendo evaluates AI product managers, specifically (19:14) How Todd Olson views AI product management compared to traditional software product management (21:56) Todd's concerns about the probabilistic nature of AI-generated answers in the product UX (27:51) What KPIs Todd uses to know whether Pendo is doing enough to reach its goals (32:49)   Why being able to tell what answers are best will become more important as choice increases (40:05)   Quotes from Today's Episode “Let's go back to classic Geoffrey Moore Crossing the Chasm, you're selling to early adopters. And what you're doing is you're relying on the early adopters' skill set and figuring out how to take this data and connect it to business problems. So, in the early days, we didn't do anything because the market we were selling to was very, very savvy; they're hungry people, they just like new things. They're getting data, they're feeling really, really smart, everything's working great. As you get bigger and bigger and bigger, you start to try to sell to a bigger TAM, a bigger audience, you start trying to talk to the these early majorities, which are, they're not early adopters, they're more technology laggards in some degree, and they don't understand how to use data to inform their job. They've never used data to inform their job. There, we've had to do a lot more work.” Todd (2:04 - 2:58) “I think AI is amazing, and I don't want to say AI is overhyped because AI in general is—yeah, it's the revolution that we all have to pay attention to. Do I think that the skills necessary to be an AI product manager are so distinct that you need to hire differently? No, I don't. That's not what I'm seeing. If you have a really curious product manager who's going all in, I think you're going to be okay. Some of the most AI-forward work happening at Pendo is not just product management. Our design team is going crazy. And I think one of the things that we're seeing is a blend between design and product, that they're always adjacent and connected; there's more sort of overlappiness now.” Todd (22:41 - 23:28) “I think about things like stickiness, which may not be an aggregate time, but how often are people coming back and checking in? And if you had this companion or this agent that you just could not live without, and it caused you to come into the product almost every day just to check in, but it's a fast check-in, like, a five-minute check-in, a ten-minute check-in, that's pretty darn sticky. That's a good metric. So, I like stickiness as a metric because it's measuring [things like], “Are you thinking about this product a lot?” And if you're thinking about it a lot, and like, you can't kind of live without it, you're going to go to it a lot, even if it's only a few minutes a day. Social media is like that. Thankfully I'm not addicted to TikTok or Instagram or anything like that, but I probably check it nearly every day. That's a pretty good metric. It gets part of my process of any products that you're checking every day is pretty darn good. So yeah, but I think we need to reframe the conversation not just total time. Like, how are we measuring outcomes and value, and I think that's what's ultimately going to win here.” Todd (39:57) Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddaolson/  X: https://x.com/tolson  todd@pendo.io 

Send us feedback or episode suggestions.Design systems aren't just a UI toolkit—they're the backbone of digital product creation and management. In this episode, engineer and researcher Steve Dodier-Lazaro joins Chris Strahl to unpack why treating design systems like standalone products is holding teams back. They explore what it really takes to scale product design and development in enterprise environments—from shared tooling and token standards to how AI and LLMs can bridge messy, real-world workflows.In this episode:Why design systems are dependencies, not deliverablesTools and standards shaping the future of digital productionHow AI will reshape the infrastructure behind design and engineeringView the transcript of this episode.Check out our upcoming events.If you want to get in touch with the show, ask some questions, or tell us what you think, send us a message over on LinkedIn.GuestSteve is a freelance software engineer specialised in design systems and frontend development based in Seine Saint-Denis, France. Steve is dedicated to advancing the design system tooling ecosystem through his open-source contributions as a community advocate, addon author and contributor to Storybook, and through projects around design token tooling.HostChris Strahl is co-founder and CEO of Knapsack, host of @TheDSPod, DnD DM, and occasional river guide. You can find Chris on Twitter as @chrisstrahl and on LinkedIn.SponsorSponsored by Knapsack, the design system platform that brings teams together. Learn more at knapsack.cloud.

Today we are talking about Drupal Hooks, why they got changed in core, and what to do now with guest Karoly Négyesi better known as Chx. We'll also cover Media Folders as our module of the week. For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/510 Topics Deep Dive into Drupal Hooks The Evolution of Drupal Hooks Challenges and Solutions in Hook Conversion Community Involvement and Contributions The Future of Drupal Hook System Introduction to Procedural Hooks Understanding Theme Hooks Complexities of Preprocess Hooks Converting Hooks to Object-Oriented Impact on Contributed Modules Challenges in Core Conversion Future of Drupal Hooks Lightning Round and Conclusion Resources Hooks becoming OOP Convert everything everwhere all at once Conversion script Conversion patches Ordering hooks OOP Preprocess hooks Render API change 2009 issue for form api ungrokable 2007 change for calling themes hook Giant issue with all of the hook related links Longest hook in core: entity_query_tag__entity_test_mulrev__entity_query_entity_test_mulrev_alter_tag_test_alter Guests Károly Negyesi - ghost-of-drupal-past Hosts Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi Martin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu MOTW Correspondent Martin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu Brief description: Have you ever wanted to have your Drupal site's media assets presented in a UI that evokes the hierarchy of a filesystem? There's a module for that. Module name/project name: Media Folders Brief history How old: created in Apr 2025 by João Mauricio (jmauricio) Versions available: 1.0.3 which supports Drupal 10.3 and 11 Maintainership Actively maintained Security coverage Test coverage Number of open issues: 9 open issues, 2 of which are bugs, although one was just fixed Usage stats: 61 sites Module features and usage The module mimics a file structure by associating media entities with a taxonomy hierarchy It then provides an intuitive, drag-and-drop UI to move items between locations, drag in new items, or even search within a particular “folder”, including a recursive search When you drag in files, it uses “smart” logic to automatically assign files to Media bundles It provides a form display widget, a view display widget, a CKEditor plugin, and it's compatible with other filesystem modules, like S3 File System This kind of interface is a requirement I've seen in RFPs by companies looking for a new CMS, so having this available as a drop-in solution

Work progresses on code name "Bento Fit" as Steve does some performance refactoring using Aider and Claude 4 Sonnet while Kotaro polishes up the iOS 26 UI changes. We also have a discussion on the trade-offs of using "AI" tools in programming and the importance of intellectual labor and little bit about what it means to be a "professional."## Show Notes- BentoFit: The Story So far- Steve: Improved loading time by “pair programming” with Aider and Claude Sonnet 4- Kotaro: iOS 26 UI updates- Next: - Kotaro: Dashboard interactions, customization - Steve: Independent loading of views, more HealthKit types - Aaron: Workout trends- Are LLMs Making us Dumber? - MIT Media Lab paper: https://www.media.mit.edu/publications/your-brain-on-chatgpt/ - Cal Newport discussing the results of MIT Media Lab paper: https://youtu.be/LB73n33cHOY- Wrap-Up- One more thing: Azam Sharp Foundation Models Framework Course - https://azamsharp.teachable.com/p/getting-started-with-the-foundation-models-framework - Coupon code: PHILLY - Discount: 40% - Expires: July 31st, 2025## Chapters00:00 Introductions01:47 Bento Fit: The Story So Far04:05 "Pair Programming" With Aider and Claude Sonnet 424:55 iOS 26 UI Updates31:55 Bento Fit: Next Sprint37:45 The Trade-Offs of "AI" in Programming43:34 The Importance of Intellectual Labor54:43 Apple's "AI" Bet01:05:25 Wrap-Up01:05:51 One More Thing...01:07:31 TagIntro music: "When I Hit the Floor", © 2021 Lorne Behrman. Used with permission of the artist.

Zack Kayser, Staff Software Engineer at cars.com, joins Elixir Wizards Sundi Myint and Charles Suggs to discuss how Cars.com adopted a server-driven UI (SDUI) architecture powered by Elixir and GraphQL to deliver consistent, updatable interfaces across web, iOS, and Android. We explore why SDUI matters for feature velocity, how a mature design system and schema planning make it feasible, and what it takes, culturally and technically, to move UI logic from client code into a unified backend. Key topics discussed in this episode: SDUI fundamentals and how it differs from traditional server-side rendering GraphQL as the single source of truth for UI components and layouts Defining abstract UI components on the server to eliminate duplicate logic Leveraging a robust design system as the foundation for SDUI success API-first development and cross-team coordination for schema changes Mock data strategies for early UI feedback without breaking clients Handling breaking changes and hot-fix deployments via server-side updates Enabling flexible layouts and A/B testing through server-controlled ordering Balancing server-driven vs. client-managed UI Iterative SDUI rollout versus “big-bang” migrations in large codebases Using type specs and Dialyxir for clear cross-team communication Integration testing at the GraphQL layer to catch UI regressions early Quality engineering's role in validating server-driven interfaces Production rollback strategies across web and native platforms Considerations for greenfield projects adopting SDUI from day one Zack and Ethan's upcoming Instrumenting Elixir Apps book Links mentioned: https://cars.com https://github.com/absinthe-graphql/absinthe Telemetry & Observability for Elixir Apps Ep: https://youtu.be/1V2xEPqqCso https://www.phoenixframework.org/blog/phoenix-liveview-1.0-released https://hexdocs.pm/phoenixliveview/assigns-eex.html https://graphql.org/ https://tailwindcss.com/ https://github.com/jeremyjh/dialyxir https://github.com/rrrene/credo GraphQL Schema https://graphql.org/learn/schema/ SwiftUI https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/  Kotlin https://kotlinlang.org/ https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/a-deep-dive-into-airbnbs-server-driven-ui-system-842244c5f5 Zack's Twitter: https://x.com/kayserzl/ Zack's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zack-kayser-93b96b88  Special Guest: Zack Kayser.

So far in this series, we've been shifting your role from implementer to advisor. You've worked hard to win trust, define a strategy, and begin shaping the way your organization approaches user experience.But, just because people agree with your strategy doesn't mean they're ready to run with it.Most stakeholders are busy. Many aren't confident doing UX themselves. And now, you're asking them to take on tasks you used to handle like research, testing, or prototyping.That can feel like a lot.Reduce Friction, Increase AdoptionIf you want others to embrace user-centered practices, you need to make it as easy as possible for them. That's why one of your most valuable contributions as a UX leader is to create resources that lower the barrier to entry.These resources act like stepping stones. They make it easier for people to do things the right way without needing to start from scratch or second-guess themselves.In my experience, four types of resources offer the biggest return:A Design SystemA design system helps teams move faster and more confidently. It bakes UX best practices into the UI itself, making consistency and usability the default. It's an especially powerful tool for anyone prototyping pages or building new features.We'll go deeper into this one in the next email.A Suite of ToolsYour colleagues don't have time to research survey platforms, testing tools, or recruitment services. Save them the hassle. Offer a curated list of tools that are easy to use and fit your organization's context. Even better, give them a bit of guidance or training to get started.This helps people act quickly and correctly without needing to consult you every time.A Preferred Supplier ListSometimes stakeholders simply can't do the work themselves. That's okay. But when they turn to external help, they risk choosing vendors who don't share your UX standards.A vetted list of trusted suppliers ensures quality, avoids procurement headaches, and saves everyone time. It also reinforces your role as a strategic advisor, not just a service provider.General User ResearchIf people are running their own projects, they need to start with some understanding of who your users are. Providing a library of existing research segmented by audience, goal, or product line gives them a head start. It helps avoid duplicate effort and ensures that teams aren't working in the dark.They'll still need to run project-specific research, but this foundation gives them something solid to build on.You Don't Have to Build Everything OvernightI know this can sound like a lot. But don't worry we're going to unpack each of these in the coming lessons.For now, think of this as the blueprint for your next phase of influence. These resources are how you go from supporting a few projects to shaping how your entire organization delivers user experience.They're also the key to breaking the bottleneck. If you've been stretched thin trying to "own UX" on every touchpoint, this is your way out.In the next email, we'll dive into the first resource on the list: your design system. It's often the easiest place to start and can have an outsized impact very quickly.Until then, take a moment to reflect:Which of these resources already exist in your organization and which ones could you start sketching out?Drop me a reply if you're unsure where to start. I'm happy to help you think it through.Talk soon,

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In this episode of Tank Talks, we explore the future of solo entrepreneurship powered by AI with the co-founders of Audos, Henrik Werdelin and Nicholas Thorne. Audos is pioneering a platform that helps founders start and scale one-person businesses by providing AI co-founders that guide entrepreneurs through the entire startup journey from idea validation to product development, marketing, and growth.Henrik and Nicholas share how their experience building companies like BarkBox and their startup studio Prehype, inspired the vision for Audos. They break down why the next wave of innovation may come not from massive teams, but from solo founders armed with agents and AI workflows.* Can AI unlock a million one-person, million-dollar businesses?* What's a “Donkeycorn” and why is it the new unicorn?* How do founders build “taste at scale” in an age of auto-generated everything?From BarkBox to Audos: Henrik's Journey (00:02:31)* Building a startup collective with Prehype* Why being surrounded by misfits at MTV shaped his entrepreneurial lens* What “between time” means for foundersWall Street to Startup Studio: Nicholas' Story (00:06:00)* Starting on Wall Street during the 2008 crash* Creating a Costco arbitrage business in college* Meeting Henrik and becoming an “Entrepreneur in Residence”How Audos Was Born (00:10:41)* The problem with “idea-first” thinking* The Prehype methodology that powers the platform* Helping founders build relationship capital, not just appsWhat is Audos? An AI Co-Founder for the Masses (00:12:26)* The mission: a million one-person, $1M/year businesses* How agents guide users from idea to scale* From onboarding to revenue generationTaste at Scale: The Founder's Secret Sauce (00:26:54)* Why knowing what not to do is as important as what to do* Defining taste in a world of AI-generated content* The power of deselecting bad-fit customersThe First 30 Seconds with Audos (00:32:01)* How users are onboarded via Instagram and a conversational UI* The role of AI agents across product, marketing, and founder coaching* Where human support still plays a vital roleCapital as a Tool for Activation (00:36:26)* Why giving early-stage founders “nudges” is more effective than full VC rounds* Real stories of customers launching fast with small validation experiments* Why momentum is oxygen for new businessesReplacing Accelerators? The Role of Community (00:48:54)* How Audos supports founders who wouldn't otherwise build* The loneliness of solo entrepreneurship in the AI era* Why Audos is an “artist collective” for business buildersWhat's Next: The Future of AI-Driven Founders (00:50:58)* Inbox Zero as the new founder's workflow* The rise of agent-based businesses with no UI or website* Why the next big companies will be solo-agent-ledAs solo entrepreneurship becomes more accessible, platforms like Audos are showing what's possible when AI becomes a true partner in the journey. With a mission to launch a million one-person, million-dollar businesses, Henrik and Nicholas are betting big on everyday founders and proving that you don't need a team to build something meaningful.Audos is more than a platform; it's a movement redefining how businesses are started, scaled, and supported. Whether you're stuck on an idea, unsure of where to begin, or simply looking for a smarter way to work, Audos might just be the co-founder you didn't know you needed.About Henrik WerdelinHenrik is the co-founder of BarkBox and founding partner at Prehype, a venture studio that has launched companies like Roman and Managed by Q. With Audos, he's focused on enabling anyone to become an entrepreneur, regardless of background or technical skill. He's also the co-host of the podcast Beyond the Prompt and a vocal advocate for “everyday founders.”About Nicholas ThorneNicholas started his career on Wall Street before teaming up with Henrik to co-build companies at Prehype. As co-founder of Audos, he's applying more than a decade of startup experience to help others launch scalable solo ventures with AI. He brings deep operational and strategic insight to the solo founder revolution.Connect with Henrik Werdelin on LinkedInConnect with Nicholas Thorne on LinkedInListen to Beyond the PromptConnect with Matt Cohen on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/matt-cohen1Visit the Ripple Ventures website: https://www.rippleventures.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

