Learn Github, Jspm and Vue

Vue (pronounced /vjuː/, like view) is a progressive framework for building user interfaces. Unlike other monolithic frameworks, Vue is designed from the ground up to be incrementally adoptable. The core library is focused on the view layer only, and is very easy to pick up and integrate with other libraries or existing projects. On the other hand, Vue is also perfectly capable of powering sophisticated Single-Page Applications when used in combination with modern tooling and supporting libraries.

There are several components from the `@tresjs/cientos` that you can use to enhance your **TresJS 3D scenes**.

- `ContactShadows` for performant fake shadows
- Wrap models with `Levioso` for subtle floating animations
- Add real HTML markup to your animations with `HTML`

Using these abstractions from `@tresjs/cientos`, you can create polished **3D experiences**.

Enhance Your TresJS Scenes with the @tresjs/cientos Package

In this **TresJS** lesson you will see how to connect a 3D model to your application state. You'll learn to:

- Access your model's material colors using the `materials` property from `useGLTF`
- Use Vue's `watch` function to update the model's colors when the user changes the selection in the UI

This allows you to create an interactive 3D experience that responds to user input.

Connect a TresJS Model with Vue State

In this lesson, you'll learn how to create a reactive color selector in Vue using the `useState` composable function. We'll cover:

- Creating a shared state that contains base colors and a selected base color
- Using the `toRefs` utility to convert reactive properties to refs
- Importing and using the `useState` composable in components
- Iterating through colors to create buttons
- Assigning click event handlers to update the selected color reactively

Create a Reactive Color Selector in Vue with useState

In this **TresJS** tutorial, we'll explore how to find and use free 3D models in GLTF format from sites like:

- [poly.pizza](https://poly.pizza/)
- [Sketchfab](https://sketchfab.com/)
- [pmndrs Market](https://market.pmnd.rs/)

We'll then cover using the `useGLTF` composable from `drei-sfc` to load models asynchronously, handling it gracefully with Vue's `<Suspense>` component. 

Once loaded, you will see how to explore the object and get the model node you're looking for. Then, you'll pass that node to the Vue `primitive` component's `:object` prop to render the model. 

By the end of the lesson, you'll be ready to start adding awesome 3D models to your own TresJS projects!

Load Models with useGLTF and the TresJS primitive Component

This is an overview of the [TresJS project template](https://github.com/alvarosabu/egghead-tres-3D-product-configurator/tree/main/lessons/starter).

The template is styled with the atomic CSS framework, [UnoCSS](https://unocss.dev), and comes with a default TresJS scene setup, including:

- a perspective camera
- ambient light
- directional light

There is also a color selector initially implemented using an array of colors and a `ref` variable for the selected color. Each color is rendered as a circle. 

Project Overview of the TresJS Product Template

In this **TresJS** lesson you will learn how to use `OrbitControls` from the [@tresjs/cientos](https://cientos.tresjs.org/) package to add interactivity to your scenes by:

- Importing `OrbitControls`
- Adding it below your `TresPerspectiveCamera` component

The `@tresjs/cientos` package is part of the TresJS ecosystem and provides useful abstractions and composables to extend the core framework. 


Use OrbitControls to Interact with your TresJS Scene

In this **TresJS** lesson, we explore how to animate 3D objects in a scene using the render loop. 

We'll cover:

- Using the `useRenderLoop` composable and `onLoop` callback to run code every frame
- Creating refs with `useRef` to reference and modify 3D object properties like position and rotation
- Handling varying device frame rates with `delta` or `elapsed` time for consistent animation speed

By the end of the video, you'll be ready to create smooth animations in your own TresJS scenes.

Animate TresJS Objects with the useRenderLoop Composable

In this **TresJS** lesson, you'll learn how to **enable shadows** in your 3D scenes. 

We'll cover: 
- the `shadows` prop to turn on shadows
- the `cast-shadow` property for lights
- and the `cast-shadow` and `receive-shadow` properties for meshes. 

You will see how to adjust light intensity, position, and object placement to **control the appearance of shadows**. By the end, you'll understand the key aspects of configuring shadows in TresJS scenes.

Enable Shadows in Your TresJS Scene

This TresJS lesson teaches you the basics of lighting 3D scenes. 

You'll learn how to:

- add ambient lights for overall lighting `<TresAmbientLight />`
- add directional lights for light from a specific direction `<TresDirectionalLight />`
- change light color and intensity using theprops. 

