Wordpress 3.0 Released

The long awaited, much anticipated and long hyped release of Wordpress 3.0 is finally here. Download it now and see all the snazzy new features.


From the Wordpress blog:

"WordPress 3.0, the thirteenth major release of WordPress and the culmination of half a year of work by 218 contributors, is now available for download (or upgrade within your dashboard). Major new features in this release include a sexy new default theme called Twenty Ten. Theme developers have new APIs that allow them to easily implement custom backgrounds, headers, shortlinks, menus (no more file editing), post types, and taxonomies. (Twenty Ten theme shows all of that off.) Developers and network admins will appreciate the long-awaited merge of MU and WordPress, creating the new multi-site functionality which makes it possible to run one blog or ten million from the same installation. As a user, you will love the new lighter interface, the contextual help on every screen, the 1,217 bug fixes and feature enhancements, bulk updates so you can upgrade 15 plugins at once with a single click, and blah blah blah just watch the video. (In HD, if you can, so you can catch the Easter eggs.)"

(Watch in full screen)

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Uploading your Website with Transit

As you know by now I am an Apple user and every day I dish out Mac OS X related tips on Twitter.

So it is no surprise that I use a Mac piece of software to upload to my web server. 

Transit

Transit has just released version 4.0 which is very slick. Download a copy for yourself to try out.

For me I find a combination of Taco & Transit is all I need to get the job done. But Panic have their own web editing software that you might want to have a look at while you are over at the Panic website. It's called Coda.

For more Apple Tips for my other blog: Apple Max Tips.

Haven't yet got a web space? Try Bluehost for affordable & reliable web hosting.

Web Editors for Mac OS X - Taco

Some have asked what editor I use on the Mac and what I recommend they use. It really depends on how you work as a Web Designer. If you are familiar with html & css and perhaps even php then you'll most likely want to avoid those bloated web editing software packages with all the flashy front ends that are placed between you and the code. These web editing programs often add extra code that you don't necessarily want or need.

This is why most tecky web designers (is there really any other sort?) prefer to edit the code directly. There is TextEdit, basically the same as Notepad on Windows. Add the power of TextExpander and you have a powerful web editor.

Taco
But my favourite web editor is Taco. It has a live edit window so you can preview the results as you code. The Component Library allows you to select one of 22 components, which can be customised. It has code colouring, so you can see at a glance what code is what, a companant library, code clips, and more.

Go to the site, have a read, and download a demo version to try it out for yourself. It's only $25.

 Once you've created your website you'll need an FTP program and a reliable webhost, but that's for another post.

Test your Website on the iPad

In an earlier post we saw how you can check to see what your blog looks like on the iPhone by using the iPhone Simulator.

Well, with the recent release of the iPad a similar online emulator has been created to enable you to see what you website will look like on the iPad.

iPad Peek

Your Website on the iPhone

Ever wondered what your blog or website looks like on the iPhone?

We have looked at how you can make your blog suitable for viewing on the iPhone by installing the WPTouch plugin. But what if you don't have a Wordpress blog?

Well, this is where TestiPhone.com can be a useful online tool. It simulates the iPhone environment to enable you to see what you website will look like on the iPhone.

TestiPhone.com - iPhone Simulator

iPhone Icons

We've already looked at icons in a number of ways. In the last post we saw how you can generate your own Favicon, in an earlier post we saw where you can find icons with Icon Finder.

Well now we have a way of creating iPhone styled icons that can also be used for as in iPhone favicon or on your website or anywhere else for that matter. All you have to do is upload your image and a pack of icons are created for you to download.

Here is one I made earlier:

Click on the icon to go to the online icon generator and create your own set of icons.

Your Favourite Icon

What is a favicon? How do I make one for my website?

If you have asked one of those questions before then this post is for you. What's a favicon? The word is a combination of two words, "favourite" and "icon". When you save a website to your favourites, this icon is what you see beside the favourited website's name, hence the name, "favicon".

Depending on the type of browser you are using you can also see them in the address bar. Here is what this blog's favicon looks like in the Firefox browser on a Mac.

You can change these to suite your website. For example, you can make your favicon the same as you company logo.

But how do you create one?

You'll be pleased to know that there is a free online tool that can create a favicon for you. Just be sure that you start with a square image.  Click on the Favicon Maker below: