.NET Rocks!

Happy New Year - let's talk Energy! Richard chats with Carl about the state of energy generation in the world today - and things are progressing! Almost every kind of power generation is expanding at the moment, whether you look at solar, wind, hydroelectric, natural gas, coal, oil, or even nuclear! The cost of batteries hits a new low, and new technologies being demonstrated today show that storage is only going to get bigger. And what about the impact of AI on power generation? There's a huge change coming to electricity, an AI may have accelerated that change - but that's only part of the equation!

Join an exhilarating discussion about the past year in space! Explore the fascinating interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS and its debunked alien theories. Marvel at SpaceX's record-breaking Falcon 9 flights and the challenges facing the Starship program. Learn about the aging International Space Station and the exciting prospects of new space stations. Dive into lunar missions, like Firefly's Blue Ghost lander, and unravel mysteries revealed by the James Webb Space Telescope. It's a thrilling overview of a remarkable year for space exploration!

Jeff Fritz, a Principal Program Manager at Microsoft, and Bill Wolf, a community leader and enterprise architect, dive into the transformative role of AI in software development. They tackle listener concerns about AI costs and transparency, discussing the challenges of integrating AI tools like Copilot in workflows. The duo emphasizes the importance of creating clear prompts and standards for AI code generation. Bill also highlights AI's applications in specialized fields like construction, while they all predict a post-bubble landscape with local models and improved reliability.

Gary Ewan Park, a seasoned software engineer and key contributor to Chocolatey, shares insights on the evolving landscape of package management for Windows. He discusses the rise of various package managers, emphasizing the choices available today. Gary highlights the importance of security in the context of supply chain attacks and suggests using vetted internal repositories. He also covers the automation of installations for cloud VMs and CI processes, and offers intriguing tips for handling GUI-only installers. Get ready to learn how to navigate the future of package management!

Calum Simpson, VP of AI at SSW and mastermind behind YakShaver, discusses building innovative AI tools. He dives into YakShaver's mission to reduce busywork in issue reporting, leveraging video inputs for richer context. The conversation highlights the use of Model Context Protocol servers in the upcoming V2, enhancing functionality by integrating directly with platforms like GitHub. Calum also reflects on the balance of responsibility in AI use, emphasizing the importance of human oversight and clear prompts for optimal outcomes in development.

Tom Kerkhove, a Senior software engineer at Microsoft specializing in Azure API Management, shares insights on creating environmentally sustainable software. He discusses the importance of making carbon footprints visible in applications and the potential of shifting workloads to low-emission data centers. Kerkhove highlights the need to measure emissions before taking action and addresses the issue of wasted CI/CD cycles. He also emphasizes the role of autoscaling in energy saving and the benefits of using API policies to minimize unnecessary workloads.

In this discussion with Leslie Richardson, a product manager on the .NET C# developer experience team, listeners get an inside look at how large language models like Copilot are transforming Visual Studio. Leslie reveals how these tools enhance debugging, improve feature discoverability, and assist in generating LINQ queries. The conversation also touches on balancing helpful interruptions with user experience. Plus, she previews exciting features in Visual Studio 2026 that aim for both advancement and user-friendliness.

Brady Gaster, a Microsoft product manager, focuses on enhancing developer tools for Azure and Visual Studio. In this discussion, he shares insights on app modernization and the exciting challenges of cloud integration. Brady talks about leveraging AI generators for large-scale migrations and the playful side of coding, including a fun game demo. He also addresses the evolving role of developers, emphasizing how AI allows teams to tackle higher-level tasks while navigating the ethical implications of AI-generated content.

Mattias Karlsson, a Senior architect and .NET/Microsoft MVP, discusses the innovative Cake.SDK, transforming the Cake open-source project. He highlights the benefits of integrating Cake into .NET applications for faster build automations and better testing environments. Mattias compares Cake to YAML, emphasizing its comprehensive programming language features. He covers using Cake for portable builds, its role in secure development, and the importance of community support in open source. The future looks exciting with the upcoming Cake 6.0 release!

Dan Delamarsky, a Principal product engineer at Microsoft, shares insights on the GitHub Spec Kit and specification-driven development. He discusses how breaking down tasks into granular specs helps LLMs generate quality code more effectively. Delamarsky emphasizes the importance of refining specifications to keep AI models focused and manageable. The conversation touches on using test-driven loops to complete generated code, the evolving role of developers in overseeing AI outputs, and the challenges of adopting this new approach in software development.