You will also see how materials, such as the `<TresMeshStandardMaterial>`, work with the lights in your scene.

Add Ambient and Directional Lighting to Your TresJS Scene

This TresJS lesson shows you how to transform 3D objects in your scene. You'll learn how to:

*   Adjust an object's position with `TresMesh`'s `position`, `scale`, and `rotation` props   
*   Use the `TresAxesHelper` component to guide object transformations in 3D space
    

Transform TresJS Objects Using Props

Learn how to add a 3D cube to your TresJS scene using the `TresMeshComponent`, `TresBoxGeometry`, and `TresMeshNormalMaterial` components. 

This lesson shows TresJS's declarative approach that makes 3D rendering simpler than using plain Three.js.

Add a Cube to Your TresJS 3D Scene

[TresCanvas](https://docs.tresjs.org/api/tres-canvas) is a Vue.js component that wraps the Three.js renderer. 

It can be imported, added to templates, and customized with props like background color and window size.

Add a TresCanvas to Your Vue App

[Link to the course repo](https://github.com/alvarosabu/egghead-tres-3D-product-configurator)

Our goal is to create an application that allows the user to customize a 3D product with different color materials visually. The first step is setting up the starter to follow up during the course

In this first lesson, we will download the course repo ‣. The repo is a monorepo containing all the lessons available for this course. When you clone it you are going to find

Getting Started with the TresJS Product Course Repo

Create Interactive 3D Experiences with TresJS

GitHub fosters a fast, flexible, and collaborative development process that lets you work on your own or with others.

github

Now that we are on Fly.io we'll want to replicate the functionality that Vercel was automatically doing for us by creating and configuring a GitHub Action to deploy our site whenever new commits hit the main branch.

Luckily for us there are a number of pre-defined GitHub actions that we can utilize like `actions/checkout@v3`, `actions/setup-node@v3`, and `superfly/flyctl-actions/setup-flyctl@master`. You'll notice that the first two actions are maintained by GitHub where the last is maintained by Fly.io. 

During this process you will also need to generate a token to verify your deployment to Fly.io and store that in the repository Action secrets.

Create a GitHub Action Configuration to Automatic Deploy an Astro Blog

Next.js is a minimalistic framework for server-rendered React applications.

First thing we'll do is navigate to [Github's Developer Settings](https://github.com/settings/applications/new) to register a new OAuth application.

Here we will set the app name, url, and callback url both for the development environment.

We will copy the Client ID and generate secrets and set them in our `.env`.

Finally we'll generate a `NEXTAUTH_SECRET` with the `openssl` cli tool to generate a random, secure string.

Set up GitHub OAuth for a Next.js 13 Application

Supabase is an open source Firebase alternative. A service to:

- Listen to database changes.
- Query your tables, including filtering, pagination, and deeply nested relationships (like GraphQL).
- Create, update, and delete rows.
- Manage your users and their permissions.
- Interact with your database using a simple UI.

Supabase is not a 1-to-1 mapping of Firebase. Most notably, Supabase uses Postgres rather than a NoSQL store. 

supabase

[Supabase](https://supabase.com) includes multiple authentication strategies. In this lesson, we create a Supabase client to trigger the OAuth authentication flow with GitHub.

Additionally, we discuss the differences between Client and Server Components in the [Next.js App Router](https://nextjs.org/docs/app):

- Client Components: user interactivity
- Server Components: data fetching

Lastly, we create a Route Handler to exchange an authentication code from GitHub for their Supabase session.

## Code Snippets

**Authenticate with GitHub OAuth**

```tsx
await supabase.auth.signInWithOAuth({
  provider: "github",
  options: {
    redirectTo: "http://localhost:3000/auth/callback",
  },
});
```

**Exchange code for Supabase session**

```tsx
await supabase.auth.exchangeCodeForSession(code);
```

## Resources

- [Supabase Auth Helper docs](https://supabase.com/docs/guides/auth/auth-helpers/nextjs)
- [Next.js App Router docs](https://nextjs.org/docs/app)

Authenticate Users with GitHub OAuth using Supabase and Next.js Client Components

[Supabase](https://supabase.com/) includes many ways to authenticate users - Email and password, magic link, mobile OTP etc. In this lesson we implement social login with GitHub by registering a new OAuth Application and providing Supabase with the Client ID and Secret.