Al and Kev talk about whether or not farming game remakes are worth it. Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:02:08: What Have We Been Up To 00:38:42: Game Updates 00:58:01: New Games 01:11:11: Farming Game Remakes 01:51:29: Outro Links Research Story 1.0 Tiny Garden Switch Info Go-go Town “Tourist Trap” Update APICO Physical Edition Farming Simulator 16-bit Limited Edition Romestead Contact Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript (0:00:30) Al: Hello, farmers, and welcome to another episode of the harvest season. My name is Al. (0:00:34) Kev: My name is Kevin (0:00:36) Al: And we’re here today to talk about Cottagecore games. (0:00:39) Kev: You woo supposedly the word on the street is it says on the box (0:00:46) Al: Does it? (0:00:47) Kev: That’s odd, yeah, it does it what does the websites I’m assuming it does (0:00:51) Al: I don’t know. This is a good question. What does it say on the website? (0:00:54) Kev: You know, we’ve never done (0:00:55) Al: It says farming. It says a podcast about farming simulators. (0:00:58) Kev: Well, there you go, I guess we were lying somewhere, you know one of these days (0:01:00) Al: Yeah, classic. (0:01:04) Kev: Not days we should do in April fools and switch it up (0:01:07) Kev: Or we talk about I don’t know something else. I guess we kind of do that sometimes but you know something really different (0:01:12) Al: Something, something else. (0:01:14) Kev: Yeah (0:01:16) Kev: We talk about gotcha games, I mean I already do but you know all in oh (0:01:23) Kev: Yeah (0:01:24) Al: Hello. We are going to talk this episode about, I want to have a discussion about remakes. (0:01:25) Kev: Hello listener (0:01:34) Kev: We don’t oh (0:01:34) Al: Specifically remakes of farming games. (0:01:38) Kev: Oh, that’s well hmm. I mean it’s still in the neighborhood like there’s stuff to be discussed for sure (0:01:47) Al: Well, that’s why we’re doing it. (0:01:51) Al: I don’t tend to have topics that I don’t think I’ll have much discussion. (0:01:55) Kev: That is died and I believe that’s factually not true (0:02:00) Al: Wow, how dare, how dare you, how very dare you. (0:02:04) Kev: Oh (0:02:06) Al: Before that, we have a bunch of news, but first of all, Kevin, what have you been up to? (0:02:13) Kev: Okay, let’s see here when I wrote things down (0:02:16) Kev: Okay, Marvel snap. Okay, I should have talked about this earlier because it ended this week, but I mean all snap goes (0:02:22) Kev: It’s good the the new Fantastic Four (0:02:27) Kev: Season with cards based off the movies coming up (0:02:30) Kev: They’re just doing a whole new season like first step family (0:02:34) Kev: First steps whatever but but that’s coming so you know and that looks good (0:02:38) Kev: But I didn’t talk about maximum voltage overdrive or whatever that thing was called (0:02:45) Kev: You played snap outs been a minute. Did you play maximum voltage? (0:02:49) Kev: Do you remember that mode at all? (0:02:50) Al: I think it was around when I was playing, but I don’t think I played it. (0:02:54) Kev: Uh-huh (0:02:56) Al: I did the Deadpool Diner and I did. (0:02:59) Kev: Yeah (0:03:00) Al: There was one other one that I did, but I don’t think I did maximum. (0:03:02) Kev: Okay, so (0:03:04) Kev: So yeah, every once in a while snap introduces these like alternate modes with different rules or different words or whatever (0:03:12) Kev: And so one that they’ve done is called maximum voltage (0:03:16) Kev: and previously maximum voltage was a three-turn game instead of six turns and (0:03:20) Kev: They would give you a random amount like two to four energy every turn like extra so it was you know (0:03:27) Kev: Not just the one two three four (0:03:29) Kev: So you had you could play cards quickly and you had to do on three turns (0:03:34) Kev: It’s a it’s a different pace a game. It’s fun even shorter. I liked it (0:03:41) Kev: Well this past week or two they did maximum voltage overdrive or overcharge whatever’s over something (0:03:50) Kev: Where it was a four-turn game (0:03:53) Kev: The same rules of okay, you get random two to four energy every turn (0:03:59) Kev: on top of what you already have (0:04:02) Kev: But they (0:04:04) Kev: Also filled your deck out with like was it eight or twelve extra random cards in your deck (0:04:10) Kev: Those extra cards had lower costs and higher power (0:04:15) Kev: So it was it was a wild ride because it was a lot of like kind of RNG really right what you get (0:04:22) Kev: It’s hard to build around like, you know real strategy around it (0:04:26) Kev: and you know, I (0:04:28) Kev: I enjoyed it enough. It was fine enough. You know a lot of people don’t like RNG sort of (0:04:34) Kev: modes or strategy so you know I don’t think as popular as other ones but at (0:04:40) Kev: least they tried something right like I always did they say hey try it and then (0:04:43) Kev: we’ll see how it goes but the bigger fiasco was the rewards because when they (0:04:52) Kev: have these side missions they’ll give you usually like a sort of bonus currency (0:04:56) Kev: or side currency or whatever specific for that mode with a shop or reward tier (0:05:01) Kev: or something like that. (0:05:04) Kev: In this case they gave you a shop, you could earn let’s just call them vault points or whatever they were called. (0:05:08) Kev: And so there was a new card in the shop. (0:05:12) Kev: Kid Omega, I don’t know who that character is but they had a decent enough ability. (0:05:16) Kev: But regardless, so yeah, it was a new card and very cool and all. (0:05:24) Kev: But here’s the thing, for the first time ever in one of these side modes, you could not earn the card for free. (0:05:32) Kev: Um… (0:05:34) Kev: Well, I guess you technically could, but… (0:05:36) Kev: So how it works is every eight hours you get a set of three missions, and you get X number of points for it, right? (0:05:44) Kev: Well, people did the math. (0:05:46) Kev: If you did all the missions, every single set of three for every eight hours for the entire duration of the thing, (0:05:52) Kev: you would still have to win 500 games, I think it was, to earn enough points to earn the new card. (0:05:57) Al: That is so many games. (0:06:04) Kev: But… (0:06:04) Al: I don’t think I’ve ever won 500 games combined in the, like, what, combined what, six months (0:06:06) Kev: Yeah, totally. (0:06:14) Kev: I mean, I might be there with you. (0:06:18) Kev: But yeah, so that was wild. (0:06:24) Kev: And a lot of people were up in arms about it, as you can imagine, and I think understandably so. (0:06:30) Kev: Also, because Marvel Snap, traditionally, has been… (0:06:34) Kev: Play-ish where or at least you if you played enough you could get a decent pool of cards or you could get work (0:06:40) Kev: You know the new cards they were releasing if you kept up you could (0:06:45) Kev: You could you could play for free (0:06:48) Kev: the boat the money was either spent on generally speaking on (0:06:55) Kev: Cosmetics, you know variants and bundles (0:06:57) Kev: I guess the season passed you could unlock a new card and that’s ten bucks a month and like that (0:07:02) Kev: But they would drop for free later (0:07:04) Kev: So you didn’t have to do it. But anyways (0:07:08) Kev: Point is that a lot of players feel like the the snap devs are kind of leaning a little more into (0:07:15) Kev: You know pay to win or pay to get the new cards (0:07:19) Kev: So that was a big (0:07:20) Kev: Yeah, big big bit a little bit of fiasco (0:07:25) Kev: and (0:07:26) Kev: Yeah, it’s over now. We went to another mode called sanctum showdown, which is but it’s much slower paced modes fun (0:07:35) Kev: They’re playing it safe. No crazy (0:07:38) Kev: Expensive card or whatever but (0:07:40) Kev: It’s interesting to see (0:07:43) Kev: kind of a shame that they you know, they’re a little money hungry, but (0:07:48) Kev: Cuz though otherwise the game I think is in still in a decent shape (0:07:52) Kev: They’ve released so many cards like I think it’s almost in a state of we can play whatever you want more or less (0:07:59) Kev: But yeah, I mean I’m still playing it. I’m still enjoying it. I did not get the kiddo-megan card (0:08:05) Kev: You know, it’s wild. I saw somebody with that card on day one (0:08:08) Kev: Which means they must have put a lot of money or gold or whatever. Yeah, there’s always an I found the whale. Oh (0:08:08) Al: Hmm there’s always one. There’s always one. Yeah (0:08:16) Kev: Speaking of not having money or wanting money (0:08:20) Kev: Yes, let’s talk about unicorn overlord. So I reached the end of what’s called best stories. That’s the beast land (0:08:30) Kev: Campaign area there’s basically like five countries in the game or whatever and each one is kind of (0:08:34) Kev: Its own little chapter if you will write its own little story and arc and so I reached the end of the best stories chapter (0:08:41) Kev: Which is fine and all the villain was a rat man a rat where rat I guess. I don’t I don’t know how to describe it (0:08:50) Kev: You know, I’ll show you a picture (0:08:52) Kev: but (0:08:53) Kev: And so I enjoyed it. It was a fun chapter. I think the Beast people were cool, but what is funny and (0:09:00) Kev: I can feel it. I learned about this (0:09:04) Kev: When I went online because it felt something felt like it was changing the writing in unicorn overlord who was pretty alright (0:09:12) Kev: Up until around now because they really just kind of did not give the the rat man’s name (0:09:19) Kev: His name was Elgore and he kind of had an interesting story (0:09:23) Kev: The rats were generally oppressed people and he wanted to rise up and then you know, he became a general (0:09:29) Kev: So it’s kind of an interesting story and there was some evil the evil bad guy team (0:09:34) Kev: We’re doing experiments on him yada yada (0:09:38) Kev: But it was really really rushed. And so I kind of looked into it and it turns out (0:09:45) Kev: That oh (0:09:47) Kev: Hold on one second now (0:09:49) Kev: my mic (0:09:51) Kev: Sorry, there we go. Sorry. My mic had a hiccup and I think we’re good now while checking (0:09:57) Kev: double-checking (0:09:58) Al: Sounds fine to me. (0:09:59) Kev: Yes, okay. I lost a few seconds of the recording, but okay. I’m okay (0:10:03) Kev: I don’t know, at least the– (0:10:03) Al: It’s fine now. (0:10:05) Al: Zoom is pretty good at like starting out. (0:10:05) Kev: Yeah, all right (0:10:09) Kev: Well, anyways, so I looked up that why it started feel rushed and turns out that the unicorn (0:10:15) Kev: Overlord development ran out of money and basically the director producer they started funding it out of their own pocket (0:10:22) Kev: so apparently this last (0:10:25) Kev: quarter or so of the the game is gonna feel very rushed and (0:10:30) Kev: There’s no time for story anymore. Which is sad but (0:10:34) Kev: That said the game is still (0:10:38) Kev: Entertaining. I like it. It’s fun. Yeah, like unicorn overlord to two thumbs up from me (0:10:45) Kev: Let’s see (0:10:47) Kev: So yeah, so that’s good. Um, oh, okay follow up from last week (0:10:50) Kev: So we spent a little time having a fun little chat about magic the gathering and capitalism and the $1,000 (0:10:58) Al: Like 20 minutes. (0:10:59) Kev: pack of set of four packs (0:11:02) Kev: and it was all started as you may recall because (0:11:04) Kev: I was looking at the, or you know, the Final Fantasy set of Magic the Gathering cards came out, (0:11:12) Kev: and I did not want to buy them because I didn’t want to spend them, or spend the money for them. (0:11:17) Kev: Well, this week I bought the Final Fantasy card set from Magic the Gathering, virtually, virtually, there’s my caveat, haha. (0:11:26) Kev: Uh, no, I did not spend money, but… yeah, haha, virtual versions of my cardboard. (0:11:27) Al: Oh, wait, that’s that’s even that’s even all right. (0:11:30) Al: I was going to say that’s even worse if you bought digital cards. (0:11:35) Kev: No, no money spent. So I’ve been, I’ve played Magic the Gathering Arena, though that’s the online client. I fired it up to get in there and try. (0:11:43) Al: Good game. I’ve not played in a long time, but when I was playing, I was doing a lot of arenas. (0:11:49) Kev: Alright, it’s good. It feels comparable, I think, to, you know, Pokemon TCG live. (0:11:54) Al: Oh, I think it’s way better. (0:11:56) Al: I think it’s way, way better. (0:11:57) Al: I think the I mean, it’s been a while since I played it. (0:12:00) Al: But in my experience, the app was much less slow in menus and the effects were much better. (0:12:05) Kev: Yeah. (0:12:08) Kev: I agree with that. It is much, much more polished, right, overall. A little fancier. And you’re right, a little less laggy. (0:12:17) Kev: But, yeah, but I mean, the point is, it serves as a decent online, you know, substitute for the paper game. (0:12:26) Kev: So I got some, yeah, Final Fantasy cards there and played a little, doing a choco bow deck. (0:12:33) Kev: I’m really upset (0:12:35) Kev: Those cards are really good, art-wise and gameplay-wise (0:12:42) Kev: They have, because I mentioned I was playing Final Fantasy, the proper FFTCG (0:12:49) Kev: That game doesn’t have equipment cards (0:12:51) Kev: Magic the Gathering does, so Magic the Gathering can include iconic items and weapons (0:12:57) Kev: Like the Buster Sword, or a cup of instant noodles from Final Fantasy XV (0:13:04) Kev: So I’m more…a little… (0:13:05) Kev: I’m jealous that Magic did it so well. (0:13:07) Kev: Whoever…the people working on the Final Fantasy set, they really love Final Fantasy. (0:13:13) Kev: They have Souplex the Train as a card. (0:13:17) Kev: People who know FF5 understand that reference. (0:13:25) Kev: But yeah, I mean, I try to… (0:13:27) Kev: I’m still thinking about it. I’m looking at it. (0:13:31) Kev: The card’s proper. I’m not gonna buy it yet. (0:13:35) Kev: Oh, it’s been…I’ve been craving it. It’s a siren song. (0:13:38) Kev: So I had to…you know…I had to at least do it virtually to enjoy it a little. (0:13:46) Kev: But I digress. That’s what I’ve been up to this week. (0:13:50) Kev: What about you, Al? What’s going on? (0:13:52) Al: Well, let’s see, what have I been up to? (0:13:56) Al: Shock surprise. (0:13:58) Al: I have been playing some Mario Kart World up. (0:14:00) Kev: Yeah, you’re going for it, man. Getting all those knockouts here. I’ve seen your progress. (0:14:04) Al: Yes, so update on that. (0:14:07) Al: I have done all of the Grand Prix’s 150, three stars and all of the knockout (0:14:13) Al: all of the knockout tours, 150, three stars. (0:14:19) Al: and I have done enough in free. (0:14:22) Al: Rome to unlock mirror mode. (0:14:25) Kev: Okay. (0:14:27) Al: And I have unlocked all of the costumes. (0:14:30) Kev: Oh, you’re- you’ve done it all almost pretty much at this point. (0:14:33) Al: I am still missing three characters. (0:14:36) Kev: Wait, wha- oh. How d- uh- uh-huh. (0:14:38) Al: But that’s because they are the Kamek characters, (0:14:43) Al: so you have to be on a specific course (0:14:47) Al: and someone use the Kamek behind you on that specific course. (0:14:50) Kev: Uh, okay, I did notice that I got some kamiks and I think I got kamiks characters out of that. (0:14:53) Al: There’s a chance that you get one that character, so. (0:15:00) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah. (0:15:01) Al: So I’ve got most of them, but I’m still missing three of them. (0:15:04) Al: And it’s like they are dreadful to try and force like the bet. (0:15:08) Kev: Yeah, who are they? (0:15:10) Al: How who am I missing? (0:15:12) Al: Let me check my spreadsheet. (0:15:14) Al: I am missing Rocky, wrench. (0:15:18) Al: Peepa and Swoop. (0:15:20) Kev: Oof, oof, oh man, I like swoop. (0:15:21) Al: I have the rest of them. (0:15:22) Al: So that’s I have that’s 15 out of 18 characters unlocked (0:15:26) Al: and 103 out of 103 costumes unlocked. (0:15:31) Al: So, yeah, and I’ve got all the vehicles as well. (0:15:36) Al: All 40 of them. (0:15:37) Al: So I am going to I’m definitely going to do. (0:15:40) Al: I’m definitely going to start doing mirror modes. (0:15:42) Al: I really want to restart all the mirror modes (0:15:45) Al: before I get too much muscle memory for specific courses. (0:15:46) Kev: Yeah. (0:15:49) Kev: Mmm. (0:15:50) Al: Right, because that that’s when it becomes really hard. (0:15:52) Kev: Yeah, you’re right. (0:15:53) Kev: That’s an excellent point. (0:15:53) Al: But I’d love I’d love to three star mirror mode (0:15:56) Al: because I’ve never restarted every mirror mode in a Mario cart. (0:16:00) Kev: I mean you’re like there, you’re wide as well, right? You’ve gone the 90%? (0:16:06) Al: Yeah, it’s I guess the thing is it’s just about like time now, right? (0:16:10) Kev: Uh-huh. (0:16:10) Al: Like we’ve got two and a bit weeks until Donkey Kong comes out. (0:16:15) Al: That’s basically my deadline, right? (0:16:15) Kev: I was about to say, that’s the deadline, right? (0:16:17) Al: Like if it’s if I’ve not done it by (0:16:20) Al: Donkey Kong coming out, it’s probably never happening. (0:16:23) Kev: Yeah, well, maybe they’ll release some DLC, but I understand what you generally say. (0:16:28) Al: Yeah, but at that point, I don’t I think at that point I’ll play the DLC, (0:16:31) Al: but I don’t think I’ll go back and try and do the other mirror modes. (0:16:31) Kev: Yeah, it’ll be out of your system, I get it. (0:16:34) Al: Right. (0:16:36) Al: So we’ll see. We’ll see how I feel. (0:16:38) Al: But I’m going to I’m going to at least try and see how far I get. (0:16:42) Al: But obviously it’s quite few and, you know, I can see I should be able to do them. (0:16:47) Al: Right. Because I’ve done one hundred and fifty. (0:16:49) Al: I should be able to do mirror mode. (0:16:50) Al: I don’t think I’m in use to them enough that I will cause problems. (0:16:53) Al: Although maybe there’s a couple of courses that are recreations of previous ones, (0:16:58) Al: like the Mario Bros circuit, which is just like the continuation from the one (0:17:00) Kev: Yeah (0:17:03) Al: and since the sna is- (0:17:06) Al: right? That one might be trouble because I suspect I’ll have muscle memory for that course (0:17:06) Kev: Yeah (0:17:12) Kev: Sure sure (0:17:12) Al: but we’ll see, we’ll see. I’m gonna try and we’ll see how I go (0:17:17) Al: and I think that’s all I was considering. So have you done much free roam? (0:17:22) Kev: Not too much myself now (0:17:25) Al: So you’ve got the P switches, you’ve got peach medallions and you’ve got the question mark blocks. (0:17:27) Kev: Yeah (0:17:29) Kev: Yeah (0:17:32) Al: the only one that’s actually like shown on the map. (0:17:36) Al: The P switches where each course has a certain number of P switches and it shows you how (0:17:38) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:17:40) Al: many you’ve got. So I’m considering doing the P switches, but there’s no way I’m going (0:17:47) Al: to look for all of the peach medallions and all not not P switches sorry the question mark blocks. (0:17:52) Al: It’s not the P switches the question mark blocks. There’s no way I’m going for the piece all the (0:17:56) Al: P switches and all the peach medallions. I’ll probably do some more just playing around in (0:18:00) Al: free roam and if I see some I will do some, but I’m not going to go out my way to get (0:18:04) Al: every day because it’s like (0:18:06) Al: 300 P switches or something it’s mad how many there are I’m not going to do (0:18:08) Kev: Yeah, you don’t want to collect all the Koroks? (0:18:12) Al: all of them definitely not but I can see myself doing all the question mark (0:18:17) Al: blocks just because they’re like clearly like there’s six on this course six on (0:18:22) Al: this course six on this course I could see myself doing that but I’m not I’m (0:18:28) Al: not going all in on that at this point right like we will see (0:18:31) Kev: man. I gotta say the free roam is a little disappointing from what I’ve experienced and (0:18:39) Kev: seen. I was really hoping for, for lack of a better word, secrets, right? Little nooks (0:18:47) Kev: and crannies you could explore that, you know, you wouldn’t experience on a race or whatever, (0:18:52) Al: - Yeah, yeah, yeah. (0:18:53) Kev: right? Like in, you know, shooting for the stars, like even a handful of courses not in any of the (0:19:01) Kev: pre-write, you know, unofficially labeled, like you enter a cave and all of a sudden (0:19:06) Kev: there’s this little racetrack down there. Stuff like that, but anyways, yeah, there’s not much (0:19:12) Kev: going on other than unlocking mirror mode, I guess, on free roam. Although I do like the (0:19:20) Kev: Princess Peach Castle, the window easter egg, that’s fun. (0:19:23) Al: Yeah, yeah, it’s I will agree that I think free roam is a little bit of a disappointment, but yeah, I am still very much having fun. (0:19:35) Al: And I will definitely be playing this with people in person a lot. (0:19:40) Kev: I’m sure. I mean, it’s Mario Kart. It’s built for that. (0:19:41) Al: No, it’s 100% worth. (0:19:44) Al: Yeah, it’s 100% worth it, especially as, you know, it was what, like 30 quid in the bundle, right? (0:19:49) Kev: Yep. (0:19:50) Kev: Exactly. (0:19:50) Al: Like it was very much worth that. (0:19:53) Al: And just, it is, I still stand by it’s the most fun to control the, with the new physics reactions. Like I feel like all the other ones will feel quite stiff going back to them. (0:20:04) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I don’t think (0:20:10) Kev: Yeah, I yeah, I don’t think a lot of people are gonna push back on that it does feel very good to control (0:20:16) Kev: I agree (0:20:19) Kev: Yeah, it’s it’s I mean it’s Mario Kart right like it’s still gonna be good (0:20:22) Kev: It’s a but it is funny though that you know insert the the Simpsons sheep gif when Donkey Kong bonanza comes out (0:20:28) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely. That is going to be like a couple of weeks of just (0:20:34) Kev: Yeah (0:20:37) Al: like that’s the only thing I’m playing. Yeah. And we, has the direct been since we recorded (0:20:39) Kev: It looks so good, I only more (0:20:44) Al: our last episode? I can’t remember. Super fun. I’m so excited for this. I think it’s (0:20:44) Kev: I I can’t remember. We haven’t talked about it either way, but that’s uh (0:20:51) Kev: that’s a (0:20:52) Kev: good looking direct (0:20:53) Al: really, yeah, I think they, that was a great direct because it shows (0:20:58) Al: it kind of confirmed a bunch of the stuff we already knew while also giving us enough (0:21:03) Al: to be like, oh, there’s more. Right. And, and I think it’s really, I think it’s really (0:21:09) Al: good looking. Like I love the different effects that you get in transforming into other animals (0:21:16) Al: and also having Pauline basically be like a parrot on your shoulder. Right. It’s really (0:21:22) Kev: yep it’s it’s so good I i love the online reaction that we the internet gave of like you (0:21:23) Al: fun. (0:21:30) Kev: know the trifecta of uh was it ralph and vanellope uh sully and boo and now we’ve got dk and pauline (0:21:38) Kev: you know big guy and then little girl um it’s it’s fun (0:21:38) Al: Look, it works, right? Like why, why break it? Why try and fix it if it’s not broken, (0:21:47) Kev: Exactly. It’s great. Um, yeah, I’m I’m very pumped. Uh, (0:21:52) Kev: for uh uh the the game or general, I guess. Um, it’s I’m a (0:21:59) Kev: little disappointed that we don’t get the animal buddies (0:22:02) Kev: per se. I mean, I know Rambi’s in there and and it’s kind of (0:22:06) Kev: in there, but you know, it’s it’s the functions been replaced (0:22:09) Kev: by your transformations and the transformations are cool. I (0:22:12) Kev: won’t lie. Um but uh I don’t know. I’m a guy who likes Rambi. (0:22:17) Al: Well, look, I don’t have any real history with the previous DK games other than trying them and not enjoying them. (0:22:23) Al: So I don’t particularly mind. (0:22:27) Al: I’m not a lower muncher. (0:22:30) Kev: Sure, I mean, it’s not even like lore stuff because that’s uh, that’s just uh, you know, I guess mechanics or (0:22:38) Kev: Gameplay traditions, whatever. But if you want to talk about lore, I mean we can get trying to you know (0:22:43) Kev: We can try figure out why on earth (0:22:48) Kev: Does how is Pauline hanging out a DK? How does that timeline work? (0:22:52) Al: Well, I think everything lines up if you just ignore the original DK game. I don’t think (0:22:59) Al: anything else is a problem. I think it’s only that. And I think that this ties in so much (0:23:00) Kev: Yeah. Which… (0:23:05) Al: better to Odyssey, because why would Pauline be the mayor of a city that’s named after (0:23:11) Al: her kidnapper? But she would be the mayor of a city that’s named after her hero. (0:23:12) Kev: Yeah, I like the way you think there that’s a good point, yeah, but and also like this (0:23:28) Kev: is even more so than Odyssey cuz I mean Paulina was in there was you know, she’s first time (0:23:32) Kev: back in forever or whatever but she’s you know, she has a starring role finally, that’s (0:23:40) Al: Yeah, my I also I have another theory that it might be time (0:23:47) Kev: All right, oh well there you are now we’re talking let’s get into that Zelda split timeline (0:23:55) Al: Well, I don’t even think it needs to be a split timeline, right? (0:23:58) Al: Like, if something happens and she gets shot forward and then she goes back in time after this, (0:24:04) Kev: Oh, I like it. I like. (0:24:05) Al: you know, she could still go through the whole thing, because the thing is, right, (0:24:09) Al: Pauline in Donkey Kong, that’s not this Donkey Kong, that’s Cranky Kong. (0:24:14) Kev: that is cranky kong who does exist yeah oh I like that that’s clever yeah there you go all right I like it (0:24:15) Al: So, you know, she’s obviously from the past. (0:24:22) Al: Or, or, here’s