e559 – Welcome to the Matrix

e559 – Welcome to the Matrix

Author: Michael Rowe, Michael Martine, Andy Piper June 29, 2026 Duration: 26:40

Photo by Francis Painchaud on Unsplash

Published 29 June 2026

e559 with Michael R and Andy – it’s a catch-up and geek out on things we’ve been doing, games we’ve been playing, and topics we’ve been thinking about… including Apple history, Retro Computing, and self-hosting services.

A slightly different show format this week, as Michael R and Andy decide not to cover the weekly news stories and links… and instead catch up with one another, across a range of topics.

Michael has backed a new Kickstarter, for a podcast talking about Apple’s background and history in California. Andy talks about his recent visit to the Retro Computer Museum in Leicester, UK.

Then, there’s a discussion of Andy’s latest work project, a new role at the Matrix.org Foundation. There’s a dive into what the Matrix protocol is and how it is used; Michael is considering whether it might be worth trying as an alternative to existing tools for our podcast workflow.

They also stop to discuss Markdown; Michael traces it back to Waterloo Script on IBM 3081 and WordPerfect’s Reveal Codes. Andy brings up Google Cloud’s “Open Knowledge Format” (essentially Markdown + YAML front matter) as an AI-readable standard.

The gaming section covers Michael ordering the D&D-themed Demeo game. Andy has neglected his Meta headset for six months but has been hooked on Forza Horizon 6.

Finally Michael wants a single “home page” for all of his communities (Slack, Discord, RSS, forums). Andy uses Glance on his homelab for a dashboard, with Uptime Kuma monitoring the show’s infrastructure.

Thanks for joining our one-to-one this week! Let us know what you thought!

Selected links

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUSX1Hm201c


The weekly conversation hosted by Michael Rowe, Michael Martine, and Andy Piper, Games At Work dot Biz, explores the intersection where our digital play and professional lives collide. This isn't just a review show; it's a deep dive into the technology that powers our hobbies, the business behind the leisure, and the cultural news shaping both worlds. Each episode feels like pulling up a chair with three friends who are as passionate about the craft of game development and the evolution of hardware as they are about the pure joy of finding a great new title. You'll hear specific discussions on everything from the latest graphics card impacting performance to the narrative design of an indie darling, all filtered through the lens of professionals who live in the tech space. The Games At Work dot Biz podcast operates on the belief that the games we play and the tools we use are inextricably linked, offering listeners a consistently thoughtful and engaging analysis that goes far beyond a simple score. Tune in for a regular dose of insightful commentary where the serious business of technology meets the serious fun of games.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Games At Work dot Biz
Podcast Episodes
e526 — Beans and Bricks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:24
e526 with Andy and Michael M - stories about #focus - finding things that are missing, reducing distractions with apps like #FocusFriend and #Brick, viewing photo collections with #PhotoDome, Andy’s talk at #FrOSCon2025…
e525 – See Thru Wooden Pixels [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:02
Tech & gaming deep dive: AI, Apple, Lego, Game Boy, Scott Pilgrim – nostalgia meets innovation!
e524 — Googlenight, AI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:14
e524 with Andy and Michael M - stories and discussion on #AI generated #goodnight stories, #Med-Gemini, #GPT-5, #Macrowave, #scrobbling, #skeuomorphism and more!
e523 — Two hundred and sixty six starlings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:42
Photo by Pete Godfrey on Unsplash Published 4 August 2025 e523 with Michael R and Andy, possibly arriving via carefully-arranged starlings? – stories about AI again, obviously; iPadOS 26; games, old and new; and, an inno…
e522 — Pointing at Doomed Fish [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:58
e522 with Michael M and Andy - stories and discussion on #AI with #bees that listen & a #cat that #chats and then some fun drawing #fish, anticipating a #LEGO #GameBoy build and more!
e521 — We Like Big Drives [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:35
e521 with Andy, Michael and Michael - stories about expressive robots (#ShoggothMini, #Apple #ELEGNT, #SpiRob & #facehugger), newly reengineered computer reboots (#Commodore & #Sinclair), #Seagate’s 30TB drives and a who…
e520 — Cold Fusion Gaming [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:13
e520 with Michael, Andy and Michael - stories about #AI #advertising, still #photo #animation, #anime #agents, #PollenRobotics, #Unity #tokamak #fusion reactor #DigitalTwin. #LEGO and a whole lot more.
e519 — Clippy Kittens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:56
e519 with Michael, Andy and Michael - stories about #AI conversations with #pets and people, #LLM #DataRetention, #AISlop, #Clippy-esque prompts, #AIWorkloads in #space and a whole lot more.
e518 — The Old Ones Are The Best [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:19
e518 with Michael, Michael and Andy - stories about Atari adjacent AI, a new Emotiv experience, Midjourney video magic, Bondi blue, visionOS persona improvements, the Nex Playground and a whole lot more.