PCMag.Com - Twitter on Thursday unveiled a major redesign that brings a simplified version of the micro-blogging site to the desktop and mobile apps.
The update revamps the layout of the Twitter timeline and users’ profiles. It also adds a new discovery tool, overhauls the @Mentions section, and provides an easy-access “tweet” button.
The update is available now on mobile.twitter.com, as well as the iPhone and Android apps, and will be rolling out to Twitter.com over the next few weeks. It will also apply to TweetDeck, which Twitter acquired in May.
“What we’re announcing today is just the beginning,” Twitter said in a blog post. “We now have a framework in place that we will quickly build and iterate upon to help users connect with whatever is meaningful to them.”
Home, Connect, Discover, Me
The revamp has four major components—Home, Connect, Discover, and Me—which are accessible via a tab atop the main Twitter.com page.
Home is basically your main Twitter feed. The layout has been flipped, with latest tweets running down the right side of the page, and the “who to follow” and trending topics on the left. A small window with your details and the “compose a tweet” box is on the top left.
Twitter said it has added the ability to view photos and videos directly in the stream, below the tweets, rather than the pop-out box that currently appears to the right of your stream.
The Connect section is where you can view your @replies, or tweets that are directed at or mention you. In addition your Mentions, however, Twitter has added an Interactions tab, which lets you track your impact across Twitter.
“Interactions shows all the actions other people take related to you and your Tweets,” Twitter said. “See who follows you, retweets or favorites one of your Tweets, or adds you to a list.”
The Discover section, meanwhile, is designated by the hashtag (#) symbol, but in addition to accessing a list of trending topics or hashtags, Discover also displays links to stories based on popularity as well as your connections, location, and language. There’s also the opportunity to learn what a particular hashtag actually means. More
