Katie begins with Mama’s Night Off, a browser game inspired by Dungeon Crawler Carl and the Maeve Chocolate Dirty Shirley bar. Dave introduces Garmin’s new screenless fitness tracker, an alternative to smartwatches and subscription-heavy wearables. Sorg shares his experience setting up RetroArch on Apple TV, including its wide range of supported systems, open-source games, ROM management, controllers, and the tinkering required to make everything work.

The conversation expands into the tension between digital convenience and physical ownership. The hosts discuss GameStop’s response to Sony’s physical-media decisions, the rapid progress of PlayStation 5 emulation, and why consumers are returning to CDs, vinyl, cassettes, retro games, and other physical formats.

They also have an extended discussion about generative AI, creative production, AI-assisted image editing, automation tools, corporate responsibility, electrical-grid pressures, and the rapid construction of data centers. The hosts examine the difference between rejecting AI entirely and learning how to use it responsibly while still demanding accountability from businesses and government.

Later, the show looks at NASA’s Psyche spacecraft capturing a Mars flyby, Pittsburgh movie history through the Pastfinders app, a minimalist flip phone for people who want fewer distractions, a development board that turns old Nintendo Wii Remotes into customizable controllers, and Google Photos restoring a traditional search option alongside Ask Photos.

Stories and Gadgets Discussed

Awesome Things of the Week

• Mama’s Night Off and the Maeve Chocolate Dirty Shirley Bar

  • Katie shares a browser-based game connected to Dungeon Crawler Carl.
  • Players fire magical projectiles at cherries to help create Mama’s Dirty Shirley.
  • The hosts discuss the game’s intentionally retro presentation and voice work by Jeff Hays.
  • Play the game and view the chocolate bar: https://maevechocolate.com/products/virgin-dirty-shirley/?game

• Garmin’s Screenless Fitness Tracker

  • Dave introduces Garmin’s wearable fitness tracker designed without a screen.
  • The device offers health and activity tracking without requiring users to wear a full smartwatch.
  • The hosts discuss its approximately ten-day battery life, Garmin Connect compatibility, optional Garmin Connect+ subscription, and Garmin’s reputation for durable hardware and direct fitness feedback.
  • Engadget: https://www.engadget.com/2219713/garmin-finally-made-a-screenless-fitness-tracker/
  • Garmin product information: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1989182/#specs

• RetroArch on Apple TV

  • Sorg explains how RetroArch can turn an Apple TV into a multi-system retro-gaming device.
  • The software supports numerous systems, including Nintendo, Sega, arcade, PlayStation-era platforms, and older computer games.
  • The hosts discuss Bluetooth controllers, open-source games, shareware versions of Doom and Wolfenstein, storage limitations, organizing ROM libraries, and troubleshooting incompatible files.
  • Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/retroarch/id6499539433
  • Supported platforms: https://www.retroarch.com/?page=platforms

Awesome Person of the Week

• Ralph Teetor and the Invention of Cruise Control

  • Dave highlights engineer Ralph Teetor, who became blind as a child and later earned engineering degrees.
  • Frustrated by the repeated acceleration and deceleration of drivers, Teetor developed an early version of cruise control.
  • The hosts discuss the evolution from basic speed control to adaptive cruise control and its relationship to modern driver-assistance systems.
  • Teetor later served as president of the Society of Automotive Engineers, and an SAE award for educators bears his name.
  • Automotive Hall of Fame: https://automotivehalloffame.org/honoree/ralph-r-teetor/

Chachi Says Video Game Minute

• Playing GTA III and Vice City Inside GTA: San Andreas

  • A PC mod allows players controlling CJ in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas to walk up to an in-game television and launch GTA III or Vice City.
  • The hosts compare the concept to a video-game version of Inception.
  • https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/pc-gaming/gta-3-and-vice-city-are-now-playable-inside-san-andreas-a-mod-lets-you-revisit-liberty-city-and-vice-city-without-leaving-san-andreas

• GameStop’s CEO Responds to the Decline of Physical Games

  • GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen argues that Sony reducing physical-disc support will not significantly hurt the company because new video-game sales represent a relatively small portion of its business.
  • The discussion includes GameStop’s continued interest in eBay and the changing economics of physical game retail.
  • https://www.ign.com/articles/gamestop-ceo-ryan-cohen-insists-sony-killing-physical-discs-doesnt-matter-at-all-because-video-game-sales-make-up-so-little-of-his-business

