We're not going to let a Burning Man get in the way of our weekly podcast, are we? That's a negatory, as the Engadget Mobile Podcast lives on in Myriam Joire's absence. Co-host Brad Molen is still behind the mic offering his soothing sounds, and in to help him hit the weekly rant quota are special guests Zachary Lutz and Dante Cesa. Join us, won't you, for another round of mobile goodness? Be here at 5PM ET (2PM PT, 9PM GMT) for Episode 102.

Remember Orb Swarm, that merry band of rolling semi-autonomous spheres? Well, they've seen the open-source wizard and came back with a brain. In other words, they've gone autonomous, or mostly so as they are now capable of navigating within a pre-defined GPS course. Besides navigation, these orbs feature an embedded processor, accelerometer and ZigBee wireless communication all of which allow the rolling spheres to "flock , flirt, dance and interact," say their creators. They're set for release en masse onto the Burning Man playa at the end of this month where they're sure to punish chemically-influenced revelers with a sense of panic suitable to the uprising. Check the video after the break for a taste if participating in pagan festivals celebrating experimental living is a bit beyond your sense of sheltered sensibility.

[Via Hack A Day and BotJunkie]