Then the crew gets into everything from simulated RC racing and Apple’s latest Macs to a life-size Grogu, Linux history, Pokémon fossils, GTA VI leaks, and gaming at Pittsburgh International Airport.

Topics discussed include:

• Remembering Dolly Parton – The crew reflects on Parton’s passing, her charitable legacy, her support of literacy programs, and the positive impact she made far beyond entertainment.
• RC racing meets full-size driving simulators – Sorg discovers first-person RC car racing setups that combine tiny vehicles, onboard cameras, and full simulator rigs. The conversation explores CloudRC, RC aircraft, and whether experiences like this could become the next arcade, mall, or Dave & Buster’s attraction.
• Apple updates the Mac mini and Mac Studio – Dave breaks down Apple’s new Mac hardware, including the M6 chip, pricing, local AI performance, and the ability to combine machines over Thunderbolt 5. The crew discusses why local AI processing could become increasingly important for businesses dealing with cloud costs, privacy, and sensitive data.
• Pokémon Fossils invade Chicago – Chachi reports from the Pokémon Fossil Museum exhibit at Chicago’s Field Museum, where fossils inspired by the games are compared with real paleontology. The exhibit even includes Pokémon GO bonuses and limited merchandise.
• Dungeon Crawler Carl and 3D printing – Katie opens her mysterious box of 3D-printed creations from Chachi’s Plastic Fun Time shop, including Dungeon Crawler Carl characters, ornaments, magnets, Pokémon-inspired pieces, the infamous Rock Lobster, and more.
• Linux turns 35 – Dave traces the unlikely chain of events connecting AT&T antitrust action, UNIX, GNU, Linus Torvalds, and the operating system that became one of the foundations of modern computing. There’s even a bonus discussion about Linux running on a Sega 32X.
• Kingdom Hearts expands – Chachi’s Video Game Minute covers a 2027 release window for Kingdom Hearts 4 and a planned animated Kingdom Hearts series for Disney+.
• Mattel builds its own game studio – Mattel is expanding its internal video game operation with hundreds of developers and new games based on properties including UNO and Hot Wheels.
• GTA VI leaks and the digital ownership fight – The show looks at reported leaks of Grand Theft Auto VI material tied to protests over digital-only game distribution and the broader debate over whether players actually own their digital purchases.
• Transformers comes to Minecraft – Sorg and Katie explore the Transformers content available through the Minecraft Marketplace, including G1-inspired characters, story-based gameplay, combat modes, and plenty of temptation for Transformers fans.
• A nearly life-size Ultimate Grogu – Hasbro Pulse has a roughly 14.6-inch animatronic Grogu featuring movement, sounds, multiple interaction modes, cosplay-friendly settings, and a $599.99 price tag.
• Nature Calls restroom finder launches – The crowdsourced restroom-finding app discussed on an earlier AwesomeCast is now available, helping users locate bathrooms, water fountains, porta-potties, and other facilities.
• Gaming at Pittsburgh International Airport – Sorg checks out Gameway, a gaming lounge at Pittsburgh International Airport offering video games, snacks, drinks, and another option for travelers with time before a flight.
• Disney characters meet NFL teams – Disney and the NFL have teamed up for team-specific character merchandise. The Pittsburgh Steelers get Pete, while other combinations include Captain America with the Patriots, Thor with the Vikings, Darth Vader with the Raiders, and more.

The crew also checks in on their recent Pittsburgh Shootout adventures and previews more of what’s happening around the Sorgatron Media universe.

RC Racing / CloudRC
https://www.instagram.com/reels/Db2l4aVjpRO/
https://store.cloudrc.com/

Plastic Fun Time 3D Prints
https://plasticfuntime.etsy.com/

Apple Mac mini / Mac Studio Updates
https://www.wired.com/story/apple-announces-m6-and-m5-ultra-mac-mini-mac-studio/

35 Years of Linux
https://www.tomshardware.com/software/linux/linux-was-announced-by-linus-torvalds-35-years-ago-today-humble-os-started-with-10-000-lines-of-code-but-has-now-grown-to-40-million-dominates-global-infrastructure

Kingdom Hearts Announcements
https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/news/games-d23-digital-entertainment/

Mattel Game Studios
https://kotaku.com/the-toy-maker-behind-barbie-and-hot-wheels-wants-to-make-its-own-video-games-2000724968

GTA VI Leak Story
https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/hacker-leaks-gta-vi-gameplay-and-map-to-protest-digital-only-release-claims-pre-orders-are-a-legacy-of-physical-game-releases

Transformers Minecraft
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1056475313409694

Nature Calls Restroom Finder – iOS
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/find-toilets-nature-calls-run/id6790583853

