WordPress Weekly News and Tips: February 9th to February 15th

Welcome to the twenty-seventh WordPress Weekly blog post. In these weekly posts, we gather news articles from WordPress-related resources so that you can be up-to-date.

How to Add a Featured Content Slider in WordPress

Author:  Editorial Staff

URL: http://www.wpbeginner.com/plugins/how-to-add-a-featured-content-slider-in-wordpress/

With the help of the Soliloquy plugin, you can have the latest content as part of a slideshow featured on your front page. The plugin’s pricing plans start from $19 a year.

Unplug Jetpack: Use Jetpack Modules Without Connecting to WordPress.com

Author:  Sarah Gooding

URL: http://wptavern.com/unplug-jetpack-use-jetpack-modules-without-connecting-to-wordpress-com

You can install and use the Unplug Jetpack plugin if you like to use the Jetpack modules without having to connect to WordPress.

Initiative Aims to Improve the New User Experience in WordPress 4.2

Author:  Jeff Chandler

URL: http://wptavern.com/initiative-aims-to-improve-the-new-user-experience-in-wordpress-4-2

A new group was founded for the 4.2 release to help new users get used to WordPress. The main focus of the group is:

The group will be tasked with helping to identify common pain points new users might experience using WordPress. The hope is to (re)invigorate the conversation about making NUX a priority in core decision-making. We’ll work together to identify problems and recommend solutions.

GitHub Update 4.1 to Add Remote Installation for WordPress Plugins and Themes

Author:  Sarah Gooding

URL: http://wptavern.com/github-updater-4-1-to-add-remote-installation-for-wordpress-plugins-and-themes

The GitHub Updater plugin just released a new feature that allows you to add a remote installation for WordPress.

Creating Custom Database Tables for Your WordPress Plugins

Author: Daniel Pataki

URL: http://premium.wpmudev.org/blog/creating-database-tables-for-plugins/

A guide on the pros and cons of creating and using a new WordPress table for your plugin(s). The article also goes over how to accomplish this.

How to Add Featured Video Thumbnails in WordPress

Author: Editorial Staff

URL: http://www.wpbeginner.com/plugins/how-to-add-featured-video-thumbnails-in-wordpress

Instead of a featured slider, you can add a featured video thumbnail to your front page with the Featured Video Plus plugin.

Migrating WordPress (and Multisite!) to a New Server

Author: Jenni McKinnon

URL: http://premium.wpmudev.org/blog/migrating-wordpress-and-multisite

A migrating WordPress tutorial, this time, for multisite!

The Best Page Builder Plugins for WordPress

Author: Mark Zahra

URL: http://www.wpmayor.com/best-page-builder-plugins/

A list of the best builder plugins for WordPress.

10 Handy Plugins to Help You Do More with WordPress Categories

Author: Joe Fylan

URL: http://premium.wpmudev.org/blog/wordpress-category-plugins

Another list of plugins that you can use to gives more tools to work with WordPress categories.

HeroPress Fails to Attract Backers, Cancels Kickstarter Campaign Ahead of Deadline

Author: Sarah Gooding

URL: http://wptavern.com/heropress-fails-to-attract-backers-cancels-kickstarter-campaign-ahead-of-deadline

HeroPress has, unfortunately, has failed to attract enough backers and the project has been closed down.

Excellent Primer on the WordPress REST API Project

Author: Jeff Chandler

URL: http://wptavern.com/excellent-primer-on-the-wordpress-rest-api-project

A simple beginner’s guide for the new WordPress REST API.