July News & Notes from PennyWise Consulting, LLC

News, notes of interest, and practical technology solutions for your small business.

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July 2016

Hi <<First Name>>,

Where did June go? Suddenly, it's July! I blinked and the month sped past. I took the final week of the month to spend some much needed time with family and away from the keyboard. I know I should take breaks like this regularly. I urge my clients to do so, however, I don't listen to my own advice and this was my first true break in seven years. I feel much better for it, despite battling a head cold for most of the week! In this month's newsletter I cover some recent WordPress news you may have missed, interesting links, and review recent and popular blog posts.

WordPress news: many of my clients use WordPress to power their web technology needs. Here are a few links of interest to some of the plugins they use.

current version: 4.5.3 (released June 18, 2016). This was a security release. Please make sure you are updated! Version 4.6 achieved Beta 1 on June 30th and is targeted for release August 16th. There are some great new features coming and I look forward to them.
The plugin Jetpack was updated on June 20, 2016 to version 4.0.4. This is a security and bug fix update so please check in your dashboard that you are on the current version.
The ecommerce plugin WooCommerce is current with version 2.6.2. Is your site ready for the jump to 2.6.x? Not sure? Nervous to press update? I can help. Note that they have a new domain, woocommerce.com.
The Android App for WordPress is now at version 5.5 and sees an enhanced editor. I used an older version while I was away and was surprised and impressed at how far the mobile experience has come in a short amount of time. While I still prefer to compose and edit my posts from my laptop or desktop, it's very reassuring to know that I can also do so from a mobile device.
The popular SEO plugin, Yoast is now at version 3.3.4. There have been many advances and updates including content analysis. Learn more before you update.

Interesting links: There are always fascinating links of interest that catch my eye.

How Busyness Affects Your Brain And Health
Sometimes I wonder if the science fiction & fantasy stories I read is truth. IEEE Spectrum recently wondered if the internet was inevitable? It’s an interesting question! Further some tech companies are mulling archiving data in DNA!
Turtle Power! GPS is helping solve the problem of why dead turtles keep washing up in Chesapeake Bay. 3D printing helped a turtle receive a new hand-painted, 3D-printed shell.

Recent articles I've written:

How I work: handling the stress

Life (with technology) is stressful. I don't think I've perfected the art of managing stress, but I've found the following strategies work well for me.

learn more »

How I work: mixing things up

It's easy to fall into a productivity trap. Here are a few tips and tricks I use to escape the lure of busyness.

learn more »

A.. P.. I Don’t Care, or do I?

APIs are a growing part of WordPress conversations. In this post they're defined, explained, and questioned.

helping all kittens

Kitten season is upon us! How can you help?

Donate (money, goods, time)
Adopt
Share social media posts from your local rescue/shelter to raise awareness and help these adorable kittens find forever homes.

learn how »

If you are overwhelmed by this monthly newsletter, there's a link at the bottom to unsubscribe. There are other ways to keep informed; the archive is accessible (there's a link at my site) and I also share the newsletter on Facebook and Twitter.

keep well,