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