## Resources

- [Supabase guide to Login with GitHub](https://supabase.com/docs/guides/auth/social-login/auth-github)

Create an OAuth App with GitHub

Remix is a full stack web framework that focuses on web standards and the server/client model so that you can develop the features your users want and need without being bogged down in over-abstractions. When you get good with Remix, you actually get good at the foundations of web development.

remix

Using a GitHub repo to deploy our application to Vercel, keeps our code and live production site in sync. In this lesson we look at using the [GitHub CLI](https://cli.github.com/) tool to create a public repo, and adding it as a remote origin for our project.

Additionally, we create a new Vercel project from this GitHub repo, add our Supabase environment variables, and deploy. Lastly, we update the Homepage URL in our GitHub OAuth app to be our new Vercel URL, and set our Supabase project's [Authentication Site URL](https://app.supabase.com/project/_/auth/url-configuration) to our new live application URL.

## Extension ideas

- Style the app using Tailwind CSS (or another method of choice)
- Implement the ability for a user to `update` and `delete` their own messages
- Add the option to set a username and display this alongside messages
- Add separate message threads/chat rooms
- Implement private messages/chat rooms

## Resources

- [GitHub CLI](https://cli.github.com/)
- [Vercel docs](https://vercel.com/docs)
- [Deploying Remix app to Vercel](https://vercel.com/guides/deploying-remix-with-vercel)

Deploy a Remix Application to Vercel from a GitHub Repository

Supabase supports [a collection of auth strategies](https://supabase.com/docs/guides/auth) - Email and password, passwordless and OAuth. In this lesson, we look at implementing OAuth with GitHub.

In order to do this, we [create a new GitHub OAuth app](https://github.com/settings/applications/new), and configure Supabase to use its Client ID and Secret. Additionally, we create a `<Login />` component that uses the Supabase client to sign users in and out.

This identifies a problem that we don't have access to the environment variables required to create a Supabase client outside of loaders or actions. Therefore, we pipe through our `SUPABASE_URL` and `SUPABASE_ANON_KEY` from the Loader function, and create a singleton Supabase client, to use across our components.

Lastly, we look at sharing this single instance of Supabase through the Outlet Context and declare types to ensure we have TypeScript helping us out throughout the application.

## Code Snippets

**Expose environment variables from the server**

```tsx
export const loader = async ({}: LoaderArgs) => {
  const env = {
    SUPABASE_URL: process.env.SUPABASE_URL!,
    SUPABASE_ANON_KEY: process.env.SUPABASE_ANON_KEY!,
  };

  return json({ env });
};
```

**Access `env` in component**

```tsx
const { env } = useLoaderData<typeof loader>();
```

**Create a singleton Supabase client**

```tsx
const [supabase] = useState(() =>
  createClient<Database>(env.SUPABASE_URL, env.SUPABASE_ANON_KEY)
);
```

**Share global variables with Outlet Context**

```tsx
<Outlet context={{ supabase }} />
```

**Consuming Outlet Context**

```tsx
const { supabase } = useOutletContext<SupabaseOutletContext>();
```

**Logging in with GitHub**

```tsx
await supabase.auth.signInWithOAuth({
  provider: "github",
});
```

**Logging out**

```tsx
await supabase.auth.signOut();
```

**Entire root component**

```tsx
import { json, LoaderArgs, MetaFunction } from "@remix-run/node";
import {
  Links,
  LiveReload,
  Meta,
  Outlet,
  Scripts,
  ScrollRestoration,
  useLoaderData,
} from "@remix-run/react";
import { createClient, SupabaseClient } from "@supabase/supabase-js";
import { useState } from "react";

import type { Database } from "db_types";

type TypedSupabaseClient = SupabaseClient<Database>;

export type SupabaseOutletContext = {
  supabase: TypedSupabaseClient;
};

export const meta: MetaFunction = () => ({
  charset: "utf-8",
  title: "New Remix App",
  viewport: "width=device-width,initial-scale=1",
});

export const loader = async ({}: LoaderArgs) => {
  const env = {
    SUPABASE_URL: process.env.SUPABASE_URL!,
    SUPABASE_ANON_KEY: process.env.SUPABASE_ANON_KEY!,
  };

  return json({ env });
};

export default function App() {
  const { env } = useLoaderData<typeof loader>();

  const [supabase] = useState(() =>
    createClient<Database>(env.SUPABASE_URL, env.SUPABASE_ANON_KEY)
  );
  return (
    <html lang="en">
      <head>
        <Meta />
        <Links />
      </head>
      <body>
        <Outlet context={{ supabase }} />
        <ScrollRestoration />
        <Scripts />
        <LiveReload />
      </body>
    </html>
  );
}
```

## Resources

- [Supabase docs - login with GitHub](https://supabase.com/docs/guides/auth/auth-github)
- [Remix docs - Outlet Context](https://remix.run/docs/en/v1/api/remix#useoutletcontext)

Implement Authentication for Supabase with OAuth and Github

Some components render differently based on the route they are rendered on. To use router within component tests, it is best to define its default values in `cy.mount()` function. Since we can customize this in any way we’d like, we can create a custom `path` attribute where we can pass our own routes and test our component behavior against them.

