Good Morning! TypeScript 5.4 brings exciting new typing features and improvements to Microsoft's typed JavaScript superset. A former Google engineer has been arrested for allegedly stealing trade secrets related to the company's valuable artificial intelligence technology. GitHub Enterprise Server 3.12 introduces smarter deployments, boosted security, and enhancements for teams collaborating at scale.

— Forrest Knight & Meghanadh Vasireddy

TypeScript 5.4 Released and Brings New Typing Powers and Fixes

The latest version of Microsoft's typed JavaScript superset, TypeScript 5.4, brings several new features and improvements.

Preserved Narrowing: A key new addition is preserved narrowing in closures following last assignments. This makes TypeScript better at figuring out more specific variable types when used in certain functions by checking the last assignment.

The NoInfer Utility Type: The new NoInfer utility type gives developers more control over type inference. It tells TypeScript not to dig too deep into inner types when inferring, preventing undesirable inferences.

Support for JavaScript's new static methods has been added:

• Object.groupBy

• Map.groupBy

There's also support for require() calls when using the --moduleResolution bundler and --module preserve settings.

Other Enhancements:

• Checked import attributes/assertions

• Quick fix for adding missing parameters

• Auto-import support for subpath imports

• Notable changes around conditional types, intersections, template strings, and more

You can get TypeScript 5.4 now through NuGet and npm package managers.

The TypeScript team is already working on version 5.5, with a beta expected in April 2024. Check the official announcement for all the new features and changes in v5.4.

Read More Here

Ex-Google engineer arrested for alleged theft of AI secrets for Chinese firms

A former Google software engineer has been charged with stealing trade secrets related to the company's valuable artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

Linwei Ding, a 38-year-old Chinese national and California resident, is facing four counts of theft of trade secrets from Google.

The Allegations

• Between May 2022 and May 2023, Ding allegedly transferred over 500 confidential Google files containing AI trade secrets to his personal account.

• He is accused of doing this while secretly working for two China-based AI companies, one of which offered him a chief technology officer role.

• The stolen data included details on Google's specialized hardware and software used to train large AI models in their data centers.

Prosecutors claim Ding wanted to replicate Google's AI supercomputing infrastructure at his own AI startup where he was the CEO.

If convicted, Ding faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. This case highlights concerns around nation-state actors stealing U.S. AI capabilities and intellectual property.

Official Statements

• "The theft of innovative technology and trade secrets...can cost jobs and have devastating economic and national security consequences." - FBI Director Christopher Wray

• "We have strict safeguards to prevent the theft of our confidential information and trade secrets." - Google spokesperson José Castañeda

Read More Here

GitHub Enterprise Server 3.12 Brings Smarter Deployments and Boosted Security

GitHub Enterprise Server 3.12 brings a host of new deployment management capabilities and security enhancements for self-hosted GitHub users. A standout feature allows restricting GitHub Actions deployments to specific tag patterns like "Releases/*", giving ops teams tighter control over what reaches production environments.

You can now define required workflows across all your repositories using organization-wide repository rulesets. Existing legacy required workflows will automatically migrate to these rulesets, replacing the previous approach.

On the security front:

• Customizable Dependabot alert rules let you tailor vulnerability patching to your org's risk tolerance

• The CodeQL code scanning setup now supports all programming languages out-of-the-box

• The beta secret scanning catches non-provider credential patterns like private keys and database connection strings

For teams collaborating at scale, key enhancements include:

• The new merge queue automates validating and merging PRs into guarded branches to prevent breaks

• GitHub Project templates can be shared across your organization

Additional improvements in this release:

• A refreshed global navigation experience with performance/accessibility boosts

• Ability to highlight text using the new alert markdown extension

Read More Here

🔥 More Notes

• US lawmakers vote 50-0 to force sale of TikTok despite angry calls from users

• Nikon buys cinema camera maker RED

• Apple faces EU scrutiny for terminating Epic’s developer account

• Salesforce Einstein 1 Studio enables users to integrate AI into application using low-code

• Copado releases new automated testing solution for Salesforce users

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This New Tesla EV Adapter Solves One of EV Industry's Biggest Problems | WSJ

The new Tesla EV adapter allows non-Tesla electric vehicles to charge at Tesla Supercharger stations, but it comes with some challenges and limitations. While it expands charging options for non-Tesla EVs, including Ford, GM, and Hyundai models, the adapter is heavy and can be difficult to remove, causing inconvenience for users. Additionally, not all Tesla Superchargers are compatible with non-Tesla vehicles, and the charging process may be slower and more expensive.

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