another suggestion. (0:24:25) Al: If Donkey Kong, if Donkey Kong and Cranky Kong are both Donkey Kong, then maybe Pauline. (0:24:32) Al: This could be a different Pauline. Maybe this is Pauline’s daughter. (0:24:35) Kev: You know, I mean, that’s well established, right? Bowser Jr. looks just like Bowser when he’s a baby, I guess, so you know. (0:24:45) Al: Pauline Jr. (0:24:46) Kev: Pauline Jr. could be! (0:24:49) Kev: Although, okay, you know what? You know what? I’ll even point the bat at the stands here. (0:24:54) Kev: I bet we get little Pauline here as a character in Mario Kart World War 2. (0:24:58) Al: I hope so. I do hope there is some stuff coming, so I saw someone note that some of the characters (0:25:06) Al: have lots of costumes, and some of them have almost none. In fact, some of them have none. (0:25:11) Al: And the interesting thing is, one of the characters that has almost none is Donkey Kong. He only (0:25:12) Kev: Yeah. (0:25:16) Al: has one costume. Just before a Donkey Kong game comes out, suspicious. So are we interested (0:25:17) Kev: It is very strange considering, you know, he’s… (0:25:21) Kev: Uh-oh, uh-oh! (0:25:28) Al: in a Mario Kart World update coming with some Donkey Kong costumes to encourage you (0:25:34) Kev: I mean (0:25:36) Al: to be interested in the new game? Maybe. Yeah. And we obviously have all the baby characters, (0:25:37) Kev: If if it feels like the most obvious dough in the world, right, um, so yeah (0:25:46) Al: so would we get a young Pauline, as well as the babies that we’ve got of the other characters? (0:25:48) Kev: I like it (0:25:51) Kev: How cute (0:25:51) Al: We don’t have Pauline at all. Oh no, we do have Pauline. But also Pauline only has one (0:25:53) Kev: We do it, Paul (0:25:58) Kev: Like a generic racer costume, so there you go (0:25:58) Al: costume. So, you know, the two of them, both in an upcoming game. You know, I will be very (0:26:05) Kev: Yeah, yeah, yeah (0:26:09) Al: disappointed if there’s not. But this makes you wonder what else could be related to things, (0:26:11) Kev: I you know that’s I don’t think you’re being unreasonable (0:26:16) Al: right? Birdo only has two costumes, so that’s an interesting one. Could there be a Birdo (0:26:22) Al: thing coming up? Who knows? Lakitu only has two costumes, and there is an update to… (0:26:28) Al: Why can’t I remember the name? Goodness me. Mario Party. Which Lakitu obviously has a (0:26:34) Kev: Which Mario what okay? (0:26:40) Al: big part in Mario Party. Maybe I’m stretching at this point. Who knows? But we’ll see. I’m (0:26:41) Kev: Yeah (0:26:48) Kev: We we will see I think that’s the end that’s all we can kind of say really um (0:26:54) Al: I’m sure we can say much more, but let’s not. (0:26:56) Kev: Well, well, okay, yeah, you know, I will say this like each his legs still make me very uncomfortable. I (0:26:59) Al: Fair, very fair. (0:27:03) Kev: Don’t like it (0:27:05) Kev: Get in the car. Don’t look at those freak. Yeah, no, no, I don’t like it. That’s (0:27:08) Al: Don’t put him on a bike. (0:27:15) Al: He should be in the cloud cart. (0:27:19) Al: That’s the only one he’s allowed to be in. (0:27:20) Kev: Yeah, you really or you know, I don’t care I (0:27:23) Al: No, I’m just saying. (0:27:26) Kev: Look, I don’t care if it’s like (0:27:29) Kev: Horrendous I don’t care if it’s horrendous like animation clipping just (0:27:35) Kev: Just stick the the dang (0:27:36) Al: The cloud around every cart you put them in. (0:27:40) Kev: Yeah, yeah, when he’s the bike it’s just clipping right to the cloud (0:27:45) Kev: Okay, you make it it’s worth it (0:27:50) Al: All right, so that’s my car. (0:27:52) Al: I’ve also I don’t want to talk too much about this, but I do want to mention it. (0:27:58) Al: I’ve opened Lens Island again and started playing that. (0:28:02) Al: So for context, I originally backed on. (0:28:06) Al: Kickstarter and I started playing it when it first came out, but it had no controller (0:28:11) Al: support and basically was horrible to use on the steam deck. (0:28:16) Al: So I have started playing it again, and it is less horrible to play on the steam deck. (0:28:24) Kev: But that’s always the bar we want less horrible (0:28:25) Al: And I think that’s as far as I’m going to go on this comp on it just now. (0:28:33) Al: I will probably go into it a lot more in the next. (0:28:36) Al: episode, probably, but no promises. (0:28:38) Kev: Okay, fine. Okay. (0:28:43) Al: So that is a thing that is currently happening that I am not going to give any opinions on right now. (0:28:52) Al: But finally, we are recording this on Saturday, the 28th of June. (0:28:57) Al: I have just finished the first day of Pokémon Go Fest 2025 Global. (0:29:01) Kev: Oh, is that what’s going on? Okay. (0:29:03) Al: That’s what’s today. (0:29:04) Al: Yeah. So, uh, I had. (0:29:06) Al: Fun. I got a few hours where I was allowed to remove my (0:29:14) Al: responsibilities from children and just go play Pokemon in Edinburgh. (0:29:17) Al: And yeah, I got a good amount of stuff done and I enjoyed that. (0:29:20) Kev: Cool. What is going on? What are they releasing? (0:29:24) Al: This is the Crowned in Shield form Zacian and Zamazenta. (0:29:30) Kev: Wait they weren’t in there already that’s weird, but okay (0:29:32) Al: No, they had the base forms, but not this Crowned in Shield form. (0:29:37) Al: Uh, because they’ve got to release them separately to make the most money, right? (0:29:42) Kev: - Oh, yeah, yeah. (0:29:46) Al: But yeah, so, uh, yeah, I think they did this one a lot better than the previous (0:29:52) Al: other forms, because with Curum and with, uh, oh, what’s the other one? (0:29:59) Kev: Uh, uh, uh, Nick Asma. (0:30:03) Al: Nick Rosma, thank you. (0:30:05) Al: with both of them. (0:30:06) Al: You have a certain amount of energy you need to get to fuse them, but if you separate (0:30:15) Al: them, you have to use the same amount of energy again to fuse them again. (0:30:21) Al: It’s like a thousand-fuse energy, or whatever they call it. (0:30:25) Al: I can’t remember and I don’t care. (0:30:26) Kev: Yeah, that’s correct (0:30:29) Al: Once you fuse them, you use up that thousand, but you get like a hundred per raid that you (0:30:33) Al: do. (0:30:34) Al: raids to get enough defuse once (0:30:35) Kev: Okay (0:30:36) Al: set of them. And then if you’re like, “Oh, I fused the wrong one”, and you unfuse it, (0:30:37) Kev: Yeah, oh (0:30:42) Al: you then have to do another 10 raids to do it. But of course, those raids were only available (0:30:45) Kev: It sounds like a lot (0:30:48) Al: for one weekend. They’ve never been available again, so you can’t get the energy anymore. (0:30:55) Al: It’s dreadful! (0:30:56) Kev: That sounds like a lot. (0:30:58) Al: Well, the good thing is that Zamasenta and Zacian, once you turn it into crown form, (0:31:04) Al: If you revere its form, you can… (0:31:06) Al: you can then do it again without using any energy. (0:31:09) Kev: Sure, okay. Okay, I mean, that’s that’s definitely nice. I just, man, I just got to say I didn’t go that long at all. But hearing how like, because I think Megas were kind of the first one where you had, you know, special mega energy or whatever. Like, it’s, oh, it doesn’t sound great. Just the oddest. (0:31:33) Al: The the Megas actually I think is a lot better than it was when it first launched. (0:31:38) Al: So like you you can get one free mega for each of your mega Pokemon once a week. (0:31:45) Al: So once you’ve done the initial one, every week, you can do it once for free. (0:31:49) Al: You only have to pay more energy after the first one (0:31:53) Al: if you want to do it faster than that. (0:31:55) Al: And as you get up the power, like once you can level up the mega and once you get (0:32:00) Al: Mega level 3. It matters. (0:32:04) Al: How much it costs so like every if you were to do it every single day, you wouldn’t be using a huge amount of energy so it’s it’s not it’s it’s much better than it was initially launched and I get why you know it is a bit frustrating that you still have to use it energy at all but it’s a lot less annoying you also get energy if you walk with them as a buddy and stuff like that so you know it’s it’s fine it’s fine it’s these fusing ones that are the most annoying because it’s like. (0:32:33) Al: I know have my necrosimas and my cutums fused and I can never unfuse them because I would never be able to fuse them again right like it’s just that’s it if you chose the wrong one tough and it’s really annoying because one of them I did choose the wrong one and but there’s nothing I can do about that I’m stuffed and that’s just what I have to live with. (0:32:40) Kev: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. (0:32:46) Kev: Oh, no! (0:32:50) Kev: Ugh. (0:32:52) Kev: Oh, that’s rough. That’s rough, buddy. (0:32:53) Al: Still. Yeah, that is life but yeah so there’s actions Amazon to was done much better and I got shiny. (0:33:03) Al: And I got my energy and I’ve I’ve powered them up so nice powerful Pokemon looking looking great my shiny shield was it shield form kind of what it’s called and they have new adventure effects so. (0:33:04) Kev: Yeah! (0:33:10) Kev: Yeah, that’s the game! (0:33:18) Kev: That’s cool, that’s good. (0:33:19) Al: There we go. (0:33:22) Al: And they can also be used because they’re when they’re in that form they can be used at power spots, which normally only dynamics Pokemon can be used a pair of spots, but of course you can’t you can’t. (0:33:33) Al: And they can also be used in Dynamax session and Amazon to but when they’re in that form you can use them a pair of spots so that’s fun. (0:33:44) Al: So yeah, I probably do a little bit tomorrow as well because it was Amazon to things action tomorrow, but which is a bit annoying, but if you got the ticket for go fest you do get enough energy to do one of one of the dogs, so I do have enough to do as action, but I probably want to get enough to do another one. (0:34:02) Kev: Sure. Well, I am glad that you’re enjoying it. (0:34:03) Al: Continuing to enjoy Pokemon go despite everything. (0:34:07) Kev: I don’t… (0:34:11) Kev: This, well, that’s kind of, uh, I mean, that’s just a blanket save these days. (0:34:20) Al: They keep trying to ruin the game, but I still somehow enjoy it. (0:34:24) Al: All right, let’s talk about some game use a woo. (0:34:31) Kev: Oh, wait, wait, back up. (0:34:32) Kev: I’m sorry, I just– (0:34:33) Kev: I don’t know why you just clicked something in my mind. (0:34:34) Kev: I forgot. (0:34:35) Kev: I want to follow up my Magic the Gathering thing. (0:34:39) Kev: So as I look, you know, I was dipping my toe in the MTG pool. (0:34:44) Kev: Guess what’s the next secret layer? (0:34:45) Al: I don’t know. (0:34:46) Kev: You know me. (0:34:48) Al: Ah, ah, ah, pressure, um, unicorn over the light! (0:34:53) Kev: Haha, oh, oh, that’d be so (0:34:54) Al: No, ah, no, um, let’s see, so Kevin, something Kevin would like. (0:34:59) Al: Well, it’s not going to be like anything Nintendo. (0:35:02) Kev: No, no it’s just very funny hearing that. (0:35:04) Al: Wait, is it? (0:35:06) Al: No. (0:35:08) Kev: I didn’t intend, I didn’t intend, life log Nintendo Pass. (0:35:09) Al: Well. (0:35:12) Kev: You don’t like Nintendo things, um, but it won’t, uh, MTG, I gotta say, it wouldn’t be (0:35:15) Al: I mean, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, that’s the opposite of what I thought, Kevin. (0:35:19) Kev: in there. (0:35:20) Kev: Yeah, okay. (0:35:21) Kev: Yeah, okay, yes, yeah, I know what you’re saying, but the way it came in my ears, it’s (0:35:21) Al: What I thought was, oh yeah, it could be, you know, you like Nintendo stuff. (0:35:25) Al: And I was like, oh no, but they’re not going to do something with Nintendo. (0:35:27) Al: That was my point. (0:35:30) Kev: It’s not too funny. (0:35:31) Al: Trying to accuse me. (0:35:32) Al: Accuse me of not thinking you like Nintendo stuff. (0:35:34) Al: Ah, no, I’ve not got anything. (0:35:39) Al: Nothing’s coming. (0:35:40) Kev: Ow! The lowest hanging fruit! Gotta go fast! (0:35:44) Al: Oh, Sonic. (0:35:45) Al: What? They’re doing Sonic, Magic the Gathering? (0:35:47) Kev: They’re doing- okay. (0:35:49) Kev: Yeah! Dude, they already did SpongeBob! Who cares? (0:35:53) Al: What? This is what one out all these cards look so good. (0:35:54) Kev: Oh, you missed that! SpongeBob’s in magic! Oh, yeah! (0:36:02) Kev: Don’t they? (0:36:03) Al: Oh, no. Oh, no. (0:36:04) Kev: They look- that’s- that’s the exact reaction. (0:36:10) Al: I don’t want this. Well, no, I do want this. (0:36:14) Kev: And you- and- oh, my- like, Shadow- (0:36:15) Al: I managed to not even look at the Doctor Who and Lord of the Rings ones somehow. (0:36:18) Kev: Oh- oh, yeah. (0:36:20) Kev: Shadow looks busted. It’s insane. (0:36:24) Kev: They’re no big the cats, so point against them for that. No cream, either. (0:36:28) Kev: But overall, it’s- it’s in their- (0:36:31) Kev: Ugh, Sonic’s ability, ‘cause you know, when they have an ability, they have a little, like, name for it. (0:36:36) Kev: It- it’s literally “Gotta go fast.” (0:36:38) Kev: You know “Gotta go fast” isn’t even from the games. (0:36:40) Kev: It’s just from the, uh, the- the dub intro of an anime. [Laughter] (0:36:45) Al: Yeah, I’m not particularly surprised. (0:36:48) Kev: Oh, yeah, Sonic’s going to magic. (0:36:50) Kev: It’s- ugh. I don’t like it. I’m- I’m- I’m- oh, dear. I’m cooked, as the children would say. (0:36:58) Kev: You know, Unicorn Overlord, it- wild as it- it’s not in Magic the Gathering, but in- they have one of those- (0:37:04) Kev: What is it? I think it’s, like, the Overlord edition. You know, one of the big fancy collector’s editions. (0:37:08) Kev: There’s actually a whole (0:37:10) Kev: building card game inside that it’s wild (0:37:16) Kev: Yeah, card games are my vice. They’re my legal addiction. Sonic’s coming to magic (0:37:16) Al: And will this be coming and will this be coming to arenas? (0:37:28) Kev: uh good question I don’t know arena is very weird because arena has (0:37:39) Kev: arena is kind of its own environment it has exclusive arena cards it has its own formats (0:37:45) Kev: and i’ll tell you the the bad ones we’re getting a spider-man set in a few months (0:37:51) Kev: that the spider-man set cards are coming to arena but not with spider-man full (0:37:58) Kev: they’re going to replace them with whatever generic magic card characters or whatever (0:38:02) Al: What? What does that even mean then? (0:38:05) Kev: it means they didn’t get the license to use it digitally (0:38:07) Al: What would be the point in adding the cards then, if they’re not the cards? (0:38:11) Al: So they’re gonna have like the same effects, but not use any names for Spider-Man. (0:38:14) Kev: yeah yeah you you get yeah you get pied or arachnid avatar I don’t know (0:38:18) Al: That’s so stupid. (0:38:20) Al: Just don’t do it. (0:38:28) Kev: uh good old magic together I i joined just this year what a good time to get into this game (0:38:36) Al: Update, I have downloaded Magi the Gathering Eraser. (0:38:39) Kev: yeah oh we gotta play some games um all right let’s go to non sonic base oh or is there (0:38:44) Al: Yes, yeah, news, game news. No, no, no, no, there’s obviously not. Research story have (0:38:47) Kev: is there sonic base news maybe not yet one day it’s inevitable (0:38:56) Al: announced that their 1.0 is coming the 21st of July, so it has been a long time coming. (0:39:00) Kev: Okay (0:39:02) Al: Let’s see, when did this first come into Early Access? February 2023 was when this launched (0:39:04) Kev: Yes, oh wait research, so I don’t know I heard something else okay that that is exciting (0:39:11) Al: in early access. (0:39:12) Kev: Research work takes forever to ask Cody. That’s why the 1.0. It’s it’s forever (0:39:14) Al: So, maybe we need to get our second harvest on this after the 1.0 is out. (0:39:18) Kev: It’s the equivalent of getting their PhD congratulations research story (0:39:23) Kev: I’m sure Cody isn’t triggered by this at all (0:39:31) Kev: Okay, so wait we got let’s see what is the date on the oh July 21st there (0:39:38) Kev: It is but it’s available on the on a beta branch. That’s weird. What do you mean? (0:39:43) Kev: 1.0 will be available in beta before one point (0:39:45) Al: No, no, that’s so. So that’s before launch, you’ll be able to play the beta. (0:39:48) Kev: Yeah, I know that that’s very weird to me like (0:39:52) Al: Well, OK, I see what you mean. I see what you mean. I see what you mean. So (0:39:57) Al: it’s not actually that uncommon in software development where you go, this is our beta for (0:40:05) Al: 1.0 or 1.1 or whatever. That is not that uncommon, actually. I think it’s less common in games, (0:40:07) Kev: Sure. Yeah. Sure. And I mean, like, you know, public betas and test servers, (0:40:12) Al: But it’s definitely something that you see quite a lot. (0:40:18) Kev: like they’re common and I’m not saying it’s unheard of, but I don’t know. (0:40:21) Kev: It just feels weird, especially in game dev, like the 1.0 is the big fitting, right? (0:40:25) Kev: So, uh, I don’t know, but whatever, um, but hey. (0:40:28) Al: You still have to pop the game you can’t just play it’s not just anybody can play it like it’s public (0:40:33) Kev: Yeah. (0:40:34) Al: But public for people who have paid for the game, right? (0:40:37) Kev: That’s true. Good point. (0:40:40) Kev: All right. But hey, it’s here. (0:40:42) Al: Tiny garden the content the (0:40:45) Al: Featured game of last week’s episode have released a statement regarding the Nintendo switch version (0:40:52) Kev: I didn’t think I’d ever hear a statement from Tiny Garden. (0:40:56) Al: This is this is great. I’m just (0:40:58) Al: going to read some of the statement because I don’t think I can really (0:41:01) Al: summarize it better than they have done. “We wanted to clarify some questions (0:41:06) Al: that have arisen regarding the Nintendo Switch version of Tiny Garden. We have (0:41:09) Al: been vague and perhaps not communicated with you as well as we could have, for (0:41:14) Al: which we apologize. We did not want to cause you unnecessary concern or bore (0:41:18) Al: you with technical details. The truth is that the Switch version of Tiny Garden (0:41:23) Al: will be ported by an external company. As we are such a small team it was very (0:41:28) Al: hard for us to do everything in-house. The problem here is we’ve not yet found a (0:41:32) Al: company that can port the game with the polish and quality that we feel (0:41:35) Al: comfortable with. Both our publishers Super Rare Games and us want to deliver (0:41:40) Al: the best possible version of Tiny Garden on Switch. However, we did not (0:41:43) Al: anticipate that this porting would be so complicated.” Hey, I could have told you. (0:41:48) Al: We’ve seen this before. (0:41:50) Kev: What are you talking about? (0:41:52) Kev: It’s katrossi katronfi, it’s fuckies! (0:41:56) Al: And then they go into details about complaining. (0:41:58) Al: About their game engine and that’s the reason. (0:42:02) Al: Sure, fine. (0:42:05) Al: It’s funny because it’s like, oh no, we didn’t know it would be complicated to bring it to a (0:42:10) Al: console. Like what did you expect? Like these things are always complicated. (0:42:14) Kev: Well, yeah, I mean anything game dev is complicated pretty much anything dev software dev is always complicated (0:42:19) Al: Yeah, exactly. (0:42:21) Kev: Well, look here. Here’s your free advice tiny garden people call biting studio (0:42:27) Kev: Those are the guys who make cassette beasts that except beasts is on Godot. They brought it to switch (0:42:32) Kev: It’s awesome on switch. There you go (0:42:33) Al: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that’s the thing. I suspect if you do it in Unity or Unreal, I suspect (0:42:42) Al: it is slightly easier because they are obviously like larger companies use them and so therefore (0:42:51) Kev: They’re established. (0:42:53) Al: need the console support to be as good as it can be, right? Because otherwise there (0:43:00) Al: There would be big problems because Godot is. (0:43:04) Al: open source and therefore more likely to be used by smaller teams, and they are less likely to be focusing on consoles at all more likely to be focusing on just PC because that is the easiest for. (0:43:18) Kev: Uh-huh (0:43:18) Al: I mean, it’s just the easiest to develop for full stop right because there’s no gatekeeper right like that has has been the case for a long, long time. (0:43:20) Kev: Yeah, I mean yes, yes, that’s correct (0:43:26) Kev: And probably will always be the case because just the nature of the beast so yeah (0:43:28) Al: Exactly. (0:43:29) Al: Exactly. (0:43:30) Al: Exactly. (0:43:31) Al: So there’s, they’re probably simplifying. (0:43:33) Al: Things in what they’re saying, you know, these things happen. (0:43:40) Al: I would like to clarify again, please, if you’re backing a game on Kickstarter, if you (0:43:47) Al: want it for console, don’t back it on Kickstarter, right? (0:43:50) Al: Like just, just like it’s the console is always like, it is when the Kickstarter happens normally, (0:43:59) Al: the way that it is happened is there is a working version of the game. (0:44:03) Al: It may not be final. (0:44:04) Al: It may not have all the content, but they have a game and it can run on PC. (0:44:08) Al: There will be nothing running on console at that point. (0:44:11) Al: And it’s very likely, unless they are a team that have ported to console before, it’s very (0:44:16) Al: likely that they have no idea what they’re doing with consoles at all, right? (0:44:20) Kev: Yep. (0:44:21) Al: And this, this isn’t meant to be harsh on them. (0:44:24) Al: This is just a fact that if you have, if you’re not a console developer, you do not know how (0:44:29) Al: complicated it is. (0:44:30) Al: I am not a games developer, right? (0:44:33) Al: I’m a web developer. (0:44:34) Al: And even in web development, there are things that if you don’t know how it works, it is (0:44:38) Al: so much more complicated than you realize. (0:44:42) Al: And there are just certain things that are more awkward. (0:44:45) Al: And if you haven’t started development on it, you don’t know how complicated it is. (0:44:49) Al: And it is likely not going to be done until the game is finished. (0:44:52) Al: That’s the other thing, right? (0:44:55) Al: Even Stardew Valley still doesn’t get updates out day and date on console, right? (0:45:00) Kev: Yeah. (0:45:01) Al: and stardew valley (0:45:03) Al: is one of the biggest indie games, full stop. (0:45:06) Kev: Yeah. (0:45:07) Al: It’s not like he’s only on his own anyway. He has a team that he works with, he worked with (0:45:12) Kev: Nice. (0:45:12) Al: porting companies before, he has done many different things, and even he can’t do it. (0:45:20) Al: It takes so much work, even big companies struggle with that. (0:45:26) Al: It is rare for a game to come out at the same time on PC and console unless you are one of (0:45:31) Al: of the biggest games and they will. (0:45:34) Al: Completely different teams working on the PC version, working on the switch version, working on the PlayStation version Xbox is different because they’re like the Microsoft of well, pretty much Microsoft have done so much work and I, you know, I’m the first to jump on Microsoft a bad bandwagon, but Microsoft have done so much work to make putting games to Xbox so incredibly easy it’s not. It’s still not just as simple as click a button. It does. (0:45:36) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:45:41) Kev: Yeah (0:45:44) Kev: They are a PC (0:46:03) Al: It does it, but it is so much easier than any other console. If you have an existing PC game, especially if you’re using the tools that Microsoft give to make the game on PC. (0:46:07) Kev: Sure. Yeah. Well, I mean, guess. Hi. Hey, I’m still holding out for mighty number nine (0:46:15) Al: All that being said, all that being said, never back a Kickstarter for a switch game. Just don’t do it, right? (0:46:25) Kev: on the 3DS. Uh, but. (0:46:31) Al: I have, I have, when I, when I bought my steam. (0:46:33) Al: Dick, it was so good because it meant that I could go through and like change (0:46:37) Al: all of my kickstarters to use to steam codes instead of switch get codes. (0:46:41) Kev: Mmm, yeah, at least (0:46:41) Al: And you get the game a year before, right? (0:46:44) Al: It’s just every, every, every single one is there’s none of them. (0:46:49) Al: Not a single game that I have backed on Kickstarter has released (0:46:53) Al: on switch at the same time as steam. (0:46:54) Kev: year you’re not wrong not at all ah well you know what though in this (0:47:03) Kev: particular case there’s an easy way to fix this you know what you don’t even (0:47:07) Kev: have to release on the switch tiny garden just so you know what we’re (0:47:11) Kev: canceling it we’re investing everything into the playdate port and we’re all in (0:47:12) Al: Honestly, a Playdate port would probably be quicker, because it would have to lose features, (0:47:17) Kev: we’re good all is forgiven (0:47:24) Al: right? It’s not going to be the same, the graphics are simpler, like honestly, if they started now (0:47:31) Al: from scratch, they could probably get a Playdate version out before they could port their version (0:47:34) Kev: Well, well there you go, Tiny Guard. The path is there. (0:47:34) Al: to Switch. I’m not joking. They would of course get a fraction of the sales, right? There are (0:47:42) Al: Playdates. Yes, it does. I love the Playdate, it’s so good. I just wish I played it more. (0:47:44) Kev: the dozens look I mean I might join the dozens I’ll say that (0:48:00) Kev: Yeah (0:48:05) Al: As far as I can see, the only number I’ve seen on Playdate sales was in May of last year, (0:48:10) Al: They said 70,000 have been sold (0:48:12) Al: But that was one year into it, and we’re now a year later, so who knows

