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!

• “Designed in California” on Kickstarter
• Retro Computer Museum
• the Matrix.org Foundation
  • This Week in Matrix 2026-06-26

• Matrix Overview
• Continuwuity (a Matrix homeserver)
• Google Open Knowledge Format
• Forza Horizon 6 – get a DeLorean
• Glance app

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

Published 15 Jun 2026

It’s an all-Brits episode, as Andy welcomes Ian “epredator” Hughes back to the show as co-host, while both Michaels are away.

We take a dive into some recent and current triple-A games as Ian talks through many hours of playtime in Crimson Desert, Forza Horizon 6, and 007 First Light. Although the new open-world Forza Horizon is set in Japan, Andy and Ian enjoy noting that these are games from UK-based studios or with British elements (like the legendary James Bond). Along the way, they talk about a WWDC video shared by Michael Rowe, which brings foveated streaming to the Vision Pro headset, although Ian notes that Varjo has been in this space for several years already.

There’s a second round of gaming conversations that includes the latest XBox Games Showcase, featuring an older game (Sea of Thieves) from another British studio, and a yet-to-be-released game (Fable) with British voice talent and acting, that was also originally from the UK. There’s also a quick nod to an easter egg in the latest LEGO Batman game.

The episode wraps up with a discussion of the recently fully-funded Kickstarter for the Virtual Worlds Museum, that we last talked about in episode 555. Ian mentions some of the recent video content that has been released by the project.

Many thanks to Ian for joining the show this week, bringing a deep focus on games and virtual worlds!

As usual, Have your bots 🤖 drop our bots 🤖 a line at @gamesatwork_biz@mastodon.social with any comments or ideas!

• Crimson Desert
• Forza Horizon 6
  • CarPlay brings Mario Kart to your car?
  • Foveated Streaming with visionOS
• 007 First Light
• XBox Games Showcase

Here's an easter egg in the new Lego Batman that I think all of you will REALLY appreciate.

It's so good, I had to make a video.

[image or embed]

— Cabel Sasser (@cabel.panic.com) June 7, 2026 at 9:06 PM

• Wolfenstein 3D Atari demake
• Videos from Virtual Worlds Museum via @teleportal_tv