Stories and gadgets discussed:

• Dave’s Awesome Thing of the Week: Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 headphones
  Dave finally upgrades from cheap running headphones to the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2, praising the open-ear / bone-conduction-style design for running safety, comfort, sweat management, USB-C charging, and situational awareness.
  Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D2HKCMBP?maas=maas\_adg\_api\_582366218564361552\_static\_9\_129&ref\_=aa\_maas&tag=maas&aa\_campaignid=lv\_IGvrl5TTBxiweexlXK&aa\_adgroupid=lv\_fdLHIcjvJhpJZvQxFb&aa\_creativeid=lv\_MMLFRb8MTdZvGlnqFv&gad\_campaignid=23921418215&gbraid=0AAAABDw\_RJg26Vr6MY-sVAPsmwCxwK4mX&gclid=CjwKCAjw3ejRBhAdEiwADkqPn36qoEfzRElmQ3e9OXSxZdGKjw0DyckEdeqo82D8qqlMdTFDyLXuXhoCVn8QAvD\_BwE&th=1
• Valve opens the door to SteamOS installs on AMD PCs
  Sorg talks about Valve allowing SteamOS installs on normal PCs with AMD GPUs, giving PC gamers a way to build their own living-room Steam Machine instead of buying Valve’s new box. The conversation also touches on Steam Deck, Linux gaming, Proton, GPU costs, tariffs, and the economics of gaming hardware.
  Link: https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/steam-machines/valve-greenlights-steamos-installs-on-normal-pcs-with-amd-gpus-so-you-can-go-make-your-own-steam-machine-if-you-dont-wanna-fork-over-usd1-049/?brid=YWdncwFV2uAIYy2jMECl21FxWfGS
• Bazzite as an open-source SteamOS-style alternative
  Sorg brings up Brother Sorg’s recommendation of Bazzite, a Linux-based gaming OS with Steam gaming mode and support for launchers like Xbox Game Pass, Battle.net, EA, Epic Games Store, GOG, Rockstar, and Ubisoft Connect.
  Link: https://bazzite.gg/
• Pride Month tech history: Jon “maddog” Hall
  Dave spotlights Jon “maddog” Hall, a major Linux and Unix figure, sharing stories about Hall’s long programming history, his connection to Linus Torvalds, and the importance of recognizing LGBTQ contributors in technology history.
  Article: https://www.lpi.org/blog/2025/09/10/a-lifetime-in-code-jon-maddog-hall-reflects-at-linuxfest-northwest/
  Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=758QuvXrttM
• Chachi Says Video Game Minute: GTA 6, Nex Playground, and Ubisoft news
  Chachi covers three gaming stories: GTA 6 cover art and pre-orders, the Nex Playground motion-based console for kids, and the death of Claude Guillemot, co-founder of Ubisoft.
  GTA 6: https://www.ign.com/articles/gta-6-cover-artwork-revealed-pre-orders-begin-june-25
  Nex Playground: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czx50rrz7zro
  Claude Guillemot: https://apnews.com/article/france-assassins-creed-ubisoft-plane-crash-2df2ea469c3fca0a45c38ae8805a6033
• Baja SAE filmed on a “gas station camera”
  Sorg highlights a low-fi, retro-looking Baja SAE reel from Fairfield University, celebrating the charm of VHS-style and “bad camera” aesthetics in modern social media content.
  Link: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DZ6BjfCtzo-/
• World Cup referee technology, digital twins, sensors, and 3D body scans
  Sorg discusses advanced soccer officiating tech, including camera sensors, player tracking, digital twins, and automated offside detection that can help reduce blown calls and give officials faster alerts.
  Link: https://apple.news/ABeSFqwyjRpehEy0x8Nc9nQ
• Ribbie turns MLB games into pixel-art broadcasts
  Dave shares Ribbie, a fan-built project that uses real-time Major League Baseball data to recreate live games as a retro 16-bit-style baseball broadcast. The conversation connects it to vibe coding, AI-assisted development, and new ways fans can build creative sports experiences.
  Link: https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/23/ribbie-turns-real-time-baseball-stats-into-arcade-like-pixel-art-broadcasts/
• Commodore phone brings retro branding to a distraction-light flip phone
  Dave and Sorg look at the Commodore phone, a Sailfish OS-based flip phone designed as a step above a dumbphone, with calls, texting, maps, music apps, Uber/Lyft, classic Commodore games, and limited/no social media access.
  Link: https://order.commodore.net/callback-audio/?brid=YWdncwHwIXnsUg8Nsyh9q\_45Lj2C
• DoorDash accidentally tags T-Pain in soccer posts
  The episode wraps with a funny social media fail where DoorDash appears to tag T-Pain instead of soccer player Tim Payne during World Cup-related posts. Sorg and Dave discuss automation, agency workflows, social scheduling, and why T-Pain’s response made the whole situation better.
  Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ56tKCnedX/?brid=YWdncwG5YHkt5InxWn1IZ1Apa3Gc&img\_index=2

Support AwesomeCast: Tech and Gadget Talk

It may be the first day of spring, but we’re not sure Pittsburgh got the memo. While Chilla is tucked away all nice and warm in Studio C, Sorg and Dudders braved the snow to make it into the Sorgatron Media studio for this week’s tech talk, including:

Katie is sharing a YouTube web streaming option that doesn’t require an encoder.
Chilla is sharing some apps for sketching as his Awesome Thing of the Week with Concepts and Linea Sketch.
Sorg has been playing more video games lately. He’s telling us about Inside.
Sorg shares how he recently deleted all of the freemium games from his phone.
Fan of the show Alex Kahrs shared some thoughts on One Cast and a live stream option he’s using these days.
Thanks to The Incline for including us (and our friends) in the Big List of Pittsburgh Podcasts.
Amanda put CMRA on our radar with her addition to this week’s tech news.
Google is opening their Google Maps API to game developers.
There’s an AR version of StreetFighter!
Sega Genesis’ collection of games is coming to PS4 and Xbox One!
Who kept their Tamagotchi alive? There’s a chance to redeem yourself!
Looking for the next Raspberry Pi option? Raspberry Pi 3 and Model B+ are available!
We are sending Katie into the world looking for Raspberry Pi.
We’re taking wagers on how many times she’ll be offered Raspberry Pie instead.
Waze is offering a carpool option in Washington State.
Web OS is still alive – and making our news cycle as they go from HP to LG and now Open Source.
Sorg recently discovered Fortnite.
Apparently the Sony Playstation will die without porn? [LINK NSFW]
After the show remember to:

Eat at Slice on Broadway (@Pgh_Slice) if you are in the Pittsburgh area! It is Awesome! (sliceonbroadway.com)

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Follow these awesome people on Twitter: Katie Dudas (@Kdudders), John Chichilla (@chilla) and Sorg (@Sorgatron)

Our good friend, Zach Rizza is raising money and awareness through the Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation Team Pittsburgh 2018 Pittsburgh Marathon. Check out his fundraiser page at: https://www.crowdrise.com/dsgfpitt2018/fundraiser/zachrizza

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Support AwesomeCast: Tech and Gadget Talk