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Video: Building a Promise from scratch!

This week I presented a talk “Building a Promise From Scratch” for the awesome TorontoJS user group. This was all done online, and you can watch the recording here or on YouTube.

PHP 8.0.0 Beta 1 available for testing

10 Free Professional Intro Video Templates for After Effects

A great and effective intro for your video will help draw your audience in and encourage them to watch the rest. Creating a video intro from scratch can be time-consuming but you can easily save time with a premade, professional intro template.

In this post, we’ve gathered the best free professional video intros for Adobe After Effects that you can use as a starting point in your project.

More After Effects templates: Titles, Animated Icons, Logo Reveals, Animated Fonts, Slideshows, Lower Thirds, and Openers.

Free Retro Wave Intro Flat Design After Effects Template (Free)

This free Retro Wave Intro is a perfect combination for any vintage or retro projects. The template features a colorful design and comes with 2 editable text layers, 1 logo placeholder and a full color controller.

Elegant Corporate Intro (with Envato Elements)

This Elegant Corporate Intro can be used in corporate-style videos but you can also use it in wedding or fashion projects. The template includes 8 text and image placeholders as well as a detailed help file.

Free Simple & Fast 2d Intro Template (Free)

If you need a simple and fast intro template, this intro is the right choice. The template is as simple as it can be and you can easily customize colors and add the text of your choosing.

Cyberpunk Intro (with Envato Elements)

If you’re a fan of the cyberpunk style, don’t miss this Cyberpunk Intro. This is a great choice if you’re trying to achieve a more cinematic look in your videos. It would also be a great fit for a tech company.

Free Adobe After Effects Intro Templates (Free)

This free intro template features bold typography and duotone colors. You will get 5 image or video placeholders, 4 text placeholders, 1 logo placeholder, and a custom color controller.

Modern Intro (with Envato Elements)

First up is the Modern Intro template that features a bold and modern design. The template includes several different styles and you can easily customize the text, colors, and other elements used in the intro.

Free Spiral AE Intro Template (Free)

Consider this creative and unique intro template for your next video project. The template is easy to customize in terms of colors and text and you can also control the duration of the entire animation.

Photographic Intro (with Envato Elements)

This cute intro is a great choice if you’re a photographer working on a video presentation of your work of if you’re trying to create a personal video presentation. Simply drop in your photos, change colors, and you’re good to go.

Free 2D Clean Intro Template for After Effects (Free)

The 2D Clean Intro Template for After Effects features a vintage design style and includes a detailed help file that will help you customize the template to your needs.

Free Retro Intro AE Template (Free)

When you’re working on projects that require a retro look and feel, this template will come in handy. The template features a simple retro-style badge on a colored background. You can easily customize the colors and animation duration.

Modern Website Presentation (with Envato Elements)

If you need a creative and unique way to present your web design client work or your portfolio, try this Modern Website Presentation template. You can also use it to showcase your website templates or CMS themes.

Free After Effects Intro Templates (Free)

This free After Effects intro template comes with 15 different image placeholders and can be used for corporate videos or any video that promotes a fashion or a jewelry brand.

Split Screen 2D Intro AE Template (Free)

Try this split screen 2D intro for a more creative intro that makes it easier to showcase different information. The template includes a help file with editing instructions and you can change colors and text with ease.

Free Short Gaming Intro After Effects Template (Free)

A gaming video project isn’t complete without a proper intro. Try this short but sweet gaming intro template to spice up any gaming channel on Youtube or on Twitch.

Free Video Intro Templates for After Effects (Free)

This bright and clean After Effects intro template comes with 7 image or video placeholders and 7 text placeholders. It features an elegant animation that’s perfect for corporate and business video projects.

Conclusion

Spice up your video with a professionally designed intro template. No matter which type of video you’re editing and producing, you will find an intro that suits your needs so be sure to check out these After Effects intro templates.

The post 10 Free Professional Intro Video Templates for After Effects appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

Installers that don’t suck

Advice for Beginners That Are Starting Out in Web Design

The web design community is great at sharing knowledge. But quite often what we share has some prerequisites attached. You’d likely need to already be a web designer or developer to get something out of it. But what about beginners?

If you’re just starting your journey in web design, you may feel left out. With all of the expert tutorials out there, it can be hard to know where to begin. It’s not the lack of information that is limiting. Rather, it’s the sheer amount of resources that can muddy the picture.

Web design is a vast subject. There are just so many different technologies to learn and paths to take. But those first steps when starting out are universal.

And that’s our focus today. We’ll help to guide you towards becoming a web designer. Whether you want a professional career or to pick up a new hobby, there’s something here to get you on your way.

