AwesomeCast: Tech and Gadget Talk

A 600mm iPhone Lens, Webtoons & AI Computer Control | AwesomeCast 773

March 25th, 2026  |  54 mins 35 secs

ai, and space news. they talk about the reeflex iphone telephoto lens, and the trust issues that come with ai tools like claude taking control of your computer. thanks for supporting awesomecast on patreon and helping us keep the show going., chachi’s latest game-news segment, games, nasa’s new lunar-base focus, reading, sorg and dave podnar dig into a fun mix of gadgets, sorg’s dive into webtoons and dungeon crawler carl, the board.fun tabletop platform, this week on awesomecast

Sorg and Dave Podnar are back with a fresh AwesomeCast packed with mobile photography gear, geeky discoveries, video game updates, and big questions about AI. This week they dig into a massive new iPhone telephoto lens concept, Sorg’s dive into Webtoons and Dungeon Crawler Carl, a digital tabletop gaming system from Board.fun, NASA’s shift toward a lunar base, and whether anyone should trust Claude to control their computer. Plus: Chachi Says Video Game Minute and a great Women’s History Month spotlight on engineer Judith Love Cohen.

How ChatGPT Helped Plan a Dream Trip to Japan (+ AI Life Hacks You Can Try Now!) | AwesomeCast 756

November 4th, 2025  |  1 hr 1 min

3d cat billboard, accessibility tech, ai, ai accessibility, ai art, ai automation, ai creativity, ai diet log, ai event pittsburgh, ai health tracker, ai innovation, ai integration, ai life hacks, ai planning, ai productivity, ai tools, amazon links, apple, artificial intelligence, avatar robot cafe, awesomecast, awesomecast 756, backyard baseball animation, brian crawford, bridge inspection drone, bullet trains, call of duty movie, carplay, chachi says, chatgpt, chatgpt projects, creative ai, cultural respect, digital art museum, digital lifestyle, drones, fitness automation, formula sae, future tech, gaming adaptation, gaming news, gemini, godzilla hotel, google, google translate, home decorating, home design ai, icoca card, immersive art, innovation, interior design with chatgpt, iphone, japan technology, japan travel, japanese culture, japanese etiquette, katie dudas, lifestyle technology, michael sorg, patreon, peter berg, pittsburgh, pittsburgh city podcast, pittsburgh robotics community, pittsburgh tech, podcast aftershow, podcast technology, podcasting pittsburgh, pop culture tech, robot cafe tokyo, robotics, robotics and ai discovery day, robotics expo, shinjuku, shinkansen, sidekick media services, siri, ska robotics, slice on broadway, smart cities, smart home shopping, social media, sorgatron media, suica card, sustainability, taylor sheridan, teamlabs borderless, technology podcast, technology trends 2025, tokyo tech tourism, transit tech, translation apps, travel tech, university of pittsburgh, youtube podcast

In this week’s episode, Sorg and Dudders get geeky about AI in everyday life — from redesigning homes with ChatGPT to tracking calories with conversational AI. Then guest Brian Crawford takes us on a deep dive through Japan’s advanced transit tech, immersive art museums, and cultural quirks.
We also preview Pittsburgh’s AI & Robotics Demo Day and catch up with Chachi’s gaming news minute.

Perfect for fans of AI tools, travel tech, and real-world innovation.

Lending Apple a Cup of AI | AwesomeCast 680

March 27th, 2024  |  1 hr 1 min

ai, apple, apple airpods pro, legal issues, listener engagement, mac os, machine learning, media consumption, monopoly, noise cancellation, patreon, podcast recommendations, spatial audio, technology updates, worldwide developers conference, wwdc

AI Alliances and Charging Solutions | AwesomeCast 679

March 20th, 2024  |  53 mins 59 secs

ai, apple, countdown, disney, entertainment, gadgets, gemini, google, iphoneography, magsafe, ninja turtles, nvidia, paramount plus, pittsburgh, podcasting, robots, tech, travel

Big Floppies and Working on the Soft Core | AwesomeCast 669

January 10th, 2024  |  56 mins 10 secs

accessories, ai, amd, ces, displays, engagement, entertainment, fashion, fitness, gaming, giveaways, humor, ice cream, iphone, laptops, media conversion, patreon, pets, podcasts, processors, screens, shoes, social media, technology

On this AwesomeCast podcast, the hosts highlighted several new innovations showcased at the recent CES tech show. AMD revealed a new processor able to run graphics-heavy games smoothly without requiring a separate graphics card. Automaker Shift introduced Moonwalker X shoes that allow wearers to glide along motorized wheels embedded in the soles. Asus displayed a foldable OLED screen for on-the-go use with laptops or gaming devices. The Klix iPhone case adds a convenient physical keyboard for easier typing. Cold Snap demoed a home ice cream maker that can create customized flavors in just 2 minutes. And startup Flappy presented a smart cat door designed to block pets from bringing prey indoors by using AI to assess what they are carrying in their mouths.

In terms of social platforms, they talked about Stimulus, which facilitates giveaways to drive brand engagement. And they praised updates to the Patreon app for simplifying podcast listening. Other topics included encoding old media onto modern computers, Apple Fitness add-ons, and injecting some humor regarding the show’s penchant for inadvertent double entendres. Overall, it highlighted innovations designed to enhance entertainment, convenience and creativity.

