Shows
Betatalks the podcast109. Semantic Kernel to Raspberry Pi: Building Smart AI Solutions - with Jamie MaguireIn this Betatalks episode, Rick and Oscar talk with Jamie Maguire, a Microsoft MVP in AI and a certified Azure AI engineer associate. Jamie shares his journey from documenting his technical insights through blogging to becoming an active contributor to the tech community. They reflect on the evolution of AI from manual language processing to powerful tools like Semantic Kernel and discuss his hands-on approach to learning through projects such as a Raspberry Pi-based home security system. Jamie also emphasizes the value of experimenting, building small projects, and consistently sharing knowledge. About this episode, and Jamie M...2025-05-2645 minBetatalks the podcast105. AI's Coding Breakthrough: Unstructured to Understood - with Andreas WänqvistIn this episode of Betatalks, Andreas Wänqvist shares his journey from reluctant web developer to AI architect at Voyado, an Aurelia core team member, and Microsoft MVP. We discuss AI’s evolution in software development, from early skepticism about GitHub Copilot to embracing it as a game-changing assistant. Through personal stories and professional insights, we explore AI’s role in enhancing user experiences beyond simple chatbot implementations. Touching on Andreas' background with Aurelia and web frameworks, he highlights the rapid pace of technological change while remaining optimistic about AI’s potential to simplify tasks, automate processes, and unlock new pos...2025-03-3142 minBetatalks the podcast100. Blending Comedy and Code: From Young Programmer to Conference Entertainer - with RendleIn the 100th episode of Betatalks the Podcast, Rick and Oscar celebrate the milestone with guest Rendle, a software development consultant at RendleLabs and member of the parody band The Line Breakers. Rendle shares the band’s journey from a comedy quiz round to performing tech-themed cover songs at conferences. He highlights his efforts to bring humor and lightheartedness to tech events, including his talk The Worst Programming Language Ever. They also discuss the importance of personal storytelling, overcoming imposter syndrome, and fostering a welcoming tech community. He reflects on his unique career path, blending programming, stand-up comedy, and te...2025-01-2048 minBetatalks the podcast81. From APIs to natural language: The democratization of AI - with Henk BoelmanIn this episode, we talk with Henk Boelman, a senior cloud advocate at Microsoft. We discuss recent advances in artificial intelligence. Henk explains how models like GPT have made AI more accessible through natural language interfaces. We delve into the rapid progression of the field and predict capabilities in multi-modal input and conversation. We discuss whether dedicated services will evolve independently or be replaced by generalized models. Testing and monitoring deployed AI is crucial, and we explore the need for more professionals in this area. Finally, we raise ethical issues surrounding the understanding of AI decisions. A...2024-04-2935 minBetatalks the podcast80. Navigating microservices development: challenges and solutions - with Mark HeathIn this episode, we talk with Mark Heath. He is a software architect at NICE Systems, a Pluralsight author, and a Microsoft MVP. In this podcast, we discuss some of the key challenges involved with microservices development and newer technologies that aim to address those challenges, such as Aspire and Dapr. We also touch upon concepts like sidecar patterns and how starting with a monolithic architecture first before extracting services can be beneficial. The use of serverless technologies through Azure Functions was examined in depth. Specifically how durable functions can help solve issues around workflow orchestration that often arise...2024-04-1544 minBetatalks the podcast79. Bits to Qubits: Exploring the promise and challenges of quantum computing - with Hanna EngelIn this episode, we talk with Hanna Engel. She is an Azure Cloud Solutions Specialist at Azelis. We dive into how quantum computers operate differently than classical computers using qubits and probabilities. This makes them well-suited for problems in AI, simulation, and optimization. Some companies are already pairing quantum with AI for applications like optimizing battery production. While challenges remain, experts predict continued exponential progress could enable a million qubit computer within five years. Once more widely available, entirely new uses may emerge across industries like healthcare. We cover the current capabilities and the long-term potential of quantum computing...2024-04-0131 min