Cloud Next 2025Google At Cloud Next, Google Cloud’s annual user conference, the company presented its vision for AI agents. Google has launched tools and services enabling developers and business users to build agents. Gemini as the Foundation of Google’s AI Strategy Gemini is the cornerstone of Google’s AI agent strategy, leveraging its advanced multimodal capabilities to process and generate responses across text, images, audio, video and code. Developed by DeepMind, Gemini is designed for diverse applications ranging from personalized assistants to enterprise solutions. Its models—from lightweight Nano to enterprise-grade Ultra—are optimized for reasoning, coding and content creation. Gemini 2.5, the latest iteration, introduces enhanced reasoning and long-context capabilities, enabling complex problem-solving and research assistance. Integrated across Google products like Workspace and Vertex AI, Gemini empowers developers and businesses to create innovative solutions in the agentic era. Agents are First-class Citizens of Vertex AI Vertex AI, Google Cloud’s AI platform offering, has been significantly updated to support agents and agentic workflows. Vertex AI enables developers to access first-party models like Gemini and open source models like Llama through the model garden. It supports fine-tuning existing models and deploying them to consume through AI applications. Like the model garden, developers can utilize an agent garden populated with pre-defined agents from Google and other developers. This collection of ready-to-use samples and tools, directly accessible within ADK, provides developers with pre-built agent patterns and components to accelerate development processes. Similar to the support for heterogeneous foundation models, Vertex AI supports a diverse set of agent frameworks, including Google’s own Agent Development Kit, CrewAI, LangChain and AutoGen 2. With Vertex AI, developers can access a complete stack for designing, developing, testing, evaluating and deploying AI agents. Agent Engine and Agent Development Kit for Developers Google Cloud’s Vertex AI Agent Engine is a fully managed service designed to simplify the deployment, management and scaling of agents in production environments. It abstracts away operational complexities such as infrastructure management, security and monitoring, allowing developers to focus on creating intelligent applications. Supporting multiple frameworks like LangChain, AutoGen 2 and LlamaIndex, the Agent Engine offers flexibility for building and adapting agents. Features include integrated evaluation tools, memory capabilities for context retention and robust tracing for debugging. With seamless integration into Google Cloud’s ecosystem, it enables developers to create sophisticated multi-agent workflows while ensuring compliance and operational efficiency. The Agent Development Kit is at the heart of Google’s agent strategy, a new open-source framework designed to simplify the full stack end-to-end development of agents and multi-agent systems. This isn’t just another experimental tool—it’s the same framework powering agents within Google’s own products like Agentspace and the Google Customer Engagement Suite. The ADK aims to make agent development feel like traditional software development by using familiar programming patterns. Some of the capabilities include: Building agents in under 100 lines of intuitive Python code Native bidirectional audio and video streaming for creating truly interactive experiences Local debugging through a built-in UI launched with a simple command Flexibility to work with various models (Gemini or any model accessible via Model Garden, including options from Anthropic, Meta, Mistral AI and others) Support for both deterministic workflows and LLM-driven dynamic routing The framework provides developers with granular control over how agents think, reason and collaborate through deterministic guardrails and orchestration controls. A2A Protocol for Agent Communication and Interoperability Google’s Agent2Agent protocol is an open standard designed to enable seamless communication and collaboration between AI agents across diverse platforms and frameworks. By establishing a common language for inter-agent interaction, A2A allows agents to securely exchange information, coordinate actions and collaborate dynamically without sharing memory or tools. Built on familiar web technologies like HTTP, JSON-RPC and Server-Sent Events, A2A ensures easy integration into existing IT systems while maintaining enterprise-grade security. The protocol supports long-running tasks and multimodal communication, enabling agents to handle complex workflows involving text, images, audio, or video. A2A empowers businesses to build interoperable multi-agent ecosystems that enhance efficiency, automate processes and drive innovation. Backed by over 50 industry partners, including Atlassian and Salesforce, A2A represents Google’s vision of fostering collaborative AI architectures to tackle enterprise challenges. Official Support for Model Context Protocol The Model Context Protocol is an open standard developed by Anthropic to simplify how AI systems interact with external data sources. It provides a unified framework for secure, two-way communication between AI models and tools like databases, APIs and business applications, enabling real-time context-aware responses without custom integrations.Google has embraced MCP by integrating it into its Gemini models and ADK. This move aligns with the industry trend of adopting MCP as the standard for connecting AI systems to data repositories and tools. By supporting MCP, Google enables developers to build more efficient workflows, leveraging standardized connections that reduce complexity and improve scalability. Google positions MCP as complementary to its A2A protocol, focusing on intelligent tool orchestration while fostering interoperability across multi-agent ecosystems. This dual approach highlights Google’s commitment to advancing open standards in the agentic AI era. Agentspace Platform for Business Users AgentSpace is Google Cloud’s enterprise AI platform designed to unify organizational knowledge and streamline workflows using multimodal AI agents powered by Gemini. It acts as a central hub for enterprise search, data synthesis and agent deployment, enabling employees to access structured and unstructured data across various applications like Salesforce, SharePoint and ServiceNow. AgentSpace includes tools like NotebookLM for research and prebuilt expert agents for tasks such as deep research and idea generation. If Agent Engine and ADK are for developers, Agentspace is a no-code environment for business users to define and build agents. Final Thoughts Google’s announcements at Cloud Next 2025 represent a strategic, full-stack commitment to an AI-driven future centered on enabling and orchestrating agentic AI systems. By providing comprehensive frameworks, open protocols and robust infrastructure, Google is attempting to position itself as the platform of choice for building the next generation of intelligent, autonomous systems. The strategy reflects Google’s recognition that the future of AI lies not just in more powerful models but in creating ecosystems of specialized, collaborative agents that can transform enterprise operations. This vision of intelligent, cooperating AI systems represents a significant evolution from current AI implementations and signals Google’s intention to lead this next phase of AI development.

