Vertex AI in Firebase Aims to Simplify the Creation of Gemini-powered Mobile Apps

Currently available in beta, the Vertex AI SDK for Firebase enables the creation of apps that go beyond the simple chat model and text prompting. Google has just made available a colab to help developers through the steps required to integrate it into their apps.

Kotlin HTTP Toolkit Ktor 3.0 Improves Performance and Adds Support for Server-Sent Events

Ktor, Kotlin’s native framework to create asynchronous HTTP server and client applications, has reached version 3. It adopts kotlinx-io, which brings improved performance albeit at the cost of breaking changes, and adds support for Server-Sent events, CSFR, serving static resources from ZIP files, and more.

Kotlin Reaches 2.1.0, Bringing New Language Features, Compiler Updates, and More

Kotlin 2.1.0 introduces new syntax, including guard conditions, non-local break and continue, and multi-dollar string interpolation. Additionally, it extends its multiplatform capabilities and improves the K2 compiler.

Challenges of Creating iOS App Extensions at Lyft

In a recent article, Lyft engineers Artur Stepaniuk and Max Husar described how Lyft handles the complexity of creating an app extension for their iOS app without breaking the tight RAM and binary size constraints set by Apple nor impair user experience.

Google Launches Android XR, Its New AI-Powered Extended Reality Platform

Android XR is Google’s new operating system aimed at powering devices like headsets and glasses and making possible new experiences, a.k.a. apps, running on them. Android XR will integrate Gemini, Google’s AI assistant, to enable understanding user intent, defining a plan, guiding through tasks, and more.