Hot New Web Dev – March 2023

Welcome to Hot Web Dev March 2023, featuring the latest news on web development and security. This month features the latest release of WordPress, which features over 900 enhancements. A recent hacking contest uncovered 27 exploits. Is the software you use one of them? The web tool of the month is perfect for developers who don’t have design skills.

WordPress 6.2 Released

The first major release of WordPress of 2023 is out in the wild. Codenamed “Dolphy”, after Eric Allan Dolphy Jr, the jazz musician. The latest release features over 900 enhancements and fixes. Many new features and improvements related to the site experience. If you have a block theme installed you will be able to make use of the new WordPress site editor which is now out of beta. You can now change every aspect of your site with the new editor.

In the editor itself, the new navigation block helps to make or add changes to your navigation. The block inserter, inside the editor, gives you easier access to the content and displays smoother previews. Editing the settings of the blocks is more organised with a tab-like structure.

Access 700 million+ openly licensed stock images from within the editor. The Distraction-free writing mode hides all the sidebars so you can focus on what you do best, writing. You can now Copy and paste styles into other blocks, which ensures that you have a consistent look and feel. You can import widgets from classic themes to block themes. All default themes now come with Google Fonts installed.

Source – WordPress

Major Operating Systems Hacked at Pwn2Own

Interested in cyber security and making money from finding exploits in software? Consider joining a hacking contest. ZDI host its annual hackathon in Vancouver. In 2023 Pwn2Own uncovered exploits in major operating systems.

Exploits on Windows 11, Adobe Reader, Microsoft Sharepoint, Oracle VirtualBox, Tesla and MacOS earned a total of $375,000 on day one.

On day two, exploits on Oracle VirtualBox, Microsoft Teams, Tesla and Ubuntu OS earned a total of $475,000.

Exploits on Ubuntu, Windows 11 and VMWare Workstation were successful on the last day.

In total the prize money for the three-day event earned $1,035,000 and a Tesla Model 3. Furthermore, there were 27 unique zero-day exploits uncovered. The importance of uncovering these exploits will encourage the development of patches.

Source – Zero Day Initiative

Coding Resources

PHP may have become less popular in the development field in recent years. Despite its demise, it is still a powerful programming language. It powers the mighty WordPress blogging platform and powerful frameworks such as Laravel. Sitepoint has a comprehensive list of PHP articles if you want to learn more.

ChatGPT is still gaining momentum in the first quarter of this year. As incredible as it is there are still areas in which it cannot perform certain tasks.

OnClick is Still at it!

Over the last 6 months, I have published information on OnClick Academy/Pro. The owner uses an illegally obtained list of emails to spam farfetched deals. He uses emotional excuses, like ill health, to sell his platform.

Of course, when you buy an item you don’t get what you paid for. We are now in April and the emails are still in full flow. I continue to get emails from people saying whether they have purchased a deal. Sadly, the company are only after your money. Please do not buy anything from the platform. See the ongoing updates to see how this pans out.

Web Tool Of The Month

The web tool of the month for March is Galileo AI, which is currently, in early access. Galileo can generate an editable UI design by simply entering some text. It’s compared to the Copilot for interface design and is one of the latest AI tools on offer. Each design is fully customisable in Figma. If designing is your weakness then this tool is definitely for you.

The Best of the Rest in March 2023

• Vue.js Tutorial: Getting Started & 10 Best Practices
• The SOLID way to code
• Sharpen Your JavaScript Skills With These 9 Fun Game Project Tutorial Videos
• How to Write Simpler JavaScript Code
• 4 Raspberry Pi Projects You Can Add to Your Resume