AwesomeCast: Tech and Gadget Talk

AwesomeCast 794: Xbox Discs Go Digital, Gamescom’s AI Problem, $100K Keyboards & Retro Tech

September 2nd, 2026  |  1 hr 3 mins

ai in video games, brütal legend, cable management, chachisays video game minute, commodore 64, cyberpunk, dave podnar, dolly parton, donkey kong country, double fine, exoplanets, game preservation, gamescom 2026, generative ai, katie dudas, lego advent calendar 2026, luxury keyboards, mechanical keyboards, nancy grace roman space telescope, nasa, nintendo eshop, nintendo switch, nintendo switch sale, peter cullen, physical media, physical video games, pittsburgh podcast, pro football hall of fame, retro computing, retro gaming, roku city, sorg, sorgstock, tech news, technology podcast, tim curry, usb-c cables, virtual races, xbox, xbox discs to digital

Xbox is finding a new way to bridge physical and digital gaming, Gamescom 2026 has restarted the debate over generative AI in game development, and somehow we’ve found a keyboard that costs around $100,000.

Sorg, Katie Dudas, and Dave Podnar discuss Xbox’s Discs to Digital program and what it could mean for used games, delisted titles and game preservation. ChachiSays looks at AI use in Gamescom titles and the continuing decline of physical game sales. Katie explores Roku City’s tributes to Dolly Parton, Tim Curry and Peter Cullen, while Dave dives into the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

Plus: LEGO Advent Calendars arrive early, Brütal Legend honors Tim Curry with 666 minutes of free gaming, the bizarre Donkey Kong Country CGI cartoon returns to our lives, the Nintendo Switch bargain bin gets weird, Katie labels a slow USB-C charger, Dave finds luxury keyboards with unbelievable prices, and a Cyberpunk-themed Commodore 64 sends us back into retro-computing memories.

Hosted by Sorg, Katie Dudas, and Dave Podnar.

Apple M6 Macs, Grogu & RC Racing | AwesomeCast 793

August 25th, 2026  |  1 hr 28 mins

3d printing, airport gaming, apple, apple m6, artificial intelligence, bathroom finder app, cloudrc, dave podnar, disney nfl, dolly parton, dungeon crawler carl, field museum chicago, gameway, grogu, gta 6, gta vi, hasbro pulse, hot wheels, katie dudas, kingdom hearts 4, kingdom hearts disney plus, linus torvalds, linux, linux 35th anniversary, local ai, m6 chip, mac mini, mac studio, mattel game studios, michael sorg, minecraft, nature calls app, pittsburgh international airport, pittsburgh podcast, pittsburgh steelers, pittsburgh technology, plastic fun time, pokemon, pokemon fossil museum, racing simulator, rc cars, rc racing, rockstar games, sorg, star wars, technology podcast, thunderbolt 5, transformers, transformers minecraft, ultimate grogu, unix, uno

Sorg, Katie Dudas, and Dave Podnar are back with a packed AwesomeCast covering the latest intersections of technology, gaming, gadgets, and geek culture.
The show opens with a remembrance of Dolly Parton and her extraordinary charitable legacy before diving into RC cars controlled through full-size racing simulators and Apple’s updated Mac mini and Mac Studio hardware. Dave explains the M6 chip, Thunderbolt 5 clustering, and why running AI locally could become increasingly attractive for businesses and creators.
Chachi takes us inside Chicago’s Pokémon Fossil Museum exhibit and delivers gaming news on Kingdom Hearts 4, Mattel Game Studios, and the latest GTA VI leaks. Katie opens a box full of 3D-printed Dungeon Crawler Carl collectibles, while the crew celebrates 35 years of Linux.
Plus: Transformers invades Minecraft, Hasbro creates a $600 interactive Grogu, the Nature Calls restroom finder launches, Pittsburgh International Airport gets a gaming lounge, and Disney characters are being paired with NFL teams.
Get geeky. Get awesome.

Xbox Games on Mac & Linux? Freddy Fazbear Goes IRL & Video Stores Return | AwesomeCast 791

August 11th, 2026  |  59 mins 40 secs

adobe project indigo, ai photo editing, ai photography, american dream, amusement parks, atari, betamax, binge buster, cedar point, cloud gaming, computational photography, dave podnar, diablo, digital ownership, doom the dark ages, dvd, ea, electronic arts, five nights at freddy's, forza horizon, freddy fazbear's pizza, gaming news, geforce now, grand theft auto vi, gta 6, lawrenceville pittsburgh, lewis latimer, linux gaming, lost lizard pittsburgh, mac gaming, michael sorg, movies anywhere, nature calls run, netflix, nvidia geforce now, physical media, pittsburgh apps, pittsburgh tech, pittsburgh technology podcast, pittsburgh weather, quake, quake 30th anniversary, reddit pittsburgh, restroom finder, running apps, six flags, sorg, stormfreak, streaming movies, streaming services, tech news, technology podcast, vhs, video stores, xbox, xbox game pass, xbox on linux, xbox on mac, xodus

Sorg and Dave Podnar explore what happens when new technology collides with some very old ideas. Binge Buster turns streaming discovery into a virtual video-store experience, Pittsburgh's Lost Lizard is actually renting VHS, DVD, and Betamax again, and disappearing digital movie purchases have Sorg wondering whether physical media deserves another look.

