WordPress 2.8 News and Development: The WordPress Development team has confirmed that WordPress 2.8 will be released in April. Articles and features worth noting on WordPress 2.8 development include:
- Lester Chan covers the new WP_Widget Class for WordPress 2.8.
- The new WordPress Widgets API will include converting all default WordPress Widgets to work with the new API.
- Optimizing Script Loading improved with tips in part 2 and part 3.
- Lester Chan has tips for using JavaScript in WordPress Plugins for WordPress 2.8.
- Changes to WordPress Themes include new functions and body classes, automatic_feed_links, and more.
- A new template tag, the_modified_author(), has been added.
- Matt Mullenweg says that OpenID and OAuth will be in upcoming versions of WordPress, possibly WordPress 2.8.
- Maggie is being replaced by SimplePie.
WordPress Summer of Code: As announced in Want to Break and Remake WordPress? and Time to Break WordPress This Summer, the Google/WordPress Summer of Code is underway and applications are being taken for college students to be mentored over the summer (and compensated) by top WordPress staff and experts to help create awesome WordPress code, Plugins, Themes, and everything.
PodPress Reborn? Andrew Ozz has been working with those behind the popular podPress and Popularity Contest WordPress Plugins and reports that podPress, the very popular and powerful multimedia publishing Plugin, is back in action and now has a development version ready for testing. Popularity Contest is also due for an update.
WordPress for iPhone Update: Matt Thomas reports that WordPress for iPhone 1.21 is out, an update for the popular WordPress for iPhone. Weblog Tools Collection has screenshots of the new iPhone app.
WordPressMU Vulnerability: BlogSecurity reports on a WordPressMU cross iste scripting vulnerability impacting WordPressMU versions prior to 2.7. If you haven’t upgraded WordPressMU to 2.7, it is highly recommended you do so to avoid exploitation of this vulnerability.
BuddyPress Site Revamped: BuddyPress has revamped their site and now includes a WordPress Plugin repository, BuddyPress Theme browser, developer landing page, developer groups, integrated forums, and developer profiles.
WordPress.com News
Twitter on WordPress.com: WordPress.com bloggers can now feature their Twitter tweets on their blogs. While this has been available through feeds for a long time, there is now a sidebar Widget to showcase your tweets along with @replies and hashtags, and multiple Twitter accounts.
Blog Design Contest on WordPress.com: The “I <3 Blogging Design Contest” ends in a few days. Get your entry in now.
WordPress on Your Calendar
- The Dallas/Ft. Worth Area WordPress March Meetup – March 28, 2009
- The Chicago WordPress March Meetup – WordPress Plugins – March 28, 2009
- Atlanta, Georgia – Atlanta WordPress Users Group Meetup – March 28, 2009
- North Carolina – Greater Charlotte Area WordPress Group March Meetup – March 28, 2009
- Alameda, California – The East Bay WordPress March Mash-up – March 29, 2009
- The New Jersey WordPress April Meetup – April 1, 2009
- Las Vegas WordPress Meetup – April 1, 2009
- New Jersey WordPress Meetup – April 1, 2009
- Gulf Coast WordPress/Blogger April Meetup – April 2, 2009
- WordCamp China – April 4, 2009
- WordCamp Hong Kong – April 5, 2009
- Austin, Texas – The Austin WordPress Meetup Group – April 7, 2009
- Ft. Lauderdale, Florida – South Florida WordPress April Meetup – April 8, 2009
- New Orleans, Louisiana – WordCamp NOLA – April 10-11, 2008 (Twitter)
- Chennai, Tamil Nadu – WordPress Garage (Tech Camp for WordPress) – April 18, 2009
Past WordPress News Reports
- WordPress News: iPhones Up, WordPress Widgets API, 2.8 Delayed, International WordPress.tv, and More
- WordPress News: Plugins Reach Milestone, New WordPress Community Project, Help to Search for WordPress Help
- WordPress News: WordPress Wins at Irish Blogger Awards, WordPress Events Everywhere, WordPress for PowerPoint, Flash Security Issue, Feedburner Deadline
- WordPress News: Can You Spot a WordPress Blog? WordPress 2.8 News, Plugin Directory Searcable, iPhone App Tested, and More
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Each week, the Blog Herald features WordPress News, a weekly column by Lorelle VanFossen of Lorelle on WordPress featuring the news from around the WordPress Community. You can follow more WordPress news, WordCamp and WordPress Event information, WordPress tips and help, see Lorelle on WordPress and her Twitter account, @lorelleonwp, where she posts a WordPress Plugin and WordPress Tip daily. If you have a WordPress news item or tip to suggest, please contact her at: lorelleonwordpress@gmail.com
