AwesomeCast 729: Birthday Ears & Tech Cheers: Theme Parks, Apple Hacks & Retro Vibes
Get ready for a theme park tech adventure and some unexpected ambient Apple features in this special birthday episode!
📰 News & Gadget Stories Covered:
Katie Dudas’ Birthday Celebration at Disneyland & California Adventure
Mater sang her happy birthday!
Hugging Baymax and geeking out at Cars Land, Pixar Pier, and Avengers Campus
Disney’s exclusive Star Wars Night merch haul, from neon fanny packs to fuzzy Tauntaun drinks
Baymax hugs, Guardians of the Galaxy ride misadventures, and a failed Rise of the Resistance experience
Kennywood Season Pass Deep Dive
Sorg’s first “real” Kennywood day since 2017
Exploring revamped passes with discounts, souvenir cups, and multiple park perks
The infamous Old Mill ride and its legendary reputation (with shoutout to Defunctland’s Garfield’s Nightmare episode)
Easter-themed events and quirky anecdotes like the “666 Lovecraft Lane” Airbnb
Apple Hidden Features You Didn’t Know You Needed
New ambient background sounds from iOS 17.4 — hidden in Control Center, great for focus or relaxation
Live Captions via Accessibility settings offering real-time subtitles on anything, from FaceTime to podcasts
Background Sounds feature from iOS 15 offering looping white noise, rain, and ocean waves—perfect for travel or mental clarity
Vintage Computer Festival Road Trip Potential
InfoAge Museum in New Jersey lets visitors get hands-on with classic systems like Apple IIe and vintage IBMs
DRM-Hacking Rockstars
OK Go’s clever workaround to Sony’s rootkit DRM scandal by filling CD capacity with 34 minutes of sleep audio
Apple Watch 10th Anniversary Challenge
Close your rings on April 24th to earn a limited edition pin — a rare chance to get physical merch for your digital effort
🎮 Chachi Says Video Game Minute
The debut segment of “Chachi Says: Video Game Minute” delivers high-speed gaming news:
Oxford study proves your favorite console is whatever you played at age 10
BAFTA poll shocker: Shenmue voted most influential game ever
Library of Congress adds Minecraft soundtrack and Windows 95 chime to the registry
Marvel Rivals update adds essential booty to male character models
A theme park-fueled episode loaded with practical tech hacks, accessibility features, nostalgic computers, and celebratory Disney merch. Plus, Chachi drops a minute of retro gaming gold. Perfect for geeky minds who love gadgets, games, and good vibes.
🔗 Catch more episodes and geek out with us weekly at AwesomeCast.com
