WordPress released WordPress version 3.6, named “Oscar” in honor of the great jazz pianist Oscar Peterson on August 1, 2013. Here are just some of the changes in the new version:

WordPress Twenty Thirteen Theme

Coinciding with the release of version 3.6 is a new default theme called Twenty Thirteen, which has been designed especially to provide users with a media-rich blogging experience (see a description of new features below) …

The new WordPress default theme is a responsive theme, so it will look great on any device. Twenty Thirteen’s colorful, single-column design was inspired by modern art, and features quirky details, beautiful typography, and bold, high-contrast colors.

WordPress version 3.6 also introduces a couple of great new features:

Built-in Video And Audio Support

WordPress now makes it very easy to add videos and audio to your content. Version 3.6 introduces a new built-in HTML5 media player, native support for audio and video embeds, and improved integrations with Spotify, Rdio, and SoundCloud. Embedding video or audio can now be as simple as pasting a URL into your post or page, or using video and audio shortcodes.

Better Autosave And Revision Control

In WordPress 3.6 the autosave and post revision control functions have been significantly improved. Now, every word you write and each update you make to your content is automatically saved and can be easily retrieved or restored, even if your power goes out, your browser crashes, or you lose your internet connection.

Comparing revisions from any point in time, seeing the changes that were made in each update and restoring your previous revisions is fast and simple, thanks to a new Revision Slider feature introduced in the new WordPress version.

Better Post Locking

If your site provides access to multiple editors, you can now see who is working on your content with live updates that appear in the list of posts and take over from other editors if posts are left open.

Additional Version 3.6 Release Notes

Her are some other changes you will see when you next log into your WordPress admin area:

Media Gallery

The option to embed a media player has been added to the Media Gallery > Attachment Display Settings section …

Publish Box

A new field displaying the number of revisions has been added to the Publish Box when editing posts or pages …

WordPress 3.6 includes a number of other enhancement and bug-fixes.

Important WordPress Update Tips

We recommend doing the following before upgrading to any new version of WordPress:

• • Perform a complete backup of all your WordPress files and database.

• • Search online for any problems or issues that other WordPress users may be experiencing with the new version. This includes incompatibilities and conflicts with plugins, themes, and other issues (just search for “WordPress v3.6 problems”, then go through some of the results to see what kind of issues and errors users are experiencing).
• Once you have done the above, then upgrade to the new version as soon as possible to ensure that your site remains protected against any security vulnerabilities found in previous versions.

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