Two Voice Devs

Mark and Allen

Mark and Allen talk about the latest news in the VoiceFirst world from a developer point of view.

  1. Episode 266 - Supercharging Your AI Agent with Skills

    JAN 29

    Episode 266 - Supercharging Your AI Agent with Skills

    Mark and Allen dive into the emerging world of Agent Skills, an open standard for extending the capabilities of AI coding assistants like GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, and Gemini CLI. They explore how these skills work, how they compare to the Model Context Protocol (MCP), and walk through creating and installing a custom skill using the `skills` CLI. They also discuss the skills.sh website by Vercel, which acts as a registry and leaderboard for the ecosystem. The conversation touches on the potential for standardization, the current fragmentation in the ecosystem, and critical security considerations for these powerful new tools. More Info: * https://agentskills.io * https://skills.sh * https://cra.mr/mcp-skills-and-agents [00:00:00] Introduction & Context: AI Agents and Tools [00:02:18] Getting Information into Context (Instructions files) [00:06:50] What are Agent Skills? (AgentSkills.io) [00:09:55] Agent Skills vs. MCP Servers [00:16:35] How Skills Work: Progressive Disclosure [00:19:50] Mark's Example: List Global NPM Skill [00:22:56] Installing Skills with skill.sh and the Skills CLI [00:26:55] Demo: Installing on GitHub Copilot [00:30:58] Demo: Installing on Gemini CLI [00:37:37] Discussion: Discovery, Standardization, and Security [00:43:05] Conclusion #AgentSkills #AI #GitHubCopilot #GeminiCLI #CodingAssistants #MCP #ModelContextProtocol #DeveloperTools #TwoVoiceDevs

    43 min
  2. Episode 265 - Gemini's New Personal Intelligence: A Second Brain?

    JAN 23

    Episode 265 - Gemini's New Personal Intelligence: A Second Brain?

    Allen and Mike discuss Google's new "Personal Intelligence" feature for Gemini. They explore how it connects to your personal data like Photos, Gmail, and Docs to provide context-aware answers. The conversation covers real-world use cases, privacy concerns regarding training data, and the importance of transparency and granular control in AI systems. They also touch on the "blackmail" scenario found in other AI research and what developers can learn from Google's implementation. More Info: * https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/products/gemini-app/personal-intelligence/ [00:00:30] Google's Gemini Personal Intelligence announcement [00:01:48] Connecting personal data sources to Gemini [00:03:45] Google's unique advantage with user data [00:06:40] Real-world use case: Tracking travel history [00:07:30] Potential use case: Combining health data sources [00:09:15] Privacy: Is your data used for training? [00:12:40] The debate: Opting in vs. privacy concerns [00:16:30] AI safety and the "blackmail" scenario [00:18:50] Lessons for developers: Granular permissions and transparency [00:20:30] Verifiability and user trust [00:23:50] Conclusion #Gemini #GoogleAI #PersonalIntelligence #Privacy #MachineLearning #Developer #TechPodcast #AI #TwoVoiceDevs

    24 min
  3. Episode 264 - AI, Context, and the "No-UI" Future

    JAN 20

    Episode 264 - AI, Context, and the "No-UI" Future

    Allen Firstenberg welcomes back guest host Mike Wolfson, an Android Google Developer Expert, to discuss the shifting landscape of User Experience (UX) in the age of Artificial Intelligence. As we move toward autonomous agents and multimodal interactions—incorporating voice, haptics, and environmental data—the reliance on traditional screens and touch interfaces is set to diminish. Mike shares insights on why "context" is the new "queen," illustrating the challenges of current AI with real-world examples (like his Meta glasses failing to find a decent breakfast burrito). The conversation tackles the critical question: "Who does the agent truly work for?" and explores how developers can avoid "notification fatigue" while ensuring users remain informed and in control. From the "creepy" factor of hyper-personalized data to the "Beverage Butler" concept, this episode dives deep into designing for a future where the best UI might be no UI at all. [00:00:00] Welcome and Introduction [00:01:21] The Evolution of UX: Beyond Touchscreens [00:03:52] The Importance of Context: A Meta Glasses Example [00:06:21] Privacy, Creepiness, and Agent Loyalty [00:08:43] Application Development in an AI World [00:11:34] Avoiding the "Seinfeld Assistant" of Notification Fatigue [00:17:15] Feedback Modalities: Tones vs. Speech [00:19:39] Discoverability of Features in Non-Visual Interfaces [00:23:00] The "Beverage Butler" and Future Outlook #AI #UX #UserExperience #ArtificialIntelligence #AndroidDev #ContextAwareness #VoiceUI #NoUI #TechPodcast #TwoVoiceDevs #GDE #GoogleDeveloperExpert #BeverageButler