Text the show! The link's in the episode notes — let's talk storyHave you ever found yourself angry or deeply emotional over something small, and thought, “Where did that come from?”In this episode of The Faith & Aloha Show, I'm opening up about my own recent experiences with unexpected anger and emotional reactions — and how God has been gently inviting me to look deeper.Inspired by an email I received at just the right moment, I realized that these emotional “flare-ups” aren't always failures… they're signals. God doesn't expose our raw places to shame us, but to heal us.We'll explore scriptures like Psalm 139:23–24 and Proverbs 4:23, and talk about how to start bringing those hidden hurts to God instead of burying them.This is a gentle, real invitation to look within — and begin a deeper journey of healing with Him.Mahalo for joining me today and for letting me share this space with you. Let's keep walking in faith and aloha, together. Find me on Instagram @uikumuhoneConnect with me on Facebook @Uilani Kumuhone [personal] The Fait&Aloha Space Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16SLYE4QC4/ I would love to connect with you! If you would like to be a guest on the show email me uilanikumuhone@gmail.com I would love to have you on and talk about how God is working in your life. supporting biblical resources You Version bible website:https://www.bible.com/ Topical bible verse search: https://www.openbible.info/topics/ Come as you are. Grow as He leads. Walk in aloha.

The pen is mightier than the sword! This week we crack open that new book smell with a first edition copy of Vellum: the third-person literary hack-and-slash game. We navigate the maze-like stacks, pet some colorful wolf friends, and talk about how many puns is TOO many for understanding a game properly. Don't be quick to judge a book by it's steam store page! There's plenty of spells and quills and swords, but remember: A game a lone a last a loved a long the- Custom RSS Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube Music Transcript 1:22 - game stats 2:50 - one sentence description 6:47 - Hub world complexity and literary theming commitment 12:37 - Overly complex terminology and ability descriptions 19:04 - Enemy design and literary theme implementation 25:33 - “One more run” phenomenon and replay motivation 29:17 - Positive aspects including UI and visual effects 33:00 - Inscription system and meta progression mechanics 38:26 - Vignette encounters and their effectiveness debate 42:54 - Tome selection system and special level rules 48:07 - Progression gating and attunement level complaints 55:39 - End game content and endless mode discussion 1:01:29 - Boss strategy discovery and magical lamp exploit 1:14:13 - rankings and final thoughts 1:22:08 - similar games 1:24:50 - listener correspondence: does the GROGPOD need a public discord channel? Next episode: 2025 Summer Music Fest Contact us at grogpodzone@gmail.com! https://grogpod.zone Intro music: My Little Brown Book - Duke Ellington, John Coltrane Outro music: Vellum OST - Boss Battle

Episode 65: What's actually coming next in AI, and how will it transform the fundamental infrastructure we rely on every day? Matt Wolfe (https://x.com/mreflow) sits down with DJ Sampath (https://x.com/djsampath), Senior Vice President of AI Products at Cisco, for a deep dive into the AI-powered future of networking, security, and the enterprise. In this episode, DJ Sampath—former CEO and founder of Armorblox, now leading Cisco's AI product division—shares an exclusive look at Cisco's new AI Canvas platform: a generative UI that enables seamless collaboration between humans and AI agents for real-time, intelligent problem solving. Matt and DJ pull back the curtain on how Cisco is modernizing the internet's backbone, why the enterprise is ground zero for AI-enabled transformation, and the critical new challenges of AI security as agents multiply by the billions. If you want to understand what's really next in enterprise AI—and how it connects to your own experience as a consumer—don't miss this fascinating, forward-looking conversation. Check out The Next Wave YouTube Channel if you want to see Matt and Nathan on screen: https://lnk.to/thenextwavepd — Show Notes: (00:00) AI Innovations with Cisco's DJ Sampath (06:06) Enterprises Adopting AI Revolution (09:09) Integrated Cisco Product Connectivity (11:08) AI Surprises: Creativity Unleashed (14:57) Embrace AI for Job Security (16:36) AI Revolutionizes Research Efficiency — Mentions: Want 17 pages of Matt's favorite AI Tools? Get it here: https://clickhubspot.com/vwo DJ Sampath: https://www.linkedin.com/in/djsampath/ Cisco: https://www.cisco.com/ Armorblox: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/products/security/secure-email/armorblox/index.html AI Canvas: https://newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/a/y2025/m06/announcing-cisco-ai-canvas-revolutionizing-it-with-agenticops.html — Check Out Matt's Stuff: • Future Tools - https://futuretools.beehiiv.com/ • Blog - https://www.mattwolfe.com/ • YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/@mreflow — Check Out Nathan's Stuff: Newsletter: https://news.lore.com/ Blog - https://lore.com/ The Next Wave is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Production by Darren Clarke // Editing by Ezra Bakker Trupiano

It's widely known that the Blackmagic Design development team for Resolve is one of the best in the business. - coming up with great new features and squashing bugs quickly.  But that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement!In this episode we take a list of 50+ feature requests and cull that down to 10 (ish), touching on things like groups, potential interface improvements, and what AI could (should) be doing in Resolve.  Of course, anytime a list of 50+ things is paired down considerably there are good feature requests that get left behind so we might have to do a part 2 on this later in the year. In this episode some of the feature requests/improvements we take a look at include:Complete revision of groups in ResolveMore AI driven utility tools - auto conform, dead pixel analysis, auto grouping etcUI improvements - UI to dock/save presets, settings, DCTLS, favorite effects, momentary full screen panelsTracking & Stabilization workflow improvements including axis weighting, predictive tracking, depth based trackingGestural support for pen and trackpad usersColor management for saved/exported stills + contact sheet/webpage exportClosed caption, & Dolby Vision/Atmos support for DCPs. DCP validationInfo pallet improvements - shot stats, corrections list, more items available for smart filteringHow to make good feature requests and bug reportsBe sure to checkout offsetpodcast.com to check out our growing library of shows as well as to submit an idea for a future episode.  If you liked this or other episodes please consider buying us a cup of coffee to support the show: coff.ee/theoffsetpodcastThanks as always to our amazing sponsor @flandersscientific for the support!

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Today we are talking about DrupalCon, Wordpress, and what a wordpress guy can learn at a Drupal Event with guest Chris Reynolds. We'll also cover Shortcode as our module of the week. For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/509 Topics The Pros and Cons of Short Codes Chris Reynolds' Journey to DrupalCon Comparing DrupalCon and WordCamp Funding and Organization of WordPress Events The Collaborative Spirit of the Drupal Community Wishlist for WordPress Features Composer Support in WordPress and Drupal Backward Compatibility in WordPress Challenges with Composer in Drupal Config Management in WordPress vs. Drupal Responsive Image Management User Experience in Drupal Community Collaboration Between WordPress and Drupal Resources A Wordpresser Goes To DrupalCon Atlanta 2025 wpcfm Longhorn PHP Conference Oct 23-25 in Austin, TX Call for proposals through July 18 Join #texas-camp in Drupal Slack if you're interested in organizing a mini Texas Camp to pair with Longhorn PHP WP community collective Guests Chris Reynolds - jazzsequence.com jazzsequence Hosts Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi JD Leonard - jdleonard MOTW Correspondent Martin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu Brief description: Have you ever wanted your Drupal site to support WordPress-style shortcodes, macros to be used within content? There's a module for that. Module name/project name: Shortcode Brief history How old: created in Sep 2010 by Dénes Szabó (denes.szabo) of Tag1 Versions available: 2.0.3, which supports ^9.3 ^10 ^11 Maintainership Security coverage Test coverage Number of open issues: 30 open issues, 3 of which are bugs against the current branch Usage stats: 13,260 sites (almost 70% are D7 however) Module features and usage For anyone not familiar with WordPress short codes, the documentation describes them as macros, and most often they are used for inserting elements into content such as image galleries, videos, playlists, and more. Shortcodes can also wrap content, however, and it's possible to nest shortcodes as well. Drupal typically solves the problems addressed by shortcodes using custom HTML elements, as implemented in the media ecosystem, or with the Entity Embed module. I think that shortcodes may also be useful in places where Drupal might also rely on tokens, albeit with an additional module like Token Filter. Gutenberg includes a Shortcode block that can be used as a flexible way to add a variety of elements into a post's content. I think Shortcodes are an interesting paradigm because they're really a tool for power users. Instead of providing a UI to browse and choose elements for something like an image gallery, they allow a savvy editor to quickly write a tag that will construct a gallery using numerical ID values. I don't think this is a tool that most Drupal sites will need, but it could be a really good way for experienced WordPress teams to feel more at home when starting to work with Drupal.

