Podcast
Merge Conflict
Hosted by soundbite.fm · EN
Merge Conflict is a weekly discussion with Frank and James on all things development, technology, & more. After years of being friends, Frank and James finally decided to sit down and start a podcast about their lives as mobile developers using C#, Xamarin, and .NET MAUI. Much more than just another mobile development podcast, Merge Conflict, reaches all areas of development including desktop, server, and of course mobile. They also cover fun things happening in the world of technology and gaming and whatever else happens to be on Frank's and James' minds.
32episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
525: Why Christopher Nolan's IMAX Vision is Fading
3d ago00:38:52Tap to summarizeIn this episode, James and Frank explore the bittersweet reality of experiencing cinema in 2026, starting with Frank's disappointing discovery that Seattle's Pacific Science Center—home to a true IMAX theater—has ditched its iconic 70mm film projection for digital laser technology. Despite Christopher Nolan's passionate advocacy for shooting on IMAX film, fewer theaters worldwide can actually deliver his intended experience, raising questions about whether premium cinema experiences are disappearing. The hosts dive deep into what made true IMAX special and the broader trend of losing analog, artisanal technologies in favor of digital convenience. Beyond cinema, the conversation spans the future of media itself: Xbox bringing 25-year-old original Xbox games to PC through emulation, the resurgence of physical media as streaming services become unreliable, and whether digital downloads or physical discs make sense anymore. Frank also showcases an incredibly impressive technical achievement—iCircuit's new Python programming support, which layers a Raspberry Pi Pico emulator atop a circuit simulator, all running in C# on your phone. It's a fascinating look at how we're preserving experiences, accessing the past, and building for the future across gaming, entertainment, and development. Follow Us Frank: Twitter, Blog, GitHub James: Twitter, Blog, GitHub Merge Conflict: Twitter, Facebook, Website, Chat on Discord Music : Amethyst Seer - Citrine by Adventureface ⭐⭐ Review Us ⭐⭐ Machine transcription available on http://mergeconflict.fmSupport Merge Conflict
Transcribe →524: A .NET MAUI AI Revolution
2w ago00:37:47Tap to summarizeOn episode 524 James and Frank dive into the new .NET MAUI developer stack—covering the MAUI CLI/Maui Doctor that auto-provisions SDKs and emulators, the Maui Sherpa GUI for device/Xcode/provisioning management, and DevFlow's MCP server that lets AI agents inspect, interact with and automatically test apps (closing the loop). They also highlight the VS Code MAUI agent/skills, profiling tools, and the shift to core CLR in .NET 11 with performance tradeoffs to watch. Follow Us Frank: Twitter, Blog, GitHub James: Twitter, Blog, GitHub Merge Conflict: Twitter, Facebook, Website, Chat on Discord Music : Amethyst Seer - Citrine by Adventureface ⭐⭐ Review Us ⭐⭐ Machine transcription available on http://mergeconflict.fmSupport Merge ConflictLinks:DevFlow MAUI Sherpa
Transcribe →523: UI.md - Opinionated design rules for coding agents
3w ago00:46:01Tap to summarizeFrank releases UI.md, a practical markdown guide distilled from 25 years of software development that captures essential UI/UX principles to help AI (and developers) build better interfaces. The hosts dive deep into why users expect consistency, how small details create polish, and why understanding your users' mental models beats flashy design every time—with real-world examples from their own apps. Follow Us Frank: Twitter, Blog, GitHub James: Twitter, Blog, GitHub Merge Conflict: Twitter, Facebook, Website, Chat on Discord Music : Amethyst Seer - Citrine by Adventureface ⭐⭐ Review Us ⭐⭐ Machine transcription available on http://mergeconflict.fmSupport Merge ConflictLinks:UI.md
Transcribe →522: Our Thoughts on Slate: The $25K Modular Pickup Changing EVs
4w ago00:37:19Tap to summarizeJames and Frank dig into Slate’s modular electric pickup — a $24,950, 205‑mile, no-frills truck you can customize later — and unpack how factory vs dealer options, aftermarket mods and build quality will make or break the idea. They also cover real-world charging (level 1/2/3), fleet and daily-use practicality, and why a DIY, upgradeable EV could reshape affordable vehicle ownership. Follow Us Frank: Twitter, Blog, GitHub James: Twitter, Blog, GitHub Merge Conflict: Twitter, Facebook, Website, Chat on Discord Music : Amethyst Seer - Citrine by Adventureface ⭐⭐ Review Us ⭐⭐ Machine transcription available on http://mergeconflict.fmSupport Merge Conflict
Transcribe →521: Polish Matters: UI, Icons, and AI Design Fails
Jun 2900:48:28Tap to summarizeEpisode 521 James and Frank obsess over “polish”: the tiny design and packaging details that make apps feel finished. They start with impeccable.style, product.md and design.md (and why agents.md and readme aren’t enough), then dig into UI fit‑and‑finish — tray/menu UIs, icon choice, grouping settings and why AI agents still struggle with layout and whitespace. The conversation then moves deep into Windows packaging: WinApp SDK versions, trimming woes with WinRT, ready‑to‑run vs. single‑file self‑contained builds, MSIX tradeoffs, and strange cases where builds bloat with unwanted packages. Key takeaways: give agents the right metadata, expect to hand‑tune UI polish, split architectures, disable R2R for size savings, exclude unnecessary SDK assets, and use Windows Sandbox/WSD for testing. A practical, nitty‑gritty episode for devs who care about the final mile. Follow Us Frank: Twitter, Blog, GitHub James: Twitter, Blog, GitHub Merge Conflict: Twitter, Facebook, Website, Chat on Discord Music : Amethyst Seer - Citrine by Adventureface ⭐⭐ Review Us ⭐⭐ Machine transcription available on http://mergeconflict.fmSupport Merge Conflict