    25 min
  4. Episode 263 - Exploring the Parlant Agent Framework

    JAN 16

    Episode 263 - Exploring the Parlant Agent Framework

    In this episode, Mark introduces Allen to Parlant, an open-source framework for building agentic AI. They explore how Parlant differs from other frameworks like LangChain and LangGraph by using concepts like "journeys" for flexible conversation flows and "guidelines" for conditional rule application. Mark walks through the key features, including the ability to define glossaries, tools, and the engine's matching process. They also discuss the recent version 3.1 updates, such as linked journeys and behavior criticality levels. Finally, they dive into "Emcie," Parlant's managed NLP service that utilizes a teacher-student model architecture to optimize performance and cost using Small Language Models (SLMs). [00:00:00] Welcome and Introduction [00:00:43] Introduction to Parlant [00:02:03] Journeys: Flexible Conversation Flows [00:03:36] Guidelines: Conditional Rules [00:06:27] Motivations and Compliance [00:08:44] NLP Services and Providers [00:11:42] The Balance Between Rigid and Loose Conversations [00:18:43] Parlant 3.1 Updates: Linked Journeys and Behavior Levels [00:22:20] Custom Matchers [00:23:14] Emcie: Parlant's Managed NLP Service [00:25:05] Model Tiers: Jackal and Bison [00:26:14] Teacher-Student Architecture and SLMs [00:30:26] Cost and Optimization with Student Models [00:35:19] Conclusion and Wrap-up #Parlant #AI #AgenticAI #LLM #SLM #OpenSource #SoftwareDevelopment #TwoVoiceDevs #Emcie #NLP

    37 min
  5. Epsiode 262 - 2025 Wrap-Up: The Great Agent Takeover & 2026 Vibe Check

    JAN 2

    Epsiode 262 - 2025 Wrap-Up: The Great Agent Takeover & 2026 Vibe Check

    Happy New Year! Allen and Mark kick off 2026 by looking back at the whirlwind of AI developments in 2025. From the explosion of agentic frameworks like LangGraph, Google's Agent Development Kit, and the Microsoft Agent Framework to the emergence of protocols like MCP and A2A, it was a year of rapid evolution. They discuss the rise of "vibe coding," the state of voice assistants like Alexa Plus and Gemini, and the challenges of monetization and discovery in a model-centric world. What lies ahead in 2026? The duo shares their big predictions! What do we need on the hardware side? Perhaps something new from Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, Amazon, or someone else? What companies are we rooting for? What's next for agents? Tune in and find out! Timestamps: [00:00:00] Introduction and Happy New Year [00:01:13] Reflecting on a busy 2025: Google's weekly announcements [00:02:05] New terms: MCP (Model Context Protocol) and A2A (Agent-to-Agent) [00:03:52] The shift to Agents and Agentic solutions [00:05:40] Framework evolution: Microsoft Agent Framework and LangGraph [00:07:54] The rise of Coding Assistants and "Vibe Coding" [00:09:25] State of Voice: Alexa Plus and Gemini on smart devices [00:11:15] Smart Glasses and the future of ambient AI [00:12:40] MCP: Challenges with discovery, monetization, and security [00:15:10] Microsoft Foundry and low-code agent building [00:20:25] Live Streaming Models: Video, Audio, and Text [00:22:00] 2026 Predictions: Voice Flow acquisition [00:23:05] Prediction: Moving from Chatbots to Autonomous Agents [00:25:20] Prediction: The role of Small Language Models (SLMs) [00:27:10] Closing thoughts and 2026 outlook Hashtags: #AI #GenerativeAI #Agents #AutonomousAgents #MCP #A2A #LangGraph #Gemini #VoiceAssistant #SmartGlasses #VoiceFirst #SLM #VoiceFlow #TwoVoiceDevs #YearInReview #2026Predictions #VibeCoding