This week we ask the question, when is it okay to leverage technology you don't understand, and when should you work to acquire the underlying domain knowledge? -- During The Show -- 00:52 Intro Cut from the same cloth 02:12 When to Leverage Tools Will always be jobs for deep understanding Lets Encrypt shortening life of certs AWX story Why AWX Short term damage control Advice for someone else You have to understand the manual process Is it still possible to dig down? Clicking through UI skill set How much time do you spend down the rabbit hole 23:09 News Wire Open ZFS 2.3.3 - phoronix.com (https://www.phoronix.com/news/OpenZFS-2.3.3) Open ZFS 2.2.8 - phoronix.com (https://www.phoronix.com/news/OpenZFS-2.2.8-Released) Darktable 5.2 - darktable.org (https://www.darktable.org/2025/06/darktable-5.2.0-released/) QtCreator 17 - qt.io (https://www.qt.io/blog/qt-creator-17-released) Nano 8.5 - gnu.org (https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/info-gnu/2025-06/msg00003.html) MKVToolNix 93.0 - mkvtoolnix.download (https://mkvtoolnix.download/windows/releases/93.0/) Linux 6.14 EOL - endoflife.date (https://endoflife.date/linux) Plasma 6.4 - kde.org (https://kde.org/announcements/plasma/6/6.4.0/) KDE Frameworks 6.15 - kde.org (https://kde.org/announcements/frameworks/6/6.15.0/) IceWM 3.8 - phoronix.com (https://www.phoronix.com/news/IceWM-3.8-Released) Sway 1.15 - github.com (https://github.com/swaywm/sway/releases/tag/1.11) WSL 2.6 Open Source - phoronix.com (https://www.phoronix.com/news/Microsoft-WSL-2.6-Open-Source) PostmarketOS 25.06 - postmarketos.org (https://postmarketos.org/blog/2025/06/22/v25.06-release/) Rocky Linux 10.0 - rockylinux.org (https://rockylinux.org/news/rocky-linux-10-0-ga-release) Kali Linux 2025.02 - kali.org (https://www.kali.org/blog/kali-linux-2025-2-release/) Amazon Linux 2023 FIPS 140-3 - aws.amazon.com (https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/compute/amazon-linux-2023-achieves-fips-140-3-validation/) PAM & Udisks Flaws - thehackernews.com (https://thehackernews.com/2025/06/new-linux-flaws-enable-full-root-access.html) Mistral 3.2 - venturebeat.com (https://venturebeat.com/ai/mistral-just-updated-its-open-source-small-model-from-3-1-to-3-2-heres-why/) MiniMax M1 - theregister.com (https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/17/minimax_m1_model_chinese_llm/) 24:40 AI vs Privacy Users don't want sensitive data retained Claims order creates "mass surveillance program" If it's on the internet, it's public Expectation of using AI Will this change the way people use these tools Responsibility is on the professional Approaching 50/50 AI/Human internet data Data mining and model training ARSTechnica (https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/06/judge-rejects-claim-that-forcing-openai-to-keep-chatgpt-logs-is-mass-surveillance/) 41:00 Framework 12 inch Laptop Designed to be repaired Framework presenter pulled off the keyboard live 13 inch vs 15 inch laptops Touch screen 2 in 1 Productivity on the plane Phoronix (https://www.phoronix.com/review/framework-laptop-12) -- The Extra Credit Section -- For links to the articles and material referenced in this week's episode check out this week's page from our podcast dashboard! This Episode's Podcast Dashboard (http://podcast.asknoahshow.com/447) Phone Systems for Ask Noah provided by Voxtelesys (http://www.voxtelesys.com/asknoah) Join us in our dedicated chatroom #GeekLab:linuxdelta.com on Matrix (https://element.linuxdelta.com/#/room/#geeklab:linuxdelta.com) -- Stay In Touch -- Find all the resources for this show on the Ask Noah Dashboard Ask Noah Dashboard (http://www.asknoahshow.com) Need more help than a radio show can offer? Altispeed provides commercial IT services and they're excited to offer you a great deal for listening to the Ask Noah Show. Call today and ask about the discount for listeners of the Ask Noah Show! Altispeed Technologies (http://www.altispeed.com/) Contact Noah live [at] asknoahshow.com -- Twitter -- Noah - Kernellinux (https://twitter.com/kernellinux) Ask Noah Show (https://twitter.com/asknoahshow) Altispeed Technologies (https://twitter.com/altispeed)

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through the changes introduced in the second developer beta of iOS 26.  In ‌iOS 26‌ beta 2, Apple refined several interface elements to slightly improve visual clarity and usability. The Control Center's Liquid Glass buttons now appear more clearly, thanks to increased background blur that makes them easier to distinguish. Similarly, the Reduce Transparency setting in Accessibility has been enhanced, further cutting down the see-through effect across the UI. Safari saw a couple of adjustments as well. The new tab button in the tab management view has been moved from the top left to the bottom left corner, bringing it back to its position in iOS 18. Additionally, when using the Compact tab bar layout, back and forward navigation buttons are now present. Apple Music now includes a Live Radio widget, giving users quicker access to real-time radio streams from their Home Screen. There's also a new ringtone option—"Alt 1" under the Reflection category—available in Sounds and Haptics settings. Low Power Mode's description has been rewritten for greater clarity, now explicitly noting that it reduces background activities, processing speed, display refresh rate, brightness, and limits features like 5G and iCloud syncing. Lastly, the default wallpaper introduced with ‌iOS 26‌ has been updated to animate in response to the system's spatial photos feature, adding a more dynamic feel to the home screen. We also discuss Apple's apparent consideration of a bid to buy AI search startup Perplexity, as well as the new purple and green color options rumored for the iPhone 17.  This episode is sponsored by Cash App. Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/h7xvs873 #CashAppPod

We're recapping the first 3 episodes of Marvel's Ironheart on Disney+! Join Brandon & Chanel from We Was Watching Podcast—two Black nerds with sharp insights and big laughs—as we dive into Riri Williams' superhero origin, genius tech skills, and all the new MCU connections.In this livestream, we're breaking down everything from Riri's MIT life, that wild Iron Man legacy, to the suits, Nat her new UI, and what is going on with Hood and Mephisto. If you're searching for Ironheart reactions, MCU Phase 5 recaps, or Riri Williams episode breakdowns, you're in the right place. Let's talk about what works, what doesn't, and what this show means for the future of Marvel.

SummaryATX DAO OG and founding podcast host Nick Casares returns for a wide-ranging conversation about how generative AI is reshaping creativity, startups, and the future of work. Drawing from his experience in early-stage investing and product development, Nick breaks down how new tools are enabling solo founders and small teams to move faster than ever. The crew debates whether AI tools make us lazy or unlock new layers of human potential, and where the next billion-dollar ideas are likely to emerge.From vibe coding to agentic systems, from the death of UI to the blurred lines between centralized and decentralized infrastructure, this episode covers the philosophical and practical shifts happening right now. If you've been wondering what happens when junior roles disappear, or how creative thinkers can win in a world dominated by machines, this one's for you.Chapters00:00 Navigating the AI Landscape04:58 Web3 and the Evolution of Loyalty Programs10:33 AI as a Creative Partner16:50 Accelerating Product Development with AI21:47 The Dystopian Future of AI26:21 The Evolution of Job Roles in an AI World30:33 Navigating the New Startup LandscapeConnect with Nick on X (Twitter): ⁠⁠@nickcasaresCheck out our friends at Tequila 512:Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tequila512.com⁠⁠Socials: ⁠⁠X (Twitter)⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Facebook⁠To learn more about ATX DAO:Check out the ⁠ATX DAO ⁠websiteFollow ⁠@ATXDAO⁠ on X (Twitter)Subscribe to our newsletterConnect with us on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Join the community in the ⁠ATX DAO Discord⁠Connect with the ATX DAO Podcast team on X (Twitter):Ash:  ⁠@ashinthewild⁠Luke: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Luke152⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Podcast:If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share it with your network.Subscribe for more insights, interviews, and deep dives into the world of Web 3.

We spoke with State Senator Tony Hwang about a major vote today with the CT Siting Council regarding proposed UI monopoles impacting Fairfield and Bridgeport. We also talked about the controversy surrounding a proposed sale of Aquarion Water Company to the Regional Water Authority. Image Credit: Drew Carrano

