Katie Dudders

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

November 4th, 2025  |  1 hr 1 min

pittsburgh, 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.

AwesomeCast 754: OpenAI’s New Browser Changes Everything | ChatGPT Atlas Hands-On!

October 22nd, 2025  |  48 mins 40 secs

3dfx graphics card, ad-supported tv, ai browser, ai news, ai pet, ai shopping, awesomecast, baby steps game, cable management hack, casio moflin, chatgpt atlas, dave podnar, double fine keeper, free tv ads, gadget news, katie dudas, keeper game pass, michael sorg, netflix gaming, openai browser, pittsburgh tech podcast, pop culture tech, retro pc gaming, roblox games, robotic pet, sesame street roblox, slice on broadway, tech podcast, telly tv, walmart chatgpt, weekly tech show, xbox game pass games

The AwesomeCast crew — Michael Sorg, Katie Dudas, and Dave Podnar — dive into another week of geeky goodness, from AI browsers and robo-pets to nostalgic tech and bizarre cable “hacks.”

Fishing Without Bait 488: Are You Being Fooled by Media? The Truth About Manipulation & Identity Loss

October 21st, 2025  |  20 mins 19 secs

advertising influence, algorithmic persuasion, anxiety, behavioral health, celebrity endorsements, comparison culture, consumerism, critical thinking, digital detox, emotional advertising, emotional intelligence, fishing without bait, fomo, identity loss, influencer culture, insecurity, jim ellermeyer, marketing psychology, media literacy, media manipulation, mental health, mike sorg, mindfulness, mindfulness podcast, recovery podcast, self-awareness, self-discovery, self-reflection, social media addiction, targeted ads

In this eye-opening episode of Fishing Without Bait, host Jim Ellermeyer is joined once again by producer Mike Sorg to explore how modern media shapes our identities, fuels our purchases, and even distorts our sense of self-worth.

From emotional manipulation in advertising to influencer culture and data-driven targeting, Jim and Mike unpack the psychological tactics behind today’s media and tech. How does a Power Glove from the ’80s connect to the viral influencer culture of today? Are we in control of our choices—or are we reacting without realizing it?

AwesomeCast 753: Rule 34

October 15th, 2025  |  Season 11  |  1 hr 1 min

ai avatars, ai tools 2025, ai video generator, ai-generated characters, arachnophobia mode, awesomecast podcast, baby steps game, cat calendar, cat wars calendar, creepy puppet game, dave podnar, five nights at freddy’s, game pass blizzard games, game pass savings, gaming podcast, grounded nintendo switch, katie dudas, living desert zoo, michael sorg, my friendly neighborhood game, netflix tv games, nintendo switch survival game, palm springs zoo, podcast pittsburgh, puppet horror shooter, resident evil parody, rom com ai video, sora ai app, sorgatron media, spooky games 2025, tech podcast, video game accessibility, xbox game pass tip, xbox game pass ultimate

This week on AwesomeCast, we dive into creepy games and cutting-edge tech!
🎮 Katie introduces Grounded: Fully Yoked Edition on Nintendo Switch
🧵 Sorg explores My Friendly Neighborhood—a horror puppet shooter with serious FNAF vibes
🦒 Dave visits The Living Desert Zoo in Palm Springs
🤖 We unleash chaos using the Sora AI app—turning ourselves into rom-com leads, tourists, and caffeine junkies
🎮 Plus: Netflix launches games on TV, and Baby Steps punishes you for skipping cutscenes!

AwesomeCast 752: We Built a Livestream Studio in a U-Haul at an Off-Road Motorsport Event!

October 8th, 2025  |  Season 11  |  1 hr 5 mins

ai video generation, alba colon, amazon prime login, awesomecast, baja sae, cancer survivor surfing, dave podnar, event livestreaming, first descents, game pass price increase, gopro crash, hendrick motorsports, katie dudas, meta ai editing, michael sorg, microsoft game pass, minecraft climate change game, mini baja rc, missy sorg, mobile livestream setup, off-road racing, openai sora, podcasting, production tips, romcom sabotage, sae international, santa cruz surfing, sidekick media services, slice on broadway, sorgatron media, streaming cautionary tale, tech podcast, u-haul studio, video production, wireless camera setup, women in motorsports

Surfboards, Baja Cars & Broken GoPros — This Week on AwesomeCast!