• PlayStation 5 Emulation Progress

  • Developers are making progress booting PlayStation 5 titles through multiple emulation projects.
  • Two-dimensional games are advancing more quickly, while fully rendering complex three-dimensional games remains a significant challenge.
  • The story sparks a broader conversation about game preservation, physical ownership, digital licensing, and consumer distrust.
  • https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/playstation/ps5-emulation-ramps-up-in-wake-of-sonys-end-to-physical-media-ps5-titles-now-booting-across-different-emulators-with-rapid-community-development-for-both-2d-and-3d-games

AI, Creative Work and Data Centers

• The hosts discuss the growing use of AI-assisted tools in image editing, video production, business documents, email, captions, background extension, and design mockups.

• Sorg explains how AI can help reformat posters for different social-media dimensions without replacing the original creative work.

• The discussion distinguishes generative AI from other machine-learning tools, such as automated transcription, rotoscoping, search, and image organization.

• Dave raises concerns about social-media challenges potentially being used to gather free voice-training data.

• The group discusses how Google, Adobe, Canva, and other platforms increasingly build AI functions directly into existing software.

• The hosts argue that professionals cannot simply ignore the technology, but they should evaluate where it is appropriate and disclose its use when needed.

• The discussion also addresses the electrical demands of new data centers, corporate incentives, local government decisions, environmental protections, grid capacity, and the disproportionate placement of industrial infrastructure near lower-income communities.

• Their central argument is that rapid technological growth must be accompanied by accountability, regulation, public representation, and responsible development.

NASA Psyche Mars Flyby

• NASA’s Psyche spacecraft used a Mars flyby as a gravitational assist while traveling deeper into the solar system.

• The mission captured detailed images and a time-lapse view of Mars during the maneuver.

• Dave highlights the value of scientific exploration driven by curiosity and the desire to understand more about the universe.

• https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/psyche/2026/07/17/nasas-psyche-mission-delivers-mars-flyby-data-time-lapse-video/

Pittsburgh Bridges on Film and Pastfinders

• Sorg highlights a collaboration between Pastfinders and the Pittsburgh Film Office focused on Pittsburgh bridges featured in movies and television.

• Examples discussed include locations connected to Mayor of Kingstown, Sweet Girl, Jack Reacher, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Dark Knight Rises, Dogma, The Silence of the Lambs, and Mindhunter.

• The hosts discuss how the Pastfinders app sends location-based notifications about historical sites, movie locations, landmarks, and unusual local stories.

• Pastfinders:
  https://www.pastfinders.app/

• Pittsburgh Film Office bridge-tour post:
  https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1458603939638716&set=pcb.1458603999638710

The Light Flip Minimalist Phone

• The hosts examine a modern minimalist flip phone inspired by classic designs.

• It uses physical buttons, T9-style typing, a small screen, and a dedicated operating system rather than standard Android.

• The group discusses the appeal for people who want calls, messages, navigation, and limited apps without carrying a high-powered smartphone.

• They also consider whether younger users might adopt simpler phones to reduce social-media use and screen time.

• https://9to5google.com/2026/07/21/light-flip-minimalist-phone-announcement/

OpenMote: Repurposing the Nintendo Wii Remote

• Sorg introduces OpenMote, a drop-in development board that turns a Nintendo Wii Remote into a customizable controller.

• Demonstrations include pointing the remote at lamps to control them.

• The hosts brainstorm uses for smart-home controls, games, production equipment, lighting effects, custom 3D-printed controllers, and event technology.

• OpenMote:
  https://openmote.io/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio

• Instagram demonstration:
  https://www.instagram.com/reels/Da8p5B7PNKP/

• OpenMote Instagram:
  https://www.instagram.com/openmote.io/

Google Photos Restores Classic Search

• Google Photos is adding an option that lets users choose between the newer Gemini-powered Ask Photos experience and a more traditional search interface.

• The hosts discuss why some users prefer entering straightforward terms rather than asking an AI-generated question.

• The change becomes an example of why providing a choice can reduce frustration when companies add AI to familiar products.