Amazon is aiming to take on SpaceX’s Starlink internet service using thousands of its own Project Kuiper satellites in low-Earth orbit. The first Project Kuiper satellites were suppsoed to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida on April 9, but rough weather conditions forced the mission team to scrub the planned liftoff. Recommended Videos Since then, it’s all gone a bit quiet, and it’s not clear when the rocket carrying the satellites will be firing up its engines to head skyward. Related A couple of news reports in recent days have suggested that the inaugural launch of Amazon’s Project Kuiper has been rescheduled for Monday, April 14 at 7 p.m. ET, but ULA has yet to confirm this on its website and social media channels.  So, for now, those following developments should simply sit tight and wait for an official update from ULA. Digital Trends has reached out to the spaceflight company for more information and we will update here when we hear back. Similar to SpaceX’s Starlink service, Project Kuiper will use thousands of satellites in low-Earth orbit to provide fast, reliable internet to customers globally, including those in unserved and underserved communities. The first deployment, which we can expect to take place if not on Monday then in the next couple of weeks, will send the first batch of 27 Project Kuiper satellites to orbit. While 27 is the maximum number of Project Kuiper satellites that ULA’s Atlas V rocket can carry in a single mission, its other rocket, the newer Vulcan vehicle, is able to carry up to 45 Amazon satellites in one flight. Blue Origin’s newest rocket, the New Glenn, will also be used for Project Kuiper satellite deployments, giving Amazon several options for building out its constellation. Project Kuiper is aiming to complete its constellation of more than 3,200 satellites by 2029, enabling global broadband coverage that will allow it to properly challenge Starlink. However, Starlink’s larger fleet and technological head start may well help SpaceX to retain a competitive advantage over Amazon’s Project Kuiper at least into the early 2030s. Editors’ Recommendations

Cafes are putting everything they can think of into drinks to stand out in hypercompetitive market.

