Pier #79 - Blockera, SureDash Progress, Pimosa, FireBox, Grammarly, SureCart, Webstudio, xCloud, W3TC, Screen Studio & FluentCommunity

Stefan from Ahoi.dev | The Pier #79 | December 20, 2024

Welcome to the 79th issue of The Pier. Adam from SureDash has released a first progress report video on the exciting new community plugin for WordPress, showing off super fast performance, a new commenting experience, an improved course experience and more. SureDash will be moving from Alpha to Beta before the New Year. When used with SureMembers, you get granular control over who can access which parts of your community. They are currently redesigning the SureMembers settings to match the SureDash design for a consistent look and feel.

This week, FireBox has announced upcoming changes to pricing, renewal discounts and the introduction of lifetime plans to the WordPress pop-up plugin in February 2025.

In other news, Grammarly has acquired Coda, which will help turn Grammarly’s AI assistant into an “AI productivity platform”.

We would also like to welcome Pimosa to The Port.

Here is a selection of the latest and greatest blog posts we published this week on Ahoi.dev. You will also find some interesting industry news, the latest directory listings on The Port, job openings, and deals. Enjoy!

🤙 New: Blockera Site Builder

Blockera is a new advanced mode for the WordPress block editor. It turns it into a powerful free page builder by extending the functionality of the core blocks. A Pro version is coming soon!

Also coming soon: Blockera One, an advanced block theme for WordPress that integrates seamlessly with the Site Editor and Blockera Site Builder.

🗞️ Bites & Pieces

WordPress

WP Grid Builder 2.1.5 adds support for Kadence Post and Query Loop blocks.

Novashare 1.5.7 adds a new conditional inline JavaScript to dynamically add Pinterest descriptions to content images when using the image grid.

ZipWP releases its new Chrome extension in beta. It allows you to quickly launch a blank site without having to log in to your ZipWP account. You can also launch the AI Builder to generate a complete site from any tab and test themes and plugins directly from the WordPress repository with a single click.

Greenshift 10.0.1 adds a new Bluesky social sharing block.

AIOSEO 4.7.6 adds new BuddyPress and Google Web Stories integrations as well as Author SEO improvements.

After the release of Nag Me Not (The Pier #77), Dave Grey releases the new Media Library Essentials plugin, which allows you to view information such as the number of image uses, file sizes and dimensions. Also new: FundWP for WooCommerce and Stripe for running fundraising or crowdfunding campaigns.

The free Dynamic Template Parts plugin extends the Full Site Editor to let you dynamically swap headers, footers and other template parts based on the content you are editing.

Syed from WPBeginner releases ClickSocial, a new social media management plugin for WordPress.

Nectarblocks 1.3 introduces new Image Grid block and photography demo.

E-Commerce

AB Split Test 1.8.7 now allows you to create on-page tests within Gutenberg blocks, Bricks, Elementor, Beaver Builder and more, without ever having to go to the admin. Take the video tour for more details. As mentioned in The Pier #77, there are now new pricing plans with all features included.

With WooCommerce 9.5, new customers can now create accounts after checkout on block-based themes.

FunnelKit Automations Pro 3.4.0 introduces a new Stripe Recovery Offer feature and simplified WooCommerce transactional emails using the new block builder (video).

The Events Calendar now includes a new onboarding wizard, while Event Tickets Plus allows event organizers to charge booking fees to cover general administration costs.

No-Code Website Builder

Webstudio introduces a new Commands & Search panel that allows you to speed up the process of building websites. It’s a centralized place to navigate the builder and perform actions such as switching pages and adding components using your keyboard. Watch the video for more details.

Framer launches the new Framer Analytics, completely redesigned and built from the ground up to give you real-time insight into your website’s performance. A new Airtable plugin is also available on the marketplace.

Hosting

xCloud is now integrated with Linode, so you can easily set up and manage your Linode servers from one easy-to-use interface.

Job Board SaaS

Job Boardly launches its new XML importer, currently in beta, which allows you to easily import jobs from XML feeds. In other news, jobseekers can now filter vacancies on your job board by salary.

Screen Recordings

Screen Studio announces that version 3.0 of its screen recorder for macOS is finally out of beta.

Social Media

Nuelink now supports Bluesky, allowing you to create posts, threads, and follow-up comments – all from one place.

Email Marketing

Mailercloud introduces Dynamic URL to its drag & drop email builder, allowing you to effortlessly pull content from a website directly into your email template.

Audio/Video Editing

Descript introduces batch translation, allowing you to generate translated subtitles in 21 languages at once. For Business and Enterprise plans, new AI voices are available to dub your audio into French, Italian, Spanish and German. Also new are smart transitions and a new desktop experience.

Final Cut Pro

mHowTo is a new collection of handy elements for tutorials and explainer videos for DesignStudio, with a unique, relaxed style created in collaboration with a prolific filmmaking tutor.

Digital Signage

Juuno is currently working on a new AI quiz app that is perfect for entertaining people in a waiting room, for example.

Reputation Management

Agencies can now use Endorsely to track affiliate payouts when using EmbedMyReview‘s built-in Stripe integration.

From the Editor: Biff.codes

We’ve just launched a new side project called Biff.codes, a new free job board for WordPress developers. Find out why Biff can get paid in burgers. 🍔

🚨 Latest Posts

The following highlighted articles have been published in the last 7 days. All posts can be found on our blog.

🏴‍☠️ Latest Port Arrivals

The following fine new tool has arrived at The Port.

👋 Latest Jobs

Looking for a new professional challenge? Find your new job.

Patchstack

Senior Backend Developer PHP/Laravel (m/f/d)

WPMU DEV

WordPress Support Specialist (m/f/d)

Viral Loops

Full-Stack Software Engineer (m/f/d)

🔥 Quayside Deals

A few irresistible offers that might be of interest to you, don’t you think?

Black Friday Deals: Some BFCM deals are still available.
Holiday Sale: Save 30% on all WP Grid Builder plans (23 Dec to 5 Jan).
SleekWP Bundle: Save €100 on SleekPixel, SleekAI & SleekMotion.
It’s Back! Get the FlowMattic LTD. Split payment options available.

That’s all for this week. We hope you enjoyed the 79th issue of The Pier. Until next week! Please tell your friends about The Pier if you like it.

Curated and published with lots of ♥ by Ahoi.dev!
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