Category: tech

Trump and Harris Have Agreed to Debate on Sept. 10, ABC Says  The New York TimesThe Harris v. Trump debate is already looming as another historic pivot point in an extraordinary campaign  CNNTrump news conference: Old habits, new vulnerability  Sky NewsTrump Calls for Three Debates Against Harris, More Influence Over the Fed  The Wall Street JournalTrump backs down after bailing on debating Harris  Axios

The New AMD Ryzen CPUs Are Now Available at Amazon  IGN6 must-know details about AMD’s divisive new Ryzen 9000 CPUs  PCWorldConclusion – The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Ryzen 5 9600X Review: Zen 5 is Alive  AnandTechAMD’s last-gen CPU is still the king of gaming  Digital TrendsAMD’s new Ryzen 9000 CPUs are cheaper than its previous-gen chips  The Verge

Harris campaign walks back Walz bio amid ‘stolen valor’ controversy as questions swirl  Fox NewsVP pick Tim Walz faced accusations in 2006 of embellishing his military service, which he called slander  CNNGOP opponent who never served criticizes Gov. Tim Walz’s exit from National Guard  Star TribuneWhat we know about military records of Walz and Vance  BBC.com

One Of Ukraine’s Toughest And Fastest Brigades Has Joined The Invasion Of Russia  ForbesFighting rages inside Russian territory after Ukraine’s surprise incursion  Fox NewsRussia declares a federal emergency in a border region that is under attack from Ukrainian forces  The Associated Press

Fed rate-cut fervor is gripping Wall Street again. It could be another trap.  MarketWatchFed Seen Rejecting Calls for Jumbo Rate Cut in Economist Survey  BloombergJeremy Siegel backs off on calls for the Fed to do an emergency interest rate cut  CNBCWhat the Federal Reserve is likely to do after stock selloff  CBS News

Tim Walz’s Finances Stunned Some People. They Shouldn’t Have.  SlateView Full Coverage on Google News

Walz’s military record under scrutiny as Vance, GOP question his service  The Associated PressHarris campaign walks back Walz bio amid ‘stolen valor’ controversy as questions swirl  Fox NewsWalz’s Fellow Guardsmen Set the Record Straight on Veep Candidate’s Military Career: ‘He Bailed Out’  National ReviewVance reopens line of attack into Walz’s military record as two veterans now vie to be vice president  CNNGOP opponent who never served criticizes Gov. Tim Walz’s exit from National Guard  Star Tribune

Nvidia Value Takes $900 Billion Hit Even as AI Spending Ramps Up  Yahoo FinanceSolarEdge Revenue Falls 73%. The Stock’s Tumbling.  Barron’sHere’s what has to happen for Nvidia’s price to be warranted: finance professor  MarketWatchNvidia, AMD Stocks Present ‘Tremendous Opportunity’ After Recent Losses, Analysts Say  InvestopediaWhere Will Nvidia Stock Be in 1 Year?  The Motley Fool

Gravatar, short for Globally Recognized Avatar, is a powerful service from Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com. For over two decades, Gravatar has been the driving force behind billions of avatar views across the web. Beyond WordPress, you’ll find Gravatar powering user profiles on platforms like ChatGPT, GitHub, Slack, and many more.

But Gravatar is far more than just a profile pic that follows you around the web. Let’s dive into seven key features that make Gravatar an indispensable tool for WordPress users.

From a WordPress avatar to a profile for everywhere

When Gravatar was first integrated into WordPress way back in 2006, it solved two critical problems:

WordPress lacked native image editing capabilities.

Most servers hosting WordPress sites struggled with image resizing and performance.

Gravatar elegantly addressed these issues while offering users the convenience of uploading their avatar just once for use across multiple sites and blogs. Today, you’ll find Gravatar profiles integrated across the web.

It was, and still is, a win-win!

Put a face to a comment

Gravatar is what provides profile pictures on all the lovely comments on your blog. That simple addition—a photo where there might otherwise be a bland icon—dramatically increases reader engagement. Users with Gravatars are more likely to comment, and their contributions tend to be of higher quality. This can lead to more vibrant discussions on your blog, fostering a sense of community.

Increase engagement with hovercards 

Hovercards are an often-overlooked feature that can also significantly enhance user interaction. When enabled, hovering over an avatar reveals a snapshot of the user’s profile information.

To activate hovercards:

Go to Settings > Discussion in your WordPress dashboard

Look for the “Gravatar Hovercards” option and enable it

Note: If you’re not on a WordPress.com hosted site, you’ll need the Jetpack plugin installed

Get verified 

Gravatar’s Verified Accounts feature lets you link your profile to services and social media platforms like Instagram, GitHub, TikTok, and Threads. This verification process confirms your ownership of these accounts, adding a layer of authenticity to your online presence and making your interactions more trustworthy.

Your link-in-bio solution

Did you know that Gravatar was the original link-in-bio service? Every Gravatar account comes with a free, customizable profile page that’s perfect for sharing:

Your bio and interests

Important links

Social media accounts

Payment options

Contact information

It’s a versatile hub for your online identity, all in one convenient location.

Own your name on the web

Instead of using gravatar.com/username, you can now have a custom web address that truly represents you. This personalized domain isn’t just for vanity; it opens up new possibilities, such as using it as your username on emerging platforms like Bluesky.

To kick off custom domains, we’ve partnered with .link to offer you a free domain for the first year. This limited-time offer lets you personalize your Gravatar profile URL, making it more memorable and shareable.

Here is a video about why you should own your name as a domain and what it can unlock. 

More TLDs and domain options will be available in the months to come.

Innovate with profiles-as-a-service

For developers looking to enhance user experiences, Gravatar’s new REST API offers exciting possibilities:

Enrich customer profiles

Customize onboarding processes

Add delightful touches to user interactions

The best part? It’s completely free to use. 

WordPress site owners, keep an eye out for an upcoming WordPress plugin that will add even more Gravatar integrations to your site.

Get your free domain now

Don’t miss out on these powerful features and our exclusive domain offer. Visit the Gravatar blog to learn how to set up your custom domain and take control of your online identity. 

A powerful quake hits off Japan’s coast, causing minor injuries but prompting new concerns  The Associated PressPowerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake hits off southern Japan; tsunami advisory issued  KLRT – FOX16.comJapan Warns of Elevated Risk of Giant Earthquake After Strong One Hits  The New York TimesJapan warns of heightened risk of megaquake  Yahoo! Voices