Facebook Begins Rolling Out Latest Redesign (Pics)

Facebook has just started rolling out a new homepage design to a small number of users, and will be deploying it on a wide scale in the near future. The design takes the navigational elements that have previously been tucked under the "Applications" menu and returns them to the left sidebar of the page (which is actually where they were a long time ago). The design also includes some UI enhancements, like the ability to send messages direct from your homepage using a pop-over window, rather than having to visit a separate page. There's also a new emphasis on search â€" note how much larger the search box is, and its more centered placement on the page. It also looks like the News Feed filters and friends lists have been removed (or at least no longer take up the entire left side bar). And the naming of the two different homepage streams â€" Live Feed and News Feed â€" have changed: they're both part of the News Feed now, with the live updates under a "Most Recent" tab and the highlights under "Top News".