Learn HTML and CSS: The Foundations of Web Design

Both HTML and CSS have been around for a very long time. On that basis alone, it might be tempting to dismiss them. Yet, these languages have continued to evolve.

They are still the foundation of how websites are built. And a case could be made that they are as important as ever.

Semantic HTML5 structure is vital for things like search engine optimization. CSS3, meanwhile, helps to keep pages looking beautiful, lightweight and interactive. Both languages also play a huge role in accessibility as well.

While there are plenty of tools out there that will write markup and styles for you, it’s still important to learn how HTML and CSS actually work. They’re more intricate than any WYSIWYG editor can properly convey.

It’s this foundational knowledge that will help you plan and build a better end product. Understanding the likes of grid layouts, media queries and how HTML5 handles video are essential.

Don’t hesitate to dive in and learn all the things when it comes to these two.

Build and Maintain a Side Project (Or Two)

Creating a side project is one of the best ways to learn what being a web designer is all about. Not to mention that it can also be a lot of fun.

Pick a subject that you’re passionate about. Maybe it’s books, music or sports. Perhaps you want to build a community for other like-minded people. Whatever it is, jot down some simple goals for the project.

For example, think about how you want the site to look and what sorts of functionality you’ll need. What is it that you want to communicate with visitors? What actions should they take?

The great thing about this type of website is that you can go at your own pace. In fact, it’s often better to start small and enhance things over time. This will help you understand what it takes to maintain a website. You might even learn some lessons on how to build with the future in mind.

You’ll likely make mistakes and run into some roadblocks – but that’s part of the fun. It’s real-world experience, but without the pressure of working with clients.

Experiment with Systems, Frameworks and Apps

When you’re first starting out in web design, it’s tempting to simply go with the most buzzed-about items. That means signing up to work with the most popular CMS, the can’t-miss JavaScript framework or that shiny new code editor.

And it’s certainly okay to go down that path. But there is so much more to do and see. Putting yourself in a bubble right from the start isn’t necessarily the best thing for professional growth. Besides, if you only ever use one particular tool, how do you know what separates the good from the great?

Take some time to try out different tools, whether on a project or just for curiosity’s sake. The experience you’ll gain will help you to develop your niche over time.

Plus, having experience with a number of apps, frameworks and systems could come in handy. When it comes to technology, nothing lasts forever. The more varied your expertise, the better you’ll be able to roll with the changes.

Be Kind to Yourself

If you pay much attention to the web design community, you’ll undoubtedly come across the “rock stars” of the trade. These are the folks who look like they have it made. Their portfolios are full of high-profile, jaw-droppingly gorgeous projects. And they’re often thought leaders in the industry.

While seeing what these great designers are doing can be inspirational, it can also have the opposite effect and lower your confidence. Imposter syndrome is a real thing. The secret is that just about everybody feels this way at one time or another – even the glitterati.

Therefore, don’t be too hard on yourself if you run into difficulties. Whether it’s a bit of code that’s driving you mad or trouble grasping a concept, stick with it. Understand that struggles come with the territory and that hard work can pay off.

Most importantly, don’t feel that you have to measure up to anyone else. We’re all on our own journey and yours is unique.

Enjoy the Opportunity to Grow as a Designer

Taking the first steps towards becoming a web designer is an exciting, if uncertain, time. But even if you don’t fully know what you’re doing just yet, learn to embrace that feeling.

The truth is that you may feel that way again and again as you learn new tools and techniques – even years from now. Learning new things is a key part of the experience. So much of it is a trial-and-error process, but you’ll be better for having gone through it.

Find joy in the opportunity and don’t be afraid of failure. Now, boldly move forth into the world of web design!

The post Advice for Beginners That Are Starting Out in Web Design appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.

WordPress 5.5 Release Candidate 2

The second release candidate for WordPress 5.5 is here!

WordPress 5.5 is slated for release on August 11, 2020, but we need your help to get there—if you haven’t tried 5.5 yet, now is the time!

You can test the WordPress 5.5 release candidate in two ways:

• Try the WordPress Beta Tester plugin (choose the “bleeding edge nightlies” option)
• Or download the release candidate here (zip).

Thank you to all of the contributors who tested the Beta releases and gave feedback. Testing for bugs is a critical part of polishing every release and a great way to contribute to WordPress.

Plugin and Theme Developers

Please test your plugins and themes against WordPress 5.5 and update the Tested up to version in the readme file to 5.5. If you find compatibility problems, please be sure to post to the support forums, so those can be figured out before the final release.

