The Model Context Protocol (MCP): The New Standard for Secure AI Interoperability

The promise of Artificial Intelligence has long been restricted by a single, critical challenge: connecting powerful Large Language Models (LLMs) to the messy, secure, and constantly evolving world of enterprise data and tools. Traditional methods relying on hardcoded integrations and proprietary plugins have proven to be fragile, difficult to scale, and rife with security risks. … Read more

Storing Secrets in AWS Secrets Manager & AWS SSM Parameter Store

This is not an article delving into the details of AWS Secrets Manager or SSM Parameter Store, but a quick overview of how to use them to store secrets like API keys as I did in this project. https://github.com/avr2002/files-api/tree/main?embedable=true AWS Secrets Manager AWS Secrets Manager helps you to securely store, rotate, and manage sensitive information … Read more

What Nobody Tells You About AI Agents: 6 Surprising Costs and Realities

1. Introduction: Beyond the Hype The rise of AI agents represents a seismic shift in technology. We’re moving beyond basic chatbots that simply respond to prompts, into an era of autonomous systems capable of independent planning, logical reasoning, and executing complex tasks. These advances promise to revolutionize how businesses operate. However, beneath the surface of … Read more

Optimizing Databricks Cluster Cost and Utilization Without System Tables

In most enterprise Databricks environments (like in MSC or large analytics ecosystems), system tables such as system.jobrunlogs or system.cluster_events may be restricted or disabled due to security or governance policies. However, tracking cluster utilization and cost is crucial for : Understanding how efficiently jobs use compute Identifying idle clusters or cost leaks Forecasting infrastructure budget … Read more

The Next Big Thing Isn’t on Your Phone. It’s AI-Powered XR and It’s Already Taking Over. Part II

Every few decades, computing changes its shape. Once again, we’ve arrived at that moment. But what form factor will it take? Which innovations will it require? In the first part of this series, I broke down the signals identifying AI-powered XR computing as the next major leap in tech. In Part II, I’ll look at why … Read more

Adaptive Action Pruning: Scaling Databases with Intelligent Action Masking

Table of Links Abstract and 1. Introduction Related Works 2.1 Traditional Index Selection Approaches 2.2 RL-based Index Selection Approaches Index Selection Problem Methodology 4.1 Formulation of the DRL Problem 4.2 Instance-Aware Deep Reinforcement Learning for Efficient Index Selection System Framework of IA2 5.1 Preprocessing Phase 5.2 RL Training and Application Phase Experiments 6.1 Experimental Setting … Read more

Inside CES 2026’s “physical AI” takeover

After years of chatbots and image generators, AI is finally leaving the screen. At CES 2026, that shift became impossible to ignore.  The annual tech showcase in Las Vegas was dominated by “physical AI” and robotics, from Boston Dynamic’s newly redesigned Atlas humanoid robot to AI-powered ice makers (yes, really). The companies in attendance clearly want consumers … Read more