Startup Zencoder (formerly For Good AI) has launched a cloud-based AI-powered E2E testing agent that simplifies the pipeline from initial code to production-ready applications. Now in public beta, Zentester tackles “verification,” which Zencoder founder and CEO Andrew Filev calls “the missing link” in scaling AI-created code from concept to market-ready app. That complicated process is often delayed by a bottleneck in final testing. Zentester is designed to take that late-stage verification process “from days to hours,” Filev says. Zentester has the typical agent superpowers — seeing and interacting as users do by clicking buttons, filling in forms and navigating workflows. Continue reading Zencoder Testing Agent Shaves Weeks Off App Development

Two years after entering into a collaboration to develop an AI device to succeed the smartphone, OpenAI has agreed to purchase io, Jony Ive’s device and design startup. The $6.4 billion all-stock deal will bring OpenAI to the hardware business and possibly foster the next steps toward ambient computing. “The io team, focused on developing products that inspire, empower and enable, will now merge with OpenAI to work more intimately with the research, engineering and product teams in San Francisco,” OpenAI announced, adding that Ive will assume “deep creative and design responsibilities across OpenAI and io.” Continue reading OpenAI Acquiring Jony Ive’s io in a Deal Valued at $6.4 Billion

OpenAI is releasing its Codex agentic coding tool in research preview. Codex lets developers delegate simple, routine programming tasks to software engineering agents that can generate production-ready code, documenting the work as they go. Codex can work on many tasks in parallel doing things like writing software features, answering questions about a codebase, fixing bugs, and proposing pull requests for review. According to OpenAI, “each task runs in its own cloud sandbox environment,” preloaded within the user’s repository. OpenAI began releasing Codex last week to ChatGPT Pro, Enterprise, and Team users, with support for Plus and Edu coming soon. Continue reading OpenAI Adds Codex Software Agent to Some ChatGPT Plans

Design software startup Figma is rolling out new products and AI upgrades that aim to make the company a one-stop creative ecosystem for taking projects from concept to execution without any third-party apps. At its flagship Figma Config event in San Francisco, the company introduced new products for branded marketing, digital illustration, website building and AI coding, all designed to compete with leaders in the field. “In a world where software is growing exponentially, design is a differentiator that will make great companies and products stand out,” said Figma CEO and co-founder Dylan Field. Continue reading Figma Intros AI-Powered Web Building App, Marketing Tools

Apple has teamed with Anthropic on a “vibe coding” AI platform that will write, edit and test software for developers. The system is essentially an update on Xcode, Apple’s free integrated development environment (IDE) that will be powered by Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet model, according to reports. Apple’s plan is said to be introducing the software internally then deciding later whether to launch it publicly. Apple developed the proprietary Xcode suite of tools and began using it in 2003 to code, debug, test and vet submissions to the App Store for software that runs on all of its operating systems, from iOS to visionOS. Continue reading Apple Reportedly Using Anthropic’s Claude for AI Code Tool

Google has turned its Firebase backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platform into a full-stack AI workspace called Firebase Studio that builds custom apps in a browser-based environment. Available to anyone with a Google account during its preview phase, Google says Firebase Studio will be useful to beginners and pros alike, with Gemini-powered AI agents that can be used to automate the process of building, launching and monitoring mobile and web apps and related infrastructure. Firebase Studio “includes everything developers need to create and publish production-quality AI apps quickly, all in one place,” the company announced at Google Cloud Next 2025. Continue reading Google Firebase Now Full-Stack App Developer in a Browser