• https://9to5google.com/2026/07/20/google-photos-classic-search-toggle/

Also Discussed

• The return of CDs, vinyl records, cassettes, retro games, and physical media.

• The difference between owning digital media and licensing access to it.

• Consumer distrust of large technology companies.

• The space required to store large physical-media collections.

• Using Gemini to interpret business acronyms and generate a first draft of a statement of work.

• Severe-weather alerts and Katie briefly leaving the podcast during a tornado warning.

• Dave’s upcoming races, including the Two-Face Race and Trick or Trot 5K.

• The next AwesomeCast interview with Spotter Global and its technology for detecting drones and identifying operators.

Support the show at:
https://www.patreon.com/awesomecast

Discover more from the Sorgatron Media Podcast Network:
https://sorgatronmedia.com

It's a slow tech news week, but Katie, Sorg, and Chilla have plenty to talk about, including:

• Katie is sharing Scream District from ScareHouse Basement as her Awesome Thing of the Week!
• Chilla's Awesome Thing of the Week is a Kickstarter project for GENKI - a covert dock for the Nintendo Switch.
• Sorg is sharing Steam Link as his Awesome Thing of the Week.
• Loot Crate is going away - - and we're a little reminiscent of when we used to get those fun little boxes in the mail!
• Spotify's podcast dashboard is coming out of beta. We're sharing some insights - - as podcaster people.
• Sorg is sharing some of the fun tech involved with SAE's Autodrive Challenge.
• Want to let people nap in your living room? Globe Living is the Air BNB of napping!
• Super Mario Maker comes to Counter Strike - - with the impossible Mario level.
• PS3's Journey is available on iOS?
• Snap Spectacles are still a thing with their 3rd generation and 2 HD cameras!
• We find ourselves questioning how Chilla doesn't own any mini gaming devices. Thankfully he's fixing that with the Turbo Grafx Mini!
• We talked about Ninja's switch to Mixer, and it looks like his now dormant Twitch feed is streaming some "adult" content?
• Verizon sold Tumblr to WordPress, and they're maintaining their porn ban.

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: Chilla (@chilla), Katie (@Kdudders),  and Sorg (@Sorgatron)

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

The crew is back in studio as Krause, Chilla, and Sorg bring you this week's tech news, including:

• Chilla is sharing Harry Potter Wizards Unite as his Awesome Thing of the Week.
• We're comparing Pokemon GO to Wizards Unite.
• Sorg has been getting his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game on with Rescue-Palooza as his Awesome Thing of the Week.
• Krause is sharing some of his thoughts on Android Q Beta.
• Remember when Chachi used to play games? He's keeping a chronicle of 1001 video games which he shared with us this week.
• Port Authority is rolling out a ConnectBand pilot program in Pittsburgh.
• Sorg has had his own recent dealings with RFID tech with his recent SAE travel.
• YouTube's Hangouts on Air is going away, and podcasters are up in arms.
• Stop what you're doing right now. There is a dog petting simulator!
• Sorg is sharing Raspberry Pi 4 - which could replace your desktop PC for $35!
• Chilla is conveniently sharing a beta story with us as we're talking about iOS 13 Beta.
• A robot "duck" is helping keep rice paddies clear of weeds thanks to a Nissan tech who has developed a Roomba for rice.
• Chilla is sharing a Mimke mobile mic to help with mobile recording.
• Krause is sharing his own mobile option for video with a DJI Osmo.

After the show remember to:

Want to support our friends at Postindustrial? Check out their Kickstarter.

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:  John Chichilla (@chilla), Ron Krause (@KrazyKrause) and Michael 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

Bobby Cherry joins us in studio with Sorg, while Chilla checks in from Studio C to talk this week in tech news, including:

• Sorg is sharing his experiences filming SAE's AutoDrive as his Awesome Thing of the Week.
• Chilla is sharing his Surface headphones as his Awesome Thing of the Week.
• Bobby is sharing the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policy as his Awesome Thing of the Week.
• We're talking about an update in iMovie to include green screen capabilities and picture-in-picture.
• We're checking out some updates on Be My Eyes (which we checked out a little bit ago).
• Chilla is talking some cloud with iCloud and xCloud updates.
• Amazon is building scale models to help train their little drones learn.