Ultimate Grogu
https://www.hasbropulse.com/product/star-wars-ultimate-grogu/G44835S00

Pittsburgh Airport Gameway
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcbcVbCBU34/?igsi=MTJweXZ1N2N4cTZ1dg==
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1089385550715987

Disney x Pittsburgh Steelers
https://www.nflshop.com/pittsburgh-steelers/disney/t-36604861+c-1202616796+z-8-2894738209?ab=%7Bwt-static\_graphic%7D%7Bpt-TLP%7D%7Bal-HMB%7D%7Bct-Pittsburgh\_Steelers\_disney%7D

Sorg, Katie, and Dave Podnar kick things off with their Awesome Things of the Week, and the lineup is wonderfully varied. Dave looks ahead to Artemis II, the upcoming crewed moon mission that will send astronauts beyond low Earth orbit for the first time in decades. The conversation covers how the mission works, why the far side of the moon still creates communication challenges, and why “just rebuilding Apollo” is not nearly as simple as some people assume.

Katie’s pick is much closer to home, at least for Pittsburghers: Heinz Verified. The new site helps users find restaurants that serve Heinz ketchup, making it both practical and hilarious for anyone who has ever been personally offended by mystery catsup in a diner bottle. The crew immediately starts checking cities they’ll be traveling to and appreciates that users can nominate restaurants for inclusion.

Sorg’s pick highlights Chachi’s 3D-printing Etsy shop, Plastic Fun Time. From the now-famous bag of Fs to the Rock Lobster and other fun prints, it’s a cool look at somebody taking a maker hobby and turning it into a real side business. It also turns into a broader appreciation for creative small-scale production and clever product design.

The middle of the episode gets more serious with a discussion around a Stanford study on AI chatbot advice. Katie explains how researchers tested large language models against stories from the “Am I the Asshole?” subreddit and found that chatbots often validated problematic behavior more than humans did. That opens the door to a bigger conversation about AI agreeability, emotional dependency, digital literacy, and what it means when people begin treating chatbots like close confidants instead of tools.

The AI thread continues with What’s Up With That, a browser extension built to help readers analyze articles, pull out new signals, simplify jargon, and better connect ideas across sources. For anyone doing research-heavy work, the crew sees real promise in the concept.

On the creative side, Dave shares Adobe Illustrator’s Project Turntable, which can rotate 2D vector art in 3D space. That sparks a discussion about animation workflows, creative accessibility, and the kinds of production bottlenecks tools like this might reduce.

The episode also finds time for ChannelSurfer.tv, a retro-TV style interface for YouTube, plus a look at Apple’s TikTok presence, where the company seems to be leaning into a Finder-inspired mascot to help explain macOS features in a more playful way.

Dave also wraps up Women’s History Month by spotlighting several women who shaped space science, leading to a thoughtful discussion about visibility, representation, and why stories like these matter.

And then, in true AwesomeCast fashion, the crew ends up hyped about LEGO Zelda sets, including Ocarina of Time: The Final Battle and the Great Deku Tree, prompting nostalgia, sticker shock, and renewed debate over whether Sorg finally needs to properly play Ocarina of Time.

If you like your tech podcasts with equal parts curiosity, commentary, and chaos, this is a great episode.

Links from this episode
Chachi’s Etsy shop / Plastic Fun Time
https://www.etsy.com/shop/plasticfuntime/?etsrc=sdt
Heinz Verified
https://www.heinz.com/heinzverified
Artemis II launch article
https://www.wired.com/story/artemis-ii-countdown-how-and-when-to-watch-the-launch-of-the-manned-mission-to-the-moon/
Women who shaped our understanding of space
https://womenshistory.si.edu/blog/five-women-who-shaped-our-understanding-space
Channel Surfer
https://channelsurfer.tv/?ch=14
What’s Up With That
https://whatsupwiththat.app/practice/
Adobe Illustrator Project Turntable article
https://9to5mac.com/2026/03/30/adobe-illustrator-now-lets-you-rotate-2d-vectors-in-3d-space/
Apple on TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@apple?_r=1&_t=ZP-959iBFWcaSN
LEGO Ocarina of Time: The Final Battle
https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/ocarina-of-time-the-final-battle-77093?cmp=PSO-FBIG-AMS-EN-RE-PO-LPV-LR_EXCLUSIVE_PRODUCT_LAUNCH-SHOP-HA-LkAd-PRS-Always_On-GAMINGZ_P&utm_campaign=120242713322920054&utm_content=120245958217060054&utm_id=120242713322920054&utm_medium=paid&utm_source=fb&utm_term=120242713322930054
LEGO Great Deku Tree 2-in-1
https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/great-deku-tree-2-in-1-77092