AwesomeCast 739: AI Outfits & Tiny Happy Meals: Tech Gets Weird

In this eclectic and geek-fueled episode of AwesomeCast, Michael Sorg and Katie Dudas (with a quick cameo from Dave Podnar) dive into everything from espresso martinis and new podcasts to the latest in airport infrastructure and retro gaming. Plus, get a firsthand review of Google’s experimental AI fashion app and marvel at micro-sized McDonald’s nostalgia. This week’s Chachi Says Video Game Minute also brings a science twist to gaming’s effects on stress and autism research. From Lego X-Files to Denver’s Eye of Sauron, it’s an awesome mix of tech, nostalgia, and the downright bizarre.

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• 🟣 Katie’s Awesome Thing:

  • Pittsburgh Her Podcast launch party: A biweekly podcast from 5 prominent Pittsburgh women covering topics from menopause to mental health and therapy. Produced with YaJagoff Media and Pittsburgh Magazine.

• 🛫 Dave’s Awesome Thing:

  • Pittsburgh Airport Modernization Beta Testing: Volunteers can sign up to roleplay airport passengers in September to stress-test the $1.7B redesigned terminal—promising faster baggage, better layout, and improved security.

• 🎮 Sorg’s Awesome Thing:

  • Antstream Arcade on Xbox Game Pass: Retro gaming fans rejoice with a huge catalog of classic Activision and Sierra titles, including MechWarrior 2 and Pitfall, now accessible through cloud streaming.

• 🧠 Chachi Says Video Game Minute:

  • Science shows gaming reduces stress across genres.

  • A new racing game, Hafty Kart, aids autism research by analyzing how children learn through motor skills and cues.

• 🕹️ New Tech & Weird News:

  • A Computer & Video Game Museum is relocating to Penn Hills, PA from Baltimore, promising a permanent collection of retro tech.

  • Google Labs’ Doppel App lets users try on digital outfits via AI from just one full-body photo—fun, creepy, and a little finicky.

  • McDonald’s launches miniature Happy Meal collectibles and a mobile AR game for a nostalgia overload.

  • Lego X-Files Set coming soon featuring UFO scenes and Mulder’s office—plus Wallace & Gromit kits.

• 🏙️ Urban Oddities:

  • Denver’s new proposed Eye of Sauron-style tower stirs debate and potential for city icon status.

  • Reddit’s Skyscraper sub highlights global architecture innovation.

  • Erie, PA rebrands Seawolves as the Moon Mammoths with help from John Oliver and an actual woolly mammoth bone discovery.