Test a Component Rendering Within Different Router Locations in Cypress Component Test

Hey Everyone 👋,

John Lindquist here with the second issue of AI Dev Essentials! It's been another busy week in the AI tooling world. The biggest splash was probably GPT-4.1 hitting the streets, but there's plenty more action around MCP, Vercel's v0, Google's developer tools, and interesting community discussions. I've spent some time with GPT-4.1 already (specifically in Cursor), and while it shows promise, it didn't quite convince me to switch from Gemini 2.5 Pro yet. It stumbled on a few basic requests where Gemini usually shines on the first attempt.

---

### New egghead.io Lesson This Week:

* **[Create a Custom MCP that Calls Cursor Tools](https://egghead.io/create-a-custom-mcp-that-calls-cursor-tools~r77sw):** Learn how to build custom MCP server tools that allow Cursor's AI Agent to access your local project context. This lesson shows how to use Zod schemas and the crucial `.describe()` method to explicitly request information (like Git status or version) from the Cursor environment *before* your tool runs, enabling powerful, context-aware automation.

---

Here are the highlights that caught my eye this past week.

## Model Mania: GPT-4.1 Arrives, Plus Grok & Llama Updates

* **GPT-4.1 Lands:** OpenAI announced GPT-4.1, and it quickly became available via the [API](https://openai.com/live/) and showed up in [Cursor](https://x.com/cursor_ai/status/1911835651810738406). Cursor is offering it free for now to let users get a feel for it, though they don't recommend it as a default just yet. Curious to hear initial impressions from folks testing it out for coding tasks.

* **Grok 3 in Cursor:** Following other model additions, [Cursor also enabled Grok 3 models](https://x.com/amanrsanger/status/1910434915419906141), with the mini version available for free users. Aman Sanger noted it seems to "think upfront more than other models."

* **Community Hack: Llama 4.0 via Groq in Cursor:** Levi Dan shared a [detailed (and slightly hacky) guide](https://x.com/lxvi_brg/status/1908865544721154455) on how to wire up Groq's fast Llama 4.0 API into Cursor by using the OpenAI API key slot and intercepting requests. A clever workaround for the adventurous!

## Tooling & Platform Pulse

Lots of movement across different platforms and tools this week:

* **Vercel Ecosystem:**

  * Guillermo Rauch teased [v0 coming to VS Code](https://x.com/rauchg/status/1911524154458984515), hinting at tighter integration for the UI generation tool.

  * v0 also [added AI integrations](https://x.com/v0/status/1911912183149256943) with models from xai (Grok), FAL, Groq, and DeepInfra, including automatic API key setup and pay-as-you-go billing via Vercel Marketplace. They're offering a $10 credit for the Grok free tier.

  * Vercel shared insights on the [grep.app migration from CRA to Next.js](http://grep.app/), showcasing performance improvements. ([Source](https://x.com/rauchg/status/1911920410020757881)) I'm personally excited about this one – I rely heavily on examples when working with AI, and for me, a good example is often worth ten prompts. Tools like `grep.app` that make code discovery easier are invaluable.

* **Google's Growing Stack:**

  * Project IDX has officially become [Firebase Studio](https://x.com/_davideast/status/1909990728593453455), positioning itself as a cloud-based, agentic dev environment for full-stack AI apps, deeply integrated with Firebase. I've tried spinning up a few sites with it, and the speed is impressive. However, for more complex tasks like designing from images or intricate interactions, I still find myself leaning towards v0 for now.

  * Google quietly released the [Agent Development Kit (ADK)](https://x.com/omarsar0/status/1910004370864742757), a Python library (`pip install google-adk`) for building multi-agent systems with features like state management, tool usage, and orchestration. I haven't had a chance to dive into this yet, but it's right at the top of my list. Building robust agent systems is a huge area of interest, so this is probably the announcement I'm most excited about exploring this week.

