AwesomeCast: Tech and Gadget Talk - Episodes Tagged with “Pc Gaming”

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

Sorgatron Media — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 23:00:00 -0400

What happens when a PC gamer turns downloadable Steam games into physical cartridges? Sorg, Katie Dudas and Dave Podnar explore that inventive project alongside an AI-generated reality show starring romantic fruits, Xbox’s possible plan for preserving physical game collections, Fitbit’s long-awaited Apple Health support and a 9,000-pound rocket stage headed for the Moon.

The crew also discusses a travel app that automatically tells stories based on your location, the staggering first imagery from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, Kevin Mitnick’s legacy in cybersecurity and several troubling decisions from the video game industry.

Stories, Gadgets and Topics Discussed

Katie’s Brother P-touch label maker: Katie shows how she is using built-in symbols—including cameras, computers and warning icons—to organize and identify equipment, drives and other technology.
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory reveals an enormous view of the universe: Dave follows up on the observatory’s 3.2-gigapixel LSST camera and an image containing approximately 650,000 galaxies. The hosts discuss the astonishing detail available when zooming into tiny sections of the image, the observatory’s planned decade of data collection and how AI could help scientists examine datasets too large for humans to process manually. See the Vera C. Rubin Observatory imagery
Wrinkles turns city exploration into a location-aware audio tour: Katie introduces Wrinkles, a travel app that automatically shares historical facts, local stories and hidden details as users walk through supported cities. The app uses AI-generated voices, but its information is drawn from curated sources such as historians, museums and local organizations. Creators and tourism groups may also be able to build their own tours and experiences. Explore the Wrinkles travel app
A PC gamer creates physical Steam cartridges: Sorg examines a DIY project that stores individual Steam games on inexpensive 128GB, 2.5-inch SSDs. A script detects the drive when it is inserted, connects the game to the owner’s Steam library and launches the title—creating something close to a modern PC game cartridge. The discussion considers storage costs, portability and whether physical presentation can make digital collections feel more permanent. See the DIY Steam cartridge project
Kevin Mitnick and National Social Engineering Day: Dave looks back at famed hacker-turned-security-consultant Kevin Mitnick, whose birthday on August 6 inspired National Social Engineering Day. The hosts explain how attackers can bypass strong technology by manipulating employees, customer-service representatives and other people into revealing passwords, resetting accounts or granting access. Learn about National Social Engineering Day Read Kevin Mitnick’s congressional testimony
ChachiSays Video Game Minute—“Doubling Down on Dumb Decisions”:
- Sony acknowledges the backlash surrounding its move away from physical PlayStation discs but plans to continue moving in that direction. Read the Sony physical-media story
- Electronic Arts reportedly rewarded its CEO with a major compensation increase following the success of Battlefield 6 while developers responsible for the game faced layoffs. Read about the EA compensation and layoffs
- August Interactive is working with NASA on Moonbase Y, a game designed to encourage children to plan, collaborate and invent solutions for a future lunar colony. Learn about Moonbase Y
Xbox considers converting physical games into digital licenses: A reported Xbox disc-to-digital program could allow owners of original Xbox and Xbox 360 discs to access compatible digital copies on newer hardware or PC. The hosts discuss game preservation, license transfer, resale and whether Microsoft’s approach inspires more confidence in the long-term future of an Xbox library. Read about Xbox’s reported disc-to-digital plan
Fitbit data can finally sync with Apple Health: Fitbit users can now consolidate more of their fitness information inside Apple Health. The hosts discuss the convenience of keeping activity, blood-pressure readings and medical information in one location, while noting that some measurements—including heart-rate variability—may not transfer yet. Learn how to sync Fitbit with Apple Health
A SpaceX rocket stage is headed for the Moon: A roughly 9,000-pound piece of space hardware is expected to strike the lunar surface. Although the collision is accidental and likely will not be visible to the naked eye, lunar orbiters may be able to document the crater and debris, turning the impact into an unexpected scientific experiment. Read about the lunar impact
Fruit Love Island and the strange appeal of AI reality television: Sorg introduces an AI-generated dating show starring anthropomorphic fruits and vegetables. The hosts examine its bizarre character designs, inconsistent AI visuals, audience voting, reality-show storytelling and surprisingly organized production workflow. They also debate whether projects like this are disposable “AI slop” or useful experiments in storyboarding, character consistency and accessible video production. Watch Hasan Minhaj react to Fruit Love Island Visit Fruit Love Island Watch the Fruit Love Island video

Support AwesomeCast and receive the ad-free edition at Patreon.com/AwesomeCast.

AwesomeCast is supported by Slice on Broadway, serving Pittsburgh podcasting with the perfect pepperoni pizza for more than a decade. Visit SliceOnBroadway.com.

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

Sorgatron Media — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 23:00:00 -0400

This week on AwesomeCast, Sorg is joined by Dave Podnar while Katie is on assignment. The crew digs into practical tech, gaming platforms, open-source operating systems, sports broadcast innovation, retro-inspired phones, and one very funny automated social media mistake involving DoorDash, soccer, and T-Pain.

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

Of SteamDecks and GoPros | AwesomeCast 658

Sorgatron Media — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 19:00:00 -0400

This week’s episode brought to you by Slice on Broadway, and Sidekick Media Services and listeners like you at www.patreon.com/awesomecast

We are joined by Brother Matt . Matt streams on Twitch and YouTube as LordSorg.

Matt is participating in Extra Life, a 24-hour gaming marathon raising money for Children's Hospital Pittsburgh. It starts on Wednesday October 11th at noon.

Sorg talks about his GoPro Media Mod to extend his GoPro 8’s to live production with HDMI, Power and on board Mic upgrades! https://gopro.com/en/us/shop/mounts-accessories/camera-media-mod/ADFMD-001.html

They discussed Matt's Steam Deck handheld gaming PC. It runs SteamOS (Linux) and has similar power to a PS4.https://www.steamdeck.com/en/

Google announced Project Greenlight to reduce traffic pollution using AI at intersections.https://www.engadget.com/amp/google-ai-stoplight-program-project-green-light-sustainability-traffic-110015328.html

Tesla owners are using the new action button on iPhone 15 to unlock and remotely start their cars.https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-shortcuts-iphone-15-pro-action-button-2023-10

Upcoming games discussed: Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, Spiderman 2, Assassin's Creed Mirage.

They reminisced about old PC games by looking through Matt's folder of saved games.

The show will be streaming Matt's Extra Life fundraiser on Twitch and YouTube. Viewers can donate to Children's Hospital Pittsburgh. https://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=514767

Subscribe to the Podcast: awesomecast.com

Sorgatron Media Podcast Network Feed: sorgatronmedia.fireside.fm

Join our AwesomeCast Facebook Group to see what we’re sharing and to join the discussion!

You can support the show at Patreon.com/awesomecast!

Special Thanks to kidmental for the new AwesomeCast Sounds! Visit him at www.kidmental.com

Join our live show Tuesdays around 7:00 PM EST on AwesomeCast Facebook, Youtube and Sorgatron Media Twitch!