Al and Kevin talk about Tiny Garden Timings 00:00:00: Theme Tune 00:00:30: Intro 00:01:25: Anti Relationship Drama Rant 00:05:34: Actual Intro 00:06:56: What Has Kevin Been Up To 00:16:46: Anti Capitalist Rant 00:30:31: What Has Al Been Up To 00:42:44: Game News 01:03:41: Tiny Garden 01:18:27: Outro Links Len’s Island 1.0 Update Sun Haven 2.5 Update Moonstone Island “Evolutions” Update Disney Dreamlight Valley “Mysteries of Skull Rock” Update Snacko 1.0.1 Update Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time “Roguelike” Update Harvest Moon: Home Sweet Home coming to Steam/Consoles Contact Al on Mastodon: https://mastodon.scot/@TheScotBot Email Us: https://harvestseason.club/contact/ Transcript (0:00:30) Al: Hello, farmers, and welcome to another episode of the harvest season. (0:00:34) Al: My name is Al. (0:00:35) Kev: My name is Kevin last I’ve been told (0:00:37) Al: And we’re here, and we’re here today to talk about Cottagecore Games. (0:00:42) Kev: Cottage core games whoo (0:00:45) Al: Oh, (0:00:48) Al: oh, we are here. (0:00:51) Al: We’re going to talk about when we are here, I’m alive. (0:00:54) Kev: No (0:00:54) Al: So if I sound tired, this episode is because I’ve had a very busy Saturday. (0:00:58) Al: We were meant to record on Sunday, (0:01:00) Al: to schedule a meeting with me on a Sunday instead. (0:01:04) Al: So I’m doing that. It’s not a work thing. (0:01:06) Al: Don’t worry, I’m not doing work at the weekend. (0:01:08) Al: But it wasn’t really a meeting I could get out of. (0:01:11) Al: So we rescheduled to Saturday, the day that I have all of the family stuff. (0:01:15) Al: So much stuff, way too much stuff. (0:01:15) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:01:17) Al: So I am here and I’m alive. (0:01:18) Kev: Now he’s getting his performance review from his family tomorrow, that’s the me (0:01:26) Al: I saw I saw a TikTok of a couple who do like weekly. (0:01:30) Al: Weekly Relationship Review and people like people got so annoyed about it and I’m like, I don’t understand why you’re annoyed about this. (0:01:38) Al: It’s not they’re not like judging each other and giving each other a right, a raise. (0:01:44) Al: They’re they’re discussing the things that they’re they’ve done and they’re discussing what they’ve got coming up this week and they’re seeing if there’s anything they need to plan and talk about. (0:01:44) Kev: - Yeah. (0:01:52) Al: This is a very good thing to do. (0:01:54) Al: And I think a lot I think the world will be a lot a better place if a lot more people who were in relationships did. (0:02:00) Al: This but I know most people who are in relationships don’t even want to be in those relationships. (0:02:02) Kev: - Yeah. (0:02:05) Al: Miserable people, measurable people who just want to mock somebody and I think the world would be a better place without those relationships. (0:02:15) Al: So but but hey, I actually love my wife. (0:02:16) Kev: Ohhh, goodness. (0:02:18) Al: So sue me. (0:02:22) Kev: I’ll come out guns blazing this episode, um… (0:02:25) Al: I just I get so annoyed with the boomer joke of like all my ball and chain. (0:02:30) Al: My wife is like, OK, like leave them then. (0:02:32) Kev: Yeah, it (0:02:37) Kev: Yeah, yeah (0:02:37) Al: I just I show and why are you staying there? (0:02:40) Al: I mean, this is why your kids are terrible people, because you they don’t know what a family looks like, because you’re just going to hate your your partner and resent them for it and then take it out on your children. (0:02:53) Kev: Yeah, it’s it’s fascinating. Well, I mean obviously one the you know that attitude mentality has somewhat shifted to a degree (0:03:04) Kev: but it’s fascinating just (0:03:06) Kev: To you know, there’s been studies done and whatever I’ve read some stuff like because you know back in the day (0:03:12) Kev: You your dating pool was limited to pretty much whoever was in the neighborhood, right? (0:03:14) Al: Hmm. Yeah, yeah. Least objection will prepare us on my street. (0:03:19) Kev: Right (0:03:21) Kev: Yep, right, so you know (0:03:23) Kev: That kind of environment leads to the ball and chain mentality, right? (0:03:29) Kev: But you know current day and age with the online and the you know, generally easier ish travel (0:03:39) Kev: Obviously that’s no longer the case (0:03:42) Al: Also, you can be single, right? Like, I’m not saying it’s easy, right? Like, as someone who has (0:03:45) Kev: You can’t sure (0:03:48) Kev: Yeah (0:03:49) Al: basically never been single, right? Like, I got married when I was 22, like, I, you know, (0:03:51) Kev: Uh-huh (0:03:56) Al: been with, well, first got together with my wife when I was 16, right? So, like, I am not a single (0:04:02) Al: person. I have very rarely been a single person, but you can do that. That’s the thing you can do. (0:04:08) Kev: You, you can. Yeah. (0:04:09) Al: Like, if you hate someone, you don’t have to- (0:04:11) Kev: You can. (0:04:12) Al: you don’t have to spend your time with them! You can just not, and you can have friends instead. (0:04:14) Kev: Yeah. Yeah. (0:04:16) Al: And I suspect, if there were more people who didn’t stay in loveless marriages, (0:04:21) Al: then maybe being single would be less terrible as well, because there would be more single people. (0:04:24) Kev: Yeah, yeah, well again, you know the culture back then very different right like marriage was (0:04:25) Al: Crazy idea. (0:04:32) Al: Yeah, but it’s not a solved problem. There are still a lot of miserable people, (0:04:35) Kev: It is not you’re right you’re (0:04:36) Al: and there’s a lot of people who think that marriage is just one of the things you have to do. (0:04:40) Kev: Yeah, you know you’re right that pressure is absolutely still there um yeah (0:04:46) Al: Quite often external to the person who’s being pressured into it, I suspect. (0:04:49) Kev: Absolutely absolutely (0:04:55) Al: Friendships are important, and we need to have friendships and not assume that the only (0:04:59) Al: relationship that matters is a romantic one. There we go, I’m done. (0:05:02) Al: One name. (0:05:02) Kev: Okay, well, you know, yes, these are true. You’re saying things that are true and not particularly objectionable, but you know, you’re, you’re arguing against the hundreds of years of weird cultural nonsense so yeah, yeah, so. (0:05:17) Al: Well, there is that. (0:05:20) Al: Listeners, listeners object to it. (0:05:22) Al: I want to see your arguments for why everyone should get married. (0:05:26) Al: I will vehemently disagree with them because they’re stupid, (0:05:27) Al: and you probably don’t believe them. (0:05:29) Al: But give me them anyway. (0:05:30) Al: It’ll be fun to have an argument. (0:05:32) Kev: That’s what we do on this show. We argue against. (0:05:35) Al: We’re going to talk about Tiny Garden this episode. (0:05:37) Al: So this is the… (0:05:37) Kev: I thought we were here to delve into culturally in a relationship mechanics. (0:05:43) Al: It’s a relationship episode. (0:05:45) Al: Kevin, tell me about like. (0:05:47) Al: Tell me about your relationships, and no don’t I don’t I don’t think I don’t think the pod needs to hear them (0:05:49) Kev: Oh, yeah, I mean, that’s it. Well, romantic ones, that’s easy. They don’t exist. Otherwise, well, that’s, that’s, yeah, okay. (0:06:03) Kev: Okay, moving on, um. (0:06:04) Al: I don’t think I don’t think the podcast needs to hear your therapy. (0:06:08) Kev: Yeah, no, that that is little of my therapist is for him. Okay, I love my family but good heavens I can’t live with them can’t live without them sort of deal. (0:06:19) Kev: Yeah. (0:06:19) Al: Can’t live with them, have to live with them. (0:06:21) Kev: Yeah. (0:06:22) Al: We are going to talk about Tiny Garden. (0:06:24) Al: It is the Polly Pocket farming game. (0:06:26) Kev: Yep. (0:06:28) Al: Kevin has not played it, he thought about playing it and never did. (0:06:31) Al: I have played it a little bit. (0:06:34) Al: And so it’s going to be a reasonably… (0:06:36) Al: Kevin watched some videos. (0:06:37) Al: You watched some videos, right? (0:06:38) Kev: Yeah, yeah, I mean it’s not like it’s a particularly in-depth game, right like yeah, so even (0:06:43) Al: No, no, let’s start. (0:06:44) Al: Well, let’s save that. (0:06:45) Al: Save that for the, save that for the, save it for the pod. (0:06:46) Kev: Okay. All right. Well, okay (0:06:48) Al: We’re already in the pod. (0:06:49) Al: Save it for the appropriate section, Kevin. (0:06:52) Al: Before that, we have a bunch of news. (0:06:54) Al: This has been a reasonably busy Newsweek. (0:06:56) Al: But first of all, Kevin, what have you been up to? (0:06:59) Kev: Okay, not a lot of work as I tend to do because I’m I don’t know work (0:07:07) Kev: but (0:07:08) Kev: aside from that, let’s see here um okay you know i’m gonna take a brief second to (0:07:14) Kev: talk about zone the zone zero my segment for nobody but me um so the 2.0 update came out (0:07:16) Al: Go for it. (0:07:20) Kev: I didn’t have internet when it did but I have internet again i’ve caught up i’ve done the 2.0 (0:07:25) Kev: stuff and you know it’s added a lot of stuff that anyone who plays the game might be interested but (0:07:31) Kev: for people who don’t it did i’d be talking nonsense the the big thing I think is interesting (0:07:36) Kev: is kind of the tonal shift. (0:07:38) Kev: So Zenless Zone Zero, the 1.0, the chapter 1, whatever, the first year of the game, (0:07:46) Kev: it was the aesthetic, the tone of it was very, it’s going to sound very like 2000, like (0:07:55) Kev: OTS, you know, that decade specifically. (0:07:59) Kev: People have flip phones and they’re still like CRTs and stuff like that. (0:08:04) Kev: And it’s very sci-fi heavy. (0:08:08) Kev: The main characters are hackers. (0:08:11) Kev: And there’s these like monsters that spawn out of fake matter called the ether or whatever. (0:08:19) Kev: Anyways, the point is it’s very sci-fi heavy. (0:08:21) Kev: That’s the tone and not like super futurama or Jetsons futuristic sci-fi, just like current, (0:08:30) Kev: you know, more current day looking tech. (0:08:34) Kev: But that’s the tone. (0:08:35) Kev: I’m just comparing it to like Genshin is much more fantasy based. (0:08:38) Kev: I’m just painting the picture because they shifted the tone in 2.0, the protagonists join a temple of monks like you know like, sort of a, gosh I wish I had the proper names, (0:09:05) Kev: But you know the stereotypical like (0:09:08) Kev: Temple out in the mountains where monks are trading wonder martial arts and mysticism and that sort of thing (0:09:15) Kev: And so that’s that’s kind of the direction they’re going with (0:09:20) Kev: There’s a new like city area that you’re spending your time in. It’s very much based off (0:09:26) Kev: that kind of (0:09:28) Kev: Not so rural Japan China, but like out in the mountains sort of area (0:09:34) Kev: So it’s a very different feeling from the (0:09:38) Kev: Bay City, which is very like (0:09:42) Kev: Metropolitan lots of big buildings and skyscrapers and whatever that that one feels more like I don’t know Beijing (0:09:49) Kev: I guess you know very modern type China and this one is a more this new area. This new tone is much more traditional (0:09:57) Kev: Chinese (0:09:59) Kev: And you know, it’s it’s it’s fun. I’ll nothing’s nearly wrong (0:10:03) Kev: It’s just I don’t feel so different because the whole first year of the game (0:10:07) Kev: your your tacker person. (0:10:08) Kev: and you you you do hacker things and now you’re training to be a mystic very very odd to me at least but but but anyways regardless the game is still fun I’m still playing it yada yada so that’s that let’s see what else Pokemon unite all Kremie came out all Kremie is great it’s a supporter it does all the things you’d want it to do it it decorates and heals your team it’s unite it creates (0:10:28) Al: - Ah, nice. (0:10:30) Al: - Ow, creamy. (0:10:38) Kev: it’s a giant cake and stands on top of it and it just spreads globs of healing whipped cream to all your teammates I like all Kremie it’s very fun I mean I like all Kremie the Pokemon period and it’s great and unite so yay all Kremie um let’s see other than that uh oh you know I’m gonna take a second here to talk about card games okay so (0:11:08) Kev: you probably don’t keep up with magic the gathering years have you heard anything about magic the gathering recently mm-hmm okay okay okay yeah yeah yeah (0:11:12) Al: I used to play a lot of magic when I worked in an office because there was a magic (0:11:19) Al: league there, but I’ve not kept up basically since 2019. I’m aware that there’s been a lot of (0:11:28) Al: crossover sets recently. There was a Doctor Who one, I believe, A Lord of the Rings one, (0:11:32) Al: a Final Fantasy one, so I’m aware that they’re doing a lot of crossovers just now and there are (0:11:38) Al: many opinions about that shall we see. (0:11:38) Kev: y’all (0:11:40) Kev: there are many opinions. So the Final Fantasy one came out a week ago, I think, the Final (0:11:42) Al: Right, yeah. (0:11:46) Kev: Fantasy crossover set. And this one is a particularly contentious set for two reasons. One, it is (0:11:55) Kev: what they call a standard set, meaning that it is in the card pool. In previous crossovers (0:12:03) Kev: sets, they would kind of, you know, they wouldn’t be standard legal or tournament legal or whatever, (0:12:08) Kev: You know, they’d be kind of more for funs easy. (0:12:08) Al: Oh, interesting. Okay. (0:12:10) Kev: Or, you know, just for between friends or whatever, right? (0:12:12) Kev: This one is in, in your face, like in the card pool. (0:12:17) Kev: And a lot of people aren’t happy about it because there’s the (0:12:19) Kev: crossovers have been so prevalent lately. (0:12:22) Kev: Um, but you know, that that’s, that’s one discussion. (0:12:26) Kev: The other issue that isn’t less of opinions and more just like out cry (0:12:32) Kev: outrage, um, is the insane pricing. (0:12:37) Kev: uh… because magic the gathering has gone through the roof (0:12:40) Kev: in terms of cost (0:12:41) Kev: uh… (0:12:43) Kev: so okay you know here out for comparison (0:12:46) Kev: uh… any other game pokemon yugioh (0:12:49) Kev: work on a whatever (0:12:51) Kev: a pre-constructed deck they go out to the store and buy off the shelf (0:12:55) Kev: can be let’s say fifteen dollars on average us_d (0:12:57) Al: Mm-hmm, yep, yep. (0:12:58) Kev: okay (0:12:59) Kev: uh… it is what it is just maybe (0:13:00) Al: Science, science fair, science fair. (0:13:02) Kev: yeah right it’s it’s it’s fine (0:13:04) Kev: you know dig to get you started to a product that you can actually start (0:13:08) Kev: start playing the game, right? (0:13:10) Kev: In Magic the Gathering, so they come out with commander decks, you know, there’s different formats and command is the popular one (0:13:18) Kev: That’s that’s their primary like pre-constructed deck thing that comes out (0:13:25) Kev: Right now they came out or it was just last year they had updated the MSRP to be about you believe (0:13:32) Kev: $45 (0:13:34) Al: Oh, for a… because a commander’s 40 cards, is that right? Oh, a hundred, right? Okay, sorry. (0:13:35) Kev: USD (0:13:40) Kev: To be fair it is it is a bigger deck right, but it’s in my opinions (0:13:42) Al: My bad. A hundred cards for for $45, that’s wild. (0:13:46) Kev: You know (0:13:47) Kev: It’s pricey. It’s it’s very pricey, right? (0:13:51) Kev: I’m just you know, I think that illustrates the scale of like how much magic costs now, right? Okay (0:13:57) Kev: Final fantasy set because they know final fantasy is popular people (0:14:02) Kev: They know a Hasbro Hasbro is the the current owner of the magic franchise and makes these pricing decisions (0:14:10) Kev: They know people are gonna be excited. They marked up the MSRP for the Final Fantasy set (0:14:19) Kev: The a (0:14:21) Kev: Commander pre-con for Final Fantasy is I believe 70 USD MSRP (0:14:28) Kev: I’d say that because a lot of (0:14:30) Kev: You know, it’s a lot of local card games and shops that will run carry these products (0:14:36) Kev: they will mark up their products anyways even if there is an MSR (0:14:40) Kev: so you know these things are going through the roof like over $100 and (0:14:45) Kev: whatnot and so it’s insanity and that’s not even the premium they came out with (0:14:51) Kev: these premium versions of these decks where like the everything’s foil or (0:14:54) Kev: whatever those are 125 MSRP I think something ridiculous so so obviously you (0:15:04) Al: Hmm. Yeah. (0:15:08) Kev: You know, they are just… (0:15:10) Kev: They are just robbing the customers blind, and obviously people aren’t happy, but they are still selling like hotcakes because I don’t know, that’s the magic of players I guess. (0:15:20) Kev: As I’ve been on record, I have dabbled in magic, but I’m not very keen on those prices, so I don’t pick up a lot. (0:15:28) Kev: But, I do like Final Fantasy, and here’s the kicker, right, if the cards suck, that’d be easier just to not play, but a lot of the cards are good looking, or they look fun to play or whatever. (0:15:40) Kev: So, the temptation is there. (0:15:42) Kev: So, what I did is instead of buying any Final Fantasy stuff for magic, I went back to the actual Final Fantasy trading card game, which I need to remind people actually exists. (0:15:54) Kev: It’s still going, it’s still coming out with stuff. (0:15:56) Kev: So yeah, I did a game night with some friends, and we played out of not wanting to spend money, we dusted off some Final Fantasy decks, and that’s it. (0:16:10) Kev: That was fun. And man, the Final Fantasy TCG, it’s pretty good. (0:16:14) Kev: I like the rhythm of the game, it’s not insane or busted right now. (0:16:18) Kev: And the cards, it’s a very weird thing, but the card stock, they’re very thick and durable, it’s not a flimsy paper cardboard thing. (0:16:26) Kev: It’s very nice, it feels almost plastic-y. (0:16:30) Kev: But anyways, yeah, I picked up and played some Final Fantasy TCG, that’s fun stuff, just because magic’s insane. (0:16:40) Kev: I’m not gonna do that again right now. (0:16:42) Kev: But that that’s that’s all I’ve been going on not not too terribly much. What about you l what you’ve been up to? (0:16:46) Al: Well I want to go on an anti-capitalist rant first. So your comments about them, you know, (0:16:49) Kev: I mean as we do (0:16:56) Al: marking up the stuff, it reminds me of a thing I’ve been annoyed about recently, where people (0:17:04) Al: will go “oh everything’s expensive” and then other people go “oh that’s just supply and demand” (0:17:09) Al: as if supply and demand is like some inherent law of physics that means that (0:17:16) Al: the price is out of our hands. The demand is high therefore the price must be high. (0:17:23) Al: Yeah that’s not how that works. It’s not like the price is determined by, you know, (0:17:29) Al: what a seller wants to sell for it and what a buyer wants to buy for it and meeting somewhere (0:17:32) Kev: Mm-hmm. (0:17:34) Kev: Right. (0:17:36) Al: where, you know, if they try and put it too high then people won’t buy it blah blah blah etc etc. (0:17:40) Kev: Mm-hmm. (0:17:41) Al: And supply and demand just says that as demand, as supply increases… (0:17:47) Al: and demand decreases, no, is that what I said? There’s a point in the middle where they meet (0:17:53) Al: and you’ve got like a ideal price, if you will, based on the amount of supply and the amount of (0:17:53) Kev: Yes (0:17:57) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:17:59) Al: demand. And all really supply and demand means is that if there’s a high demand and a low supply, (0:18:05) Al: they can charge basically whatever they want, right? Like that is how it’s not like the price (0:18:12) Al: has to be sold for a certain point, right? Like they just go, we know people are (0:18:16) Al: going to buy it, therefore supply and demand says we can charge more, and we’ll get more money. (0:18:22) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:18:23) Al: Right? Like that is just how it works. And I just, it gets really frustrating when people are like, (0:18:27) Al: “Oh, it’s just supply and demand.” As if, “Oh, don’t look at me. I’m not the one deciding the (0:18:32) Al: price. Supply and demand is deciding the price.” What are you talking about? That’s not how this (0:18:38) Al: works, right? Like we decide prices, and if people think it’s too high, and they don’t buy it like (0:18:45) Al: you have done. (0:18:46) Al: enough people did what you were doing, they would have to decrease the price to sell (0:18:48) Kev: Yeah. Well. (0:18:50) Al: it. (0:18:51) Al: But of course, we are willing to spend the money. (0:18:54) Al: Enough people are willing to spend the money that they can just sell it for whatever they (0:18:58) Al: want and people will keep going up. (0:19:01) Al: You know, it’s like how, it’s the reason the Mario Kart world is $80. (0:19:07) Al: It’s because they know people will buy it and supply and demand for the record makes (0:19:11) Al: no sense in our digital economy, right? (0:19:15) Al: like there is no there is no (0:19:15) Kev: Yeah, and it is. (0:19:16) Al: it’s infinite supply so theoretically supply and demand should say that if (0:19:21) Al: there’s infinite supply there should be a very very low price it just like that (0:19:26) Kev: Yeah well, well, yeah (0:19:28) Al: is but no that’s not how it actually works because that’s the price is based (0:19:33) Al: on what people are actually willing to pay but that’s if you if you took purely (0:19:35) Kev: Yes, yeah (0:19:38) Al: supply and demand and nothing else and said this is what this means digital (0:19:42) Al: games should be free. (0:19:43) Kev: Well, that’s it. Well, here’s the thing, right? Okay, as I’m sure you can, I’ve only took like two economics class. I do a little economics though, but here’s the thing, right? Supply into it. That is, what is supply? You want to dive into that? That’s what determines supply. Now we’re getting into something, right? (0:19:58) Al: All right, yeah, okay, fair enough. Fair enough. I guess like the supply for a digital game (0:20:06) Al: is the number of consoles that are, right? Like you’re not going to… (0:20:08) Kev: Yeah, or, or, right, it’s, yeah, and, and in terms of the price. (0:20:13) Kev: Right, like the, you know, that, what did you see in economics? (0:20:16) Kev: You see the, you see like a graph, right? (0:20:19) Kev: Which is like, I guess number of units and number of, uh, and the price or whatever. (0:20:23) Kev: And so you’re right. (0:20:24) Kev: Um, it, uh, it gets weird digitally, but what determines that graph? (0:20:30) Al: That’s my point. That’s my point is there’s so, there’s so many things that break down. (0:20:31) Kev: Where does, yeah. (0:20:33) Al: It’s not in an, in a, in a, I love the, have you ever had the physics joke, um, which is, uh, Oh, two seconds. (0:20:43) Al: Let me double check so I don’t end up saying it. (0:20:46) Kev: Is it, I mean, I know a couple physics joke as an engineer, nerd, major, degree holder. (0:20:53) Al: So, there was the physics joke, right, where there’s a farmer whose chicken wouldn’t lay (0:20:59) Kev: Uh-huh, yep. (0:20:59) Al: any eggs. And to solve the problem, he hires a physicist. And the physicist says, “Oh, (0:21:06) Al: I’ve come up with a solution, but my solution requires a spherical chicken in a vacuum.” (0:21:08) Kev: Uh-huh. (0:21:12) Al: And the point of that joke is that so many things in physics are theoretical and only (0:21:17) Kev: Yeah, yeah. (0:21:19) Al: work in a very specific set of scenarios. (0:21:23) Al: And you can’t then necessarily say, “This happens here, therefore that happens in (0:21:28) Al: the real world as well.” (0:21:29) Al: And I feel like a lot of economics of that is that as well. (0:21:32) Al: It’s like in this perfect ideal economic world where these 10 things all exist, then this (0:21:36) Kev: Yeah (0:21:39) Kev: No (0:21:39) Al: will happen. (0:21:40) Al: And it’s like, but that’s not how the world works. (0:21:42) Al: And digital games is a perfect example of how that just completely falls on us. (0:21:46) Al: It falls over, right? (0:21:47) Al: Like, because it just, it doesn’t make any sense. (0:21:49) Al: What is supply when you’re talking about a digital thing? (0:21:52) Al: It’s not a thing. (0:21:53) Al: Right? (0:21:54) Al: It doesn’t make any sense. (0:21:54) Kev: Yeah, and and I’m really we yeah, you know we can get down to it really if (0:22:02) Kev: This would be a more interesting conversation if you know, we were looking at just supply factors like okay (0:22:09) Kev: How do you distribute, you know, what are the competition yada yada, whatever, right? (0:22:13) Kev: But we all know the truth in the current day and age late-stage capitalism, whatever you want to call it (0:22:19) Kev: there is a significant portion of that price being determined by (0:22:24) Kev: The shareholders the see the executives. They just want a whole lot of money (0:22:30) Kev: the day (0:22:32) Kev: That’s that’s what it all boils down to oh (0:22:34) Al: Yeah, yeah. (0:22:36) Kev: Man, man. Okay, you know, all right since we’re on this (0:22:40) Kev: The absurdity of economics and and prices I’ll go back. I’ll go right back to magic (0:22:46) Kev: Are you familiar with magic 30? (0:22:48) Al: I am not. Is it a version of Magic where you have 30 cards? (0:22:52) Kev: No (0:22:52) Al: Ah, good guess though, right? (0:22:55) Kev: Yeah, oh that mmm, you know, I actually I think standards 40 so you’re not far off that that would be fun, but um, okay (0:23:05) Kev: Okay, here it is so this was a couple years ago (0:23:11) Kev: Magic the Gathering (0:23:14) Kev: Whatever Hasbro was to the coast whatever they released a project called magic 30 or it’s the med the 30th anniversary edition set (0:23:23) Al: - Ah, okay, yep. (0:23:25) Kev: Okay, this was this was a 2022 that the year was okay (0:23:30) Kev: and so (0:23:32) Kev: it’s it’s probably the most absurd like magic product ever released because (0:23:40) Kev: each box (0:23:41) Kev: This product contained 15 booster packs and these booster packs the cards inside them were like, oh, you know (0:23:48) Kev: Very classic original magic cards or whatever with original art (0:23:53) Kev: So much so that (0:23:55) Kev: It was so faithful to the original stuff that because magic rotates and has you know form different formats (0:24:01) Kev: They actually said okay. None of these cards are actually going to be playable (0:24:06) Kev: They’re just not gonna be legal in anything. It is basically just fake real fake cards that we’re printing. We’re collecting I guess (0:24:16) Kev: Okay (0:24:18) Kev: How how much would you pay for a box of (0:24:23) Kev: 15 packs of fake cards. (0:24:24) Kev: Real fake cards, Al. (0:24:26) Al: I mean it depends what it is, right? Like, so let’s create a scenario where this is Pokémon, (0:24:32) Al: right? It’s essentially just like a collector’s deck that you can never use in tournaments. (0:24:36) Al: I’m not going to use it in tournaments, it doesn’t really affect how much I would pay for it, right? (0:24:40) Al: Like I’m a sucker who will pay stupid amounts of money for collector’s things, (0:24:45) Al: so probably way too much money. I think if we’re… So if we’re just talking a deck, (0:24:48) Kev: Okay, give me (0:24:51) Al: so we’re talking… How many… Was that a 40 pack, a standard set? (0:24:52) Kev: Yeah (0:24:54) Kev: It was 15 packs is what it was here. Yep. No, no (0:24:57) Al: Oh, 15 packs. Oh, it’s not even a deck, right? OK. So let’s go with… (0:25:06) Al: I feel like in the world where this is Pokémon, maybe I’m paying like £5 a pack, (0:25:08) Kev: You know what hope (0:25:14) Al: because that’s more… I think it’s like £3 a pack just now in the UK, (0:25:18) Al: so we’re maybe talking like £75. And that would feel like… That would maybe feel like a lot, (0:25:22) Kev: Okay. (0:25:24) Al: and I’d be like oh I don’t know how (0:25:27) Kev: Okay. (0:25:28) Kev: So let’s see, five pounds, I’ll just forget. (0:25:30) Kev: Okay, that’s about six, seven USD. (0:25:32) Kev: Okay, sure. (0:25:34) Kev: So times 15, that’s, what is that? (0:25:36) Kev: 50 plus 25, that’s 75. (0:25:38) Kev: Okay, so that’s 75 pounds, (0:25:40) Kev: which yeah, about 100 USD maybe. (0:25:42) Kev: Okay, okay, I see what you’re saying, right? (0:25:45) Al: But like, that’s not “I’m definitely going to buy that.” (0:25:47) Al: That’s “Ooh, that feels like a lot. (0:25:50) Kev: Yeah, sure, sure, sure. (0:25:50) Al: Maybe I would buy it if it was something I really wanted.” (0:25:52) Kev: Right. (0:25:53) Kev: Yeah, okay, that’s the crazy price. (0:25:55) Kev: And then that’s good, okay. (0:25:57) Kev: Yeah, okay, I understand. (0:25:58) Kev: You know what, I can see that. (0:26:01) Kev: Yeah, you know what? (0:26:02) Kev: I could agree with that price, right? (0:26:04) Kev: For the hardcore collector who really wants the thing. (0:26:07) Kev: Yeah, you know what, I could say that. (0:26:09) Kev: All right, now, what if I told you the price (0:26:12) Kev: of this magic product was 10 times what you just told me? (0:26:16) Al: What? Ten times. So what? A thousand? A thousand dollars. That is… (0:26:20) Kev: 10 times. (0:26:22) Kev: USD. Yup, 999 technically. laughs (0:26:28) Al: I mean, OK, right. So we laugh at that, but Pokemon basically did that, right? With their… (0:26:33) Al: They had a collector’s box, limited edition, and it was several hundred dollars. I can’t even remember (0:26:40) Kev: - Sure, wasn’t four digits. (0:26:41) Al: it was. But like, I mean, that was more than that was, I wasn’t four digits, it was. (0:26:46) Al: Three digits, but I feel like it was not far off it, and it did include, it did include, (0:26:50) Al: like, you know, very nice dice and card sleeves and stuff like that. I can’t remember how (0:26:54) Kev: oh yes you know if you get a nice uh is it like the charizard premium collection is that the one (0:26:55) Al: much it was. Do you know the box I’m talking about? No, no, no, I’m talking about there (0:27:00) Kev: you’re talking or is it a different one oh oh the the one yes the really nice one that they (0:27:02) Al: was like an. Yes, the like all black one, I can’t remember what it was called. (0:27:06) Kev: did in a direct yes yes I remember that yes yeah yeah to be fair like didn’t that have like a full (0:27:13) Kev: set of cards or whatever like it wasn’t just packs even right like it was like designed as a game (0:27:19) Kev: almost right that you could play with someone um oh gosh the (0:27:21) Al: Yes. Yes. Oh, there we go. It’s the class. I think it’s the classic box set. Yes, it (0:27:25) Kev: classic yeah black something like that I can’t remember um (0:27:30) Al: was a full set. You could play a full game and it looks like it’s brand new here. It’s (0:27:32) Kev: yeah yeah yeah pokum (0:27:35) Al: £400. So quite a lot. So that’s maybe what? $500. And we’re talking and presumably the (0:27:37) Kev: yep yeah yeah yeah okay (0:27:45) Al: packs were just the packs. There wasn’t anything else with them. (0:27:50) Kev: Yeah, okay. I’m looking on Pokemon Center. It says 400 USD, I think (0:27:52) Al: Yeah. Okay. And it was like recreations of the original cards and it was like full on (0:27:55) Kev: But regardless at least it was a full dang set. They could play with you know people, right? (0:28:02) Kev: Yeah, yeah (0:28:03) Al: nostalgia, but it was a full set. You could sit down with just this box and play an entire (0:28:09) Kev: Yeah, you could play different games and stuff right at least it’s that right this was literally (0:28:15) Kev: MT the MTG 3 was literally 15 packs. That’s all it was (0:28:19) Al: That’s wild, so we’re talking more than twice the price of this, (0:28:24) Al: and it doesn’t include any of the extra stuff. It’s just 50. (0:28:24) Kev: Yep (0:28:26) Kev: Nope not even I mean, I mean maybe you could make a deck it wouldn’t work probably but you know like (0:28:33) Kev: You can’t you can’t play you can’t open this and play again with friends. I don’t think unless you’re just making up (0:28:34) Al: And this box is insanely expensive, this Pokémon one. (0:28:41) Kev: Yeah, yeah it is (0:28:42) Al: You know, for what it is, of course it’s sold out, because everything Pokémon sells out. (0:28:46) Al: But yeah, wow, that’s mad. (0:28:48) Kev: Yeah, I know yeah, that’s yep, that’s wild um oh wow actually I’m looking online you can buy (0:28:56) Kev: There’s one here on TZG player for like 250 is that right huh anyways, but still yeah (0:29:02) Al: Still, still too much money. (0:29:04) Kev: Yeah, no, that’s a lot. Don’t get me wrong, but I just (0:29:07) Al: And that’s a quarter of the price of 15 packs of this magic one. Mad. That’s, that is wild. (0:29:09) Kev: Yeah (0:29:12) Kev: Magic 30th (0:29:14) Kev: Good times (0:29:15) Al: All right. Are we done with the anti-capitalist rants? Capitalism is bad. We hate it. (0:29:16) Kev: so yeah (0:29:17) Kev: So (0:29:20) Kev: We’re done (0:29:22) Al: Don’t, don’t abuse supplying to man to rip people off just because you can. (0:29:24) Kev: Hasbro is bad (0:29:28) Kev: I will say this (0:29:30) Kev: So about Magic 30th (0:29:34) Kev: They were going to have a limited run or whatever (0:29:38) Kev: Oh, there’s going to be X number of boxes produced or whatever (0:29:42) Kev: And so, you know, it was a big deal (0:29:44) Kev: Okay, we’re launching the sale on this time on the website, yada yada (0:29:48) Kev: We got down the sale, I think, after like an hour (0:29:52) Kev: There was no explicit reason given (0:29:54) Kev: But most people assume they didn’t sell a thing (0:29:58) Kev: That’s what I’m thinking (0:30:00) Kev: Or what most people think (0:30:02) Al: That’s crazy. (0:30:02) Kev: Anyways, there you go (0:30:03) Al: It’s a thousand it’s a thousand pounds as well. (0:30:04) Kev: Your fun anecdote in Magic history (0:30:06) Al: I’m looking at it on on the UK site, it’s a thousand pounds. (0:30:06) Kev: Yup, yup (0:30:10) Kev: Oh, goodness (0:30:11) Al: Each display worthy box includes 15 card for 15 card booster packs. (0:30:16) Al: Oh, wait, it’s not 15 packs, it’s four packs. (0:30:18) Kev: Oh, I misread that, it’s four p- (0:30:22) Kev: Oh, yeah (0:30:23) Al: It’s 60, it’s 60 cards. (0:30:24) Kev: 60 cards, oh my gosh (0:30:26) Kev: Oh, that’s incredible (0:30:29) Al: That is so stupid. (0:30:30) Kev: Tell me about your week out (0:30:32) Al: Uh, but I’ve been playing Mario Kart, that’s that’s all I’ve been playing. (0:30:38) Kev: Man (0:30:40) Kev: So you talked about it, I talked about it (0:30:44) Kev: I don’t know if we stressed how good Knockout Tour is (0:30:46) Kev: That’s a good mode. (0:30:47) Al: Yeah, so I’ve been, when we last talked about it, I had not played the knockout tour by that point. (0:30:54) Al: I was going through the Grumprees, three-starring them. I finished the Grumprees, they’re all (0:30:59) Al: three-starred, and I am halfway through the knockout tours, three-starring them. Yeah, (0:31:04) Al: I really like them. I will say, it is a bit frustrating when you go through, because it’s (0:31:10) Al: eight gates, you have to go through with the last one being, that’s your final position unless you (0:31:15) Al: you get an octave before. (0:31:17) Al: And so to get three star in a knockout tour, you have to come first in every single gate, (0:31:24) Al: which is a lot of work. (0:31:27) Al: And I’ve been a couple of times where I’ve gone, yeah, there’s a couple of times where (0:31:31) Al: I have gone, like, it takes a while to get through the first gate, but after you got (0:31:35) Al: the first gate, you can quite often get a lot of gates, right? (0:31:38) Kev: Yeah (0:31:38) Al: There’s one knockout tour that I’m struggling on just now where I sometimes get knocked (0:31:42) Al: out of the third gate, which is very frustrating, but most of them, it’s like, if you get past (0:31:47) Al: that first gate, unless you mock up, you probably can do it reasonably easy, but getting past (0:31:52) Al: that first gate can be difficult. (0:31:55) Al: There’s been multiple times where I’ve gotten first on the first seven gates, and then coming (0:32:00) Al: forth. (0:32:01) Al: And it is so frustrating because like in a grand prix, if you could, I know, but in like (0:32:02) Kev: I mean that’s Mario Kart. Winning is losing. (0:32:06) Al: a grand prix, if you come, if you come first, first, first, fourth, you would get one star, (0:32:12) Al: go you’d win and get a one star. (0:32:14) Al: is if you come first, first, first, first, first, first, (0:32:17) Al: you come fourth. So it’s like, like, I understand that. That’s the point of the race. It just (0:32:24) Kev: - Yep. (0:32:24) Al: makes it really, and it like, it doesn’t really matter because I’m going to play it until I get (0:32:27) Al: three stars, right? But it’s just a little bit frustrating to be like, I was first every time (0:32:32) Al: and then I got knocked. I got hit by just too many shells and now I’m done. What I do really like is, (0:32:38) Kev: Yep (0:32:39) Al: I don’t know if there’s no rubber banding, but there definitely seems to be less rubber banding (0:32:43) Kev: Well that I mean, I think that’s kind of the (0:32:43) Al: in the knockout tour. (0:32:48) Kev: Why it works so well because you’re gonna have less people that you can’t rubber band if there’s only you know (0:32:53) Kev: Now half the contestants or whatever. All right, like instead of rubber band (0:32:55) Al: Well, it’s not, it’s not, yeah, I mean, right from the start though, like if you get out (0:32:59) Al: ahead of the pack really early, you can make a really big lead, which is important to be (0:33:06) Al: able to actually, you know, because you’re going to get hit, right? You can’t keep getting (0:33:09) Kev: Mm hmm. We’re right, right. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. (0:33:10) Al: in horns to not get hit by blue, blue shells, and you can’t get enough stuff. As soon as (0:33:16) Al: someone has like three red shells, you’re dead, right? You can’t protect from that unless (0:33:21) Al: you like get hit by the second one just before you go through another. (0:33:25) Al: So you’re going to get hit, and so you need that good distance to make sure that you (0:33:29) Kev: Yep. Yep. (0:33:35) Kev: Yeah. Mm hmm. (0:33:36) Al: have enough time. But on the other hand, it means that if someone gets ahead quickly, (0:33:40) Kev: Yep. (0:33:41) Al: it’s really hard to catch up with them. (0:33:43) Kev: It is. Um. (0:33:45) Al: Whereas in our Grand Prix, you can like hang back for like two laps and then just smoke everyone. (0:33:50) Kev: I think Bullet Bill or Golden Shroom. (0:33:51) Al: You can’t do that. You cannot do that in a knockout tour. (0:33:54) Kev: Yeah. Yep. Absolutely. (0:33:56) Al: But it’s fun. I’m enjoying it. I’m definitely enjoying it. (0:33:58) Kev: Yeah. Yeah. I mean, yeah. (0:34:00) Al: It definitely feels like what they wanted to do with the Grand Prix, but they didn’t. (0:34:03) Kev: Mm hmm. Yeah. (0:34:03) Al: And so I’m more frustrated now that the Grand Prix have these weird in-between bits. (0:34:09) Kev: That’s the thing. They’re not even in between bits. They’re just part of the race. (0:34:13) Al: Yeah. Yeah. (0:34:13) Kev: Like, that’s the weird part, right? Like, they told us they’re in between, but it’s not. (0:34:17) Kev: Um, that’s the weird part. (0:34:18) Al: It just means that the first lap on your next one is on the previous course. (0:34:25) Al: And then the second lap is like half the previous course and half the new course. (0:34:29) Al: And then you get one lap on the course. It’s just such a weird setup. (0:34:32) Kev: Yeah, and it’s it’s not there’s nothing inherently wrong with it especially since they designed this whole island it makes sense right but it’s still boggles my mind that they didn’t include the classic grand prive you know three laps around a track. (0:34:46) Al: Yeah, that’s the thing. That’s the thing. Anyway, but whatever. I’m still really loving the game. (0:34:48) Kev: Um, yeah. (0:34:50) Kev: Yeah. (0:34:53) Al: It is good fun. I like a lot of the changes they made. It feels, well, that’s the thing. (0:34:54) Kev: Yeah, it’s good it’s it’s Mario Kart shocker. (0:34:58) Al: It feels good because I don’t, there’s not a huge number of kart racers that feel good to race for (0:35:02) Al: me. And that’s a really important thing about Mario Kart. And they’ve, they’ve, they’ve, they (0:35:03) Kev: Mm-hmm (0:35:06) Kev: Yep, that is true (0:35:09) Al: hit it out of the park with that. Like all the changes they made make it feel smoother and feel (0:35:14) Al: nicer, like, you know, what I was talking to you about, like, when (0:35:16) Kev: Yeah (0:35:16) Al: you get hit by cars and stuff like that, it just all feels more fun. (0:35:18) Kev: Yeah (0:35:19) Kev: You’re right (0:35:21) Kev: You’re right. Yeah, I agree. It is it like just (0:35:25) Kev: Mechanically does feel more fluid because you’re right like in the old days when you got hit that was just like a hard stop (0:35:30) Al: Yeah, spin around three times and come to a halt. (0:35:31) Kev: Here you kind of tumble forward a little (0:35:34) Kev: Yeah (0:35:36) Kev: Yeah, I agree. Um, I mean, yeah overall like I agree. It’s it’s it’s good (0:35:42) Kev: I wish we I think it just needs more (0:35:46) Kev: We don’t actually it has a battle mime in try that but we need the three lap (0:35:52) Kev: Classy Grand Prix and we need more to actually do with free range. The free range is kind of nothing right now (0:36:00) Al: Yeah, it’ll be interesting to see if they add more in the future. (0:36:00) Kev: Like you (0:36:02) Kev: Yeah (0:36:03) Al: I don’t know. (0:36:04) Al: We’ll see. (0:36:04) Al: I’m not, I’m not, I’m not like, Oh, they must do it. (0:36:05) Kev: And I (0:36:07) Al: Or it would be a bad game. (0:36:08) Al: Like if it never changes again, I don’t think it’s not worth the money, (0:36:09) Kev: Yeah, oh yeah for sure oh (0:36:12) Al: but I would also like more please. (0:36:13) Kev: Oh, yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, it’s (0:36:16) Kev: not a bad game. I need to stress that just, there’s, there’s just potential, you can feel it, (0:36:21) Kev: but you can feel what you can do, right? Like, can you imagine a, you know, I feel like there should (0:36:27) Kev: be modes that use the free range, like, sort of like tag, basically, right? Or, or, you know, (0:36:32) Al: Mmm, yeah, yeah, yeah. (0:36:34) Kev: something like that, something to chase, chase a rabbit or whatever, stuff like that, to give you (0:36:39) Kev: an excuse to run around the island, not just on the tracks. And, you know, that’s kind of what they (0:36:42) Al: Do you know what I hope they do? I really hope that they charged as much as they charged for (0:36:43) Kev: want. You tell. (0:36:48) Al: this game because they intend on not doing paid DLC but what they would do in paid DLC they’re (0:36:56) Al: adding industry updates. That would be really nice and it’s like yeah because then they get (0:36:59) Kev: that would be nice (0:37:01) Kev: I can see it going either way (0:37:03) Al: more money overall if they do that than if they charge less money and then charge the DLC because (0:37:07) Al: not everyone’s going to buy the DLC. But it (0:37:12) Al: would I think it would lead a lot of people to be less frustrated because I think if they add (0:37:17) Al: if they do a DLC and they charge for it people are gonna be like even more money you want even (0:37:18) Kev: Mm-hmm. (0:37:21) Kev: Yeah. (0:37:22) Al: more of my money and I think that would be not great and if they added more as free updates I (0:37:27) Kev: Yeah. (0:37:28) Al: think people would go oh okay uh there’ll be people who like this should have been in the beginning (0:37:30) Kev: What? (0:37:33) Al: but I think those people are stupid and that’s not how games work anymore deal with it it’s like (0:37:35) Kev: Yeah. (0:37:38) Kev: Yeah! (0:37:39) Al: it’s like the people who, it’s like the people who talk about (0:37:42) Al: er, so it’s one thing talking about Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and saying this is how the (0:37:46) Kev: Yeah, the game should have worked (0:37:46) Al: games always should have been, right? Like I’m putting that to the side. I’m not, I’m not talking (0:37:50) Al: about those, but I’ve seen people, I have heard people say this is what Breath of the Wild should (0:37:55) Al: have been with the Switch 2 update. And I’m like, no, it’s not. That is, that is an eight year old (0:37:58) Kev: what those people aren’t saying (0:38:02) Al: game. You cannot possibly believe that you think this game should have looked like this eight years (0:38:08) Al: ago. When this game came out, people adored how it (0:38:12) Al: looked amazing. The Switch, it still does. Even if you don’t have the update, it still (0:38:14) Kev: It still does shock her. (0:38:18) Al: looks amazing. It just looks even better if you have the update. It’s absolutely bizarre (0:38:22) Kev: Yeah, eggs (0:38:24) Al: that people are like, “This sort of shows.” But shut up. That is not how this works. That (0:38:28) Kev: Sheets oh (0:38:30) Al: is not how this works. (0:38:30) Kev: That’s insanity (0:38:33) Kev: Well, you know, okay on the topic on the topic of the DLC is it’s interesting because I think if they and I do think they’re (0:38:42) Kev: Gonna support the game because as you said, that’s just how (0:38:45) Kev: Games are now. Um, I think there there has to be free (0:38:52) Kev: because you know (0:38:53) Kev: He they’ve they’ve kind of put them corner themselves because in previous Mario Kart’s DLC is very or you know (0:39:00) Kev: It’s obvious what you do. You add more tricks, right? Here’s your next cup. Here’s you know, daddy out of here’s (0:39:05) Kev: Four cups buy them for ten bucks or whatever here. You can’t do that at least not had a (0:39:10) Kev: that easily right because you (0:39:13) Kev: They’re not gonna jam a new section of the island and gate it off with the DLC (0:39:14) Al: Oh, yeah, good point. (0:39:17) Al: That’s a good point. (0:39:19) Al: We’re going to need another island or the island get expanded or something like that. (0:39:19) Kev: right, so (0:39:22) Kev: Yeah, so (0:39:25) Kev: There’s I think there’s a couple I think there’s a couple things one (0:39:25) Al: Hmm. (0:39:28) Kev: I think we’re gonna see free modes like we’re talking about right like I don’t know what but they’re gonna I think they’re (0:39:31) Al: Yeah. (0:39:32) Kev: Gonna use more of the island because they have the island that would that’s obvious use more use it more, right? (0:39:37) Kev: There might be you know, maybe they will introduce three lap mode and then they can sell DLC tracks (0:39:43) Kev: Just you know your classic. Okay, here’s four tracks (0:39:44) Al: Yeah, so you know what, you’ve made me come to the conclusion. (0:39:49) Al: I think what’s going to happen is there will be those feature updates will be free (0:39:52) Kev: You (0:39:55) Al: and then new tracks will probably be paid. (0:39:55) Kev: Yeah (0:39:58) Al: I suspect that’s what’s going to happen. (0:39:58) Kev: That’s that is what I also suspect I do think yeah, yep, that’s (0:40:01) Al: That is a good point. (0:40:03) Al: Because then they can charge for like a whole other island, right? (0:40:07) Kev: Yep or just tracks if they want to do you know if they go back to three laps, but yeah or just another island yeah (0:40:09) Al: I can’t see. I can’t. I can’t see. (0:40:14) Al: I’m doing that going like the whole point is this America world also here are some (0:40:18) Al: tracks you can only do in if you if you choose them in the menu. (0:40:20) Kev: Yeah, that’s a good point. I guess (0:40:23) Al: Like that feels weird and you go into free room in free room free room and you (0:40:27) Al: choose which island you want to free room on or there’s a bridge between the two (0:40:29) Kev: Yeah (0:40:31) Al: islands or something like that. (0:40:33) Kev: Okay, the bridge might work yeah, but you raise a good point it could be a whole new island I I can see that (0:40:38) Kev: But but overall like yeah, I think we’re in agreement. There’s gonna be some sort of features modes (0:40:43) Kev: Whatever they’re gonna end those are gonna be free. Absolutely (0:40:46) Al: Also, let us free Rome on Rainbow Road, please, and thank you. (0:40:49) Kev: That it (0:40:51) Kev: I (0:40:52) Al: Maybe Rainbow Road is the bridge. (0:40:55) Kev: Hear people talk about that because of course, but there’s a part where you’re literally crashing there (0:40:58) Al: Yeah, I know. (0:41:03) Kev: How you gonna free-rope that (0:41:05) Al: But, I mean, if you fall off, you go back. (0:41:09) Kev: You just okay, all right (0:41:09) Al: You have to go back to the start of it. (0:41:10) Al: There you go. (0:41:12) Al: I can see why it would be annoying, and I know why they haven’t done it, but that doesn’t (0:41:15) Kev: Yeah, okay (0:41:15) Al: mean I don’t want to do it. (0:41:18) Kev: You know (0:41:20) Kev: On the rainbow road like on this in this one (0:41:23) Kev: I there’s points where I think it’s the absolute best rainbow road they’ve ever done and there’s points where it’s the worst one (0:41:32) Kev: Like I think the lot of it is great. It’s fantastic. It’s it’s a it’s a real spectacle this one (0:41:38) Kev: But then there’s points where you’re not actually on the rainbow road. There’s bits where you dip on water and other weird stuff (0:41:45) Kev: I don’t like that, but but that just me (0:41:48) Al: I haven’t done it enough to have a full opinion because I actually got (0:41:53) Al: that Grand Prix I got in on my second try. I got three stars. So I was like, “Oh, oh well.” (0:41:58) Kev: No dang, look at you hotshot. (0:42:01) Al: So it’s the only one. Other ones took me many, many, many more tries. But yeah, (0:42:05) Al: that one I was like, “Oh my word, I just got it in the second try. That’s wild.” (0:42:09) Kev: Nice. (0:42:10) Al: Because I actually, the first time I did it, I got 1-1-4-1. And so I was like, “Oh no, (0:42:15) Kev: Oh, dang. (0:42:17) Al: If I get– I think I can– (0:42:18) Al: do this, and then I managed to get it the second time. (0:42:20) Al: It was very satisfying, but– (0:42:21) Al: So I need to go back and do it some more. (0:42:23) Al: I don’t think I’ll be getting a second time in the– (0:42:26) Al: is there a knockout tour with Rainbow Road? (0:42:28) Kev: I don’t remember off the I don’t think there is now I’m guessing there isn’t (0:42:32) Al: Yeah, OK. (0:42:34) Al: So I’ll need to go back and try it, just– (0:42:37) Al: either with the Grand Prix or just on its own. (0:42:38) Kev: Yeah, I guess nothing else from your week you want to talk about (0:42:39) Al: All right, should we talk about some “Cottagecore” games? (0:42:43) Al: 40 minutes in. (0:42:45) Al: We’ve got some news. (0:42:47) Al: So first of all, Lens Island. (0:42:48) Al: 1.0 is now out, I believe, I think you talked about it with Cody in the last episode, so we (0:42:52) Kev: We did (0:42:53) Al: don’t need to go over much, but it’s now out! Huzzah! They also di

