Then the crew hits a surprisingly heartfelt app story with “Are You Dead?”, a daily check-in safety app built for modern life when friends and family live far apart.  We also get into the rise of cozy “chore games” like PowerWash Simulator and other satisfyingly organized gaming obsessions. 

On the creator side, we break down Apple’s new Creator Studio approach—what it could mean for Final Cut, Logic, Motion, and Compressor—and why AI-assisted editing features are starting to matter for everyday workflows.  Plus: OpenAI’s push toward age prediction and the complications that come with automated verification. 

Show notes + links: (include the link list above)

Animal Crossing
• Animal Crossing video (Katie segment) (no URL listed in the sheet row; included as an on-show segment)

“Chore games” / cozy games
• A Game About Digging a Hole (Xbox): https://www.xbox.com/en-US/play/games/a-game-about-digging-a-hole/9NGLST31DG26
• A Game About Digging a Hole (Nintendo): https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/a-game-about-digging-a-hole-switch/
• PowerWash Simulator (Apple App Store): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/powerwash-simulator/id6477445344

“Are You Dead?” app
• BGR story: https://www.bgr.com/2074610/are-you-dead-top-paid-iphone-app-china/
• DeMumu app listing: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/demumu/id6745099872

ChachiSays Video Game Minute items (from the sheet)
• David Rosen / Sega co-founder (Tom’s Hardware): https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/sega-co-founder-david-r…d-former-us-airman-set-up-sega-after-his-service-ended-in-japan
• Assassin’s Creed Netflix casting (Deadline): https://deadline.com/2026/01/assassins-creed-tanzyn-crawford-cast-netflix-series-1236658813/
• John Wick universe AAA game (Tech4Gamers): https://tech4gamers.com/aaa-john-wick-game-development/

AI / OpenAI / Sora
• Mattel on Sora profile: https://sora.chatgpt.com/profile/mattel
• OpenAI age prediction (Engadget): https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-is-launching-age-prediction-for-chatgpt-accounts-222650340.html
• ChatGPT Health page: https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-health/

Creator tools
• Apple Creator Studio (Apple Newsroom): https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/01/introducing-apple-creator-studio-an-inspiring-collection-of-creative-apps/
• Adobe Premiere AI updates (Engadget): https://www.engadget.com/ai/adobe-unveils-new-ai-powered-vide…vlq1gStDzB9i-clNMdAMo4O0o4ro8ohtbVXETV41pRXvEFAQZh6nDH-1vO91dYLO

Support AwesomeCast: Tech and Gadget Talk

Katie, Chilla, and Sorg are back in studio joined by John Carman this week to run down the tech news you should know about, including:

• Chilla is sharing TiVO's CommercialSkip and the way they're working it for the Super Bowl as his Awesome Thing of the Week.
• Katie is filming birds (instead of flipping them) with the Bird Photo Booth as her Awesome Thing of the Week.
• Sorg's Awesome Thing of the Week is iCloud files + Apple Clips + iMovie for quick social media edits of some video content - including Episode 429's Pornhub discussion.
• Apple is reportedly working on a subscription gaming service.
• Were you a fan of Farmville back in the day? There's good news. Competitive virtual farming is getting its own esports league!
• After the last episode, Carman apparently found a different Fyre TV that is most definitely not related to Fyre Festival. [NOTE: Link NSFW]
• Facebook has been paying teens $20 a month to access their phones?
• Having trouble with Facebook generating the wrong image for your link? There's a fix for it. Katie is sharing what she recently learned.
• We're sharing some thoughts on the FaceTime bug.
• Someone is trying to recreate Legend of Zelda in DOOM, and needs a hand.
• Amazon has a cute little robot that helps with deliveries.
• Netflix may have raised prices, but Hulu is lowering its basic service price.
• Looking for a way to smoke without being detected? Philter is offering a filter to eliminate smoke and smell.
• Innovation at a slow walking pace.

After the show remember to:

Eat at Slice on Broadway (@Pgh_Slice) if you are in the Pittsburgh area! It is Awesome! (sliceonbroadway.com)

Want to be part of our studio audience? Hit us up at awesomecast@sorgatronmedia.com and we’ll save you a seat!

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

Follow these awesome people on Twitter: Sorg (@Sorgatron), Chilla (@chilla) and Katie (@Kdudders)

Have you seen our AwesomeTips videos?

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

Remember to check out our friends at the River’s Edge (@RiversEdgePGH) and The 405 Media (@The405Radio) who replay the show on their stream throughout the week!

Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment; and view us livestreaming Tuesdays around 7:00 PM EST

Support AwesomeCast: Tech and Gadget Talk

Apparently Sorg is a Life Model Decoy (LMD)?
Whitlatch is showing off some cool tech he's using for ZTag.
Chris is sharing how important tech games are for his local community.
Chilla is enthralled by this magic Whitlatch is bringing to the show this week.
Sorg was in Cleveland and had a chance to check out the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - which is where he found his Awesome Thing of the Week.
Chilla's Awesome Thing of the Week is an AI media search through Microsoft OneDrive.
Companies are trying to bypass the app store.
Fortnite is trying to use dance moves as its two-factor authentication process.
Sometimes having that bigger name behind you helps build your audience because they are already trusted names in the greater community.
Golden Eye creators have ruled Oddjob as cheating.
We're talking some Honda Sensing.
Sorg has been doing some quick video and edits - directly from his iPhone.
Want to see the world super up close? There's a foot-long camera lens to help you out with that.
Microsoft is offering a subscription for Xbox.
Microsoft and Sony are working together on gaming experiences.
Chilla has a new Blue microphone he's excited about.
We're living in 1995 - thanks to an app that allows you to download and install a version of Windows 95.

After the show remember to:

Eat at Slice on Broadway (@Pgh_Slice) if you are in the Pittsburgh area! It is Awesome! (sliceonbroadway.com)

Want to be part of our studio audience? Hit us up at awesomecast@sorgatronmedia.com and we’ll save you a seat!

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

Follow these awesome people on Twitter: Christopher Whitlatch (@cswhitlatch), Chilla (@chilla) and Sorg (@Sorgatron)

Have you seen our AwesomeTips videos?

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

Remember to check out our friends at the River’s Edge (@RiversEdgePGH) and The 405 Media (@The405Radio) who replay the show on their stream throughout the week!

Also, check out sorgatronmedia.com and awesomecast.com for more entertainment; and view us livestreaming Tuesdays around 7:00 PM EST!

Support AwesomeCast: Tech and Gadget Talk