I understand your concern about the lack of recent updates! Let me address your questions:
Is Spine still being actively developed?
Yes, Spine is absolutely still in active development. While there haven't been recent public releases, this doesn't mean work has stopped. The development team has mentioned that larger updates sometimes take longer to complete, especially when they involve significant improvements or new features that need thorough testing before release.
What about version tracking?
Currently, there isn't a public real-time tracker for in-progress features or beta versions between major releases. The main ways to stay informed are:
About the development pace
The team has acknowledged that update frequency can vary, especially during development of major features. They've mentioned in the past that after pushing hard for extended periods, they sometimes need to balance intense development with sustainable work practices.
While I can't provide specific timelines for 4.3-4.4 releases or the slider improvements you mentioned, the best approach is to keep monitoring the official changelog and blog. When significant updates are ready and thoroughly tested, they'll be announced through these channels.
Your dedication to checking the changelog daily shows great enthusiasm for Spine - hopefully there will be news to reward that dedication soon!