AwesomeCast 793: Apple M6 Macs, Grogu & RC Racing
Technology gets increasingly strange when your RC car starts requiring a racing simulator — and that is exactly where AwesomeCast 793 begins.
Sorg, Katie Dudas, and Dave Podnar return with a wide-ranging episode about the technology, games, gadgets, and wonderfully unnecessary collectibles catching their attention.
The show first takes a moment to remember Dolly Parton following news of her passing. The conversation focuses less on celebrity and more on the enormous charitable legacy she leaves behind, particularly her work encouraging literacy and providing books to children.
When RC Cars Become Racing Simulators
Sorg’s Awesome Thing of the Week takes remote-controlled racing to another level. Instead of simply standing beside a track with a controller, these setups use onboard cameras and full-size simulator controls to create a first-person driving experience.
CloudRC demonstrates how the same basic idea can extend beyond cars into RC aircraft. The crew immediately starts imagining where this technology could go next: arcades, malls, gaming centers, or even Dave & Buster’s-style attractions.
Apple Wants AI Running on Your Desk
Dave digs into Apple’s latest Mac mini and Mac Studio announcements, including the M6 chip and an increasingly serious emphasis on local AI workloads.
The fascinating part may not be any one benchmark. It’s the ability to connect powerful Macs using Thunderbolt 5 and build systems capable of sharing resources for larger local models.
That opens up interesting possibilities for companies that want AI capabilities without constantly sending sensitive data into the cloud — or paying an ever-growing token bill.
https://www.wired.com/story/apple-announces-m6-and-m5-ultra-mac-mini-mac-studio/
Pokémon Meets Real Paleontology
Chachi takes AwesomeCast to Chicago’s Field Museum for the Pokémon Fossil Museum. The exhibit puts Pokémon fossil designs beside real paleontological specimens, turning the franchise into a surprisingly effective entry point for learning about fossils and archaeology.
One of the coolest observations is watching generations teach each other: grandparents explaining actual fossils while kids explain Pokémon.
Katie Opens the Box
Katie’s Awesome Thing arrives courtesy of Chachi’s Plastic Fun Time shop.
The box contains an impressive collection of 3D-printed creations, particularly characters and references from Dungeon Crawler Carl. There are ornaments, magnets, figures, Pokémon-inspired pieces and, of course, the Rock Lobster — a lobster with The Rock’s face, because technology should occasionally be used for important things.
https://plasticfuntime.etsy.com/
Linux at 35
Dave turns tech history into an episode of Connections as the crew celebrates 35 years since Linus Torvalds announced Linux.
The story travels through AT&T, antitrust regulations, UNIX, GNU and finally Linux, illustrating how decisions made decades earlier helped create the environment in which an open operating system could flourish.
And because this is AwesomeCast, the history lesson eventually arrives at someone successfully running Linux on a Sega 32X.
Chachi’s Video Game Minute
Gaming news includes several major developments:
Kingdom Hearts 4 is targeting 2027 alongside plans for a Disney+ animated series.
Mattel is expanding its video game ambitions through Mattel Game Studios, with UNO and Hot Wheels among the properties involved.
Reported GTA VI leaks raise another round of questions about digital ownership, preorders, and whether buying a game means actually owning it.
Transformers, Grogu and Airport Gaming
The geekiness continues with a surprisingly substantial Transformers experience inside Minecraft, complete with familiar G1 characters and multiple gameplay modes.
Hasbro, meanwhile, would very much like Star Wars fans to spend $599.99 on an interactive Ultimate Grogu. The approximately 14.6-inch figure moves, reacts, makes sounds and even includes modes designed with cosplay in mind.
Pittsburgh travelers also have a new diversion: Gameway at Pittsburgh International Airport, where passengers can spend some pre-flight time playing video games rather than staring at the gate.
Finally, Disney and the NFL are pairing teams with characters for a new merchandise collection. Pittsburgh gets Pete, while combinations around the league range from Captain America and the Patriots to Darth Vader and the Raiders.
Technology does not always need to solve the world’s largest problems. Sometimes it just needs to help you find a bathroom, race a tiny car from a giant simulator, or carry an animatronic Grogu around a convention.
That’s AwesomeCast.
Find more episodes at www.SorgatronMedia.com.
