Update - 3:15pm PT
More news: Read about enhanced profile pages, on the advertising blog, and embeddable Tweets, on the dev blog.

Today we introduce a new version of Twitter. We’ve simplified the design to make it easier than ever to follow what you care about, connect with others and discover something new. You’ll see this new design both on Twitter.com and mobile phones, so that you’ll have a familiar experience any time, anywhere. We’ve also updated TweetDeck to be consistent with this new version.


Four new tabs bring you instantly closer to everything you care about. Visit fly.twitter.com to learn more about the changes.

We’ll be rolling out the redesigned Twitter over the next few weeks. You can see it immediately on the just-updated versions of mobile.twitter.com, Twitter for iPhone, and Twitter for Android. You can get early access on your computer by downloading and logging into Twitter for iPhone or Twitter for Android. We’re working on updates for other apps, such as Twitter for iPad, and will share news as they become available.

What we’re announcing today is just the beginning. 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.

#letsfly

Today’s installment of #YearInReview charts the top Tweets Per Second (TPS) of 2011.

The biggest moments on Twitter this year were live events and breaking news, when millions of people came together to watch significant events as they unfolded in real time. These moments range from natural disasters and geopolitical happenings to championship games, and reflect the way people turn to Twitter for a fast, simple way to communicate.

Beyonce’s pregnancy announcement on MTV's Video Music Awards in August broke the record for the highest TPS spike of all time: nearly 9,000 Tweets per second. Live sporting events accounted for six out of the top 16 TPS spikes, with the final game of the Women’s FIFA World Cup holding the TPS record for sports. Hard news, including word of Troy Davis’ execution (7,671 TPS) and Steve Jobs’ resignation (7,064 TPS), round out the list.

Visit our #YearInReview page to see a compilation of all of our lists to date, including the Year in Stories and Hot Topics.

Today’s edition of Twitter’s #YearInReview highlights the leading topics and hashtags of the year. From news of Mubarak’s resignation in Egypt to buzz about which McDonald’s restaurants serve McLobster, the top trends that emerged on Twitter in 2011 reflect the diverse things that matter to us in our daily lives.

The list of Hot Topics and Top Hashtags charts the keywords that rose the fastest in conversation over the course of the year. This reveals what grabbed our attention most dramatically in 2011, and which events, inventions, changes and ideas made the deepest impression on us.

Among other things, we saw history unfold in the Middle East, mourned the passing of Elizabeth Taylor, celebrated National Whipped Cream Day, and cheered for the Dallas Mavericks, Texas Rangers and Wayne Rooney. We wondered about Charlie Sheen, speculated about the Sony NGP, and raved (or raged) about Rebecca Black. And we tYp3ed LyK tHi5.

More than anything, these trends demonstrate how Twitter connects people with common interests. Instead of watching the news, the Super Bowl and Pretty Little Liars at home alone, we watched them together on Twitter. We shared our thoughts about the world we live in, and we listened as others around the globe chimed in.

For more on how Twitter identifies trends, visit our help center.

If you joined Twitter this year, you’re in excellent company: other new Tweeters include Nelson Mandela, Joe Biden, Plaxico Burress, Christina Aguilera, Salman Rushdie, New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson, and the Pope.

Today’s #YearInReview list highlights some of the leaders, athletes, entertainers, journalists and other notables who dove into the Twitter stream. And they’re just a few of the 100 million people around the globe who use Twitter to see what’s happening in the world right now, share stories and information instantly, and connect to anyone, anywhere.

If you’d like to see who else is on Twitter, check out our guide to Twitter's suggestions for Who to Follow.

The December edition of Twitter Stories highlights ten remarkable moments of 2011. From the man who inadvertently live-tweeted the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound to the homeless dad who was reunited with his daughter after years of separation, this list, which doubles as the annual “Year in Stories,” chronicles how people use Twitter to make a difference in ways that are both personal and universal. Here's one story:



Around the world, people sent more than 60 billion Tweets in 2011, each one reflecting a particular perspective and point in time. To choose just ten of these to sum up the year is virtually impossible. Instead of attempting to identify the “most important” Tweets of the year, we’re recognizing ten Tweets that are emblematic of the many resonant moments that happened first on Twitter—or could only happen on Twitter.

As these instances show, a single Tweet can bring you closer to neighbors and heroes, immerse you in political change or disaster relief. You might even get a steak dinner where you least expect it.

If you’ve got a Twitter story to tell, use the hashtag #TwitterStories and follow us at @TwitterStories.

Thanksgiving Day is upon us—tomorrow families and friends across the U.S. will gather to feast, relax and watch football or movies. It seems like a good time to share all the ways to enjoy our national holiday of gratitude on Twitter.