Marty covers what has been identified as new features and bugs removed from the developer Beta 2 of VisionOS 26Apple releases developer beta 2 for visionOS 26https://9to5mac.com/2025/06/23/apple-releases-second-developer-beta-for-visionos-26/ visionOS 26 Beta 2 Release Noteshttps://developer.apple.com/documentation/visionos-release-notes/visionos-26-release-notes User Experience1. Mac Virtual Display “just works now”According to Reddit testers, the Vision Pro's virtual display now connects smoother and automatically upon pairing with a Mac—no extra steps required vs Beta 1 clunkiness2. Large Calendar Widget finally appears properlyUsers reported that the oversized Calendar widget didn't appear correctly in Beta 1—but it now displays as expected in Beta 2 .3. New app icon in SettingsA small visual tweak: a refined icon shows up for “Apps” under Settings—an indicator that Apple is polishing UI details .4. Meditation (Mindfulness) app updateA “new update for Meditations app” suggests enhancements—likely refining UI or tracking visuals that were less polished in Beta 1Bug Fixes & PolishesFixed glitches when switching environments while using Mac keyboard — Beta 1 users reported keyboard meltdowns in immersive settings, now resolved.Optimized stability across spatial UI and accessory integrations (details limited, but inferred from smooth widget rendering & display fixes).Macstockconferenceandexpo.com  50$ off with code “PODTALK50”Thank you for tuning in!We'd love to hear from our listeners! If you have ideas or want to join an episode, email us at ThePodTalkNetwork@gmail.com. Our music is by Beat Mekanik - Touch of Funk from the Free Music Archive part of the Creative Commons Follow the live stream of the Vision ProFile podcast at YouTube.com/@VisionProfiles on Monday nights at 9 PM EST or catch the video later on Youtube or audio on any pod catcher serviceLearn more about us and the VPF podcast on our website at ThePodTalk.Net Spread the word to other Visionaries.Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time!

