Sorg, Katie Dudas and Dave Podnar celebrate AwesomeCast 800 with a mix of brand-new gadgets, weird apps, AI-powered software experiments and a trip through more than 16 years of tech history. From Google Glass and Pebble to vibe-coded Adobe alternatives and an Apple Watch that literally points toward Taco Bell, this episode is both a look back at where we’ve been and a pretty accurate snapshot of where technology is heading next.

Vibe Coding Comes for Adobe—and Maybe Microsoft

Sorg takes ArtCraft for a spin, looking at its collection of creative tools, simplified video editing and AI integrations. The bigger conversation is about what happens when an experienced developer uses AI-assisted coding to recreate pieces of expensive subscription software.

The hosts discuss:

• ArtCraft’s simplified creative and video tools

• AI generation integrations and credit-based pricing

• Whether tools like this could fill the gap left by simpler editors such as Adobe Rush

• The difference between casually prompting an app into existence and having enough development experience to actually finish and maintain one

• The creator’s reported interest in building alternatives to Microsoft Office-style apps and possibly other subscription software

• Subscription fatigue and whether smaller AI-assisted competitors can put pressure on Adobe, Microsoft and other established software companies

• Sorg’s own experiments using AI coding tools to build internal project-management software

ArtCraft / FilmCraft:
https://getartcraft.com/apps/filmcraft

Background:
https://gizmodo.com/someone-vibe-coded-a-free-knockoff-of-adobe-creative-suite-2000823322

Microsoft Office alternatives:
https://www.tomshardware.com/software/microsoft-office/creator-of-free-adobe-clones-unveils-open-source-microsoft-office-excel-powerpoint-and-word-replications-autodesk-tools-and-other-subscription-based-services-may-come-next

Apple HomeView: Who Is the $299 Smart Display For?

Dave breaks down Apple’s new home-focused announcements, including updates involving Apple TV, HomePod mini, Siri AI and the new Apple HomeView.

The HomeView discussion focuses on its square display, Apple-style interface, home placement, FaceTime functionality and ability to recognize different household members. That last feature leads to one of the episode’s best practical questions: if a shared HomeView can know who is looking at it, why can’t a family iPad do the same thing?

The bigger question is price. At $299 before some mounting options, does HomeView solve enough problems to become a normal household device—or is this mostly for families already deep inside Apple’s ecosystem?

https://9to5mac.com/2026/10/13/apple-homeview-announced-features-price-release-date/

Katie Finally Discovers Where All Those Dropout Clips Come From

Katie’s Awesome Thing is Dropout, the independent streaming service behind shows she had already been discovering through social clips.

The crew talks about Game Changer, Smarty Pants, Dimension 20, the service’s CollegeHumor roots and why some of the programming works almost as well as an audio experience as it does on video.

For Katie, the revelation was basically: “This is where these shows come from.”

https://www.dropout.tv

800 Episodes of Awesome History

Then it’s time to look backward.

AwesomeCast traces its history to 2010, which means the show has lived through an absurd number of supposedly world-changing technologies.

Among the flashbacks:

• Sorg’s Google Glass era

• Talking about 3D printing in the earliest days of the show

• Google Stadia and wondering whether Google would eventually abandon it

• Debating Netflix, Roku and cord cutting back in 2011

• Pebble before smartwatches became normal

• Early ChatGPT and Midjourney experiments

• Meerkat and Periscope before live video became another button inside every social platform

• The chaos of Google+

• Vine creators and the short-form video era before TikTok

• Apple Vision discussions

• Old AwesomeCast clips that continue collecting views and comments years later

The retrospective also turns into a reminder that changes feel incremental while they are happening. Look back across 800 episodes, however, and the difference is enormous.

ChachiSays Video Game Minute

Chachi returns with three quick gaming stories:

• Eli Manning says Peyton Manning found a very Manning-like competitive advantage while playing Tecmo Bowl.
  https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/eli-manning-admits-peyton-manning-230855059.html

• A real Lexus inspired by the Street Fighter II bonus-stage car is being given away.
  https://www.motor1.com/news/810970/street-fighter-ii-car-giveaway/

• Jay and Silent Bob are heading into the farming-simulator business with Jay and Silent Bob: Joint Venture, announced for Steam with consoles expected to follow.
  https://www.ign.com/articles/jay-silent-bob-joint-venture-trailer-gameplay?fbclid=Iwb21leAU2AShleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mBXNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHlZ5vTYCOuFcL9tPfkTBTC8JeX7h7FRyv8Kkj6rNkz8Nj9FBUSswyO8qXI5a_aem_40PO5dnTmHpro9PXk_mSUg

Point Your Wrist at Tacos

The T-Bell Compass might be one of the most specifically useful Apple Watch apps AwesomeCast has ever encountered.

Its job is simple: show you the direction of the nearest Taco Bell.

Sorg demonstrates it in the studio, immediately inspiring requests for an In-N-Out version and possibly an entire Pittsburgh Taco Bell rating system.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tbell-compass/id6761598622

“I Need to Collect That Cat”

Cat Collector turns spotting neighborhood cats into a real-world collecting game.

Photograph cats you encounter, add them to the map, see what other cats people have discovered nearby and even turn your finds into iMessage stickers.

