Merge Conflict

In 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.

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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

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 tools, and the shift to core CLR in .NET 11 with performance tradeoffs to watch.

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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

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 their own apps.

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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

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.

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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

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 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.

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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