Google has officially launched its AI coding agent, Jules, out of beta, powered by Gemini 2.5 Pro. Jules is designed as an asynchronous coding tool that integrates with GitHub and Google Cloud, automating code fixes and updates.

Key updates from the beta phase include structured pricing tiers, starting with a free plan (15 daily tasks) and paid plans (Google AI Pro and Ultra) offering higher limits. Google has also updated its privacy policy to clarify AI training data usage.

During beta testing, Jules facilitated over 140,000 code improvements. New features include GitHub issue integration, environment snapshots for faster task execution, and broader accessibility, including mobile web app support.

Jules distinguishes itself from other AI coding tools by operating asynchronously in a virtual machine, allowing developers to initiate tasks and return later for completion.

Lava Payments, founded by Mitchell Jones, has raised $5.8 million in seed funding to develop digital wallets for AI agents. The platform aims to streamline transactions for AI by providing a unified credit system that eliminates the need for multiple subscriptions and authentications. Merchants can enable Lava wallets for their customers, allowing them to use credits across various services and foundational models like GPT and Claude. The funding will be used for hiring, product development, and go-to-market strategies, with the goal of enabling seamless AI transactions on the web.

Apple is increasing its investment in U.S. manufacturing by another $100 billion. This commitment aims to boost the production of Apple products within the United States. The new investment follows a previous pledge of $500 billion over the next four years.

The $500 billion investment includes initiatives such as opening an advanced manufacturing facility in Houston to produce servers for Apple Intelligence, producing Apple TV+ content in 20 U.S. states, and collaborating with U.S. suppliers.

This announcement comes amidst President Trump's threats of tariffs on iPhones made outside the U.S., pushing Apple to move more manufacturing to the United States. Tariffs have already cost Apple $800 million, and the company anticipates spending $1.1 billion in the next quarter.

Cohere has introduced North, an AI agent platform designed to address enterprise data security concerns. North enables private deployment, ensuring that sensitive data remains behind the customer's firewall, unlike cloud-based solutions like Azure or AWS. It can be installed on an organization’s on-premise infrastructure, hybrid clouds, VPCs, or air-gapped environments, even running on as few as two GPUs.

North offers features such as chat and search for customer support, meeting transcript summarization, marketing copy creation, and accessing internal and web-based information. It also includes granular access control, agent autonomy policies, and continuous security testing. Powered by Cohere's Command and Compass technologies, North integrates with workplace tools like Gmail, Slack, and Salesforce, and supports Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers for industry-specific applications.

Cohere has piloted North with customers like RBC, Dell, LG, Ensemble Health Partners, and Palantir. The platform aims to provide a smooth transition from AI augmentation to automation, fostering confidence in AI-driven workflows.

Instagram is introducing Instagram Map, enabling users to share their location and explore location-based content. This feature mirrors Snapchat's Snap Map, allowing users to see where their friends are and discover content from local businesses and events.

Key features include:

• Location Sharing: Users can share their current location with friends, but location sharing is off by default.
• Reposts: Similar to TikTok and Twitter, users can now repost public reels and feed posts to their profiles.
• Friends Tab in Reels: Originally launched in the US, this feature is now available globally, showing reels that friends have liked, commented on, or reposted.
• Privacy Options: Users can opt out of having their interactions shown in the Friends tab.

The Instagram Map feature is launching in the United States with global availability coming soon. This update also includes the ability to leave short messages or “Notes” on the map for others to see, enhancing location-based engagement.