//devdigest

⚡️ .NET AI Essentials redefines intelligent app building

Microsoft’s new Microsoft.Extensions.AI library gives developers a unified API to build AI-driven .NET apps — no matter which LLM provider they choose. One interface ties together middleware, telemetry, and structured outputs, streamlining the path to production-grade generative solutions.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ Visual Studio adds long‑awaited editor controls

The January update brings long‑requested tweaks that give developers finer control over how the Visual Studio editor looks and feels. A modest release on paper, but a meaningful one for anyone who lives in the IDE daily — more personalization, less friction, and smoother flow.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ Building Custom Metrics with System.Diagnostics.Metrics

Microsoft’s System.Diagnostics.Metrics API gives .NET developers a first-class way to define and consume custom metrics. The post walks through creating metrics and visualizing them via dotnet-counters — a clean, modern approach to real-time observability baked right into the .NET ecosystem.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ Budget Bytes: AI Apps That Won’t Break the Bank

Microsoft’s new Budget Bytes series shows developers how to build production-grade AI apps on Azure for under $25. It’s a hands-on push toward making cloud intelligence accessible — because learning AI shouldn’t drain your wallet.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ .NET 10 and AI Take Center Stage at NDC London 2026

Microsoft is bringing the .NET team to NDC London 2026 for deep dives into .NET 10, Azure, and AI-driven development. Expect hands-on sessions and one-on-one meetups that showcase how the .NET ecosystem is evolving toward a more intelligent, cloud-connected future.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ Maia 200: Microsoft's new AI inference engine

Microsoft unveils Maia 200, a purpose-built AI accelerator designed to slash the cost and boost the efficiency of token generation. The chip targets one of the most expensive steps in large-scale AI deployment — inference — signaling a sharper focus on performance-per-dollar in enterprise AI workloads.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ Rider turbocharges Unreal variable inspection

JetBrains rebuilt Rider’s expression evaluator for Unreal Engine debugging — and it’s not a subtle boost. Variable inspection now runs up to 87× faster on warm runs and 16× faster on cold ones. For developers used to sluggish symbol expansion, this update turns a coffee-break wait into an instant look under the hood.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ Debug logging arrives in GitHub CLI

The GitHub CLI now makes troubleshooting simpler with built-in debug logging. Developers can finally trace command behavior and decode issues like 403 errors directly from the terminal—no more blind guessing when API calls misfire.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ AI-Generated Tests Challenge TDD Orthodoxy

Developers are turning to large language models to write automated tests — not as a replacement for discipline, but as a new kind of ceremony. The piece asks a sharp question: can LLM‑driven test generation be epistemologically sound, or are we just outsourcing our rigor to the machine?

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ F# community gears up for 2026 (un)conference

The F# community is exploring plans for a dedicated 2026 event — possibly in an unconference format. While details are still forming, the momentum signals rising energy around the language’s ecosystem and a push for deeper in-person collaboration among developers.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ Supercharging AI Agents with Azure Cosmos DB

Episode 110 of Azure Cosmos DB TV dives into the MCP Toolkit that redefines how developers connect AI agents to live operational data. Mark Brown and Sajeetharan Sinnathurai unpack how this toolkit streamlines integration and scalability—finally bringing data consistency and security to the heart of agentic AI systems.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ Copilot Studio Extension for VS Code hits GA

Copilot Studio for VS Code is now generally available, bringing AI agent development in line with standard dev workflows. Teams can build, version, review, and deploy Copilot Studio agents directly from their editor — no context switching, just seamless integration into the coding process.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ Microsoft Brings Quantum Dev Tools to Open Source

Microsoft expands its Quantum Development Kit with open‑source tools and deep VS Code integration, boosting support for hybrid quantum workloads in chemistry, optimization, and ML. The move brings quantum programming closer to everyday developers — and straight into GitHub workflows with Copilot in the loop.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ Azure Cosmos DB Agent Kit boosts AI coding skills

Microsoft rolls out the Azure Cosmos DB Agent Kit — an open-source bundle that teaches AI coding assistants like GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, and Gemini CLI to apply expert-level Cosmos DB best practices. One command installs it; production-grade guidance comes built in. A small step in tooling, a big leap in how AI learns to code for the cloud.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ Azure Storage sets its 2026 vision around AI impact

After a transformative 2025, Azure Storage is entering 2026 with a sharper focus: turning AI into tangible results for its customers. Microsoft positions its storage layer not just as infrastructure, but as an enabler of real AI-driven value across data-intensive industries.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ Rider 2026.1 EAP unlocks new productivity gains

JetBrains opens the Early Access Program for Rider 2026.1, pairing C# productivity boosts and new code inspections with performance upgrades and broader C++ support. It’s a first look at the next wave of developer tooling — refined through early hands‑on feedback.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ ReSharper 2026.1 kicks off Early Access Program

JetBrains opens the ReSharper 2026.1 Early Access Program, giving developers an early look at fresh C# productivity boosts, smarter inspections, and faster performance under the hood. The first build also pushes deeper into modern C++ language support — a clear signal that ReSharper's scope keeps widening beyond .NET.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ NBomber 6.2.0 has been released

The NBomber team released update 6.2.0, focusing on improving cluster mode and expanding analytical capabilities.

The HTML report has received a number of new tools, from filtering metrics to full-screen display of graphs.

Cluster mode has become easier thanks to CLI management without JSON configurations, and the new OpenTelemetry syndication allows you to send NBomber metrics to any modern observability platforms.

In the next releases, the developers promise to update NBomber Studio with the functions of comparing tests, trends, and load testing runs in Kubernetes.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ Malware disguises itself as VS Code extensions

Cybersecurity experts have discovered the Evelyn Stealer program, which is being distributed through fake extensions for Visual Studio Code. According to Trend Micro, it silently collects passwords, browser data, and crypto wallets, and infected developers' work computers can be used as an entry point for attacks on companies and their cloud infrastructure.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!

⚡️ Allocation-Free foreach with Reflection.Emit

Foreach loops over IEnumerable often hide allocations that hurt performance. This deep dive shows how to eliminate them using Reflection and DynamicMethod — crafting a truly allocation-free iteration path without giving up readability. A must-read for .NET performance purists.

♻️ Subscribe for free now!