After nearly seven years of marriage and four kids, Kylie Kelce's relationship with retired Philadelphia Eagles player Jason Kelce is still going strong.During the Thursday episode of her "Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce" podcast, which featured guest LeeAnn Kreischer, Kelce spoke about the "best marriage advice" she's ever received."I always say that you should always date your spouse because, at the end of the day, I truly believe you chose your spouse," Kelce said. "Like you chose to love them, you chose to let them love you, and you chose to build a life together."Kelce has been married to the former NFL player since 2018, and they share four daughters: Wyatt Elizabeth, Elliotte Ray, Bennett Llewellyn, and Finnley Anne, who was born in March.There's a big difference between her relationship with her spouse and the relationships she shares with her family and kids."I love my kids with my whole heart and I always will, but I chose my husband. I didn't choose my kids. I got what I got with my kids," Kelce said. "The same way that like I love my parents, I love my sister — they're my family, I got what I got. They're my family. My husband, I picked."That is why she strongly believes in dating her husband — even though they're already married."It's one of those things where I'm like, I'm going to keep picking you by continuing to date you and appreciate you," Kelce said.They've both "seen a growth in each other" over the past 10 years that they've known each other — something that they appreciate only because they're both still invested in the relationship, she added.The Kelces aren't the only celebrity couple who prioritize dating their spouses.Gordon Ramsay and his wife have regular date nights where they dress up for the occasion.Denise Richards says she tries to go on a staycation at least once a month with her husband, Aaron Phypers, "just so you can have your romance, no distractions, and just reconnect as a couple."Cultivating a strong, healthy marriage requires continuous effort. Several married couples who have been together for over four decades previously told Business Insider that their top tips for a successful relationship include being active outside the house, growing together, and expressing gratitude often.A representative for Kelce did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by BI outside regular hours.

The last few weeks, Marvel’s being going out of its way to promote Thunderbolts as not your average MCU outing. It’s got big-name actors, sure, but they’re from mid-size hits like A Different Man and Midsommar, and creative forces behind Beef, Minari, and Everything Everywhere All at Once. Now, it’s telling you it’s a different type of film by hyping up the realness of its stunts. Y’know that one scene in the trailers of Yelena falling off the Merdeka 118, a skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur? That’s a very real thing Florence Pugh did; in the featurette, she talked about being excited for that particular moment since she first read the script. According to director Jake Schreier, Disney’s health and safety team was understandably hesitant to do this—at 678.2 meters (or 2,227 feet), the Merdeka is the second-tallest building in the world behind the Burj Khalifa—but Schreier felt the film needed something needed “a little more weight and surprise.” What likely helped sell it to Disney was Pugh’s insistence on doing it (she “loooooves heights,” apparently), and “taking it upon herself to elevate it because she trusts our amazing team.” Check it and the official version that’ll open the movie down below. Now that is a pretty cool bit of stunt work, and you can tell everyone in the production took doing this very seriously. Turns out, that’s not the only real bit of work in the film: the scene where Yelena walks away after the floor of a building explodes is also real. Schreier revealed they shot that hours after breaking down the Merdeka rig. There’ve been a lot of explosions in the MCU over the years, so seeing Thunderbolts get to make that and the Merdeka sequence real is a nice change of pace. It’s an interesting time for this featurette to drop—stunt performers will finally get Oscar recognition in a few years, and Marvel would certainly like wants some Academy gold. If they can’t get wins for acting or Best Picture, technical work like this or VFX may be enough to brag about. Either way, Thunderbolts* and its many, many stunts hit theaters on May 2. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

