Sorg, Katie Dudas and Dave Podnar spend this week’s episode looking at where Apple is going next, while also catching up on Nintendo, MapQuest, Pittsburgh technology and some unusually revealing internet analytics.

Siri Gets Smarter — Eventually

Dave upgraded to iOS 27 and came away impressed with its speed and stability, but the headline Siri AI features come with a catch: there’s a waitlist.

Apple’s rollout includes a more capable Siri experience, improved Visual Intelligence and upgrades to Image Playground. Sorg, who had access earlier through the beta process, says Siri already appears better at understanding spoken requests and answering questions without immediately handing everything off elsewhere.

More on the Siri AI rollout:
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/15/ios-27-siri-ai-has-waitlist-how-to-join/

Apple’s $1,999 Foldable Experiment

Then there’s the iPhone Duo.

The foldable became one of the episode’s biggest discussions after an unlikely piece of analytics showed just how much attention Apple’s announcement received: Pornhub reported a significant traffic drop when Apple revealed the device.

https://mashable.com/life/pornhub-apple-event-viewers-dropped-iphone-duo

Beyond the jokes, there are intriguing ideas here. Apple is using matching aspect ratios between the outside and inside displays, potentially making life easier for developers. The larger format opens up interesting multitasking possibilities, and the crew sees potential for business users, presenters and some creators.

The problem is impossible to ignore: $1,999 is a lot of money for a phone.

Katie compares the experience to having a dual-monitor setup in your pocket but struggles to get past the cost. Sorg sees the Duo more as Apple’s latest first-generation experiment — something that may eventually trickle down into less expensive devices after early adopters figure out what the form factor is actually good for.

Apple Watch Solves the “What Did They Just Say?” Problem

A smaller Apple announcement may prove more immediately useful.

The crew discusses an Apple Watch listening feature that can help recover something you recently heard. The example involved replaying information like restaurant specials, but Sorg immediately saw a production use for it: remembering instructions received in a noisy event environment.

Sometimes the best technology feature isn’t spectacular. It simply fixes a small problem that happens constantly.

Nintendo Looks Back — and Forward

Chachi’s Video Game Minute brings an update on the White House Tetris-style game, which has now been removed.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharyfolk/2026/09/08/white-house-removes-controversial-tetris-style-game-from-arcade-website/

Nintendo also showed gameplay for the Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, scheduled for November 5.

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/nintendo-shares-the-first-gameplay-and-release-date-for-the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-remake/

Sorg continues the Nintendo discussion with Mario Kart World’s newly accessible recreations of classic Super Nintendo tracks and a new Metroid announcement.

Mario Kart update:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1711610297636885&set=gm.2640543926409864&idorvanity=234524630345151

Nintendo Direct roundup:
https://www.ign.com/articles/nintendo-direct-september-2026-live-report-all-the-announcements-as-they-happen?utm_source=campaigner&utm_campaign=NL_FIX_Sep_09_2026&cmp=1&utm_medium=email&Ictg=46311792229

The larger question is whether Nintendo is leaning too heavily on remakes — even as genuinely new games continue arriving beside them.

MapQuest Wins With Whimsy

MapQuest’s unexpected comeback continues, powered partly by something its bigger competitors often lack: personality.

Katie introduces two more Questies — Corgi and Black Cat — along with Rufus, the dog who inspired the Corgi design, and the upcoming Jimothy character. Future MapQuest updates are also expected to include CarPlay, Android Auto and transit improvements.

Corgi and Black Cat:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DdNtRdGFMqk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&stkn=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Rufus:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DdP_UXVG4bp/?img_index=2

Jimothy:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DdUwv6mp_yC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&stkn=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

It’s a reminder that a challenger brand doesn’t always have to beat Google on pure scale. Sometimes giving people a reason to care about the product is enough to get another look.

From CAPTCHA to Duolingo

For Hispanic Heritage Month, Dave’s Awesome History segment highlights Luis von Ahn.

Von Ahn came from Guatemala to Carnegie Mellon, became one of the researchers behind CAPTCHA and later co-founded Duolingo. The discussion expands into the importance of university research and how work that begins without an obvious commercial product can eventually become foundational technology.

https://www.invent.org/inductees/luis-von-ahn

Wrestling in a Military Hangar

Sorg’s Awesome Thing of the Week comes from a very different kind of technology production.

