Good Morning! The upcoming release of Ubuntu 23.10 "Mantic Minotaur" will include a new Flutter app store, GNOME 45, and full disk encryption support. GitHub has introduced a new migration tool to help Bitbucket users transition their repositories, issues, and pull requests. Next.js 13.5 boosts performance with faster startup, refresh, and lower memory usage. We also started a new YouTube channel that will release 2 videos per week for quick news.

— Forrest Knight & Meghanadh Vasireddy

Ubuntu 23.10: Release Date and New Features

Ubuntu 23.10, code-named "Mantic Minotaur," is set to be released on October 12, 2023. This non-LTS release will be supported for nine months and brings several new features and improvements to the popular Linux distribution. Here are some of the most notable changes:

Flutter-based App Store: Ubuntu 23.10 will feature a Flutter-based app store with a neat layout, improved search functionality, and the ability to switch between Snap and Debian packages.

GNOME 45: The new release will feature GNOME 45, introducing updates such as a new webcam app, an image viewer, and most likely bringing back the terminal app. Other enhancements include hardware encoding for the built-in screen recorder, a camera indicator in the system tray when the device is active, and drag-and-drop functionality to save web images to files.

TPM-backed Full Disk Encryption: Ubuntu 23.10 adds experimental support for TPM-based full disk encryption, which eliminates the need for passphrases on supported platforms. The secret used to decrypt the encrypted data will be protected by a TPM and recovered automatically only by early boot software authorized to access the data.

Linux Kernel 6.5: The release will be based on Linux Kernel 6.5, bringing improvements in hardware support and system performance, such as WiFi 7 support and MIDI 2.0 compatibility.

Window Quarter Tiling: Improved window tiling is coming to Ubuntu 23.10 with the inclusion of the Ubuntu Tiling Assistant extension, which will be part of the default installation.

These are just a few of the many updates and improvements coming to Ubuntu 23.10.

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GitHub Releases New Tool to Simplify Bitbucket Migrations

GitHub has recently released a new tool that makes migrating from Bitbucket to GitHub easier and more seamless. The GitHub Enterprise Importer (GEI) now supports migrations from Bitbucket Server and Bitbucket Data Center, allowing users to bring their code, pull requests, reviews, and comments to GitHub with minimal hassle.

Why Migrate to GitHub?: With Atlassian discontinuing technical support, security updates, and vulnerability fixes for Bitbucket Server and Bamboo Server starting from February 15, 2024, many users are considering migrating to alternative platforms like GitHub.

How Does the New Tool Work?: The GitHub Enterprise Importer simplifies the migration process by supporting repository migrations from Bitbucket Server and Bitbucket Data Center. Users can migrate their source code, revision history, pull requests, reviews, and comments when moving from Bitbucket to GitHub.

Steps to Migrate from Bitbucket to GitHub

1. Review the data that will be migrated from Bitbucket Server. For more information, see "Migration support for GitHub Enterprise Importer".

2. Make a list of any data that you'll need to manually migrate or recreate.

3. Ensure that you have the necessary permissions to migrate a repository. You must be an organization owner for the destination organization in GitHub.

4. Use the GitHub Enterprise Importer to migrate your repositories from Bitbucket Server to GitHub Enterprise Cloud.

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Next.js 13.5: Boosting Local Development Performance

Next.js 13.5 has been released, bringing improvements to local development performance and reliability. The update includes:

• 22% faster local server startup: The App & Pages Router allows for quicker iteration.

• 29% faster HMR (Fast Refresh): Faster iterations when saving changes.

• 40% less memory usage: Measured when running `next start`.

• Optimized Package Imports: Faster updates when using popular icon and component libraries.

In addition to these performance enhancements, Next.js 13.5 also introduces improvements to the `next/image` component, including ``, art direction, and dark mode support. Over 438 bugs have been patched in this release.

The next Next.js Conf is on October 26th, where you can learn more about the latest features and improvements in Next.js.

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Bard Integrates with Google Apps and Services

Google has recently rolled out new features for Bard, its AI chatbot, allowing it to connect with various Google apps and services, making it more helpful and versatile than ever before. The latest updates include Bard Extensions, which enable the AI to find and display relevant information from Gmail, Docs, Drive, Google Maps, YouTube, and Google Flights and hotels.

The new features also include an improved "Google it" button, allowing users to double-check Bard's responses and ensure their accuracy. This enhancement is designed to increase the credibility of the AI-generated answers and provide users with a more reliable source of information.

Bard's integration with Google apps and services is currently available in English, but the company plans to expand its availability to more than 40 languages. To use Bard Extensions, users need to opt-in and grant permissions, ensuring transparency, choice, and control over their personal data. Google emphasizes that personal content from Gmail, Docs, and Drive is not used for Bard's reinforcement learning or exposed to human reviewers.

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Youtube Spotlight (OUR FIRST VIDEO)

New Legislation Could Change the Future of AI Development

Senators Richard Blumenthal and Josh Holly have proposed new legislation that would change the way AI is developed and regulated. The framework would require companies to obtain a license before working on powerful AI models and create a new US Government body to regulate AI. It would restrict work on language models to companies with licenses and require high-risk applications of AI to have a government license. Companies would need to test AI models for potential harm before deployment, disclose instances of failures, allow audits by a third party, and disclose details of training data. This proposal has gained traction, but concerns remain about potential drawbacks like stifling innovation or industry capture. Make sure to go check out our channel for 2 videos per week!

More Notes

1. Oracle to use Ampere's newest chips in its cloud offering

2. Apple France workers call strike ahead of iPhone 15 launch

3. Huawei unit ships Chinese-made surveillance chips in fresh comeback sign

4. Microsoft's Next Special Event Is Happening Sept. 21

5. Elon Musk's Neuralink brain-implant trial approved

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