A Reminder Your Phone Is Going To Die | AwesomeCast 666

December 12th, 2023  |  55 mins 28 secs

ai, apps, diy, e3, gadgets, gaming, geek culture, google, humor, kid mental, nihilism, podcast, pop culture, raspberry pi, remote play, sorgatron, steam link, streaming, technology, the game awards, the riz, twitch, video games, xbox

The hosts discuss the latest in video games, including the winners at The Game Awards, the end of the annual E3 gaming convention, and using new services like Steam Link and Xbox Remote Play to play games around your home. They showcase geeky products from sites like Vilros.com and apps like Google's Notebook LM for organizing notes with AI. Other offbeat topics include the WeCroak mortality reminder app and the hosts' upcoming indie wrestling production and hosting gigs. The irreverent, pop culture-loving hosts bring their unique chemistry and humor to analyzing the latest in tech and gaming.

iPhone 15 Cat Pics | AwesomeCast 662

November 7th, 2023  |  54 mins 12 secs

ai, amazon, chatbots, geeky, google, google glass, instagram, iphone, iphone 15, messaging, meta ray-ban, movies, nasa, pittsburgh, podcast, pop culture, safety, smart glasses, social media, sorgatron media, tech, tech news, video games, waze, youtube

The AwesomeCast is a fun, geeky podcast hosted by Katie "Dudders" and Mike Sorg. In this episode, they discuss new tech like the iPhone 15, Meta smart glasses, AI innovations from companies like Google, Amazon, and YouTube, and upcoming movies based on video games. Dudders shares her experience with the new iPhone camera while Sorg is excited about the Ray-Ban Stories glasses. They also talk about new AI features like chatbots, generated ads and reviews, and safety alerts in apps like Waze. Other highlights include NASA's new free streaming channel NASA Plus launching soon and changes to Instagram messaging. The hosts keep things lively with their energetic banter about the latest in tech and pop culture.

The Glasshole Next Door | AwesomeCast 659

October 17th, 2023  |  59 mins 31 secs

ai, alltrails, cancer, cyberpunk 2077, earbuds, gaming, interview, local news, meta, news, playstation, podcast, social media, tech news, threads, twitter, voice acting, vr, xbox

Hosts Michael Sorg, John Chichilla, and Katie Dudas discussed the Microsoft-Activision merger and when new games may hit Xbox Game Pass. They also talked about AI being used to recreate a deceased actor's voice for Cyberpunk 2077 and the spread of Meta's new VR headsets being called "Meta Glassholes." Other topics included Threads getting an edit button, using social media for news, AllTrails' new National Park guides, Chilla's new wireless earbuds for VR, Katie talking about her cancer journey on the radio, and sources for local news. The hosts covered the latest tech and gaming news while highlighting cool new products and digital trends.

Of SteamDecks and GoPros | AwesomeCast 658

October 10th, 2023  |  52 mins 3 secs

ai, charity event, children's hospital, classic games, extra life, fundraiser, gaming marathon, google, healthcare, kids, livestream, mario, pc gaming, pittsburgh, podcast, pollution, rabbids, saved games, spiderman, steam deck, tech news, traffic, twitch, video games, youtube

Brothers Mike and Matt discussed video games and tech news on their podcast The Awesome Cast. Topics included Matt's upcoming 24-hour Extra Life charity gaming marathon, the capabilities of the Steam Deck handheld PC, and Google's Project Greenlight to reduce traffic pollution with AI. They reminisced about classic PC games after finding Matt's old saved game files. Upcoming titles like Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope and Spiderman 2 were mentioned. The show will stream Matt's fundraiser on Twitch and YouTube to benefit Children's Hospital Pittsburgh starting October 11th. Viewers can donate to support kids' healthcare.

Looking Fly in My Aldi Pajamas | Awesomecast 656

September 26th, 2023  |  54 mins 26 secs

accessibility, ai, aldi, apple, auction, chatgpt, clothes, dinosaurs, email, fitness, fossils, fundraising, gadgets, google, health, iphone, money, pajamas, pittsburgh, podcast, social media, sorgatron media, tech, tech news, youtube

This episode of AwesomeCast dives into the latest tech gadgets and news with hosts Sorg, Dudders, and Podnar. They discuss new iPhone features like live voicemail transcription, voice isolation for clearer calls, and creating custom stickers from photos. Sorg reviews the Wellitory app which analyzes Apple Watch data to provide health ratings and recommendations for better sleep, exercise, and reducing stress. The hosts also explore iOS accessibility features that allow you to record your voice before potential speech loss, and then use it for text-to-speech. Plus, updates to ChatGPT like new voice and image capabilities, though concerns remain around impersonation and fraud. Podnar demos Google's Bard AI extensions which summarize your personal info and activities from Gmail, YouTube, Maps, and more. And the gang chats about the complexities of purchasing dinosaur fossils, after Dudders learns skeleton "Barry" is being auctioned for over $1 million. They get tips from ChatGPT on fundraising ideas. Finally, Dudders raves about the new cozy Aldi-branded apparel line with sweatshirts, tees and pajamas perfect for working from home.