AwesomeCast 718: Supersonic Booms & TikTok Dooms

This week’s episode brought to you by Indy Wrestling US, Slice on Broadway, Sidekick Media Services and listeners like you at www.Patreon.com/AwesomeCast

🎙️ Hosts: Michael Sorg, Katie Dudas, Dave Podnar

📍 Recorded at: Sorgatron Media Studios, Pittsburgh, PA

Welcome to another geek-filled episode of AwesomeCast, where we dive into the latest in technology, gadgets, and geek culture! This week, we cover:

🛠️ Awesome Things of the Week

• Dave’s Pick: The Return of Supersonic Travel ✈️

• A privately developed supersonic plane successfully broke the sound barrier at Edwards Air Force Base

• Focused on environmentally friendly fuel and reducing sonic booms to allow continental supersonic flights

• Developed by Boom Supersonic – first civilian private supersonic plane

• More info: 🔗 Axios Coverage

• Sorg’s Pick: Inflatable Planetarium “StarLab” 🌌

• A portable, inflatable 360-degree projection dome for planetariums, VR experiences, and immersive learning

• Allows educators and content creators to bring astronomy to life in schools and events

• Available in multiple sizes (5m, 6m, 7m)

• More info: 🔗 StarLab Official Site

• Katie’s Pick: The Cat Butt Mug 🐱☕

• A quirky and hilarious coffee mug featuring a cat silhouette with a heart-shaped “butt”

• Features the phrase “Make today purrfect” and “Bottoms up!” inside

• Found at a thrift store but highly coveted by coffee lovers and cat enthusiasts!

⌛ Awesome Old Thing of the Week: The Pebble Smartwatch Revival ⌚

• The original Pebble smartwatch (a Kickstarter legend) is making a comeback!

• Rebel.io has revived Pebble’s software so old Pebble devices can function again

• One of Pebble’s original founders has bought the IP from Google and is planning a new version

• For enthusiasts, there are workarounds to sideload Pebble apps on iPhones and Android

• More info: 🔗 Pebble Revival Story

📰 Tech News & Gadgets

• The TikTok University Phenomenon 📚🎓

• A professor accidentally went viral on TikTok when she shared a course syllabus

• This led to the creation of a full online university, where real professors now teach classes

• Courses now include gardening, EMT training, and African American studies

• More info: 🔗 TikTok University

• iPhones with TikTok Are Selling for Thousands on eBay 💰📱

• Because TikTok is banned from app stores, users are selling old phones with TikTok installed

• Some listings are going for $40,000 - $50,000

• Security risks include giving away Apple/Google accounts

• More info: 🔗 TikTok Phone Sales on eBay

• DeepSeek AI from China Sparks Market Panic 🤖📉

• China claims it has developed a ChatGPT-level AI with just $6 million in funding

• Uses old NVIDIA hardware due to import bans, yet matches OpenAI’s performance

• Experts warn the app is directly sending user data to China

• More info: 🔗 Wired Coverage

• Canon Launches Multi-Camera iPhone App 📷📲

• New app allows wireless multi-camera setups using iPhones and Canon cameras

• A game-changer for content creators and videographers

• More info: 🔗 Canon’s New Multi-Camera App

• Gemini AI Expanding Across Google’s Services 🌐🤖

• Google’s Gemini AI is being added to Docs, Gmail, and Chrome

• Users report mixed reactions, as AI-generated suggestions are sometimes inaccurate

• More info: 🔗 Gemini AI’s Expansion

📢 Shoutouts & Patreon Supporters

A huge thank you to our Patreon supporters for keeping the AwesomeCast community alive!

• Executive Producer: Brian Crawford

• Supporters: Cynthia Closkey, John DeGore, and Dave Podnar!

📢 Where to Find Us

📺 Watch more geeky tech content: AwesomeCast YouTube Channel

💬 Join the conversation: Twitter | Instagram

🎧 Listen & Subscribe: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts

Thanks for listening! Stay awesome, stay geeky! 🚀🎙️ 

This episode is a member of the Sorgatron Media Podcast Network. Learn more at SorgatronMedia.com.

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Special Thanks to kidmental for the new AwesomeCast Sounds! Visit him at www.kidmental.com