For a more detailed breakdown of the changes included in WordPress 5.5, check out the WordPress 5.5 beta 1 post. The WordPress 5.5 Field Guide is also out! It’s your source for details on all the major changes.

How to Help

Do you speak a language other than English? Help us translate WordPress into more than 100 languages! This release also marks the hard string freeze point of the 5.5 release schedule.

If you think you’ve found a bug, you can post to the Alpha/Beta area in the support forums. We’d love to hear from you! If you’re comfortable writing a reproducible bug report, fill one on WordPress Trac, where you can also find a list of known bugs.

Community News: Latest PECL Releases (08.04.2020)

Latest PECL Releases:

• mongodb 1.8.0
  ** Bug
  • [PHPC-1598] - Objects with get_properties handlers should have get_gc delegate to zend_std_get_properties
  • [PHPC-1648] - Ensure directConnection is validated when specified in URI options array

  ** Epic

  • [PHPC-1547] - PHPC MongoDB 4.4 Support

  ** New Feature

  • [PHPC-1313] - Add support for Zstandard compression
  • [PHPC-1483] - MONGODB-AWS Support
  • [PHPC-1484] - Support for allowDiskUse on find operations
  • [PHPC-1494] - Add client metadata support for wrapping libraries
  • [PHPC-1533] - OCSP Support
  • [PHPC-1554] - Unify behavior around configuration for replica set discovery
  • [PHPC-1561] - Allow hinting the delete command
  • [PHPC-1571] - Driver support for server Hedged Reads
  • [PHPC-1575] - Add URI option to disable certificate revocation checking

  ** Task

  • [PHPC-1060] - Automate Atlas connectivity tests
  • [PHPC-1131] - Do not compile php.exe for Appveyor builds
  • [PHPC-1384] - Specify behavior where connection string contain auth database but no credentials
  • [PHPC-1401] - Add mongodb+srv URIs to Atlas Connectivity tests
  • [PHPC-1440] - Bump wire protocol version for 4.4
  • [PHPC-1442] - Remove support for PHP 5.6
  • [PHPC-1525] - Deprecate oplogReplay find command option from CRUD spec
  • [PHPC-1616] - Remove PHP 7.1 from AppVeyor build config
  • [PHPC-1621] - Bundled libmongocrypt emits compiler warning
  • [PHPC-1635] - Ensure OCSP and AWS auth are tested on both 4.4 and latest

  ** Improvement

  • [PHPC-1478] - Support shorter SCRAM conversation
  • [PHPC-1510] - Expand use of error labels for RetryableWrites
  • [PHPC-1530] - Make ExceededTimeLimit retryable writes error
  • [PHPC-1556] - Reduce Client Time To Recovery On Topology Changes
  • [PHPC-1566] - Support speculative authentication attempts in isMaster
  • [PHPC-1591] - Add tests for allowed cases when authSource is given but username is not
  • [PHPC-1614] - Consult SIZEOF_ZEND_LONG instead of SIZEOF_LONG
  • [PHPC-1615] - Specify obj_dir when adding sources in config.w32
  • [PHPC-1628] - Clarify return type for WriteConcernError and WriteError getInfo() methods
  • [PHPC-1629] - Call libmongoc is_valid functions before completing WriteConcern and ReadPreference initialization
  • [PHPC-1632] - Reduce default keepalive time to align with Azure defaults
• datadog_trace 0.47.1
  **Deprecation notice**: The following environment variable names have changed. The old names are deprecated. See #969 for more details.

  | Old Name | New Name | | ---------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | | DD_<INTEGRATION>_ANALYTICS_ENABLED | DD_TRACE_<INTEGRATION>_ANALYTICS_ENABLED | | DD_<INTEGRATION>_ANALYTICS_SAMPLE_RATE | DD_TRACE_<INTEGRATION>_ANALYTICS_SAMPLE_RATE | | DD_INTEGRATIONS_DISABLED | DD_TRACE_<INTEGRATION>_ENABLED |

  Added

  • Add DD_TRACE_AGENT_URL environment support #926 (thank you @nurcahyo!) #962
  • Support for DD_TRACE_<INTEGRATION>_<SUFFIX> env vars #969
  • Deeper instrumentation of Symfony 4.4 #967

  Fixed

  • Move startup logging to first RINIT #961
  • Fix propagation of DD_ENV and DD_VERSION to children spans #963
  • Remove query string when new resource mapper is used #973
• protobuf 3.12.4
  GA release.

Interview with Peter MacIntyre

This episode is sponsored by
Ring Central Developers

The post Interview with Peter MacIntyre appeared first on Voices of the ElePHPant.