Transcribe →520: Inside the New GitHub Copilot App: Sessions, Canvases, Automations
Jun 2200:58:05Tap to summarizeThis episode dives into the new GitHub Copilot app — a hub for agent sessions, multi‑repo orchestration, PR‑first workflows, automations and the new canvas metaphor for triage and planning. James and Frank unpack how sessions can spawn and coordinate across repositories, agent‑aware merges that respect CI and code review, support for local models and extensions, and the token tradeoffs to be aware of. The canvas demos (swipe‑to‑triage, Kanban agent assignment) show how Copilot is trying to move beyond chat windows into real UX for developer workflows. They also tour Windows dev work: embracing WinUI for native apps, using a Windows developer setup script, packaging and Winget publishing, and the power of Visual Studio 2026 for debugging, profiling and live XAML edits. If you ship apps or want agent-driven workflows, this episode is full of practical tips and honest caveats. Follow Us Frank: Twitter, Blog, GitHub James: Twitter, Blog, GitHub Merge Conflict: Twitter, Facebook, Website, Chat on Discord Music : Amethyst Seer - Citrine by Adventureface ⭐⭐ Review Us ⭐⭐ Machine transcription available on http://mergeconflict.fmSupport Merge ConflictLinks:ResizeMe GitHub Copilot app Introducing WinUI agent plugin for GitHub Copilot and Claude Code - #ifdef Windows Tiny Clips for Mac & Windows — Screenshot, GIF, and Video Capture
Transcribe →519: WWDC Deep Dive: Apple’s New AI for Developers
Jun 1500:52:27Tap to summarizeJames and Frank break down WWDC’s developer-focused news—from Apple’s AI push (local models, a new private cloud for foundation models, and a command‑line API) to Xcode’s new agent integrations, the device hub/simulator overhaul, and macOS/UI polish. If you build apps, pay attention: small developers now get subsidized cloud models, Intel Macs are being sunset, and you’ll need to test many form factors and new Swift/AI APIs. Follow Us Frank: Twitter, Blog, GitHub James: Twitter, Blog, GitHub Merge Conflict: Twitter, Facebook, Website, Chat on Discord Music : Amethyst Seer - Citrine by Adventureface ⭐⭐ Review Us ⭐⭐ Machine transcription available on http://mergeconflict.fmSupport Merge Conflict
Transcribe →518: Windows is Back! New Microsoft AI Coding Models
Jun 800:46:31Tap to summarizeMicrosoft Build 2026 brought a major shift: homegrown AI models designed for efficiency and real-world developer workflows. From the cost-effective MAI Code 1 Flash to sandboxed code execution and Windows developer tools, discover how Microsoft is making powerful AI accessible without breaking the bank. James shares his hands-on experience proving that you don't need expensive flagship models for most agentic coding tasks. Windows: https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/dev-tools Microsoft AI: https://microsoft.ai/news/building-a-hillclimbing-machine-launching-seven-new-mai-models/ Follow Us Frank: Twitter, Blog, GitHub James: Twitter, Blog, GitHub Merge Conflict: Twitter, Facebook, Website, Chat on Discord Music : Amethyst Seer - Citrine by Adventureface ⭐⭐ Review Us ⭐⭐ Machine transcription available on http://mergeconflict.fmSupport Merge Conflict
Transcribe →517: Plan First, Think Less: Save Tokens, Improve Code
Jun 100:34:49Tap to summarizeEpisode 517 starts with a light chat about AI avatars and new text‑to‑speech deepfakes before diving into LLM “thinking” modes—what baked‑in planning actually does, why it multiplies token costs, and when it helps or hurts. James and Frank give concrete dev advice: try low‑thinking settings, use big models for creative planning then smaller ones to execute, leverage harnesses/system prompts, and beware quantized local models often do better without thinking. Follow Us Frank: Twitter, Blog, GitHub James: Twitter, Blog, GitHub Merge Conflict: Twitter, Facebook, Website, Chat on Discord Music : Amethyst Seer - Citrine by Adventureface ⭐⭐ Review Us ⭐⭐ Machine transcription available on http://mergeconflict.fmSupport Merge Conflict
Transcribe →516: Evolving Agent Session Management
May 2500:42:52Tap to summarizeJames and Frank unpack AI-driven development shifts—agent SDKs, session management, and the rise of agent-first UIs like Google’s anti-gravity and GitHub Copilot—showing how VS Code’s Agents window, worktrees, sub-sessions and tunnels help manage multi-repo cloud and local workflows. They share practical takeaways—why SDKs are essential, when to stay code-first, how subsessions and remote tunnels protect your machine, and what to watch for in sandboxing and integration gaps. Follow Us Frank: Twitter, Blog, GitHub James: Twitter, Blog, GitHub Merge Conflict: Twitter, Facebook, Website, Chat on Discord Music : Amethyst Seer - Citrine by Adventureface ⭐⭐ Review Us ⭐⭐ Machine transcription available on http://mergeconflict.fmSupport Merge Conflict
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