Sorgatron Media Master Feed

AwesomeCast 792: Apple’s Camera AirPods and an AI Tamagotchi?

August 19th, 2026  |  59 mins 26 secs

ai pocket pet, ai tamagotchi, air traffic controllers, airpods camera, alltrails hidden tracks, apple airpods, apple visual intelligence, boston dynamics robot dog, creator monetization, dungeon crawler carl, faa gamers, factory automation, five nights at freddy’s, freddy fazbear’s pizza, gadget podcast, google street view game, hello kitty godzilla, hop earth, hyundai ev factory, hyundai metaplant, kevlar, mcdonald’s happy meal, pittsburgh tech podcast, roblox safety, snes demake, stephanie kwolek, super mario bros wonder, sweekar, tamagotchi, tech news, technology podcast, tiktok privacy, tiktok voice calls, youtube analytics, youtube views

Could Apple be preparing AirPods with tiny cameras? Can an AI-powered Tamagotchi grow up, develop a personality, and remind you to take a break?

Sorg, Katie Dudas, and Dave Podnar explore those questions in AwesomeCast 792. The crew examines the Sweekar AI pocket pet, a possible Apple AirPods camera leak, and TikTok’s new voice-calling concerns.

Also discussed:

• Hello Kitty x Godzilla Happy Meal collectibles

• Hop Earth’s Google Street View driving game

• Stephanie L. Kwolek and the discovery of Kevlar

• Roblox safety litigation and a real Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza

• The FAA recruiting gamers as air traffic controllers

• AllTrails Hidden Tracks

• A Super Mario Bros. Wonder SNES demake

• Autonomous sleds and robot dogs inside Hyundai’s EV factory

• YouTube’s new approach to public view counts

• Turning Dungeon Crawler Carl fandom into a subscription business

Support the show and unlock bonus AwesomeCast content at https://www.patreon.com/awesomecast.

AwesomeCast 791: Xbox Games on Mac & Linux? Freddy Fazbear Goes IRL & Video Stores Return

August 11th, 2026  |  59 mins 40 secs

adobe project indigo, ai photo editing, ai photography, american dream, amusement parks, atari, betamax, binge buster, cedar point, cloud gaming, computational photography, dave podnar, diablo, digital ownership, doom the dark ages, dvd, ea, electronic arts, five nights at freddy's, forza horizon, freddy fazbear's pizza, gaming news, geforce now, grand theft auto vi, gta 6, lawrenceville pittsburgh, lewis latimer, linux gaming, lost lizard pittsburgh, mac gaming, michael sorg, movies anywhere, nature calls run, netflix, nvidia geforce now, physical media, pittsburgh apps, pittsburgh tech, pittsburgh technology podcast, pittsburgh weather, quake, quake 30th anniversary, reddit pittsburgh, restroom finder, running apps, six flags, sorg, stormfreak, streaming movies, streaming services, tech news, technology podcast, vhs, video stores, xbox, xbox game pass, xbox on linux, xbox on mac, xodus

Sorg and Dave Podnar explore what happens when new technology collides with some very old ideas. Binge Buster turns streaming discovery into a virtual video-store experience, Pittsburgh's Lost Lizard is actually renting VHS, DVD, and Betamax again, and disappearing digital movie purchases have Sorg wondering whether physical media deserves another look.

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

August 4th, 2026  |  56 mins 16 secs

ai reality show, ai slop, ai video, apple health, artificial intelligence, august interactive, battlefield 6, brother p-touch, creator tools, cybersecurity, dave podnar, digital ownership, ea layoffs, electronic arts, fitbit, fruit love island, gadget podcast, galaxies, game preservation, health technology, katie dudas, kevin mitnick, label maker, lsst camera, lunar science, michael sorg, moon impact, moonbase y, nasa games, national social engineering day, pc gaming, physical media, pittsburgh podcast, playstation discs, social engineering, sony playstation, space photography, spacex, steam cartridges, steam games, tech news, technology podcast, travel apps, travel technology, vera c rubin observatory, wrinkles app, xbox, xbox backwards compatibility, xbox disc to digital

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

AwesomeCast 788: Pew Pew - Retro Gaming on Apple TV, Minimalist Flip Phones & the AI Backlash

July 21st, 2026  |  1 hr 6 mins

adaptive cruise control, ai ethics, ai image editing, ai video production, apple tv gaming, arduino, artificial intelligence, ask photos, browser games, consumer technology, creative ai, cruise control, data centers, data-center electricity, dave podnar, digital detox, digital ownership, digital privacy, diy electronics, dumb phones, dungeon crawler carl, flip phones, gadget podcast, gamestop, garmin connect, garmin fitness tracker, generative ai, google gemini, google photos, google photos search, gta iii, gta san andreas mod, gta vice city, katie dudas, light flip phone, machine learning, maeve chocolate, maker technology, mama’s night off, mars flyby, mike sorg, minimalist phone, minimalist technology, nasa psyche, nintendo wii remote, openmote, pastfinders, physical media, physical video games, pittsburgh bridges, pittsburgh film office, pittsburgh movie locations, pittsburgh podcast, playstation 5 emulation, ps5 emulator, ralph teetor, retro gaming, retro technology, retroarch, retroarch apple tv, sae, screenless fitness tracker, smart-home controls, society of automotive engineers, sony physical discs, sorg, sorgatron media, space exploration, tech news, technology news, technology podcast, technology regulation, video game emulation, wearable technology, wiimote

Sorg, Katie Dudas, and Dave Podnar explore the return of retro technology and the growing demand for digital tools that give users more control.

