What's new on Newser?

We're constantly working on new ways to improve Newser. Here's a summary of recent updates:

January 5, 2009

Design Update and Streamlined Navigation

As you've probably noticed, we've given Newser a sleek design update. You'll see a newsier typography and color treatment. Most important, we've streamlined our navigation bar. It looks less cluttered, but we've actually added more ways to slice the news, in new drop-down lists.

• The HOME page continues to include all Newser summaries.
• The red tabs directly to the right of HOME take you to grids dedicated to stories dominating the news right now.
• The SECTIONS tab now houses our subject-matter grids—World, Arts & Living, Politics, etc.—in a drop-down menu.
• The HOT TOPICS tab features the most-frequently appearing topics from the past 48 hours. Browse the list for a snapshot of the subjects that are generating the most heat or click an individual topic to see a grid of related stories.
• Under the SOURCES tab you'll find the top news sources featured on Newser in the last 3 days.
• The MORE tab bundles some tasty extras, including local news and a link to Michael Wolff's Off the Grid blog.

December 4, 2008

Larger Videos

The news just got sharper and larger: Our new video player gives you an enhanced view of the late-night and late-breaking clips that everyone's talking about. Just click on the "View Larger Videos" link below the video on the story page to play in super-size mode.

October 30, 2008

Newser for your iPhone

Need to know what’s going on in the news while away from your computer? Newser’s got you covered. Now you can use your iPhone to access a sleek, easy-to-use version of our site, designed especially for the iPhone.

• Quickly read today's top stories
• Easily browse sections and pictures
• Share stories with friends

Best of all, it's free. Just go to m.newser.com from your iPhone, click on the (+) icon, and choose "Add to Home Screen." It's that simple.

Off the Grid Blog

OFF THE GRID, written by Newser founder and Vanity Fair columnist Michael Wolff, is about why the news is the news. Here are the real motivations of both media and newsmakers. Here's the backstory. This is a look at the inner workings of desperate media, the inner life of the publicity crazed, and the true meaning of the news of the day.

Large Image Gallery

See the most influential and talked-about photos up close in our new Image Gallery. Just click on the "View larger images" link below the picture on the story page for a super-size look at each photo. Choose to view as a slideshow, or click on the thumbnails to the right to see an individual shot.

September 11, 2008

Change in Pop-Up
Summary Trigger

Responding to your complaints that summaries sometimes pop up by accident, we've made the area that triggers them more focused. Move your mouse over the word MORE, in the top left corner of each square, and they'll open.

Customize!

We've moved the settings for customizing your Newser experience to the home page to make them easier to access. In the customization panel, you'll find the most popular options to choose from, along with the ability to turn many features on or off.

Expanded Grid

Can't get enough of Newser's grid? Now you can make it as wide as your monitor will bear. You can add up to three additional columns in the customization panel.

Newser Widget

A shot of Newser on your web page will keep you in touch and entertained. Customize our widget's appearance and install it on iGoogle, Facebook, Pageflakes, or any other spot that could use a news pick-me-up.

August 28, 2008

Redesigned Pop-up Summaries

Our pop-up summaries—which allow you to see the first 60 words of each Newser summary without leaving the grid—just got cleaner and easier to read. You'll notice:

• New placement: The pop-up summary is now centered in the grid.
• Updated design: Sources are now right under the headlines, complete with logos. Text no longer wraps around pictures, for a quicker, clearer read.
• Easy off: Click the "Stop showing pop-up summaries" button, and they''ll no longer appear. To make them reappear, go to My Settings.

July 31, 2008

Story Page Updates

We've made two enhancements to our story page:

• In addition to images and video, you can now read the best quotes from a story. To see them, click on the quotes tab above the media box.
• We've moved our Editor Recommended links directly under our media box, making it even easier to access hand-picked related reading for each story.

The Section Formerly Known As Pundits...

Based on reader feedback, we’ve changed the name of our Pundits section to Opinion. You’ll still have the best opinion and analysis stories from all over the web at your fingertips.

June 11, 2008

Updated Navigation

We've added a second line of sections to our nav bar, to give users some new ways to slice the news.

• Major Stories becomes Must Reads: Stories we don't want you to miss, now on the second line.
• Gossip: Same great content, new location.
• NY Times: Need to know what's in the New York Times, but don't have time to linger? Newser culls the stories people are going to be talking about, and gives you a crisp summary of each on the dedicated NY Times grid.
• Best of the Glossies: So many magazines, so little time. Get a heads up on the most compelling stories by thumbing through our Glossies section. We give you the top line, and an idea what you might want to curl up with for a longer read.
• Best of the Opinion: You know the facts—now know what people are saying about them, by checking out our daily roundup of the best opinion, analysis, and commentary from all over the Web, housed in our Opinion grid.

Thread Rating System

You can already read, edit, and create threads…now rate them. Our five-star system lets you call out the threads you think are best—and wag your finger at ones that need a little more love.

See how your threads have been rated and the views they have received by visiting "My Threads" tab in My Accounts.

New Threads Control

Threads in the News are now featured on the right rail of the homepage, making it easier to find the hottest, newest, and most recently updated threads.

Want to tour them all? Check out our updated Threads index page that boasts a sleeker look.

A Story Page Shift

We've made a small change to the story page to relocate the Share, Print, and Start a New Thread controls to the Comments bar directly below the story.

A New Addition
to the Grid

The first square on the grid will occasionally be used to highlight stories elsewhere on Newser, as well as new features and functions on the site. You will be able to control whether you would like the message to stay on, or be removed from the grid.

Feedback Blog

Whether you love Newser or don’t care for recent changes or coverage, we want to hear from you! Leave your comments, complaints, or kudos on our new feedback blog.

Local News

Now you can go to Newser for the latest news, weather, and traffic reports for your region. Just off the grid, you’ll find the top stories from the best local sources in your choice of metro areas. Learn more.

April 22, 2008

Tell Us What
You Think

You asked for it, and we answered! By popular demand, you can now comment on stories featured on the site.

March 10, 2008

Design Updates

We've made several design changes to the most trafficked areas of our site to improve its performance and visual appeal:

• Crisp, white background: Our homepage and story pages are now brighter, more navigable and faster to load.
• Larger images in the grid: Photos are bolder, making it easier to find stories you're interested in.
• Summary of related news on story pages: Now we not only link to related news, but provide a summary of the associated article.

Newser Points

This feature lets you earn points every time you read or contribute to Newser. Learn more and start receiving Newser Points today!

Must-Read Stories

Not enough time to read every story? No problem. Find news our editorial staff thinks you should not miss on our Major Stories page.

Breaking and Developing Stories

News is now featured as it's happening in colorful banners above the Newser grid.

See What You've Already Read

A new feature in the Newser grid makes it easier to see which stories you've already read and which you haven't.

New Sections for Crime and Gossip

To increase the breadth of our news coverage, we added two sections to Newser: Crime and Gossip.

January 31, 2008

Create Your Own Threads

Now you and other readers can create and edit threads, which are strings of stories and images about a particular issue. Simply select a topic that interests you, and share your perspective with the Newser community. Learn more.