Merge Conflict

Latest Episodes:

517: Plan First, Think Less: Save Tokens, Improve Code Jun 01, 2026

Show notes

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 prompts, and beware quantized local models often do better without thinking.

Frank: Twitter, Blog, GitHub
James: Twitter, Blog, GitHub
Merge Conflict: Twitter, Facebook, Website, Chat on Discord
Music : Amethyst Seer - Citrine by Adventureface

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Machine transcription available on http://mergeconflict.fm

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516: Evolving Agent Session Management May 25, 2026

Show notes

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 tunnels protect your machine, and what to watch for in sandboxing and integration gaps.

Frank: Twitter, Blog, GitHub
James: Twitter, Blog, GitHub
Merge Conflict: Twitter, Facebook, Website, Chat on Discord
Music : Amethyst Seer - Citrine by Adventureface

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Machine transcription available on http://mergeconflict.fm

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515: Mini-LED, IPS, and the Great Monitor Rabbit Hole May 18, 2026

Show notes

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 tips and geeky fun for anyone shopping or building.

Frank: Twitter, Blog, GitHub
James: Twitter, Blog, GitHub
Merge Conflict: Twitter, Facebook, Website, Chat on Discord
Music : Amethyst Seer - Citrine by Adventureface

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Machine transcription available on http://mergeconflict.fm

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514: Running Local LLMs in VS Code May 11, 2026

Show notes

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 and hardware trade‑offs, and why local models can liberate your workflow while still needing smarter, unified tooling.

Frank: Twitter, Blog, GitHub
James: Twitter, Blog, GitHub
Merge Conflict: Twitter, Facebook, Website, Chat on Discord
Music : Amethyst Seer - Citrine by Adventureface

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Machine transcription available on http://mergeconflict.fm

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513: Agents Over Chat: The Future of Developer Workflows May 04, 2026

Show notes

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 transition and the need for bold hardware innovation.

Frank: Twitter, Blog, GitHub
James: Twitter, Blog, GitHub
Merge Conflict: Twitter, Facebook, Website, Chat on Discord
Music : Amethyst Seer - Citrine by Adventureface

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Machine transcription available on http://mergeconflict.fm

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512: Does Matter Really Matter? Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

After a quick round of Apple dev updates, James and Frank dive into Matter — why Frank went from skeptic to devotee and why it’s poised to fix IoT chaos. They break down how Matter (an app-layer protocol running over Wi‑Fi/IPv6) and Thread (an open mesh transport) simplify secure onboarding with QR/Bluetooth, enable true interoperability across Apple/Google/Amazon, and make DIY devices easy to build and integrate.

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.fm

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511: Terminals, Remote Sessions, No More Watches! Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

In episode 511 James and Frank dig into audio gear (why impedance matters and the pros/cons of hardware DSP and headphone high‑power modes), explore GitHub Copilot CLI's new Remote Sessions for mobile access to your local dev environment, and reveal a clever hack: MIDI‑over‑USB turns modern iPhones into reliable wired controllers for embedded hardware and robotics. Tune in for practical tips, safety notes on power/latency, and real‑world developer workflows.

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.fm

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510: AI Agents: Claws, Copilot, GUI vs CLI Debate Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

James and Frank dig into the messy world of AI agents—Claudes, Copilots, “claws”—and why now is the wrong time to over-box these tools. They debate GUI vs. CLI futures, explain when AI should be invisible and baked into workflows, and warn about AI-produced “slop” and long-term maintenance. Plus, James’ Light Phone/e-ink experiment adds a practical take on simplicity and real-world tradeoffs.

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.fm

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Links:

509: How AI Fleets Fixed 31 Issues in Two Days Apr 06, 2026

Show notes

In this episode Frank and James riff on everything from accidental source‑map leaks (yes, even Apple slips up) to using Copilot and multi‑agent AI workflows to triage issues, write PRs and even plan trips. They share hands‑on tips—use “plan mode” and deep research, turn plans into issue artifacts, run multi‑model code reviews, cap concurrent agents (~3), and babysit agents—to boost productivity while avoiding chaos and burnout.

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.fm

Support Merge Conflict

508: Agentic Workflows - Markdown Automation for GitHub Actions Mar 30, 2026

Show notes

At MVP Summit we dig into Agentic Workflows — write Markdown prompts that drive AI agents to run CI, open PRs, and automate cross‑repo tasks — and MAUI DevFlow, which lets agents interact with native UIs to click, screenshot and validate designs. Listen for practical takeaways on ditching brittle YAML/scripts and automating tedious maintenance and testing, plus the real caveats: security front‑matter, a compile/lock step and token costs.