  * Ramón Medrano Llamas shared his experience [moving back to VS Code from Cursor](https://x.com/rmedranollamas/status/1909516749612999149), highlighting the effectiveness of GitHub Copilot combined with the Gemini Code Assist extension (using Gemini 2.5 Pro in Agent Mode). I gave the Gemini Code Assist extension a try myself, but as someone deeply embedded in the Cursor workflow with established keyboard shortcuts and patterns, I struggled to find a flow I liked and didn't stick with it for long. It's interesting to see different perspectives, though!

  * AI features are rolling out more broadly in [Chrome](https://x.com/iam_chonchol/status/1909942954686636224), including text grabbing from YouTube videos and Google Lens integration.

* **Cloudflare Corner:**

  * Big news for edge compute: [Cloudflare Containers are coming to Open Beta in June](https://x.com/CherryJimbo/status/1910682562499850405), enabling running containerized apps (Next.js, Go, PHP confirmed) directly on the edge. This is huge news, in my opinion. Think about all the WordPress sites and other applications that rely on containerization. Opening this up on the edge unlocks incredible possibilities, including for AI applications. I'm super hyped to see what people build with this come June.

  * A new tool, [MCPify.ai](http://mcpify.ai/), launched for building MCP servers conversationally, built entirely on Cloudflare Workers and Durable Objects. ([Source](https://x.com/pbteja1998/status/1911723180445610149))

  * Securing MCP servers is getting easier, with examples shared using [WorkOS AuthKit](https://x.com/WorkOS/status/1910722639036874943) and [Auth0](https://x.com/dschenkelman/status/1910693265566728319).

* **IDE Updates:**

  * JetBrains shared the public [WebStorm roadmap for March-April](https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/WEB-72310). ([Source](https://x.com/WebStormIDE/status/1909291367504748937))

> **✨ Workshop Spotlight: Conquer the Complexity of Cursor (Europe Friendly Time!) ✨**
>
> Missed the last workshop or found the timing tricky? This one's for you! Master practical AI development workflows in Cursor in a session scheduled for **12:00 PM UTC** to better accommodate European attendees.
>
> This hands-on workshop covers Agents, Ask, Custom Modes, multi-file analysis, effective prompting, Cursor rules, and strategies for handling AI failures. Unlock Cursor's potential and streamline your development process.
>
> * **When:** \[Check website for upcoming dates - This session is Europe-friendly at 12:00 PM UTC\]
>
> * **Where:** Zoom (Live Q&A included)
>
> * **Investment:** $149
>
> ➡️ [**Read More about the Workshop**](https://egghead.io/workshop/cursor)
> ➡️ [**Register Now ($149)**](https://buy.stripe.com/7sI7tT81dfpC06s28c)
>
> *(Team training also available)*

## Community Buzz & Resources

* **MCP Explained:** Kent C. Dodds wrote a piece explaining [why he's excited about Model Context Protocol (MCP)](https://www.epicai.pro/the-game-changing-potential-of-model-context-protocol) and its potential. ([Source](https://x.com/kentcdodds/status/1911840456432034112))

* **Prompting Guide:** Ian Nuttall surfaced [v7 of Google's Prompt Engineering Guide](https://x.com/iannuttall/status/1911086164196606314), a deep dive into techniques and best practices. Definitely worth a look.

* **Discussion Starter:** Eric Zakariasson asked the community about their [favorite CLIs and MCP servers to use with the Cursor agent](https://x.com/ericzakariasson/status/1910808935961088346). What are you all using?

* **Gemini 2.5 Pro Praise:** The positive buzz around Gemini 2.5 Pro continues to grow in the community. It's getting rave reviews and even achieving 'S-tier' status on social platforms like Reddit for its coding capabilities. ([Source](https://x.com/suchenzang/status/1911251230317490416))

That’s a wrap for this week! There's always so much happening, it's hard to keep up, but hopefully, this helps surface some of the more interesting bits for developers working with AI.

If you have any feedback or questions, feel free to respond to this email. Always happy to talk shop about the latest AI tools.

John Lindquist

[egghead.io](https://egghead.io)

John Lindquist

AI Dev Essentials #2: GPT-4.1 Arrives, MCP Deep Dive & Google's Agent Dev Kit

AI Dev Essentials #2: GPT-4.1 & Gemini updates, MCP tools, Vercel v0, Google ADK, Cloudflare Containers news. Latest AI dev tooling highlights.

