14 DAY TRIAL // Twitter is known for its simplicity and minimal approach, which is visible in its design and features, even in the 140-character limit. Simplicity is part of the Twitter philosophy but that doesn't mean that new features can't be added while staying true to the mantra. Traditionally, the microblogging service has been slow to launch new features but it is now rolling out two new ones in just one week. The first one, a new search widget, is already available, but the biggest news is the redesigned homepage announced to come in next week.
Twitter Search is a great tool but it’s far from perfect. While being billed as real time, it doesn't automatically refresh itself like other services and even third-party apps for Twitter do. While Search itself isn't changing, a new official widget lets users embed searches in their web sites and then see the real-time results pop up automatically as they come in.
There are third-party widgets doing similar things, some even better, but the fact that it is an official release will probably see it used a lot more. And also in keeping with Twitter's usual approach the design of the widget is really clean and customizable so it should integrate well in any blog or website.
Meanwhile, in an interview with All Things Digital, Biz Stone has revealed that a new homepage is coming sometime next week. The new homepage will be a hub of Twitter activity rather than the static page we get today. Currently the Twitter homepage shows users who aren't logged in, or don't have an account yet, some basic info about the service, a registration button and a login box.
The new one, however, will be much more dynamic, with a Twitter search, trending topics and some better information about the service. Somewhat related to the new move to have new users better informed Twitter also launched Twitter 101, a new site aimed at businesses thinking about joining the service.