14 DAY TRIAL // The stable release of WordPress 3.7 is here. If you've been running the pre-release builds, you should have gotten the update by now. Likewise, if you're currently on the previous WordPress 3.6, you should be able to update to the new version soon, if not already.
WordPress 3.7 comes with a short list of new features, but it does lay the groundwork for things to come.
One major change is the move to automatic updates. Now, security and minor updates will be downloaded and installed automatically, making sure your site is always running the latest supported version and is safe from attacks.
This required an overhaul of the update process; the beta and release candidate phases served as a massive test for the new system.
"Most sites are now able to automatically apply these updates in the background. The update process also has been made even more reliable and secure, with dozens of new checks and safeguards," WordPress explains.
There are a couple of other new features in the latest version though. There's now an improved password meter that's much better at figuring out whether the password you're trying to create is weak.
It checks for common words, phrases, and patterns, for dates and names, even pop culture references. Anything that an attacker would try first if he would want to break your password.
Also new is enhanced support for localization. Translations for localized versions of the software will come faster and will be more complete, WordPress explained. Updates will also be automatically installed, making it easier to get the most recent translation.
"This is our first release using the new plugin-first development process, with a much shorter timeframe than in the past. (3.6 was released in August.)," WordPress said.
"The 3.8 release, due in December, will continue this plugin-led development cycle that gives much more autonomy to plugin leads and allows us to decouple feature development from a release," it added.