Naturally, Sorg has already found himself pulling over because there was a cat he needed to collect.

https://catcollector.app/

Normal Tools: A Site Full of Tiny Useful Things

Normal Tools is basically a digital junk drawer where everything is actually labeled.

The hosts browse tools for image conversion, CSV viewing, QR codes, aspect ratios, projectors, building calculations, game controllers, screens, batteries and much more.

The appeal is straightforward: find the little utility you need, use it, and move on.

https://www.normaltools.com/

Pittsburgh International Airport Keeps Experimenting

The episode closes locally with another look at technology being tested through Pittsburgh International Airport’s innovation efforts.

The hosts discuss robotics that can potentially help monitor terminal conditions—including passenger flow, cleanliness and environmental conditions—along with analytics intended to give airline teams better information during boarding.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1527880259386316&set=pcb.1527880329386309

Supporting Pittsburgh podcasting with the perfect pepperoni pizza:
www.SliceonBroadway.com

Kid Mental, musician and producer is back!https://www.kidmental.com/

Giving Tuesday Annual day of charitable giving after Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Katie is fundraising for 412 Thrive, a cancer support grouphttps://www.givebigpittsburgh.com/organizations/412thrive

Teenage Engineering KOII music production devicehttps://teenage.engineering/products/ep-133

Get started with beats with Koala on iOS https://apps.apple.com/us/app/koala-sampler/id1449584007

Sketchbook Pro drawing and animation apphttps://sketchbook.com

IFTTT for connecting apps and automating actionshttps://ifttt.com/ 

Yakuza video game series including the new Like a Dragon Gaiden https://gaiden.sega.com/

Free Assassin's Creed Syndicate game for PChttps://www.pcgamer.com/assassins-creed-syndicate-the-one-about-murderous-siblings-in-london-during-the-industrial-revolution-is-free-to-keep-from-ubisoft/

PSA: iPhone sharing controversy - overblown privacy concernshttps://www.cultofmac.com/838538/iphone-namedrop-security-risk/

IKEA releasing affordable smart home sensorshttps://www.theverge.com/2023/11/28/23977693/ikea-sensors-door-window-water-motion-price-date-specs

YouTube Launching mini games that can be played in browser. Includes games like billiards and Angry Birds https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/27/23978515/youtube-playables-games-premium-subscribers

Subscribe to the Podcast: awesomecast.com

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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!

• Krause is shaking it up in 2020 - - - - ON iOS! (For those at home, he's #TeamAndroid.)
• Chilla's Awesome Thing of the Week is a modified Xbox adaptive controller.
• Sorg's Awesome Thing of the Week is a foldable controller mobile phone holder that has changed his iPhone gaming.
• Sorg's (mini) Awesome Thing of the Week is a Sylvania wifi light bulb.
• Pornhub was sued for making it difficult for the deaf to enjoy their products.
• Japan has released a range of miniature furniture for cats, and My Modern Met has the BEST pictures.
• Ford creates more than cars - like a noise-cancelling dog kennel to protect your pup from fireworks noises.
• Wyze loses its AI to Apple, and we're talking about how it's affecting things.
• Krause wants to know why people keep putting cameras in sensitive places (like the bedroom) where people can hack them.
• Ben & Jerry's has a Netflix and Chill'd flavor?

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: Krause (@KrazyKrause) John Chichilla (@Chilla) and Sorg (@Sorgatron)

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

Remember to check out our friends at the The 405 Media (@The405Radio), and Postindustrial Audio (@post_industry) 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

Chilla is kicking things off with his Awesome Thing of the Week with Tesla chargers.
Another creature has been released from The Last Jedi. Katie is telling us about Vulptex as her Awesome Thing of the Week.
John Carman is talking about his options for Black Friday sales as his Awesome Thing of the Week.
Sorg’s Awesome Thing of the Week is a video map of atmospheric changes and hurricanes.
We’re sharing what we’re thankful for as we head into Thanksgiving.
Sorg and friends are getting into a deep dive about iPhone and Android options now that phones are holding up better – negating the “need” to upgrade.
Looking to get an iPhone X? You can actually check Walmart’s offerings as an option.
A hologram player that lets you interact with 3D holograms? Yes, please.
Want a smart light switch with Echo capabilities? There’s a solution for that.
Katie is all about the dino nuggets and Animal Crossing! She’s sharing some news about that second one now.
Tesla has a semi truck.
KFC has an escape pod (faraday cage)?
Our John Carman is not the guy that made the news for being a misogynistic New Jersey politician.
Ello is back! And, it’s now for creatives.
Windows 10 is offering a Star Trek like journal.
Do yourselves a favor – if you’re not already following him, follow John Carman on Twitter (@carmanavenue).
After the show remember to:

Shop small with our neighbors here in Beechview this weekend. For more info visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/1535469116534745/

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

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

Follow these awesome people on Twitter: John Carman (@carmanavenue), Katie Dudas (@Kdudders), Mike Sorg (@Sorgatron), and John Chichilla (@chilla).

Have you seen our AwesomeTips videos?

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

Remember to check out our friends at River’s Edge (@RiversEdgePGH) and The 405 Media 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!