AwesomeCast 798: A Minions Router, Windows 98 Solitaire and Fast-Food Emo
Technology doesn’t always have to be serious.
Sometimes the most interesting stories involve turning a Minion into a Wi-Fi router, transforming Solitaire into a strangely social experience or asking professional musicians to record emo songs about Frostys and chicken nuggets.
AwesomeCast 798 brought Sorg, Katie Dudas and Dave Podnar together for exactly that kind of week.
Solitaire Is Social Now
Sorg’s Awesome Thing of the Week takes us straight back to Windows 98 with Solitaire Alone Together.
The website recreates the familiar Solitaire experience, but there’s a twist: other people are playing around you. Their games appear in additional windows while you work through your own deck.
It combines the solitary nature of Solitaire with the oddly comforting feeling that a bunch of strangers on the internet are doing exactly the same thing.
Check it out at https://solitairealonetogether.com/
Optimus Prime Gets Adorable
Katie brought some Transformers energy to the studio with her Symbiote Studios Optimus Prime.
Along with the extremely huggable Autobot came a surprise collection of goodies, including Catnip Bravo, an Optimus Prime pin and sticker.
But the real danger to Katie’s wallet may be what comes next: Symbiote Studios is preparing a Grimlock puppet.
See more at https://www.symbiotestudios.com
Dave Takes on the Great Race
Dave’s Awesome Thing required considerably more physical effort.
He participated in Pittsburgh’s Great Race and completed both the 5K and 10K as part of the One Great Challenge.
That led to a conversation about the “Perfect Great Racers,” a small group of runners who have participated in every edition of the event going back to its beginnings in 1977.
It’s a remarkable streak and another example of the communities that grow around Pittsburgh traditions.
Castlevania Goes Mobile
The retro gaming continued with the 40th anniversary of Castlevania.
The original game is available on mobile, giving players an easy way to revisit the NES classic. Sorg gave it a try but found the touchscreen interface considerably less satisfying than playing Castlevania with a traditional controller.
Sometimes retro games really do benefit from retro-style controls.
Wendy’s Goes Emo
Then things got weird.
Wendy’s released an emo album called Songs to Listen to in a Wendy’s Parking Lot.
The track names alone are worth the experience, including “She Said She Didn’t Want Fries,” “It’s Not a Phase, It’s a 10 Piece” and “My Frosty’s Funeral.”
What initially sounds like a throwaway marketing gag gets even stranger when you discover legitimate music-industry talent was involved in making it.
Building a Little Hut Library
Katie brought something considerably more wholesome with Pizza Hut and Little Free Library’s “Little Hut Library” program.
Selected applicants can receive a Pizza Hut-themed Little Free Library along with books and BOOK IT! materials.
The conversation also led the crew into the Little Free Library map, which lets you discover registered libraries in neighborhoods around the country.
Find the program at https://littlefreelibrary.org/support/sponsorship-opportunities/pizza-hut-little-free-library/
What Happens After Crew Dragon?
Dave also takes the conversation into orbit.
With the future of American crew transportation evolving, the crew discusses SpaceX, Boeing Starliner and the importance of maintaining multiple ways for astronauts to reach low-Earth orbit and future commercial space stations.
It’s a much bigger question than simply which company builds the spacecraft. Decisions being made now could determine how NASA and American astronauts reach orbit years from now.
Kevin the Minion Has Wi-Fi
And finally, meet Kevin.
Kevin is a Minion.
Kevin is also a Wi-Fi 6E router.
The Davolink Minions router went viral partly because people discovered that underneath the novelty exterior was surprisingly capable networking hardware. Instead of being a cheap collectible with Wi-Fi bolted onto it, the router packs tri-band connectivity, a Qualcomm chipset and a 2.5Gbps WAN port.
Apparently someone was told to build a Minions router and took the assignment very seriously.
That may be the perfect AwesomeCast story.
AwesomeCast 798 brings together retro computing, gaming, gadgets, Pittsburgh, spaceflight and some of the strangest intersections between technology and pop culture.