It’s all about the food
Some of the most useful (and delicious) Twitter accounts to follow right now have to do with food, of course. From well-known foodies like Martha Stewart (@MarthaStewart) and Rachael Ray (@rachael_ray) to brands like @WholeFoods and @FoodNetwork, the pros are tweeting out the latest tips to help you cook, serve and survive in good form.

...and other fun
For sports fans, Thanksgiving Day is all about the NFL lineup. If you’re planning to watch all the games, follow your favorite teams on Twitter, and see what fans everywhere are saying about the game. Here’s more information about all things NFL and Twitter.

Naturally, amusing Thanksgiving-related hashtags are popping up. Search for #LiteraryTurducken, where people from all over are chiming in with book titles that combine three classic works into one, in the spirit of the classic Creole turkey+duck+chicken main dish.

Finally, here are our staff picks for Thanksgiving-related accounts we think you’ll enjoy. And by the way, we’re feeling grateful ourselves—thank you for making Twitter all that it is.

Increasingly people flock to Twitter to discover information and connect around occurrences like natural disasters, sporting events and cultural moments. And then there are times when Twitter is where you might go to experience an infrequent curiosity.

Take last Friday, which was November 11, 2011. Whether you were inclined to crack a joke about this rare binary occurrence, wax poetic about its meaning, or join in a global game to share photos at 11 a.m. and 11 p.m., numerology dominated the conversation.

This clip is a visualization of all the Tweets mentioning 11:11 on 11.11.11. Each “1” is a location that moves with the conversation on Twitter. Their scale varies depending on the volume of Tweets posted from the location they represent. You can see the main wave move from right to left, and then a second one that occurred at 11 p.m. around the world.



A special thanks to our own @miguelrios, whose visualizations of this data demonstrate moments on Twitter that can unite us all.

Twitter is transforming the way we watch TV. Reading and writing Tweets has become the new water cooler, helping us connect in real-time around our favorite shows, competitions and events. On Twitter, you get closer to the characters and shows you love, as stars, writers, directors, news anchors and more live-tweet from behind the scenes.

And now things are getting even more exciting for Twitter and TV — and more specifically fans of The X Factor USA. We've partnered with the show so that starting next week, you can cast votes for your favorite contestants via Twitter. Fans have taken to Twitter during live television events to voice their opinions with Tweets for years. Now you can officially affect the outcome of the show by voting for which contestants should stay and which ones need to go.

To vote, follow @TheXFactorUSA. Then submit your vote through a Direct Message (a private way to communicate on Twitter) so as not to spoil the results. All votes are sent directly to The X Factor to be counted. Tweets do not count as votes.

The easiest way to vote is by visiting twitter.thexfactorusa.com. We’re also featuring Tweets from the judges, the host and the final contestants to get inside every angle of the action. You don’t have to wait for voting to begin though. Join the conversation with other X Factor fans today with #XFactor and tell Simon what you think — he’s listening!

From singing competitions to awards ceremonies to dramas, watching your favorite shows is better with Twitter. In addition to tuning in to The X Factor on Twitter, here are other ways to get closer to your favorite television shows and stars:

• TV stars live-tweet to give you a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what’s happening on your screen. From Kyra Sedgwick live-tweeting the summer’s finale of The Closer to Masi Oka bringing fans behind the scenes of Hawaii 5-0, stars use Twitter to talk to viewers and viewers are talking back.
• #Hashtags organize the conversation. You’ve probably spotted hashtags on your television screen this year. From #DWTS to #BigBangTheory to playful hashtags like X Factor’s #BestMomentSoFar, hashtags are the front door to the shared conversation on Twitter. Search for them on Twitter and add them to your own Tweets to join in.
• Twitter lets everyone become a TV critic, 140 characters at a time. Show creators, actors, producers and executives search Twitter to gather feedback — and they’ve been known to revise a show’s storyline based on what fans are saying.

We’ve collected best practices across the industry to help producers and TV executives keep innovating around Twitter and TV.

Twitter is now fully integrated into Apple’s new iOS 5 mobile operating system, available for the first time today. Now it’s even easier to share and read Tweets on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Simply enter your Twitter login information into your device settings, and you’ll always be connected to your Twitter account. This means you can tweet directly from Apple apps like Camera, Maps, Photos, Safari and YouTube, along with third party apps, such as Chomp, Flipboard, LivingSocial, Instagram, MadPad, PopSugar, Showyou, SoundTracking and Zynga's Words with Friends.  

You can also take advantage of the latest version of Twitter for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, which now allows you upload images directly to Twitter (pic.twitter.com). Download the Twitter app now from the App Store.