Text the show! The link's in the episode notes — let's talk storyTake two! My apologies upload the wrong audio file lol I promise this is the correct one now. Have you ever felt like your prayers were too specific… like maybe you were asking for too much, or that God wouldn't really care about the little details of your life? Same.In this episode of The Faith & Aloha Show, I'm opening up about what it looks like to pray bold, specific prayers — even when it feels risky. We'll look at scriptures like Philippians 4:6 and Mark 10:51–52, where Jesus Himself asks, “What do you want Me to do for you?”I'll also be sharing a personal story — the prayer I prayed over our home — and how that moment taught me to stop holding back and start trusting God with the desires of my heart.If you've ever wrestled with vague prayers, disappointment, or fear of being too much — this episode is for you.Scriptures Highlighted:Philippians 4:6 – “Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything…”Mark 10:51–52 – “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.Key Themes:How fear makes us pray smallWhy Jesus wants us to be honest and clear in prayerReal-life story of praying for a homeEncouragement to pray boldly and specifically this weekChallenge:This week, write down one very specific prayer and bring it to God every day. Watch how He meets you in it — whether the outcome changes or you do.Mahalo for joining me today and for letting me share this space with you. Let's keep walking in faith and aloha, together. Find me on Instagram @uikumuhoneConnect with me on Facebook @Uilani Kumuhone [personal] The Fait&Aloha Space Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/16SLYE4QC4/ I would love to connect with you! If you would like to be a guest on the show email me uilanikumuhone@gmail.com I would love to have you on and talk about how God is working in your life. supporting biblical resources You Version bible website:https://www.bible.com/ Topical bible verse search: https://www.openbible.info/topics/ Come as you are. Grow as He leads. Walk in aloha.

In this episode, we sit down with Mathias Madsen, CEO of HolePunch, and take a wild ride through the cutting edge of peer-to-peer JavaScript development. Mathias shares his journey from accidentally discovering JavaScript in college to becoming a prolific contributor with over 1,500 open source modules. His passion? Building decentralized, peer-to-peer systems where JavaScript isn't just for the browser—it powers the entire stack.We dive deep into how HolePunch is reimagining application distribution with their Pair system—essentially turning peer-to-peer into a first-class citizen for distributing full applications, not just files. No hosting, no servers — just apps shared directly, BitTorrent-style. And because packaging and distributing Node-based apps can be painfully complex, they took things a step further by building a new runtime: Bear.js.Bear is refreshingly "bare": it strips away the heavy, opinionated APIs bundled into Node or Deno, leaving just the JavaScript core and a powerful module system. What's revolutionary here is Bear's ability to run the same codebase across desktop, mobile, and even tiny embedded devices—swapping out engines like V8, JavaScriptCore, or JerryScript depending on the platform's needs. This allows Mathias' team to write backend logic once, share it across all platforms, and iterate at lightning speed.Key takeaways:-Peer-to-peer can go far beyond media sharing — it's being used for full app distribution.-Bear.js decouples JavaScript from specific platforms, creating a universal backend that just works anywhere.-Modular design isn't just a philosophy — it's the secret to HolePunch's rapid development pace.-The combination of React Native for UI and Bear.js for backend creates an insanely productive development pipeline, fully cross-platform.If you're into JavaScript, peer-to-peer tech, or just love hearing about developers breaking the mold, this one's for you.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/javascript-jabber--6102064/support.

In this episode Christy and Will debrief the Kit conference and weigh the pros and cons of doing live and pre-recorded content. Then they bring on Hoyd Breton, principal product designer at Squarespace. They discuss the power of minimalism, story driven design, and the tools to support it. Hoyd shares his sources of inspiration as well as Squarespace's most underrated feature. They also talk about working in person versus remotely and the effects on deep work and collaboration. Will's recent webinar: https://youtu.be/hRX0-LmhzWMEno documentary: https://www.hustwit.com/eno Braiding Sweetgrass: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/316088/braiding-sweetgrass-by-kimmerer-robin-wall/9780141991955 iA Writer: https://ia.net/writerexcalidraw: https://excalidraw.com/ Sponsor: SquareKickerWhat if you could have unlimited creativity on Squarespace? ⁠⁠⁠The SquareKicker Pro Extension⁠⁠⁠ gives you powerful design control, with an intuitive, visual UI right inside your Squarespace editor.Created by designers, for designers, over 100 no-code tools empower you to customize Squarespace far beyond its native capabilities. Visit squarekicker.com for a free trial—no credit card required. Use SOMEWHAT15 to get 15% off all SquareKicker products today.⁠⁠⁠Learn More

In this episode of The Geek in Review, hosts Marlene Gebauer and Greg Lambert sit down with Otto von Zastrow, the founder and CEO of MidPage.AI, an AI-native legal research platform. With a recent $4 million seed round and an ambitious mission to rival legacy research tools, MidPage is drawing attention across the legal industry. Otto shares his unconventional journey from AI-powered lawn robotics to transforming how litigators interact with case law. His pivot into legal tech was fueled by a combination of technical curiosity, the rise of language models, and firsthand insight from his lawyer friends overwhelmed by inefficient research workflows.Otto walks listeners through the core of MidPage's offering, which includes the usual suspects—case law, statutes, regulations—but with a twist: smarter search tools, intuitive UI, and features like a proprietary citator and their newly launched Proposition Search. This feature aims to solve the long-standing “needle-in-a-haystack” problem by surfacing judicial language that matches precise arguments, accompanied by contextual metadata and filters. Otto highlights that the goal isn't just to match or mimic tools like Lexis or Westlaw, but to rethink what legal research should feel like when modern AI capabilities are built in from the ground up.One of the more unique aspects of MidPage's product development is their internal "kangaroo court"—a monthly teamwide challenge where employees, regardless of role, must conduct legal research using MidPage or traditional tools. Otto notes that this process not only improves product design but builds real empathy for the user experience. Engineers and designers are encouraged to think like litigators, helping identify pain points and close functionality gaps. As a result, the product continually evolves based on firsthand user scenarios, not just speculation.The episode also delves into the data-side challenges that have historically prevented innovation in legal research. Otto explains why now—thanks to improved AI models and open access to data—is a rare inflection point for startups. He emphasizes the strategic importance of MidPage building its own case law dataset to avoid being beholden to incumbents. This independence allows them to innovate more freely, enhance precision, and lay the groundwork for broader API access that could empower the next generation of legal tech tools.Finally, the conversation looks ahead. Otto predicts that AI will amplify the capabilities of individual lawyers, enabling them to process more data at greater depth. In a world where clients are increasingly self-educating with tools like ChatGPT, MidPage aims to provide lawyers with the means to maintain credibility and efficiency while ensuring accuracy. As AI models grow more capable and agentic, Otto sees an evolution not just in how legal research is conducted, but in how lawyers interact with knowledge, data, and ultimately their clients.Listen on mobile platforms:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[Special Thanks to ⁠Legal Technology Hub⁠ for their sponsoring this episode.]   Blue Sky: ⁠⁠@geeklawblog.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@marlgeb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email: geekinreviewpodcast@gmail.comMusic: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jerry David DeCicca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Transcript

A16z Podcast: Read the notes at at podcastnotes.org. Don't forget to subscribe for free to our newsletter, the top 10 ideas of the week, every Monday --------- What if the rise of Apple also built modern China?a16z's Erik Torenberg is joined by board partner and former Microsoft Windows chief Steven Sinofsky to unpack how Apple's pursuit of design excellence and supply chain scale catalyzed China's manufacturing superpower status - and why that partnership is now under intense scrutiny.Inspired by the book Apple in China (but not a book review), the episode dives deep into:The early days of Apple's shift to Chinese manufacturing What experts got wrong in 1999 about trade, globalization, and China's trajectoryHow Tim Cook's operational playbook reshaped the global tech industryBehind-the-scenes stories from Microsoft's own hardware battles and Surface launchWhy Apple's entanglement with China may now be a strategic liabilityWhat COVID revealed about fragile global dependencies — and where innovation goes nextHow national policy, intellectual property, and AI intersect in the new industrial eraThe episode opens with a few reactions to WWDC: Apple's new UI, the iPad's evolving role, and why Apple's AI story still feels unfinished - before zooming out into one of the most consequential tech and geopolitical stories of our time.TImecodes:00:00 Introduction00:37 Guest Introduction: Steven Sinofsky00:49 WWDC Reactions and Apple's AI Story02:27 WWDC Highlights: Liquid Glass and iPad Updates05:16 Apple's AI Strategy and Market Dynamics06:34 Meta's AI Moves and Market Implications13:30 Apple's Manufacturing Evolution: From Garage to Global20:50 The Rise of ODMs and Global Manufacturing26:32 Microsoft's Struggle with Piracy in China27:19 Apple's Revolutionary MacBook Air29:30 Challenges in PC Manufacturing31:05 The Rise of Chinese Manufacturing Skills32:07 The Point of No Return for Apple and China32:59 Global Trade and Intellectual Property Issues37:04 COVID-19's Impact on Global Manufacturing41:19 Future of Innovation and Manufacturing47:10 Navigating Intellectual Property in the AI Era48:55 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsResources:Find Steven on X: https://x.com/stevesiFind Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenbergStay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16zFind a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Apoorva Govind is the founder and CEO of Bestever, a platform focused on helping brands and marketers generate ad creatives powered by real performance data and advanced AI models. With a background spanning technical roles at Apple, Uber, and Nvidia, Apoorva brings unique insights into the intersection of technology and growth marketing.In this DTC POD episode, Apoorva and Blaine discuss how the AI toolkit for advertisers is evolving, the reality behind AI-generated ads, and why strategic inputs—not just rapid content production—drive sustainable brand results. Apoorva outlines how Bestever AI analyzes existing ad data to identify winning creative elements, then automates the production of new assets using the latest AI models. The episode also covers practical advice for early-stage brands on managing creative ops, what workflows will look like as AI video matures, and the future role of platforms like Meta in creative automation.Interact with other DTC experts and access our monthly fireside chats with industry leaders on DTC Pod Slack.On this episode of DTC Pod, we cover:1. Apoorva's background at Apple, Uber, and Nvidia2. The early vision and pivot of Bestever AI3. The role of AI in modern creative production4. Ad creative strategy vs. pure output volume5. Measuring ad performance with data-driven insights6. Practical workflow tips for early-stage brands7. When and how to leverage agencies8. How to analyze competitors and learn from top-performing brands9. Demystifying AI video: state of the tech in 202510. Building workflows to leverage multiple AI models11. How Meta and other platforms are automating creative12. The importance of creative analysis and transparent reporting13. Future trends for agency and brand marketersTimestamps00:00 Intro and Apoorva's technical background01:19 Apoorva's early career at Apple, Nvidia, and Uber03:04 Apoorva's take on Apple's iOS 26 glassmorphic UI and focus on AI06:09 Security, future, and mass adoption of self-driving cars13:30 Transition into ad creative, Bestever AI's founding, and early pivots18:31 How Bestever AI analyzes ad data to inform new creative20:49 Current state and skepticism around fully AI-generated ad content23:44 Meta's push toward creative automation26:56 Ad creative strategy for early and scaling brands35:24 How Bestever AI helps brands diagnose and double down on winning ads43:07 The reality of AI video: what's possible now and what's coming next46:18 Investing in workflows and abstraction layers for future-proof creative ops50:14 Where to connect with Apoorva and learn more about Bestever AIShow notes powered by CastmagicPast guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more.  Additional episodes you might like:• #175 Ariel Vaisbort - How OLIPOP Runs Influencer, Community, & Affiliate Growth• #184 Jake Karls, Midday Squares - Turning Your Brand Into The Influencer With Content• #205 Kasey Stewart: Suckerz- - Powering Your Launch With 300 Million Organic Views• #219 JT Barnett: The TikTok Masterclass For Brands• #223 Lauren Kleinman: The PR & Affiliate Marketing Playbook• ​​​​#243 Kian Golzari - Source & Develop Products Like The World's Best Brands-----Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further?Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you.Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox?Check out our newsletter here.Projects the DTC Pod team is working on:DTCetc - all our favorite brands on the internetOlivea - the extra virgin olive oil & hydroxytyrosol supplementCastmagic - AI Workspace for ContentFollow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates!DTCPod InstagramDTCPod TwitterDTCPod TikTokApporva Govind - CEO and Founder of BesteverBlaine Bolus - Co-Founder of CastmagicRamon Berrios - Co-Founder of Castmagic

Broadcasting live from Paris, I tackle three massive technology stories that are reshaping our digital future. From Apple's stunning interface redesign to the collapse of traditional search advertising, and Sam Altman's vision of an AI singularity that's already begun - this episode captures the tectonic shifts happening in tech right now.I cover:(1:32) WWDC 2025:  Apple's AI challenges and new UI(6:06) The decline of Google's ad model(10:08) Sam Altman's Gentle Singularity essay(19:37) Live audience Q&A(19:45) Is the singularity really about Altman?(22:13) Is France carrying Europe's AI dreams?(24:58) Are you seeing promising AI hardware?(27:42) How will AI change software pricing?Our new showThis was originally recorded for “Friday with Azeem Azhar”, a new show that takes place every Friday at 9am PT and 12pm ET. You can tune in through my Substack linked below.The format is experimental and we'd love your feedback, so feel free to comment or email your thoughts to our team at live@exponentialview.co.Azeem's links:Substack: https://www.exponentialview.co/Website: https://www.azeemazhar.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azhar?originalSubdomain=ukTwitter/X: https://x.com/azeemProduction by supermix.io and EPIIPLUS1 Ltd.

What if the rise of Apple also built modern China?a16z's Erik Torenberg is joined by board partner and former Microsoft Windows chief Steven Sinofsky to unpack how Apple's pursuit of design excellence and supply chain scale catalyzed China's manufacturing superpower status - and why that partnership is now under intense scrutiny.Inspired by the book Apple in China (but not a book review), the episode dives deep into:The early days of Apple's shift to Chinese manufacturing What experts got wrong in 1999 about trade, globalization, and China's trajectoryHow Tim Cook's operational playbook reshaped the global tech industryBehind-the-scenes stories from Microsoft's own hardware battles and Surface launchWhy Apple's entanglement with China may now be a strategic liabilityWhat COVID revealed about fragile global dependencies — and where innovation goes nextHow national policy, intellectual property, and AI intersect in the new industrial eraThe episode opens with a few reactions to WWDC: Apple's new UI, the iPad's evolving role, and why Apple's AI story still feels unfinished - before zooming out into one of the most consequential tech and geopolitical stories of our time.TImecodes:00:00 Introduction00:37 Guest Introduction: Steven Sinofsky00:49 WWDC Reactions and Apple's AI Story02:27 WWDC Highlights: Liquid Glass and iPad Updates05:16 Apple's AI Strategy and Market Dynamics06:34 Meta's AI Moves and Market Implications13:30 Apple's Manufacturing Evolution: From Garage to Global20:50 The Rise of ODMs and Global Manufacturing26:32 Microsoft's Struggle with Piracy in China27:19 Apple's Revolutionary MacBook Air29:30 Challenges in PC Manufacturing31:05 The Rise of Chinese Manufacturing Skills32:07 The Point of No Return for Apple and China32:59 Global Trade and Intellectual Property Issues37:04 COVID-19's Impact on Global Manufacturing41:19 Future of Innovation and Manufacturing47:10 Navigating Intellectual Property in the AI Era48:55 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsResources:Find Steven on X: https://x.com/stevesiFind Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenbergStay Updated: Let us know what you think: https://ratethispodcast.com/a16zFind a16z on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app: https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Everyone's hyped on OpenAI, ChatGPT, Grok, XAI, etc ... but the company powering them all is making all the guap. Nvidia has printed over $100B in AI profits in the last 6 quarters alone and is showing now signs of stopping. Top-line growth was 69% last quarter. Despite this rapid growth and dominance in AI, Nvidia trades for 43X trailing earnings, and maybe around 30X forward earnings (depending on growth). This is nowhere near bubble territory. With Owner/Operator/Founder Jensen Huang continuing to innovate at a breakneck pace, why is the market skeptical this growth will continue? Isn't the AI revolution just getting started? Maybe it's because Nvidia relies on TSMC to make their chips and Grok/ChatGPT to build the UI for consumers ... let me know your thoughts on Nvidia stock in the comments below.

On the podcast, I talk with Charlie about why Liquid Glass represents a big opportunity for new and existing apps, Apple's new on-device AI models and their practical limitations, and why the improved App Store Analytics complement rather than replace third-party tools like Appfigures and RevenueCat.Top Takeaways:

Wes chats with James Mikrut, founder of Payload CMS, about being acquired by Figma! They discuss building an open source business, the future of UI design, AI interfaces, and what this means for the future of Payload and Figma. Show Notes 00:00 Welcome to Syntax! 01:06 What is Payload CMS? 01:56 The big announcement. 03:03 Why does Figma want a CMS? 05:23 This has got to be about AI, right? 09:37 Brought to you by Sentry.io. 10:02 What will the interface be? 14:02 Generative, user-specific UI. 16:17 Agents make everything look like ShadCN. 18:18 What does this mean for Payload users? 20:23 How this improves Payload. 22:31 Trying to stand out as a CMS. 23:35 Is this going to cost users? 25:12 Sick Picks & Shameless Plugs. Sick Picks James: Triumph Street Triple, Malört Liquor. Shameless Plugs James: PayloadCMS. Hit us up on Socials! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads

Apple's WWDC and Google I/O have both come and gone, and... well, we took a look at I/O and it was practically all AI this year, so we skipped that. But Apple's annual developer's conference was surprisingly light on AI features -- in fact, the continuing absence of the AI-driven Siri and other features announced last year is itself a notable story -- so this week we recapped what Apple brought to WWDC instead, including its first major UI refresh in a decade, interesting additions to smaller stuff like Wallet and Shortcuts, the ever-more-laptop-like nature of the iPad, the end of x86 support and beginning of annual versioning for MacOS, and a bunch of other stuff. Support the Pod! Contribute to the Tech Pod Patreon and get access to our booming Discord, a monthly bonus episode, your name in the credits, and other great benefits! You can support the show at: https://patreon.com/techpod