The Sidekick Media crew helped capture Prospect Pro Wrestling’s “Banger in the Hangar” at the 911th Air Wing. Wrestlers entered through a huge cargo aircraft, Stormtroopers showed up, the Pirate Parrot got involved, and the production took place inside an enormous working hangar.

Watch the event:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kqJY33amJ0

It is another episode that jumps from smartphones and video games to Pittsburgh production stories — exactly the kind of wonderfully strange technology mix AwesomeCast was built for.

Support AwesomeCast at Patreon.com/AwesomeCast and find more shows at www.SorgatronMedia.com.

Support AwesomeCast: Tech and Gadget Talk

On AwesomeCast 795, Michael Sorg, Katie Dudas, and Dave Podnar explore gaming news, gadgets, apps, and geek culture from Pittsburgh.

• Xbox Cloud Gaming limits: Sorg explains why he moved his Xbox Series S back downstairs. The hosts discuss the impact of monthly streaming allowances on long games and cloud-focused devices, plus a follow-up on Xbox’s disc-to-digital licensing preview.
https://www.ign.com/articles/microsoft-announces-big-changes-to-xbox-cloud-gaming-switches-to-monthly-hour-limits

• Next-generation Xbox affordability: An interview about Project Helix sparks a conversation about efficiency, console prices, PC game compatibility, and unanswered disc-drive questions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txuYKwrbq1M

• Retro cartridges on modern computers: Sorg discovers Epilogue’s GB Operator and SN Operator. The discussion covers playing existing Game Boy and Super Nintendo collections, preserving cartridge saves, and a Game Boy Camera connection.
https://apple.news/A9oaGgCU0QpqcvQLP7ttlKQ

• MapQuest’s 8-bit personality: Katie shares her experience with pixel-style maps, Questies character avatars, playful navigation voices, CarPlay, and live radio.

• Star Trek at 60: Dave reflects on the franchise’s cultural impact, diverse vision of the future, and connections to real-world technology, from communicators to tablet-like PADDs.

• John Snow and disease mapping: Dave’s Awesome History explores the Broad Street cholera outbreak and connects historical mapping with modern wastewater surveillance and community preparedness.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1854_Broad_Street_cholera_outbreak

• Panic’s tariff refunds: ChachiSays covers the Playdate company’s decision to return tariff charges to customers.
https://www.al.com/news/2026/08/tariff-refunds-sent-to-video-game-customers-not-our-money.html

• The Tetris Company responds: Chachi discusses the company’s statement about a Tetris-like game on the White House website.
https://variety.com/2026/digital/news/tetris-company-trump-white-house-build-the-wall-game-copyright-1236851993/

• Zelda anniversary reactions: Sorg discusses the presentation’s movie reveal, music-tour news, and Ocarina of Time remake footage. The hosts weigh remake pricing, revisit Nintendo memories, and talk Twilight Princess, Star Fox, and Super Mario Sunshine.
https://www.theverge.com/games/991265/the-legend-of-zelda-40th-anniversary-direct

• Street Fighter 6 meets the movies: Movie-actor challenger screens, including Roman Reigns as Akuma, spark excitement and memories of Street Fighter’s earlier film and game crossover.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1755856245623451

• Snoopy at Starbucks: Katie highlights Great Pumpkin-inspired Peanuts merchandise, including mugs, travel cups, bags, and pins.
https://about.starbucks.com/stories/2026/starbucks-and-peanuts-celebrate-fall-with-a-global-merch-collection-inspired-by-the-great-pumpkin/

• Dungeon Crawler Carl LEGO Ideas: Two fan proposals bring Carl, Princess Donut, and friends into brick form. The hosts explore a dungeon scene and larger character builds seeking community support.
https://ideas.lego.com/product-ideas/eb3c3057-8646-45b4-86ba-dfc08ba7e7e8
https://ideas.lego.com/product-ideas/6e47b028-7cba-48bc-81d9-a1461bdd4d08

• Clucky’s demanding wake-up call: Sorg sets up a rooster alarm app with snooze challenges, samples its loud sounds, and chooses a tilt-game mission. Katie explains how the app turns getting out of bed into an interactive routine.
https://tryclucky.com

Plus, Dave shares his Steelers 5K experience, and the hosts bring their usual mix of hands-on discoveries, gaming opinions, and Pittsburgh personality.

Support AwesomeCast: Tech and Gadget Talk

Support AwesomeCast: Tech and Gadget Talk