In this quick walkthrough, you’ll learn how to drop Nx into an existing npm or pnpm workspace and immediately benefit from project graph visualization, caching, and smart task orchestration, all without rewriting your setup.

You’ll start with a standard React monorepo containing a Vite app, a UI package, and utility functions. Then, using a single command (`nx init`), you’ll initialize Nx and see how it auto-detects your existing scripts, builds a dependency graph, and enables advanced features like affected commands and local caching.

We're also going to explore optional enhancements using Nx plugins for Vite and React. You’ll see how they help Nx infer tasks directly from your Vite config files, improve DX with the Nx Console VS Code extension, and leverage Nx plugin generators to scaffold code with a consistent structure.

What you’ll learn
- How to initialize Nx in an existing npm or pnpm monorepo
- How Nx understands your workspace structure and scripts
- How local caching and affected builds speed up development
- How optional Nx plugins improve DX without adding bloat
- How to scaffold new packages

Using Nx on an existing React and NPM workspace based monorepo

Applying Nx to an existing React monorepo to enable caching, task orchestration, and project graph analysis without changing your current setup.

Typing repetitive or complex instructions for Cursor's AI agent can slow down your workflow. This lesson teaches you how to create custom slash commands (e.g., `/s term`, `/l`, `/c`) using Cursor's "Rules" feature. Learn how to map these simple shortcuts to specific AI actions, instructing the agent to use precise tools like `codebase_search`, `edit_file`, or `run_terminal_cmd` based on your command and the current conversation context.

**Workflow demonstrated in this lesson:**

*   List available AI tools (built-in and MCP) to get their exact names.
*   Navigate to Cursor Settings -> Rules.
*   Define custom rules under a heading (e.g., `## Slash Commands`).
*   Create rules mapping a slash command pattern (like `/s <term>`) to a detailed instruction specifying which tool to use and how (e.g., "Use the codebase_search tool to search for <term/>").
*   Define rules that leverage conversation context (e.g., for summarizing notes or creating commit messages).
*   Save the rules (potentially in `.cursor/rules/project.mdc` for team sharing).
*   Invoke the custom slash commands (e.g., `/s handle`, `/l`, `/c`) in the chat/agent window.
*   Observe the AI understanding the shortcut and executing the intended tool call.

**Key benefits:**

*   Creates efficient, reusable shortcuts for common AI interactions.
*   Reduces the need for typing lengthy, detailed prompts repeatedly.
*   Allows mapping simple commands to specific Cursor tool invocations.
*   Enables commands that leverage the ongoing conversation context.
*   Improves workflow speed and consistency when working with the AI agent.

Speed Up Your Agents with Cursor Slash Commands

Hey Everyone 👋,

John Lindquist here. Since I've been diving deep into AI tooling and workflows over the past year, I'm starting this weekly newsletter to share updates on what interests me and could be helpful to the community. The goal is to help everyone stay up-to-date with the latest in essentials tools for AI devs.

I'll focus on relevant community news, model evaluations for coding, notable tools like Cursor and Windsurf, and practical workflows (including tools I build myself 😇). This week kicks off Cloudflare Developer Week with major announcements around agent/MCP services that many of us will likely use soon (I'll dig in and share my thoughts next issue). There are also lots of hints about new coding models possibly coming to Cursor (though my preference remains Gemini 2.5). Personally, I'm hoping for a Gemini Flash 2.5 variant. So let's hop into the latest! For my detailed, up-to-date workflows, check out the workshop info below.

Recent egghead.io lessons about AI tooling:

* **[Swarm Intelligence: Massively Parallelize Your AI Agents in Cursor](https://egghead.io/swarm-intelligence-massively-parallelize-your-ai-agents-in-cursor~g7u2g):** A workflow using `file-forge`, AI scripting, and a custom `git worktree` tool (`wt`) to launch parallel Cursor agents on different branches.
* **[Build a Better Edit Tool in Cursor with Custom Agent Modes](https://egghead.io/build-a-better-edit-tool-in-cursor-with-custom-agent-modes~21rr0):** Create a focused 'edit mode' in Cursor for precise AI refactors without conversational overhead, overcoming Command-K limitations.
* **[Visually Clone Websites with Gemini 2.5 Canvas for Cursor](https://egghead.io/visually-clone-websites-with-gemini-2-5-canvas-for-cursor~s5ugk):** Use Gemini 2.5 Pro's Canvas feature within Cursor to analyze and replicate website structures.

