Check out details here.

Aside from the aforementioned items, the WordPress admin interface received yet another makeover.  With a cleaner, prettier interface navigating the admin side won’t seem so tiresome and distracting.

Additional improvements include API extensions for custom backgrounds, headers, menus, shortened links, and more.

Check out the video for more information!

Drupal once again tops the Best Open Source PHP CMS category which they won in 2008 as well.  Filling in the other top two spots for Best Open Source PHP were new comer to the list WordPress which started as a blogging platform but has come full circle as a wonderful PHP-based CMS and Joomla who is no stranger to the list.  Drupal walks away with $2000 and the other two will receive $500 each.

In the Most Promising Open Source CMS we have ImpressCMS toping the list, which beats their tie with MiaCMS for the final spot on the list last year.  Pixie takes the runner-up spot as a “small, simple” CMS and Pligg brings up the rear.  Pligg and Pixie are making the list for the first time this year.  ImpressCMS will receive $2000 and the other two will receive $1000 each to aid their efforts.

Two more categories remain for this year’s Open Source CMS Awards from PacktPub.com.  They are Best Overall Open Source CMS and the Hall of Fame award.  Will Drupal again take the coveted Best Overall spot or will a new comer unseat them and force them to retire in the Hall of Fame?  We’ll see Friday.

The annual Open Source CMS Awards from PacktPub.com are designed to celebrate excellence in development while also keeping the open source spirit alive. With the downturns in the global economy over the last year open source technology has seen a dramatic rise in support as well as use, particularly in the enterprise level businesses, but small business as well.

The awards are broken down into 5 categories which include:

• Best Overall Open Source CMS
• Most Promising Open Source CMS
• Best PHP Open Source CMS
• Best Other Open Source CMS
• Open Source MVPs

Voting for this year’s Open Source CMS Awards begins September 21st and winners will be announced starting on November 9th.

New Category for the 2009 Open Source Awards

This year’s awards bring us a new category directed at acknowledging previous Overall winners such as Drupal and Joomla.  The Hall of Fame Award will celebrate continued excellence above and beyond the others in the field.

For More Information Visit PacktPub.com

Congratulations to previous winners and good luck to nominees this year. Stay tuned for continued coverage of the 2009 Open Source CMS Awards from PacktPub.com.

One main issue being worked on the WP 2.8.1 Beta is a fix for themes calling categories in a way that is causing them to fail.  As you can see on my site here, my category call is failing at the moment as well.

Other Changes in WordPress 2.8.1 Beta

• Less memory usage by the dashboard
• Automatic upgrade fix when a failed upgrade occurs (files were being deleted)
• Problems with the Rich Text Editor worked around
• Extra security added

If you are still on WordPress 2.7.x it may be a good idea to wait to upgrade.  If you are already on 2.8 you may be experiencing these problems but be patient or go get the 2.8.1 Beta now.

SixApart, creators of TypePad and Moveable Type

The news came during this years WordCamp Mid-Atlantic and was a bit of shock to some.  Anil Dash, co-founder of SixApart made the announcement during his keynote at the conference.

Available for WordPress Courtesy of  SixApart

Four major technologies that SixApart had reserved for Moveable Type and TypePad users are now available for WordPress as well.

• TypePad Connect – The social connecting technology from SixApart can be integrated with WordPress now.
• TypePad Anti-Spam – Available as a plugin, TypePad Anti-Spam may give Akismet a run for its money.
• SixApart Media – SixAparts answer to the advertising issues plaguing others.  Works similar to ClickBank.
• Blogs.com – Blog submission and search site.

Whether this may mean the end of continued work with Moveable Type or TypePad may yet to be seen.  But one thing is for sure…open source is changing still and with the still limping economy SixApart seems to realize that being even more open may be what saves some from ultimate downfall.