Katie shares the Dungeon Crawler Carl-inspired Mama’s Night Off browser game. Dave introduces Garmin’s new screenless fitness tracker, while Sorg explains how he set up RetroArch on Apple TV to play games from classic consoles and computers.

The crew also discusses PlayStation 5 emulation, GameStop’s response to the decline of physical discs, and why consumers are returning to vinyl, CDs, cassettes, flip phones, and other forms of physical technology.

An extended conversation examines how AI is being incorporated into creative tools, business software, search, image editing, and video production. The hosts consider responsible AI use, the difference between generative AI and other machine-learning features, and the environmental and infrastructure concerns surrounding rapid data-center growth.

Other stories include NASA’s Psyche spacecraft capturing a Mars flyby, Pittsburgh movie locations in the Pastfinders app, the minimalist Light Flip phone, the OpenMote Wii Remote development board, Google Photos restoring classic search, and Ralph Teetor’s invention of cruise control.

Support AwesomeCast at https://www.patreon.com/awesomecast and find more shows at https://sorgatronmedia.com.

AwesomeCast 787: Fortnite’s Hot Bat Summer, Robot Arms & AI

July 15th, 2026  |  58 mins 19 secs

ai privacy, apple beta, apple health, artificial intelligence, assistive technology, autonomous vehicles, batman, blood pressure monitor, camera guidelines, carnegie science center, catwoman, consumer technology, cyborg technology, dave podnar, digital ownership, digital surveillance, disability pride month, doctor octopus, fast and furious, fortnite, gadgets, harley quinn, hot bat summer, instagram ai, ios 27, jizai arms, katie dudas, kennywood, kids smartwatch, lego speed champions, meta ai, michael sorg, omron 7 series, parental controls, petersen automotive museum, phones for kids, pinwheel phones, pittsburgh technology podcast, poison ivy, robotic arms, rory cooper, sorg, speed exhibit, sports broadcasting, tech news, technology podcast, toyota supra mk4, usb-c cables, usb-c diagnostics, waymo, whatcable, wheelchair technology, women athletes

Sorg, Katie Dudas and Dave Podnar explore the useful, unusual and occasionally alarming side of modern technology in AwesomeCast 787.

Dave reviews the Bluetooth-enabled Omron 7 Series blood pressure monitor, while Katie introduces Pinwheel’s managed phones, smartwatch and Wi-Fi home phone for younger users. Sorg tests WhatCable, a Mac utility that reveals whether USB-C cables, chargers and ports are really delivering the speeds they promise.

The crew also discusses Rory Cooper’s groundbreaking wheelchair innovations, LEGO’s Fast & Furious Toyota Supra, a new speed exhibit at the Carnegie Science Center, respectful camera guidelines for women athletes, Instagram’s reversed AI remix feature, wearable Doctor Octopus-style robotic arms, Fortnite’s “Hot Bat Summer” and a shirtless protester’s battle with a Waymo.

Sorg begins downloading the iOS 27 public beta during the episode, while Katie saves her less-than-awesome update thoughts for the Patreon aftertalk.

AwesomeCast 725: F1 Drone Tech, AI Video Chaos & the World’s Largest Camera

July 1st, 2026  |  58 mins 41 secs

3200 megapixels, aew, ai glasses, ai tools, ai video, apple price increases, astronomy, augmented reality, dark energy, dark matter, dave podnar, digital games, drone camera, f1 drone, filming drone, five nights at freddy’s 3, formula 1, gadget podcast, gadgets, game ownership, generative ai, gta 6, gta vi, hover soccer ball, ipad prices, it came from ai, lgbtq tech history, mac prices, martine rothblatt, meta glasses, minions, motorsports technology, nes, nintendo switch game key cards, physical games, pittsburgh podcast, podcast seo, pride month, red bull, retro gaming, rubin observatory, sirius xm, snap ar glasses, sorg, sorgatron media, space camera, steam games, tech news, tech podcast, united therapeutics, vera rubin observatory, viral tiktok

This week on AwesomeCast 785, Sorg and Dave Podnar get geeky with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s massive 3,200-megapixel digital camera, Red Bull’s world’s fastest filming drone chasing a Formula 1 car, and the tech legacy of Martine Rothblatt for Pride Month.