---

## Cloudflare Developer Week: Agent & Platform Updates

Cloudflare announced several updates relevant to AI application development:

* **Durable Objects Free Tier:** Lowers the barrier for experimenting with stateful serverless and the Agents SDK. ([Rita Kozlov](https://x.com/ritakozlov_/status/1909231625855983939))
* **MCP Enhancements:** BYO Auth (incl. [Auth0](https://x.com/auth0/status/1909307220816228354)) and Hibernation for MCP servers aim to improve agent security and efficiency. Exercise caution with MCP, but these are steps toward production viability.
* **Workflows GA & autoRAG:** Orchestration tool is now GA; a new autoRAG product indicates more integrated AI solutions.
* **Outerbase Acquisition:** Expect Durable Objects usability improvements following this acquisition. ([Rita Kozlov](https://x.com/ritakozlov_/status/1909232149246492887))
* **OpenNext Adapter Beta:** v1.0-beta for deploying Next.js apps on Cloudflare Pages adds caching, PPR, middleware support. ([CloudflareDev](https://x.com/CloudflareDev/status/1909598450871652398))

**Summary:** Cloudflare is actively enhancing its platform for AI/agent development, particularly reducing friction with Durable Objects and MCP.

## Llama 4 & Nemotron-Ultra Released

Meta's Llama 4 models began rolling out, with initial reports of variable quality across implementations. Meta attributes this to implementation stabilization, denying training on test sets ([Ahmad Al-Dahle](https://x.com/Ahmad_Al_Dahle/status/1909302532306092107)). Nvidia subsequently released **Llama-Nemotron-Ultra** (253B parameters), derived from Llama-405B via pruning and reasoning-focused post-training. Open weights and data are available ([Oleksii Kuchaiev](https://x.com/kuchaev/status/1909444566379573646)).

**Summary:** More powerful open models are available. Llama 4's initial rollout highlights the importance of stable implementations. Nemotron-Ultra adds a high-end specialized option.

---

## Quasar Alpha: Stealth Model on OpenRouter

OpenRouter provides early access to "Quasar Alpha," a model with limited public details but notable claims: 1M token context, benchmarks reportedly surpassing Claude 3.7 Sonnet, and >4x faster speeds. Reports suggest strong coding performance comparable to O3 Mini/DeepSeek R1 but significantly faster ([Matthew Berman's Thread](https://x.com/TheMattBerman/status/1908286423976886371)). The originating lab remains anonymous; speculation includes GPT-5, Claude 4, or Gemini 3.

**Summary:** The combination of large context, speed, and reported coding strength warrants attention for agentic workflows and large codebase analysis, despite benchmark caveats. Worth testing via OpenRouter if accessible.

---

**✨ Workshop Spotlight: Conquer the Complexity of Cursor ✨**

Master practical AI development workflows in Cursor. This hands-on workshop covers Agents, Ask, Custom Modes, multi-file analysis, effective prompting, Cursor rules, and strategies for handling AI failures.

* **When:** **This Thursday!** April 10, 2025, 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM (PDT)
* **Where:** Zoom (Live Q&A included)
* **Investment:** $149

Unlock Cursor's potential and streamline your development process.

➡️ [**Read More about the Workshop**](https://egghead.io/workshop/cursor)
➡️ [**Register Now ($149)**](https://buy.stripe.com/dR67tT4P17Xa8CYfZ1)

*(Team training also available)*

---

## Quick Links

* **Nightwhisper Buzz:** Highly-rated coding model "Nightwhisper" (rumored Gemini 2.5 variant?) left LMSys Arena; release may be imminent. ([ʟᴇɢɪᴛ Tweet](https://x.com/legit_api/status/1908264443827351913), [AiBattle Tweet](https://x.com/AiBattle_/status/1907519430961025476))
* **AI SDK Speech-to-Text:** Vercel AI SDK added a `transcribe` function. ([AI SDK Tweet](https://x.com/aisdk/status/1909603418639155460))
* **Gemini 2.5 Pro Updates:** Supports YouTube URLs as input in AI Studio (transcribe, summarize, analyze); reported improvements reducing stop issues/displaying thinking tokens. ([Jean Gatt Tweet](https://x.com/jean__gatt/status/1909256747518226829), [Eric Zakariasson Tweet](https://x.com/ericzakariasson/status/1908619515023548880))
* **Baby Cursor Project:** Cursor's Ryo Lu is building a rapid prototyping environment for IDE ideas. ([Ryo Lu Tweet](https://x.com/ryolu_/status/1908328050154233863))
* **(Rumor) Qwen3 Soon?:** Hints suggest Alibaba's Qwen3 model release is near. ([Elaina Tweet](https://x.com/Elaina43114880/status/1909572798944841859))

---

If you have any feedback or any questions, feel free to respond to this email. Always happy to talk shop about the latest AI tools.

