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Merge Conflict

Merge Conflict

soundbite.fm 525 Episodes Jul 20, 2026

Merge Conflict is a weekly discussion with Frank and James on all things development, technology, and more. After years of being friends, they finally decided to start a podcast about their lives as mobile developers using C#, Xamarin, and .NET MAUI. The show covers desktop, server, and mobile development, as well as fun topics in technology and gaming.

Episodes

524: A .NET MAUI AI Revolution
524: A .NET MAUI AI Revolution Jul 20, 2026 37:47 On 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 to
523: UI.md - Opinionated design rules for coding agents
523: UI.md - Opinionated design rules for coding agents Jul 13, 2026 46:01 Frank 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 the
522: Our Thoughts on Slate: The $25K Modular Pickup Changing EVs
522: Our Thoughts on Slate: The $25K Modular Pickup Changing EVs Jul 6, 2026 37:19 James 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. Fol
521: Polish Matters: UI, Icons, and AI Design Fails
521: Polish Matters: UI, Icons, and AI Design Fails Jun 29, 2026 48:28 Episode 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 move
520: Inside the New GitHub Copilot App: Sessions, Canvases, Automations
520: Inside the New GitHub Copilot App: Sessions, Canvases, Automations Jun 22, 2026 58:05 This 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
519: WWDC Deep Dive: Apple’s New AI for Developers
519: WWDC Deep Dive: Apple’s New AI for Developers Jun 15, 2026 52:27 James 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 man
518: Windows is Back! New Microsoft AI Coding Models
518: Windows is Back! New Microsoft AI Coding Models Jun 8, 2026 46:31 Microsoft 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 mo
517: Plan First, Think Less: Save Tokens, Improve Code
517: Plan First, Think Less: Save Tokens, Improve Code Jun 1, 2026 34:49 Episode 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 promp
516: Evolving Agent Session Management
516: Evolving Agent Session Management May 25, 2026 42:52 James 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
515: Mini-LED, IPS, and the Great Monitor Rabbit Hole
515: Mini-LED, IPS, and the Great Monitor Rabbit Hole May 18, 2026 44:17 James and Frank share thrift‑store monitor triumphs (and a retro Wii audio nightmare) before diving into a no‑nonsense guide to buying displays: what ports, VESA mounts, and speakers really matter. They demystify HDR, mini‑LED vs OLED, refresh‑rate math (why 40/120Hz divides matter), and modern upscaling—plus the surprising developer headaches of getting HDR to actually work. Practical ti
514: Running Local LLMs in VS Code
514: Running Local LLMs in VS Code May 11, 2026 55:46 In this episode James and Frank dive into running AI coding models locally versus in the cloud—BYOK/Open Router, VS Code’s chat/agent harness, model runners (Olama, vLLM), and the practicality of 27B models on a 3090 using 4‑bit quantization. They share hands-on takeaways—how recent engineering (MT/MTPLX) boosts inference to usable token rates, when auto model selection makes sense, cost
513: Agents Over Chat: The Future of Developer Workflows
513: Agents Over Chat: The Future of Developer Workflows May 4, 2026 57:39 James and Frank explore the future of developer workflows powered by AI agents, revealing how developers are shifting from coders to testers and product strategists. They dive into new research-planning-implementation cycles, GitHub's usage-based pricing changes, and why developers must think strategically about model choices and token costs. Plus, reflections on Apple's leadership transi

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