Steam Game Cartridges Are Real?! Xbox’s Disc Comeback & AI Love Island | AwesomeCast 790

August 4th, 2026  |  56 mins 16 secs

ai reality show, ai slop, ai video, apple health, artificial intelligence, august interactive, battlefield 6, brother p-touch, creator tools, cybersecurity, dave podnar, digital ownership, ea layoffs, electronic arts, fitbit, fruit love island, gadget podcast, galaxies, game preservation, health technology, katie dudas, kevin mitnick, label maker, lsst camera, lunar science, michael sorg, moon impact, moonbase y, nasa games, national social engineering day, pc gaming, physical media, pittsburgh podcast, playstation discs, social engineering, sony playstation, space photography, spacex, steam cartridges, steam games, tech news, technology podcast, travel apps, travel technology, vera c rubin observatory, wrinkles app, xbox, xbox backwards compatibility, xbox disc to digital

AwesomeCast 790: Steam Game Cartridges Are Real?! Xbox’s Disc Comeback & AI Love Island

AI Graphics Get Smarter + Xbox Classics on PC & LEGO Star Trek | AwesomeCast 789

July 28th, 2026  |  54 mins 51 secs

accessibility technology, adobe photoshop, ai, ai education, ai image editing, artificial intelligence, atari, atom smasher, audible, audiobook, audiobook history, autobot blaster, centipede, chachisays video game minute, chatgpt, chatgpt images, commercial street bridge, dave podnar, dungeon crawler carl, education technology, game preservation, generative ai, graphic design, hasbro, humanoid robot, jem and the holograms, katie dudas, lego, lego smart play, michael sorg, optimus prime, peter cullen, photoshop, pittsburgh history, pittsburgh tech podcast, pittsburgh technology, pong, retro gaming, robosen, robotics, sorg, squirrel hill tunnel, star trek, steam deck, tech news, technology history, technology podcast, transformers, universal pictures, uss enterprise, video game news, westinghouse, xbox, xbox backward compatibility, xbox pc

AwesomeCast 788: Pew Pew - Retro Gaming on Apple TV, Minimalist Flip Phones & the AI Backlash

July 21st, 2026  |  1 hr 6 mins

adaptive cruise control, ai ethics, ai image editing, ai video production, apple tv gaming, arduino, artificial intelligence, ask photos, browser games, consumer technology, creative ai, cruise control, data centers, data-center electricity, dave podnar, digital detox, digital ownership, digital privacy, diy electronics, dumb phones, dungeon crawler carl, flip phones, gadget podcast, gamestop, garmin connect, garmin fitness tracker, generative ai, google gemini, google photos, google photos search, gta iii, gta san andreas mod, gta vice city, katie dudas, light flip phone, machine learning, maeve chocolate, maker technology, mama’s night off, mars flyby, mike sorg, minimalist phone, minimalist technology, nasa psyche, nintendo wii remote, openmote, pastfinders, physical media, physical video games, pittsburgh bridges, pittsburgh film office, pittsburgh movie locations, pittsburgh podcast, playstation 5 emulation, ps5 emulator, ralph teetor, retro gaming, retro technology, retroarch, retroarch apple tv, sae, screenless fitness tracker, smart-home controls, society of automotive engineers, sony physical discs, sorg, sorgatron media, space exploration, tech news, technology news, technology podcast, technology regulation, video game emulation, wearable technology, wiimote

Sorg, Katie Dudas, and Dave Podnar explore the return of retro technology and the growing demand for digital tools that give users more control.

Katie shares the Dungeon Crawler Carl-inspired Mama’s Night Off browser game. Dave introduces Garmin’s new screenless fitness tracker, while Sorg explains how he set up RetroArch on Apple TV to play games from classic consoles and computers.

The crew also discusses PlayStation 5 emulation, GameStop’s response to the decline of physical discs, and why consumers are returning to vinyl, CDs, cassettes, flip phones, and other forms of physical technology.

An extended conversation examines how AI is being incorporated into creative tools, business software, search, image editing, and video production. The hosts consider responsible AI use, the difference between generative AI and other machine-learning features, and the environmental and infrastructure concerns surrounding rapid data-center growth.

Other stories include NASA’s Psyche spacecraft capturing a Mars flyby, Pittsburgh movie locations in the Pastfinders app, the minimalist Light Flip phone, the OpenMote Wii Remote development board, Google Photos restoring classic search, and Ralph Teetor’s invention of cruise control.

Support AwesomeCast at https://www.patreon.com/awesomecast and find more shows at https://sorgatronmedia.com.