John Lindquist

[egghead.io](https://egghead.io)

AI Dev Essentials #1: Cloudflare agent updates, Llama 4/Nemotron/Quasar models, Cursor workshop

Cursor's AI Agent has the abilitly to invoke MCP tools, but they lack direct access to your project. This lesson shows how to build custom MCP (Model Context Protocol) server tools that bridge this gap. Learn to define tool parameters using Zod schemas and the crucial `.describe()` method to explicitly request necessary context from the Cursor environment *before* your tool runs. See how the AI gathers this information (like Git status or version via terminal commands, or web search results) and passes it to your tool, enabling powerful, context-aware automation.

**Workflow demonstrated in this lesson:**

*   Scaffold a basic MCP server using a Cloudflare template (`pnpm create cloudflare`).
*   Run the MCP server locally and configure it in Cursor settings.
*   Define MCP tools (e.g., `status`) within the server code (`index.ts`).
*   Specify required context for tools using Zod schema parameters and `.describe()` (e.g., requesting "The status of the git repository").
*   Interact with the Cursor Agent using natural language (e.g., "Please check the status").
*   Observe the Agent's thought process: identifying the need for specific context based on the `.describe()` text.
*   See the Agent automatically using its *own* tools (like `run_terminal_cmd` or `web_search`) to gather the requested context *before* calling your MCP tool.
*   Watch the Agent call your MCP tool, passing the gathered local context (Git status, version, etc.) as arguments.
*   Receive the final response from the Agent, incorporating the information provided by your local MCP tool.

**Key benefits:**

*   Allows Cursor's AI to access and reason about information from your local machine (Git status, versions, file contents, etc.).
*   Enables the creation of AI tools that directly interact with or report on your local development environment.
*   Demonstrates the power of using `.describe()` in Zod schemas to guide the AI in gathering necessary context automatically.
*   Unlocks advanced automation possibilities by combining AI reasoning with local machine access.

Create a Custom MCP that Calls Cursor Tools

Vimium's Vomnibar is a "command palette"-like search tool for your open tabs, browser history, and bookmarks. We can search through and jump to any tab open across browser windows. We can also do a generalized search with results that also include browser history and bookmarks which can either be opened in the current tab or a new tab. If you're anything like me, you open tons of tabs and visit hundreds of webpages over the course of a week. The vomnibar puts all of that at your fingertips.

Josh Branchaud

Open Tabs, Browser History, and Bookmarks with the Vomnibar

Vimium's Vomnibar is a "command palette"-like search tool for your open tabs, browser history, and bookmarks.

Another aspect of Vimium's configurability is customizable key mappings. We can add new mappings and override existing ones. If there is a certain Vimium feature you want to make easier to trigger, adjust the key mapping to suit your needs.

Configure Custom Vimium Key Mappings

Another aspect of Vimium's configurability is customizable key mappings. We can add new mappings and override existing ones.

Many aspects of Vimium can be configured in order to bend the tool to your specific needs and use cases. We look at how to configure what sites turn off Vimium, the default search engine, link hint characters, and other basic settings. We also see how both insert mode and searching a visual selection work. Custom keymappings and custom search engines are covered in subsequent lessons.

Configure Basic Aspects of Vimium

Many aspects of Vimium can be configured in order to bend the tool to your specific needs and use cases.

Vimium's "marks" feature lets you mark positions in the current tab and across tabs. These are positional markers that you can jump back to. For instance, as you browse a huge page of documentation or a massive forum discussion, you can leave a series of "dog ears" to sections or conversations that you'll later want to revisit. Each tab supports its own set of lower-case letter marks. Upper-case letter marks are shared across tabs allowing you to seamlessly move between a specific set of tabs regardless of how they are arranged.

Set Marks on a Vimium Webpage You Want to Jump Back To

Vimium's "marks" feature lets you mark positions in the current tab and across tabs. These are positional markers that you can jump back to.

Search

Search Results