On Friday Facebook received a facelift; what else is new, right?!  It feels like the Facebook devs are constantly updating the site’s user interface.  Though having to re-learn how to navigate the site every few months is an annoying task, you have to remember it’s all being done to make the experience more streamlined and faster to get around.  So what does this latest redesign bring with it?  The Top Menu is the area where you’ll find your newest notifications, friend requests, and inbox messages in drop-down menu form.  The Left Menu brings together Messages, Events, Photos, and Friends all in one space.  An extension of your Friends List is also found here; it lists the people you chat with most and can be expanded to its usual spot in the bottom right-hand corner.  There have also been updates to the Applications and Games dashboards, making it easier to discover and play new apps.  The center of the page prominently features your News Feed.  All in all, since the redesign only affected the home page (your profile and friend’s profiles look and function the same) there isn’t much to re-learn.  In fact, I find the new look freshing and definitely a step up from their recent upgrades.  But that’s what it’s all about, right?  (Side note: This redesign comes on the heels of Facebook’s 6th birthday.)

Twitter’s update is not as drastic but it still brings a few welcome features.  Hovercards give users a new way to access profile information without having to leave the homepage to visit someone else’s profile page.  Twitter Spokesperson Jenna Sampson explains: “Hovercards are cards which appear when you hover over a username or avatar.  The cards display additional information about the person and allow you to interact with them while staying within the context of your page.”  Hovercards reveal the person’s name, profile information, location, and whether or not you follow the person.  You also get an options panel with follow, block, mention, or report buttons.  Less clicks and page redirections are the result.  A welcome update indeed.  Twitter is also giving users the ability to narrow the range of the Trending Topics list.  Instead of being forced into watching worldwide trending news, users can specify their country or US city.  They are currently working on adding more locations to the list.

For those of you who have not received the Facebook or Twitter updates yet there’s no need to worry.  It takes time for such updates to reach all users.  (I was one of the first to receive the Facebook redesign, but I have yet to play around with Hovercards in Twitter.)

[Via FacebookBlog; Mashable]