Fortnite’s Hot Bat Summer, Robot Arms & AI | AwesomeCast 787

July 15th, 2026  |  58 mins 19 secs

ai privacy, apple beta, apple health, artificial intelligence, assistive technology, autonomous vehicles, batman, blood pressure monitor, camera guidelines, carnegie science center, catwoman, consumer technology, cyborg technology, dave podnar, digital ownership, digital surveillance, disability pride month, doctor octopus, fast and furious, fortnite, gadgets, harley quinn, hot bat summer, instagram ai, ios 27, jizai arms, katie dudas, kennywood, kids smartwatch, lego speed champions, meta ai, michael sorg, omron 7 series, parental controls, petersen automotive museum, phones for kids, pinwheel phones, pittsburgh technology podcast, poison ivy, robotic arms, rory cooper, sorg, speed exhibit, sports broadcasting, tech news, technology podcast, toyota supra mk4, usb-c cables, usb-c diagnostics, waymo, whatcable, wheelchair technology, women athletes

Sorg, Katie Dudas and Dave Podnar explore the useful, unusual and occasionally alarming side of modern technology in AwesomeCast 787.

Dave reviews the Bluetooth-enabled Omron 7 Series blood pressure monitor, while Katie introduces Pinwheel’s managed phones, smartwatch and Wi-Fi home phone for younger users. Sorg tests WhatCable, a Mac utility that reveals whether USB-C cables, chargers and ports are really delivering the speeds they promise.

The crew also discusses Rory Cooper’s groundbreaking wheelchair innovations, LEGO’s Fast & Furious Toyota Supra, a new speed exhibit at the Carnegie Science Center, respectful camera guidelines for women athletes, Instagram’s reversed AI remix feature, wearable Doctor Octopus-style robotic arms, Fortnite’s “Hot Bat Summer” and a shirtless protester’s battle with a Waymo.

Sorg begins downloading the iOS 27 public beta during the episode, while Katie saves her less-than-awesome update thoughts for the Patreon aftertalk.

GeForce Now on Apple TV, LEGO F1 Cars & Sony’s Digital Ownership Problem | AwesomeCast 786

July 7th, 2026  |  59 mins 20 secs

aeroplay, apple tv gaming, autonomous vehicles, british grand prix, business laptops, collector toys, dave podnar, dell refurbished, digital movie library, digital ownership, disability pride month, drm, dungeon crawler carl, epic games, fireworks, fisher-price little people, formula 1, game preservation, geforce now, hello kitty insta360, herman hollerith, ibm history, insta360, kamin science center, katie dudas, lego f1, medication organizer, nvidia geforce now, physical game discs, pill caddy, pittsburgh podcast, pop culture collectibles, punched cards, refurbished laptops, science of speed, self-driving cars, sony playstation, sorg, steam games, tech podcast, villain support, waymo, weekly pill organizer, xbox cloud gaming

F1 Drone Tech, AI Video Chaos & the World’s Largest Camera| AwesomeCast 725

July 1st, 2026  |  58 mins 41 secs

3200 megapixels, aew, ai glasses, ai tools, ai video, apple price increases, astronomy, augmented reality, dark energy, dark matter, dave podnar, digital games, drone camera, f1 drone, filming drone, five nights at freddy’s 3, formula 1, gadget podcast, gadgets, game ownership, generative ai, gta 6, gta vi, hover soccer ball, ipad prices, it came from ai, lgbtq tech history, mac prices, martine rothblatt, meta glasses, minions, motorsports technology, nes, nintendo switch game key cards, physical games, pittsburgh podcast, podcast seo, pride month, red bull, retro gaming, rubin observatory, sirius xm, snap ar glasses, sorg, sorgatron media, space camera, steam games, tech news, tech podcast, united therapeutics, vera rubin observatory, viral tiktok

This week on AwesomeCast 785, Sorg and Dave Podnar get geeky with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s massive 3,200-megapixel digital camera, Red Bull’s world’s fastest filming drone chasing a Formula 1 car, and the tech legacy of Martine Rothblatt for Pride Month.

SteamOS, Shokz Headphones, Retro Phones, Sports Tech & a T-Pain Social Media Fail | AwesomeCast 784

June 23rd, 2026  |  59 mins 35 secs

ai coding, amd gpu, automation, baja sae, bazzite, bone conduction headphones, chachi says, claude guillemot, commodore phone, dave podnar, digital twins, doordash, dumbphone, formula sae, gadgets, gaming, gta 6, jon maddog hall, lgbtq tech history, linux gaming, linux history, michael sorg, mlb, nex playground, open ear headphones, open source, pc gaming, pittsburgh podcast, pixel art baseball, podcast, pride month, proton, referee technology, retro phone, retro tech, ribbie, running headphones, sailfish os, shokz openrun pro 2, social media fail, sorg, sports technology, steam deck, steam machine, steamos, t-pain, tech podcast, technology podcast, ubisoft, valve, var, vibe coding, video game news, world cup