This Week in Web Dev: Payload 2.0, Vercel v0, Google Passkeys, Tidelift Open Source Insights, and Webflow Conf 2023

Stay in the loop on the latest web design and development news with our roundup of top stories this week. From major product launches like Payload CMS 2.0 to groundbreaking announcements like Google making passkeys the default for accounts, there are exciting things happening across the web dev landscape. Read on for key details on Payload's new features, Vercel's v0 AI code generator, Tidelift's open-source supply chain insights, and more - including word on the Webflow conference's global tour for 2023.

Payload CMS 2.0

Payload, the headless and code-first CMS that works the way you do, just released its 2.0 version. Being just released, version 2.0 offers various changes and additions to help you build your own CMS.

Changes and additions:

• Adapter Patterns: Adapter patterns are a concept built into the core of Payload, making the code more modularized and easy to configure.

• Postgres Support: You are now able to use Postgres as your back-end database, instead of just MongoDB. MongoDB and Postgres can be changed easily using the “adapter patterns”.

• Vite Support: Using Vite as your module bundler is now possible. Originally only Webpack was available, but it is now possible to toggle between these two, using the “adapter patterns”.

• Admin UI Updates: The sidebar is now collapsible, and changes have been made to the Edit views to make it more customizable.

• Live Preview: It is now possible for editors to preview their changes directly inside the Payload UI.

• New Rich Text Editor: A new rich text editor has been made available to use. It is now possible to toggle between Slate (The old editor), and Lexical (The new editor), by using “adapter patterns”

The list of changes to Payload 2.0 is very long. We therefore recommend you read the full article from the Payload team here.

Vercel v0

Vercel recently launched a private beta of v0, a new product that automatically generates React code snippets tailored to your needs. v0 leverages AI along with frameworks like shadCN and TailwindCSS to turn simple text descriptions into copy-paste-friendly code.

To use v0, you just describe what you want your React component to do in plain English. It then presents 3 AI-generated interfaces to choose from. With a single click, you can copy clean, idiomatic React code into your project and customize it as needed.

By eliminating the need to write boilerplate code, v0 allows developers to focus on building the unique logic that brings their ideas to life. The generated outputs follow best practices and are optimized for production. Vercel continues leading the way in innovating developer tooling with this latest experiment in AI-assisted development.

Google Makes Passkeys Default

Earlier this year, Google introduced support for passkeys - a faster, more secure alternative to traditional passwords powered by biometrics like fingerprint or face scanning. This week, the company announced passkeys are now the default sign-in method for all personal Google accounts.

Compared to passwords, passkeys offer several benefits:

• Faster sign-in: No need to remember and type complex strings of characters. Just use your fingerprint or face scan.

• More secure: Passkeys are based on public key cryptography and stored on your device. This makes them resilient to phishing and leaks.

• Higher success rates: Passkeys have shown measurably higher sign-in and lower account recovery rates.

• Increased conversion: Businesses using passkeys see fewer sign-in drop-offs and higher conversion rates.

By making passkeys the default for personal accounts, Google aims to accelerate the adoption of this more seamless and secure approach to authentication. Learn more about how passkeys work in Google's support article.

Tidelift Announces New Ways to Manage Open Source Supply Chain Risk

Tidelift, a company helping organizations manage open-source software risks, recently announced new capabilities to enable more proactive supply chain security.

• Tidelift will now provide customers continuous access to validated data on open-source packages, including security insights, maintainer responsiveness, and end-of-life plans. This data will be available via API.

• The goal is to empower teams to make better-informed decisions about which packages to use, rather than just reacting to vulnerabilities.

• Tidelift is also offering an automated way for customers to generate attestations that their open-source software meets US government cybersecurity compliance requirements. This removes the manual burden of tracking compliance over time.

Overall, these new API-based capabilities aim to provide timely data and insights to improve open-source supply chain security and achieve compliance at scale.

To learn more, please visit Tidelift’s original article here.

Webflow Conf 2023

The Webflow conference is taking the show on the road this October with four events across two continents.

Kicking off in San Francisco on October 5th, the multi-city tour will make stops in New York, Chicago, and London over the following weeks. The San Francisco event will be a large-scale conference with product announcements and the fan-favorite Speed Build Challenge. The New York, Chicago, and London events will be smaller, in-person gatherings focused on community and conversations.

Whether joining in-person or online, the Webflow conference is the place to connect with fellow creators, designers, and developers who are pushing the boundaries of web design. With events on both sides of the Atlantic, 2023 is shaping up to be the biggest Webflow conference yet.

You can learn more about the conference here.