GeekNights

Tonight on the GeekNights Book Club, we review and discuss Yoon Ha Lee's Ninefox Gambit. Far future calendar-fueled space battles abound, and we had a good time with it. It's book one of the Machineries of Empire series, and Rym is already well into the rest of it. We also announce that the next book club book will be Nnedi Okorafor’s Binti.Related LinksForum ThreadGeekNights Book Club - GeekNights Book Club: Ninefox Gambit

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider streaming games. Not to Twitch, but to devices. From Google Stadia to Steam Link to Steam Remote Play to adjacent game library services like Xbox Game Pass it's a space that continues to evolve. In the news, blue states in America are trying to save lives, Scott geekbites Nobody Saves the World, Asmodee sells Keyforge, Ubisoft kills 15 multiplayer games, Counter-Strike is still the #1 game on Steam by a wide margin, Pokemon cards are now easy to get, and video cards are now easy to get.Related LinksForum ThreadGeekNights Tuesday - Streaming Games (to devices, not Twitch)Things of the DayRym - The San Diego Fireworks Mistake of 2012Scott - The Biggest Firework in the World

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider refrigeration. In the news, the illegitimate Supreme Court of the United States has taken away basic human rights, Google Hangouts is shutting down, and Google is merging Meet and Duo.Related LinksForum ThreadGeekNights Monday - RefrigerationThings of the DayRym - 15th century German bathhouseScott - Modern reproductions of vintage sound cards

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider save games. Saving games, game states, save scumming, permadeath, passwords, batteries, statefulness, and more. In the news, The Stanley Cup finals are spicier than anticipated, PAX West badges are live (and not sold out), Street Fighter 6 is trying something interesting, and a strange attempt to take over Hasbro has failed.Related LinksForum ThreadGeekNights Tuesday - Save GamesThings of the DayRym - I've never seen such an unbelievable rooted stormwater gully.Scott - Installing a payphone in my house

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the cartoons of Cartoon Cartoons (1995-2003). Dexter's Lab, Johnny Bravo, The Powerpuff Girls, and all the rest. In the news, Made in Abyss is returning July 6, Inu-Oh is coming August 12 and has an English trailer, and Scott geekbites Osamu Tezuka's W3 (Wonder 3).Related LinksForum ThreadGeekNights Wednesday - Cartoon Cartoons (1995-2003)Things of the DayRym - Riding on Japan’s Cheapest Overnight TrainScott - The Paintings of Tolkien

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss the Google engineer who thinks the AI has come to life. It's a LaMDA, and one Blake Lemoine has made some extraordinary claims. In the news, the Rangers had a good run, Meet Web Push for Safari, New York wins a right to repair, and everybody is having fun with DALL E.Related LinksForum ThreadGeekNights Monday - The Chatbot isn't SentientThings of the DayRym - Star Trek: Voyager: The Animated SeriesScott - Open Circuits

Tonight on GeekNights, it's a News Roundup! Specifically an Animation, Anime, Manga, and Comics News Roundup! The new Urusei Yatsura anime series has a trailer, TFAC has uninvited the NFT Lady after severe backlash from TCAF attendees and guests, Seven Seas' workers form a union that Seven Seas will not voluntarily recognize. Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds is a crypto scam, Flying Ghost Ship is getting a Blu-Ray release and a new dub from Discotek, Anime Boston had a delightful swap meet, Rym is continuing with The Owl House as new episodes drop, Saga returns after a long hiatus, and Bob's Burgers has a movie.Related LinksForum ThreadGeekNights Wednesday - Animation, Anime, Manga, Comics News RoundupThings of the DayRym - Customer StatesScott - Can I Fix It?

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about trains. (Not the X train). Critically important in the era of radically accelerating climate change, trains are our future. In the news, Republicans are now the leading cause of death for kids in the US, Republicans have filibustered the gun bill from the previous mass shooting, and Twitter was fined for stealing your phone number to target ads at you.Related LinksForum ThreadGeekNights Thursday - TrainsThings of the DayRym - How to do the YUM YUM DanceScott - How Scallops Move

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss how games monetize. How can you make money making games? We've done at least three panels around this topic: Monetizing Games and Game Design (PAX East 2012), Money Making Games (MAGFest 2012), and more recently The Real Harm of Games (PAX East 2019). In the news, the Rangers are still in the playoffs, Sony's Playstation Plus upgrade isn't going well, Arcs is coming from Patrick Leder (though it's unfortunately on Kickstarter), Reggie Fils-Aime thinks the games industry needs to embrace unions, and Raven Software's QA team has unionized, despite Activision Blizzard's uncomfortable opposition.Related LinksForum ThreadGeekNights Tuesday - Monetizing GamesThings of the DayRym - How I Created the Perfect NES Sound ChipScott - Karahan Tepe is Old

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss voice acting. In the news, anime voice actors' unionization efforts grow ever more important as they are forced back into non-remote work in Texas, Anime Central betrayed its attendees, and Inu-Oh is coming imminently,Related LinksForum ThreadGeekNights Wednesday - Voice ActingThings of the DayRym - Subwoolfer - Give That Wolf A BananaScott - Channel 2 goes to color for first time

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider scanners. Ancient devices used to convert paper documents and photos into files on computers, often using something called TWAIN. For many consumers, they have been replaced by "smart phones." In the news, NVIDIA releases open source GPU drivers, hell has frozen over, Russia appears to have lost custody of a relatively intact Krasukha-4.

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider swimming, especially in swimming pools. Pool toys, diving boards, swimming lessons, the works. In the news, the COVID meat shortage was fake, AleXa wins the "American Song Contest", and Christopher Walken will play the Emperor in Dune 2. Also convention drama.

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the fascinating art project x portable game console: Playdate. It's neat. In the news, the contest for Lord Stanley's Cup is underway, EA Sports loses FIFA, Bethesda finishes off their PC game launcher, Square Enix continues its long fall from grace by doubling down on a scam, Embracer is embracing a gaming empire, Overwatch 2 is very promising for competitive play thus far, and American fascists are destroying basic human rights in overturning Roe v Wade.

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider tech debt. Where it comes from, what it means, and what you can do about it. Rym's made a career of owning and addressing the tech debt of legacy systems, and there aren't really "correct" answers here. In the news, Microsoft is offering an Edge VPN, Ukrainian drones are shockingly effective against the Russian Navy, and you should check your home to see if it has any of these strange old holes. Also don't forget that the GeekNights Book Club is a thing!

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the concept of handwriting. In the news, idiots are in trouble with the FAA, another unrelated idiot is in trouble with the FAA (weirdly echoing an episode of Bob's Burgers), and the Stanley Cup Playoffs are imminent.