After the show remember to:

Want to support our friends at Postindustrial? Check out their Kickstarter.

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:  Bobby Cherry (@GoBobbo), John Chichilla (@chilla),  and Mike 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

There are some new, but familiar faces on the couch this week as Sorg is joined by Krause and Brian to talk about this week's tech headlines, including:

• Brian is sharing some of what he's working on these days!
• Brian is schooling us on how he uses multiple smart devices - in the same room.
• Brian is sharing how he uses Garmin Speak with Alexa as his Awesome Thing of the Week.
• Did you know you could actually have a conversation with your smart device?
• Krause is sharing a smart surge protector power strip as his Awesome Thing of the Week.
• Sorg's Awesome Thing of the Week is from his recent SAE trip. He's sharing how a team from Canada modified their plane for snowy conditions.
• Sorg and Brian both shared Bricksburgh - a LEGO pop-up bar, so of course we have to talk about it.
• We're learning about how SAE is using Facebook Portal for remote access onsite help.
• A-Train is the AI in Facebook Portal.
• We're talking about how Netflix has killed AirPlay support.
• Getting older is getting easier because of technology.
• Brian is sharing how he's using a vertical mouse, ergonomic keyboard, and a lumbar pillow from Amazon to counteract the results of his aging process.
• Google podcast is making in-episode searching easier by transcribing episodes.
• Microsoft is going to combine Xbox game pass and live into a monthly subscription?

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: Brian Crawford (@bcrawpgh), Krause (@KrazyKrause), 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

Krause and Sorg are joined by Scot MacTaggart of KRNLS and Jon Providence of Eagledream Technologies as they talk this week in tech, including:

• Krause is sharing WeightWatchers as his Awesome Thing of the Week.
• Krause is also pairing his WeightWatchers app with a Fitbit tracker - to make the most of his weight loss journey.
• Scot is sharing a KRNLS crowdfunding campaign for #ClairtonGrows as his Awesome Thing of the Week.
• Jon of Eagledream Technologies is sharing Veracity VRcade in Rochester as his Awesome Thing of the Week.
• Sorg is sharing a jet-powered RC plane from his travels with SAE as his Awesome Thing of the Week.
• Scot is sharing some of what he's working on with KRNLS.
• We're talking with Scot of KRNLS and Jon of Eagledream Technologies - an AWS partner - about some of the cool things they're doing together.
• When you get 1500 new features at once, how do you keep track of them?
• The digital marketing spectrum has made a massive impact on how quickly things grow.
• The package is less important than knowing where the package is to customers.
• Apple's Tim Cook changed his last name (on social media)!
• There's a giant vending machine for cars.
• Sony released an official PS4 remote play app for iOS devices for game streaming.
• Full Sail University is putting $6M into an eSports arena for pro gaming.

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: Scot MacTaggart (@mactaggart), KRNLS (@krnlsco), Eagledream Technologies (@EagleDreamTech), Sorg (@Sorgatron), and Krause (@KrazyKrause)

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

Sorg and Chilla are joined by Kit and Mitch of Startup Boost Pittsburgh to talk this week in tech headlines, including:

• Chilla is sharing Mobile World Congress 2019 as his Awesome Thing of the Week - specifically a new micro SD format that promises better battery life.
• Sorg's Awesome Thing of the Week is a Meet the Mentors podcast he was recently working on, which introduced him to some cool things in the General Motors world.
• Our guests Startup Boost Pittsburgh are talking about their cool startup pre-accelerator as their Awesome Thing of the Week.
• We're learning about pre-startup options with Startup Boost Pittsburgh.
• Reggie Fils-Aime is retiring from Nintendo. And he's being replaced by (wait for it) Bowser.
• Fan of the show, Alex Kahrs is sharing the Logitech C922x Pro Stream Webcam as his Awesome Thing of the Week.
• Sorg is figuring out that he can essentially run the studio remotely - with his iPad.
• Last week we talked about This Person Does Not Exist. This week we're talking This Cat Does Not Exist.
• We're exploring the foldable phone.
• We're looking at Agents of SHIELD for our tech options for the future.
• HoloLens 2 has been formally announced - targeted at corporations.

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: Startup Boost Pittsburgh (@startupboostpgh), Sorg (@Sorgatron) and Chilla (@chilla)

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