    28 min
  6. Episode 261 - The Great Holid-AI Rebus Battle

    12/26/2025

    Episode 261 - The Great Holid-AI Rebus Battle

    Get ready for the ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN of holiday cheer and artificial intelligence! In this SPECIAL HOLIDAY EPISODE, Mark and Allen aren't just exchanging pleasantries—they're exchanging MIND-BENDING REBUS PUZZLES generated by some AI models themselves! It's a battle of wits, a clash of code, and a festive face-off as Microsoft Copilot takes on Google's Gemini (and the famous "Nano Banana Pro") to solve visual riddles that will have you shouting at your screen. Can our hosts decipher the scribbles of silicon brains? Or will the AI stump the humans once and for all? Grab your eggnog, put on your thinking cap, and play along! It's Two Voice Devs like you've never seen (or puzzled) them before! HAPPY HOLIDAYS! [00:00:00] Intro: The Rules of Engagement [00:02:48] Puzzle 1: A Nipping Chill [00:03:33] Puzzle 2: Going for Gold [00:07:00] Puzzle 3: Escaping the Cage [00:10:00] Puzzle 4: The Silent Mouse [00:11:00] Puzzle 5: A Knightly Gesture [00:12:15] Puzzle 6: Sweet Ballerina [00:13:30] Puzzle 7: Listen Closely to the Animal [00:15:30] Puzzle 8: A Holiday Wish [00:16:15] Puzzle 9: The Grand Finale Challenge [00:19:30] Happy Holidays from Two Voice Devs! #TwoVoiceDevs #HolidaySpecial #RebusPuzzles #LLMBattle #AIShowdown #Copilot #Gemini #NanoBananaPro #ChatGPT #ArtificialIntelligence #MachineLearning #JackFrost #WinterWonderland #Freeze #SugarPlumFairy #Nutcracker #NewYears #Gnu #MerryChristmas #FestivalOfLights #Hanukkah #Kwanzaa #Unity #HolidayFun #Games #Puzzles #TechHumor #DevLife #HappyHolidays #SeasonsGreetings #Fun #Creative #OverTheTop #Podcast #Developers #SoftwareEngineering

    21 min
  7. Episode 260 - Turn Your AI Agent into a Voice Agent With Microsoft Foundry

    12/24/2025

    Episode 260 - Turn Your AI Agent into a Voice Agent With Microsoft Foundry

    Mark Tucker explores Microsoft Azure's "Voice Live" feature within the newly rebranded Microsoft Foundry. He demonstrates how to take a standard text-based AI agent—in this case, one that talks like a pirate—and instantly give it a voice using WebSockets to bridge speech-to-text and text-to-speech. Mark walks through the differences between the "Old" Foundry (V1) and the "New" Foundry (V2), shows the configuration steps, and dives into a Python code example to connect it all together. Learn more: * https://github.com/rmtuckerphx/voicelive-agents-quickstart [00:00:00] Intro and Holiday Plans [00:00:46] Introducing Microsoft Azure Voice Live [00:02:00] Microsoft Foundry Overview [00:02:46] Creating a Pirate Agent in Foundry [00:04:46] Enabling Voice Live in the Playground [00:07:46] Demo: Speaking with the Pirate Agent [00:08:46] Comparing Old and New Foundry [00:13:46] Code Walkthrough: Voice Live Quick Start [00:15:46] Connecting Version 2 Agents [00:18:46] Conclusion #MicrosoftAzure #VoiceLive #MicrosoftFoundry #AI #VoiceFirst #GenerativeAI #SpeechToText #TextToSpeech #Python #Coding

    19 min
  8. Episode 259 - Building Better MCP Servers: Lessons from Vodo Drive

    12/11/2025

    Episode 259 - Building Better MCP Servers: Lessons from Vodo Drive

    Allen and Mark discuss the architecture of Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, using Allen's experience with "Vodo Drive" as a case study. They dive into critical considerations for building effective agents, focusing on security, managing API complexity, and enforcing business logic. The conversation explores how to move beyond simple REST API wrappers to create high-level, context-aware tools that ensure safety and efficiency. [00:00:00] Welcome and Introduction [00:00:54] Lessons from Vodo Drive for MCP [00:02:54] The Importance of Security in MCP Servers [00:03:36] Managing API Complexity and Business Logic [00:05:58] Authentication and Authorization Challenges [00:07:37] OAuth Scopes and User-Controlled Access [00:10:48] Handling Complex APIs like Google Workspace [00:13:58] Designing High-Level Tools vs. Low-Level wrappers [00:19:35] Dynamic Tool Lists and Context Awareness [00:24:14] Agents Acting On Behalf of Users, Not As Users #MCP #ModelContextProtocol #AI #Agents #VodoDrive #Security #API #GoogleWorkspace #SoftwareArchitecture #TwoVoiceDevs

    25 min
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About

Mark and Allen talk about the latest news in the VoiceFirst world from a developer point of view.

Information

  • Creator
    Mark and Allen
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    267
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Mark and Allen
  • Show Website
    Two Voice Devs

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