Just realized I missed out the announcement of Joomla! 1.6 Beta 1 release. Joomla! Team on May 17, 2010, announced the first Beta for everyone willing to conduct beta test on her/his own server. You can read the official announcment "Joomla! 1.6 Beta Now Available" and use the link at the end of that article to obtain the package.
Here are some key features listed in the official press release:
- New Access Control System - Allows site administrators control over who can view and manage content.
- Unlimited Depth Organizational Model - Gives site administrators and content creators user-defined category levels that allow for the creation of a category tree with as many or as few levels for organizing articles and other content as needed.
- One-Click Extension Updates - Allows users to keep sites secure and controlled by simplifying the process of updating extensions.
- Semantic XHTML Layouts - Provides a better baseline for content presentation.