This is just to announce that my design/development blog has been successfully updated/upgraded to WordPress 2.5 RC1. As most of you probably have noticed already the WP 2.5 release candidate was announced earlier today on the WordPress development blog.

Following yet another astonishingly easy upgrade I’ve also tested plugin compatibility against the latest version. The following post “Running on WordPress 2.5 RC1” should answer a few questions for those of you considering an early upgrade.

I don’t see any backsides throwing yourselves at it, as the new admin panel and the overall speed seams fantastic. Congrats to all of you WordPress developers, this sure was a pleasant experience. Thank you!

After a somewhat disappointing beta release Apple released Safari version 3.1 earlier today. There’s no mention of any beta or RC so I assume it’s the first official release in the 3 series.

Nothing much has happened design wise, and to be honest it looks a bit dull and the font rendering isn’t among the best on my Windows machine. However, according to their press release Safari loads web pages 1.9 times faster than IE 7 and 1.7 times faster than Firefox 2. Safari also runs JavaScript up to six times faster than other browsers (tested on a VeriTests iBench Version 5.0 on a modern iMac running Windows XP). On my Windows machine it seamed quite the opposite though…

What’s new?

Safari 3.1 is the first browser to support the new video and audio tags in HTML 5 and the first to support CSS Animations. Safari also supports CSS Web Fonts, giving designers limitless choices of fonts to create stunning new web sites.

Safari 3.1 is available immediately as a free download at www.apple.com/safari for both Mac OS X and Windows users. Safari software updates are delivered seamlessly through Apple’s Software Update application, which automatically checks for updates.

Safari 3.1 scores well on the new Acid 3 test and passed 75 of 100 browser tests. It does use its time, but eventually it comes out rather well. If you run it with the latest WebKit (Safari’s rendering engine) I’ve been told it scores above 90.

So which browser do you think will pass the Acid 3 test first? I’m pulling for FF3 myself, but it sure looks like it’s going to be a close race.

TokBox is a web services that allows you to chat with another person using both mic and cam without the need to install anything. All you have to do is register, send a link to the other person (who don’t have to register) and start the conversation.

The service works like any other social network where you can add contacts and leave video messages. Think of your TokBox link as your phone number or email address – once you give it out to someone, they can call or email you at any time.

TokBox have also released their API which means that developers can integrate the system to their own websites. You can download the documentation at www.tokbox.com/view/developer.

Traveling to the stars has never been easier

To help you explore the far reaches of our universe, Google have teamed up with astronomers at some of the largest observatories in the world to bring you a new view of the sky. Using Google Maps this tool provides an exciting way to browse and explore the universe. You can find the positions of the planets and constellations on the sky and even watching the birth of distant galaxies as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope.

Google are particularly excited about the ability to view the universe at different wavelengths, to see how it would look if our eyes worked in the x-rays or infra-red. As you explore these new layers, play with the transparency to blend between the different wavelengths and see how different parts of the universe light up at different wavelengths.

If you are interested in what’s happening on the sky tonight or over the next few months then check out the pod casts from Earth and Sky or search for the position of your favourite planet.

[More info] [Start exploring]

Stumbled across this great top 10 list the other day, and in case you missed it you should most definitely take a look. This goes for all of you running WordPress, those planning to try it out and all of you looking for the perfect CMS.

With these 10 plugins you can have your blog turn into a complete Content Management System (CMS) and even use it for smaller e-commerce websites.

Here’s the list as presented on Blueprint Design Studio’s blog on Thursday.

Happy coding!