Everybody loves the Internet’s dynamic nature.

It is constantly changing and evolving to meet the needs of its users.

A few of my favorite web applications launched new features this week, or at least they hit my account this week!

Of course, you should check out my posts about the new WordPress version 2.6 - WordPress 2.6 Released a Month Ahead of Schedule and Shareaholic - Shareaholic helps you share your favorite websites, if you haven’t already.

1. The WordPress Themes Repository was relaunched! Yay! I can stop by the site and check out new and updated themes - no more Google searching for themes - find the good ones right on WordPress’ website!
2. Firefox 3.0.1 = Patched Up and Ready for the Masses; which was a great addition to my week, because it fixed some bugs and security holes - but it broke a couple of my extensions. Read Firefox 3.0.1 and Your Add-ons Not Working to find out how you can get your Add-ons back in working condition - it is simple to do, but be careful when modifying extensions!
3. Google Contacts Get More Useful with “suggested” contacts in Gmail, instead of just adding every person you email all willy-nilly!
4. Using Google Documents gets even better with Google Docs Templates! Search by category or by “hottest” and use these templates to your heart’s content!

Have you checked out these new features or updated applications? If so, let us know what you think in the comments - or suggest some other web application or software we should check out!

Everybody’s favorite CMS (content management system), WordPress, just released version 2.6 an entire month ahead of schedule. Not only did this version fix almost 200 bugs, but it adds some new features that are sure to have most WordPress users dancing in their computer chairs!

Now WordPress comes with a built in word count, so you can see in real time how many words long your post is! Look for the Word count directly below the Save and Publish buttons in your Publish Status box.

The way images are controlled and modified is one of the biggest changes; now image management is fully compatible with the WYSIWYG view, and you can move the picture’s location and even edit its size directly from the screen. Note that you can actually see a screenshot of the image as it would appear in your blog post, and there are more options under Advanced Settings.

There are more new features, including a popup that lets you know when you have updates to your plugins and even more ways to use WordPress as a power user without having to add a lot of plugins!

View the video that gives you a tour of WP 2.6 before downloading:

Check out some of these posts around the blogosphere about the WordPress update, and let us know what you think about this new version in the comments!

Around the Blogosphere:

WordPress 2.6 from the WordPress Blog
You Gotta Love Automattic from NateWhitehill.com
WordPress 2.6 Rocks from Michelaneous
Google Gears and WordPress 2.6 Is Not About Offline Blogging from Digital Inspiration

My new office has the oldest and slowest computer I’ve ever seen. So, I will walk across the street to Starbucks and hop on my laptop during lunch, just so I can catch up with my emails or Google Reader feeds.

This is only free wireless for 2 consecutive hours per day with a purchase made at least every 30 days with a Starbucks Card.

One of my biggest complaints about Starbucks is the expensive coffee, but to get free wireless for two hours while I savor a Caramel Frappachino might just be worth it!

There’s an extensive FAQ about the new wireless program - check it out. Seems like a good deal. Buy coffee once a month, and get 2 hours of free wireless per day!

photo credit: {meagen}