the CORNER garden / VIASCAPE designSave this picture!© CreatAR Images Architects: VIASCAPE design Area Area of this architecture project Area:  360 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2024 Photographs Photographs:CreatAR Images More SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! 1. Inborn Corner Garden - The site is at the southeast corner of Shou'er Community along the boundary wall. Considering that overgrown weeds are spreading, open space is illegally occupied with drying racks and the general physical appearance is decrepit, we proposed a new community garden with a total area of 360 SQM, the CORNER garden. Regarding community planning, the Shou'er community built in the 1990s, where the CORNER garden is now situated, is one of the two areas that possess clear and coherent spatial layouts in the Hudong Sub-district, the other is Hudong and Huyi Community which were built in the 1950s.Save this picture!The architectural layout of Shou'er Community comes out of the design principles of "south and north orientation gives the best sun exposure" and "tilted rectangular footprint generates integrated space", which contribute to the final shape of Shou'er Community, a courtyard-style cluster with 90 and 45 degrees of orientation. This layout naturally produces a series of triangular spaces, which currently function as parking, public facility room, green space, small plaza, etc. The site of the CORNER garden is one of these triangular spaces, so we named it after its triangular spatial character naturally, the CORNER garden.Save this picture!Save this picture!2. Renew the Streetscape with the CORNER Garden inside the Community - The CORNER garden is a part of the Hudong Experiment which VIASCAPE proposed with the Hudong Sub-district Office. During on-site research, we learned that residents strongly hope to have drying racks in the updated garden. And they do not want to implant overly dynamic activities in a quiet garden.Save this picture!In our regeneration strategy, the drying racks should be the primary visual and functional element, which is not merely a structure but an object that defines the space and a triangular gallery for recreation. We then marry the boundary wall and the triangular gallery, making part of the wall recess by 1 meter inwardly to form a zigzag interface that also creates recreational space toward Shouguang Road. The final design will improve the street view by showing the renovated garden from the inner side. Furthermore, the transparent glass brick wall will let the blurred street light project into the community garden, creating an interesting dynamic picture to improve psychological safety at the very corner of the community at night. Renewing the streetscape with a garden which is inside a community is the key experimental point in the design of the CORNER garden and the foundation of detailed spatial construction.Save this picture!3. Design Based on the Environmental Genes - Our design makes the CORNER garden consist of two parts. One is a green space adjacent to the community's secondary driveway. We arranged a combination of lawns and trees to block the view from the vehicular road and parking space, making the garden more like a front garden in a typical contemporary apartment complex development. The other is the one close to the boundary wall. We stitched small-scale functional zones and pedestrians with trees, creating relatively independent recreational space under the tree canopies. The installation of the drying rack was also incorporated into the structure of the white gallery built partially on the base of the boundary wall, forming the basic spatial layout of the garden.Save this picture!We design the CORNER garden with two sets of grids weaving together with angles of 90° and 45° according to the Shou'er community's spatial genes. We followed the grids with a 2x2M module to create the layout, optimizing the simple assembled design with tree pits and seating benches. Terracotta brick which has the same color as the boundary wall is the main material in the garden to create a warm vibe. Glass brick is also employed in the boundary wall to capture dynamic light and shadow from Shouguang Road.Save this picture!Save this picture!4. Problems and Possibilities - If the closer bird's-eye view of the Shou'er community is taken, three aspects of the main problems will be revealed, which are usually neglected. Firstly, multiple triangular outdoor spaces updated at different times are very different from each other in the of spatial composition and material selection. Except for the CORNER garden, which is renewed based on its context, the appearance of other spaces does not fit into Shou'er Community's spatial character. Some typical examples include:Save this picture!Save this picture!The triangular plaza situated in the middle east of the community is too concentrated and utilized with low efficiency, which may result in a large volume of noise from the crowd. The relatively small triangular green space at the north side of the public service complex located in the middle west of the community is designed with weird complex curvy lines. Secondly, we can see that the relevant management departments and grassroots governments have paid huge efforts to solve the problem of parking difficulties in old residential areas, there are still a certain number of scattered nonparking and vehicle access areas that can be optimized and sorted out, such as using some scattered spaces as green spaces and increasing the green volume of the community.Thirdly, the sloped roof has a fragmented color tone with the main blue colors and some spotted grey colors. This might result from different materials used in multiple renovation projects in the past years. These mixed-colored roofs will be viewed as an ugly background for the residents from high floors and the adjacent high-rise buildings.Save this picture!Obviously, these issues are not merely the specific problems of any single community but are generic for most communities. From a citywide perspective, Shanghai has always been concerned about the renovation and upgrading of old residential areas. However, fiscal funds are usually allocated in different batches over time. Some even involve different administrative departments. This will build up challenges like the continuity of spatial utilization approach, material detailing, etc. At the same time, a typical repair application still follows the traditional procedure. Considering the existing situation, we suggest community planners and qualified professional design teams should play a more critical role with a more complete perspective of time, space, and expertise in improving the environmental quality of the old communities according to the "community planner" system in Shanghai.Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less About this office MaterialsSteelBrickMaterials and TagsPublished on April 14, 2025Cite: "the CORNER garden / VIASCAPE design" 14 Apr 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1028928/the-corner-garden-viascape-design&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

Nature, Published online: 09 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08829-yA foundation model trained on neural activity of visual cortex from multiple mice accurately predicts responses to video stimuli and cell types, dendritic features and connectivity within the MICrONS functional connectomics dataset.

submitted by /u/emergency_nine_nines [link] [comments]

RT Gleb AlexandrovGobos Plus by ⁦@SMOUSE_CG⁩! Watch full tutorial on my YT.

RT Jared SobottaHey all,One of my students @NikitaKravchik posted work from our @CGMasterAcademy course "Vegetation and plants for games" Nikita did some amazing work, you have to checkout the full post with breakdowns here!: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/XJzKwa