AwesomeCast 780: Google I/O AI Agents, iOS 27 Accessibility, Fortnite Returns & Retro Camera Apps

May 20th, 2026  |  1 hr 1 min

1986 transformers movie, aapi heritage month, accessibility technology, agentic ai, ai agents, ajay bhatt, apple intelligence, dave podnar, dave pondar, dazz cam, dungeon crawler carl, epic games, fortnite ios, gadget reviews, google gemini, google i/o 2026, graphic novel, intel, ios 27, iphone accessibility, iphone photography, optimus prime, pittsburgh podcast, retro camera app, sorg, sorgatron media, tech news, tech podcast, transformers the movie, usb, vintage photography, webtoon

Sorg and Dave Podnar host AwesomeCast 780 with tech news, gadget picks, and a big dose of AI conversation. This week’s topics include the Dungeon Crawler Carl graphic novel, Dazz Cam’s retro iPhone photography app, Ajay Bhatt’s role in creating USB, Apple’s upcoming iOS 27 accessibility features, Google I/O’s agentic AI announcements, Fortnite’s return to iOS, and the 40th anniversary Transformers: The Movie “Apology Tour.”

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

AwesomeCast 770: Silver Surfer Is the Original Flappy Bird

March 4th, 2026  |  1 hr 2 mins

1440p streaming, a18 chip, adobe firefly, ai moderation, ai video editing, apple intelligence, apple news, apple tv gaming, apple vision pro, cloud gaming, cobol, computer history, data privacy, dave podnar, disney vr, dunkin drink bucket, gadget podcast, grace hopper, ipad air m4, iphone 17e, katie dudas, macbook air m5, macbook neo, macbook pro m5, marvel maximum collection, meta ai glasses, muppetvision 3d, nintendo classics, nintendo switch, pokémon, pokémon collectibles, pokémon music player, profpod, retro gaming, smart glasses privacy, sorgatron, tech news, tech podcast, virtual boy, women’s history month, x-men arcade, xbox, xbox game pass

Sorg, Katie, and Dave Podnar hit the week’s tech and geek headlines: Nintendo’s Virtual Boy revival on Switch, Apple’s latest product wave (including iPhone 17e and iPad Air updates), and a troubling report about Meta AI smart glasses and human review. Plus Dunkin’s giant drink bucket, MuppetVision in VR, Adobe’s AI video-editing experiments, Pokémon nostalgia gadgets, Xbox 1440p cloud streaming, a Marvel retro collection, and a Women’s History Month spotlight on Grace Hopper.

AwesomeCast 769: DJI Robot Vacuum Hack, Playable Tetris Magazine & Viral Olympic Moments

February 25th, 2026  |  51 mins 51 secs

accessible mobility, ai coding assistant, autonomous vehicle, black history month, civic progress challenge, cybersecurity, dave podnar, dji, dreamcast, dunkin, dunkin mitten, figure skating, frederick mckinley jones, gadget news, game pop, genesis, hideki sato, iced coffee, innovation, michael sorg, mortal kombat, podnar, red bull bulletin, robot vacuum, sae, saturn, sega, smart home security, sorg, tech news, tetris, the verge, thermo king, vibe coding, video game news, viral video, winter olympics

Sorg and Podnar cover big and bizarre tech headlines: an alleged DJI robot vacuum security mess, AI-assisted “vibe coding,” and why camera-equipped home gadgets deserve extra caution. They also dig into the SAE Civic Progress Challenge (accessible mobility innovation), geek out over a playable Tetris magazine cover, and hit viral Winter Olympics moments—plus a Dunkin iced coffee mitten that’s as ridiculous as it sounds. Includes Chachi’s Video Game Minute and a Black History Month spotlight on Frederick McKinley Jones.

AwesomeCast 766: Adobe Firefly Goes FREE (For Now) + Switch 2 Upgrades + Pittsburgh LEGO Set?!

February 4th, 2026  |  59 mins 46 secs

adobe firefly, ai image generation, ai video generation, amazon delivery vans, animal crossing, arcade pittsburgh, black history month spotlight, cat wars calendar, cnbc, content creation tools, duquesne church arcade, electret microphone, gadgets, generative ai, google ai, james west, lego ideas, nintendo switch 2 editions, pittsburgh lego, pittsburgh tech podcast, project genie, rivian, super mario bros wonder, switch 2, tech news, unity, video game industry

This week on AwesomeCast 766, Sorg, Dudders, and Podnar dig into the tools and stories shaping tech right now—AI’s growing role in creative work, what “free-for-now” Adobe Firefly means for creators, and the latest chatter around Switch 2 upgrades. Plus: a Pittsburgh LEGO Ideas set worth voting for, a new arcade inside an old church in Duquesne, Rivian delivery van updates, Cat Wars calendar chaos, and a Black History Month spotlight on inventor James West.