Coder Radio MP3

Mike and Chris contemplate how to gracefully killer a project, end a contract, or quit a job. Then they debate the merits of Google killing Reader, the challenges of Android, and reservations about open sourcing your code. And much more, on this week’s Coder Radio!

Google shuffles the head of Android to a new role, folding Android under the Chrome division. We take live calls and speculate on the long-term possible transition from Android to ChromeOS, how it would impact developers and how the transition could be accomplished. Plus rumor has it Windows Phone 8 will lose support in July 2014, and the dark cloud of uncertainty around the struggling platform this creates. Then the hard choice when developing for desktop Linux, the Samsung problem, and much more!

We question the real purpose of Xamarin’s recent initiatives, the likely and unfortunate outcome of alternative mobile operating systems, and pontificate on HTML5′s continued growth. Plus: A little more on logging, some of our favorite accessories, and a plea for your calls next week!

You know you need to do it, and today Mike tries to convince you. At a minimum errors need to be logged with enough information to point to the line of code, but where do you go from there? Slogging through bug reports, pulling important metrics, and a few bumps and bruises. Plus: The inventory problem developers face, some forgotten glory, defending Yahoo, a batch of your feedback and more!

Yahoo disappoints Mike and Chris with their high-profile announcement that all remote workers must return to their cubes. We’ll get into why this encourages a culture of “B-Players”, and serves as a disservice to the entire industry. Plus the awkward gadget habit our jobs can force us to have, the possibilities Sony’s PS4 could present indie game devs, an honest look at the Chrome Pixel, and much more!

From text editors and compilers to Project management tools Mike shares his toolchain for getting projects done. But we start with fending off the trolls, trouncing Chris over the OYUA, and struggling with nuances of an open sources ASP.NET. Plus defending a dev underfire for speaking his mind, and we answer a batch of your emails.

Mike and Chris discuss Mike moving away from Rails and just what the Hell has happened to Rails in the past few years. If you are running or supporting an older Rails site, this is a must listen! Plus Chris changes his tune a bit on the OUYA, Mike has some thoughts on Java Play, and we answer your emails!

Microsoft leaves developers in a lurch with the death of XNA, Blackberry 10’s early results look promising, Microsoft won’t admit they’re an Enterprise company, and the mixed message the Surface Pro sends developers. Plus the Python vs Ruby debate is finally settled, Mike publicly admits his chicken habit, and we answer audience questions.

The guys attempt to answer when to sunset a project, Github calls you stupid, and is depending on other software that can’t last forever simply kicking the can down the road? Plus taking on too many projects at once, your feedback, Mike’s pick of the week, and more!

When is the time right to launch your project? Mike and Chris discuss how understanding your market can be key to answering that question, building a community, advertising, and when to just ship it. Plus: Things to tell your IT guy, QA war stories, and a batch of your feedback!

Mike’s got Java on his mind this week, and takes issue with the recent coverage it’s been receiving, and and offers some perspective. Google allows developers to reply to bad reviews, is this the start of a major rage train? And the really good news for Qt, new challenges for monetization, and the depressing sales numbers in the Ubuntu Software Center. Plus: Lots of great feedback, and much more!

Ubuntu for Phones holds a lot of promise, but so many glaring questions remain for developers. Can the choice of a powerful toolkit, and a small passionate community really break this new OS into the mobile market? We debate that, answer your emails… AND MORE!

Mike’s got his hands on some new Windows RT devices, and shares his thoughts, challenges, and hopes. Plus we discuss the Super Meat Boy vs Canonical drama, share our predictions for what’s to come in 2013, and answer some emails.

It’s our favorite indie games from the last couple years. Plus the big shake up the Steam Box could bring to the market, if Valve is crushing the Ouya, and why Microsoft and Sony will be forced to adapt. Plus realistic funding for Indie devs, the new idea of success, and much more!

Mike and Chris discuss their favorite things from 2012. And do developers really need monster rigs to get their jobs done? Plus our thoughts on Github vs code.google.com, the XPS 13… And more!