The latest version of WordPress, version 2.8 and codename “Baker”, is now out. If you haven’t updated yet, you might want to do so now. One of the biggest features in this version is the ability to install WordPress themes from within the admin dashboard, just like plugins.

Theme authors will also be happy to hear about several new functions/template tags like automatic_feed_links(), body_class(), comments_open(), pings_open(), wp_lost_password_url(). But they should also take note of several deprecated ones.

The complete list of changes are documented in the Codex.

Performancing Themes has come out with another great-looking free WordPress theme called Treasure. It’s designed by Randa Clay and supports the latest theme features added in WP 2.7.

Ever wanted to explore for hidden treasure as a kid? Well, most of us have longed for, and still do long for, this kind of adventure. Most would keep other sorts of treasures in all sorts of places, in their proverbial treasure chests. Love letters are kept in drawers. Photos in photo albums. Toys in toy closets. Blog posts, of course, precious that they are, are kept online.

But what if you can keep your blog posts in “treasure chests” of their own? This is what Performancing’s Treasure Theme for WordPress is all about. Each blog post is kept enclosed in its own box–or what you can call its treasure box. This is very appropriate for bloggers who want to consider each and every published post as precious ad gold and gems.

Preview and download the theme now.

Some WordPress theme-related articles designers might want to peruse:

• Creating Theme Options
• Premium only in name: The state of paid-for WP themes
• A premium solution
• Custom taxonomies in WordPress 2.8
• Build A Theme With Thematic
• WordPress Child Theme Basics
• What’s in store for WordPress themes in 2009?

ForTheLose.org has 11 tips that will help theme designers speed up their theme creation process. For example:

Tip #5 - Copy & Paste Old Theme Files

I figure this tip is common sense, but you never know. Once you’re done with the static files, it’s time to actually get to work in Wordpress. Crack open your text editor of choice and get to work creating all of the default Wordpress files. I recommend starting from archives.php and going up in alphabetical order. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

A lot of the tips are about not reinventing the wheel, and keeping focused, so it’s also about attitude aside from knowing the ins and outs of WordPress theme development.

Here’s another free, nice-looking WordPress theme courtesy of Performancing: Too Newsy is a clean, light, 3-column theme with an elegant typographic feel.

The theme features widget-ready sidebars, which can accommodate several different image dimensions (suitable for button and banner ads). The theme also supports the default CSS alignment and caption classes in WordPress 2.6 and above, and it is the first Performancing Theme to support new WordPress 2.7 features out of the box

Preview and download the theme now.

The well-loved Cutline Theme for WordPress has been brought up to speed with its WP 2.7 releases:

• Cutline black and white
• Cutline Three-Column Right
• Cutline Three-Column Split
• Cutline Two-Column Right

The update includes:

1. Gravatar support (which replaces the comment numbering)
2. Threaded comment support (if activated within WordPress settings)
3. Post classes (you can differentiate the look of sticky and other posts)
4. Image class support (compatible with the classes used by WordPress image uploader)
5. Some under-the-hood tweaks

Take note: the above versions of Cutline are for WordPress 2.7 and up, so make sure you’ve upgraded your WordPress install first!

Spectacu.la and Justin Tadlock have reported that 200 free WordPress themes were removed from the official theme directory at WordPress.org, despite being complient with the GPL. As it turns out, there’s a more specific qualification to the list.

Thord Daniel Hedengren of The Blog Herald contacted Matt Mullenweg for clarification on the matter:

I emailed Matt Mullenweg, and he explained that the reason for the massive theme purge was that there was a lot of spammy SEO links as well as various violations of the GPL that is required to be hosted in the directory. He also said this, to address the people who are worried about what is really going on with the theme directory:

There were also a few that violated WP community guidelines, like the domain policy. So since Monday we’ve been clearing stuff out en mass. If you’re kosher with the GPL and don’t claim or promote otherwise on your site and your theme was removed, it was probably a mistake. Give us a week to catch up with the bad stuff and then drop a note.

Aside from having to submit a GPL-compliant, sponsored link-free WordPress theme, you have to make sure that your homepage, as theme author, should be the same way. That is, your theme should not be a gateway to get people to buy premium WordPress themes or download ones with sponsored links.

Be sure to review the guidelines for submitting a free WordPress theme to WordPress Extend.

You also might want to read this article by Alister Cameron on the “right” way to make money from WordPress themes. He cites Brian Gardner’s recent move to provide Revolution themes for free, but require payment for theme support.

WordPress 2.7 “Coltrane” is finally out. And designers, you know what that means: time to update those themes! Old ones shouldn’t break with the new version of WordPress (if you’ve updated them for WP 2.6), but it’s an added incentive for bloggers to download WP 2.7-ready themes.

Read the WordPress Codex article on Migrating Plugins and Themes to 2.7 and these 3rd-party tutorials, then add your theme to the WordPress 2.7 Compatible Themes page. You should be all set in no time.

With WordPress 2.7 Release Candidate 1 coming out, the latest version of WordPress should be just around the corner. This means all the designers out there who plan to release new themes should really make sure their themes take full advantage of WP 2.7’s new features. Try reading these tutorials from Devlounge:

Fun with WordPress 2.7: Adding Asides without Hacking the Loop
Asides are not new, but the new post_class() function should make implementing and styling asides easier.

Getting Ready for WordPress 2.7: Really Simple Category Styling
Also puts the post_class() function to use.

Getting Ready for WordPress 2.7: Sticky Post Styling
Another cool new WP 2.7 feature!

Don’t forget to download WP 2.7 Release Candidate 1.

Andrew Rickmann of WP FUN raises several interesting questions about theme clubs in the WordPress theme development scene. Perhaps the biggest question is that of significance:

What specific need do they fill? What will convince WordPress users to pay for a theme club membership instead of paying a one-time fee for a premium theme? Or hiring a custom WordPress theme designer? (Let’s leave the free WordPress themes model out of this for the meantime.)

Andrew discusses several possibilities, like the fickle-mindedness of bloggers and bigger bang for one’s buck. What are the other factors that drive the popularity of theme clubs? It seems like such an arrangement could be the smartest way to pay for premium themes.