Katie returns with stories from the waves as she shares her inspiring First Descents surf adventure in Santa Cruz, designed for cancer survivors. Meanwhile, the team gives a full behind-the-scenes breakdown of their latest wild production at Baja SAE Carolina — from broadcasting out of a U-Haul van to dealing with dusty terrain, wireless camera chaos, and even a GoPro that didn’t survive.

Fishing Without Bati 486: “Not Today”: The One Phrase That Will Change Your Life

October 7th, 2025  |  Season 11  |  15 mins 58 secs

pittsburgh, podcast

AwesomeCast 751: From Met Ray Band Promise to TSA Love Letters

September 24th, 2025  |  Season 11  |  1 hr 2 mins

ai glasses, apple carplay widgets, apple fitness+, apple updates 2025, apple watch updates, awesomecast, carplay update, chachi video game minute, defy wrestling, fallout tv show, indie wrestling streaming, ios 17, iphone 17 camera, iphone 17 pro max, last of us hbo, marques brownlee, meta ray-ban glasses, mobile photography, nolan bushnell exodexa, ray-ban meta fail, reflex iphone lenses, smart glasses 2025, tech fails, tech news podcast, tech podcast, tsa travel tips, unbox therapy, video game adaptations, video production gear, watchos 10

This week on AwesomeCast, Michael Sorg and Dave Podnar are joined by intern Mac to dive into the latest in Apple tech, production travel hacks, and wearable innovation. Sorg shares stories from producing Defy Wrestling in Seattle, including packing $30K worth of video gear and dealing with TSA “love letters.” Dave brings real-world testing of the iPhone 17 Pro Max camera with stunning 8x zoom shots.

Fishing Without Bait 484: Reclaim Your Emotional Sovereignty Today

September 23rd, 2025  |  Season 11  |  17 mins 34 secs

pittsburgh, podcast

In this episode of Fishing Without Bait, Jim Ellermeyer and producer Mike explore the powerful concept of cognitive clarity—the antidote to anxiety and the constant mental noise of modern life.

Learn how to manage racing thoughts, move from fear-based reactivity to logical clarity, and reclaim your emotional sovereignty by choosing your own narrative over external expectations.

Wrestling Mayhem Show 974: Dominik Mysterio Wins AAA Gold & Liberty L the Villainous Returns!

September 17th, 2025  |  Season 11  |  1 hr 45 mins

880 wrestling, aaa mega champion, aaa worlds collide, aew all out, aew news, bayley dent, bayley two face, camp wwe, corey graves, dominik mysterio, enjoy wrestling, indy wrestling, indywrestling.us, jbl, konnan, liberty l, liberty l the villainous, penta el zero m, pittsburgh wrestling, pro wrestling podcast, rey mysterio, rwa wrestling, thursday night fights, wrestling mayhem show, wrestling podcast, wwe battleground, wwe halloween horror nights, wwe on espn, wwe raw, wwe slam city, wwe smackdown

On Wrestling Mayhem Show 974, Sorg, Rizz, and Mad Mike are joined by Liberty L the Villainous, fresh off winning the 880 TNF Championship. We cover the aftermath of WWE/AAA Worlds Collide, Dominik Mysterio’s new role in AAA, the rise of crossover commentary, AEW’s couples booking potential, and the surprising places WWE branding is showing up.

AwesomeCast 750: From Blogger to Tech Founder: How Virginia Montanez Created PastFinders

September 17th, 2025  |  Season 11  |  58 mins 9 secs

pittsburgh, podcast

This week on AwesomeCast, we dive into tech, history, and a little pumpkin spice! We’re joined by Virginia Montanez — acclaimed writer, author, and creator of the PastFinders app, which turns everyday walks into immersive historical tours.

