How do customers take control of their data from merchants? Carl and Richard chat with Richard Reukema about his book The Empowered Customer. Richard discusses building a data cooperative between customers and merchants using ethical data handling techniques and technology to create mutual benefit. The conversation dives into how to get merchants to migrate from their loyalty programs into this more constructive and broader model.

Steve Sanderson, a developer on Microsoft's .NET team, dives into how AI can revolutionize app development. He highlights the Microsoft.Extensions.AI toolset that simplifies incorporating AI into applications. Topics include utilizing AI for smarter UI interactions, offering cut-and-paste suggestions, and enhancing user experiences through dynamic changes. The discussion also touches on AI's potential for improving functionality across various applications, alongside ethical considerations and the evolution of large language models.

Ready for a migration story? Carl and Richard talk to Nathan Westfall about his experiences moving an application for school buses from Xamarin Forms to Blazor. Nathan describes the interplay between a tablet on the bus for the driver, cloud services in AWS, and parent smartphones. The discussion dives into the advantages of Blazor on the client from a server resources perspective when dealing with hundreds of thousands of parents, plus being compliant with all of the rules and expectations of a public service sector product. Great insights on how to make apps people use every day!

Isaac Levin, a seasoned web developer and Microsoft MVP, dives into the transformative world of Microsoft Dev Box. He explains how this cloud-based virtual workstation turbocharges development projects with tailored processing, memory, and storage. The conversation highlights its seamless integration with productivity tools, operational benefits, and cost-effectiveness for remote work. Isaac also shares insights into customizing environments while balancing developer autonomy with IT oversight—essential for modern developers seeking efficiency and flexibility.

A visit from one of Scott Guthrie's Ninja Army! Carl and Richard chat with Rob Conery about his latest work with Microsoft technologies, including a VS Code extension for Copilot to understand Postgres databases! Rob talks about spending time in other programming platforms besides .NET to expand his horizons, which led him to create a tool called Viper.NET, similar to the tool from the Go platform, to help manage configuration. The conversation also visits and revisits the impact of GitHub Copilot, now with a free tier, and how it is helping software developers - and generating controversy!

Thomas Betts, a laureate software architect at Blackbaud and contributor to InfoQ.com, discusses the practical realities of integrating AI into software applications. He emphasizes that AI is essentially just another API, urging listeners to move beyond the hype. The conversation covers the potential of large language models as UX tools and the importance of precise communication in AI development. Betts also tackles the ethical concerns surrounding agentic AI, highlighting the need for oversight to ensure content accuracy.

The latest discussions revolve around exciting advancements in energy generation, from solar and wind innovations to the resurgence of nuclear power. Key topics include the role of software in energy management and the potential of floating solar and wave power. The podcast also delves into the complexities of grid-scale energy storage and groundbreaking technologies like iron air batteries. Additionally, the conversation touches on carbon-neutral jet fuels, showcasing a future where renewable energy meets innovative solutions.

Dive into the thrilling world of space exploration! Discover how SpaceX broke records with multiple Starship test flights and the groundbreaking catch of the Heavy Booster. Learn about ULA’s Vulcan rocket and the extended ISS mission for Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore. Get insights into new lunar missions and the future of space stations amidst financial hurdles. Plus, explore the amazing findings from the James Webb Space Telescope that are reshaping our understanding of the universe. A captivating year in space with even greater adventures ahead!

In this engaging conversation, April Yoho, a Senior Developer Advocate and DevOps Leader at GitHub, discusses the exciting future of GitHub set for 2025. She highlights the introduction of various language model copilots, expanding the capabilities of GitHub Copilot. April also touches on the importance of EU data residency, new enterprise cloud features, and the emergence of no-code tools like Spark. Additionally, she shares insights on the evolving landscape of platform engineering and the significance of governance in cloud development.

Adam Dymitruk, CEO of AdaptDeck Group and creator of Event Modeling, dives into the transformative power of event sourcing. He explains how thinking through business workflows can revolutionize application development by emphasizing immutable data streams. The discussion highlights the collaborative nature of event modeling, where visual methods enhance team communication. Adam also touches on the evolving role of AI in programming, improving efficiency and accuracy in software development. It’s a deep dive into a methodology that could reshape how we think about coding!