AwesomeCast 749: Apple iPhone 17 Lineup EXPLAINED: Pro Camera Tricks, AirPods Translation, Watch Ultra 3

September 9th, 2025  |  Season 11  |  59 mins 35 secs

airpods pro 3 translation, apple log 2 prores raw genlock, apple watch ultra 3 satellite, iphone 17 air thin phone, iphone 17 pro camera, iphone vapor chamber cooling, lego gingerbread at-at, pittsburgh tech podcast awesomecast, sesame street full episodes youtube 2026, ucs death star 9023 pieces

Apple’s September event brought us the iPhone 17 family, AirPods Pro 3, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3, packed with features for creators and adventurers alike. Michael Sorg, Katie Dudas, and Dave Podnar break down what’s exciting (and what’s eyebrow-raising) in this week’s AwesomeCast.

Wrestling Mayhem Show 973: Forks, Hoagies & AJ Lee

September 9th, 2025  |  Season 11  |  1 hr 7 mins

pittsburgh, podcast

AwesomeCast 748: Opus Pro vs CapCut, Mortal Kombat Kollection & Amazon Lens Live Tested!

September 3rd, 2025  |  Season 11  |  56 mins 3 secs

80s cartoons, ai tools, ai video editing, airpods 3, amazon lens live, amazon shopping tool, apple event, apple rumors, awesomecast, baja sae, capcut, content creator tools, dave podnar, grogu movie, he-man game, instagram pip, instagram reels, iphone 17, iphone 17 air, katie dudas, live translation, mandalorian movie, michael sorg, mortal kombat kollection, mortal kombat legacy kollection, motorweek, nintendo movie adaptations, nintendo stars, opus clip, opus pro, pbs baja sae, playstation classic, retro gaming, tech podcast

This week on AwesomeCast 748, hosts Michael Sorg, Katie Dudas, and Dave Podnar break down the latest in tech, gadgets, and geek news

AwesomeCast 747: SkillBuilder’s AI Colleagues Are Taking Over Pittsburgh w/ Kit Mueller

August 27th, 2025  |  Season 11  |  1 hr 1 min

ai colleagues, ai image editing, apple intelligence, apple watch ai, applecare bundle, applecare one, awesome cast podcast, awesomecast, brew gentlemen, dave podnar, fallout amazon prime, fallout season 2 trailer, floating bar pittsburgh, gadget news, geek podcast, google flash image, google gemini, hello kitty freeze tag party, hello kitty switch, indy podcast, katie dudas, kit mueller, lego batman 2026, lego batman legacy of the dark knight, macbook pro applecare, michael sorg, nintendo switch games 2025, pittsburgh podcast, pittsburgh riverfront, pittsburgh startup, pittsburgh tech, riverlife shore thing, skillbuilder, skillbuilder io, tech podcast, video game news, viral cat subway

AwesomeCast 747 – Floating Bars, Hello Kitty Games, and AI Colleagues
Hosts Michael Sorg, Katie Dudas, and Dave Podnar are joined by Kit Mueller of SkillBuilder.io to explore the latest tech, gaming, and Pittsburgh innovations.

AwesomeCast 745: Ford Bets Big, Hello Kitty Bricks In, and GPT 5 Takes Over Your Terminal

August 13th, 2025  |  Season 11  |  59 mins 37 secs

pittsburgh, podcast

Hosts Michael Sorg, Katie Dudas, and Dave Podnar are back with another fun-filled episode of AwesomeCast, bringing their favorite geeky picks and tech stories of the week from Pittsburgh and beyond.

AwesomeCast 744: Cat Wars, Retro Macs & the Coolest AI Trick Yet

August 6th, 2025  |  Season 11  |  1 hr 4 mins

pittsburgh, podcast

This week’s episode dives into a mix of tech, toys, and travel adventures. From a Nickelodeon-themed indoor amusement park and the quirky “Cat Wars” calendar to the upcoming Hello Kitty × Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Happy Meal toys, we cover it all. We also explore a retro Macintosh-style USB-C hub, try out live AI object recognition, fold our way through a paper airplane STEM kit, and get nostalgic with the Retro Bowl College Edition mobile game.