Earlier tonight Twitter announced a major update to their Web interface once again making Twitter.com a destination, rather than a site to check every once and a while. By beefing up the Twitter homepage, @ev, @biz, and the gang are making a compelling argument for people to not use third party Twitter apps and to stick with, what used to be, the only place to tweet.

What's new?
While not rolled out yet, screenshots of the new site have surfaced and Twitter has posted an introductory video (commercial) to get folks pumped up for the new release. The one-pane approach that Twitter has employed for some time is now a two-pane split The thinner, two column layout is now much wider and uses some very nice visual effects taking place when you act on certain links. If you've seen or used the recently-released Twitter for iPad (iTunes link), you'll see many similarities between that app and the new site. Photos and video are now embedded within tweets and will show up underneath the message in the "reading pane". Another cool tidbit that's been discovered is the ability to include whole Flickr sets in a tweet.

The background scoop.
With the wider interface, you'll quickly notice that background images aren't as easy to see as they once were. This change will be a challenge to online marketers, designers, and anyone else that want to display a custom background on their page that has detailed information or branding included.

Change = Good.
These are some exciting changes for Twitter and I'm looking forward to see it rolled out in the coming weeks. To see more of the changes for yourself, check out their preview page

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I've been thinking about my use of Social Networking/Media and how it's changed since I started participating in it a few years ago. My life-stream/what's happening now approach has changed and it was just recently that I've noticed this change. What I'm trying to pinpoint is why I've changed my usage/approach and where did this change come from. It's still a great communication source for my personal connections but it's also proven itself to be an invaluable business and self-marketing tool.

How about you, has your use of these services changed? Are you more personal or less personal with these tools since you first started? Let me know!

In an increasing world filled with information and overflowing with details, it can be a challenge to have people notice your business.  So much so, in fact, that it can seem like a full-time job.  There are many options and avenues to choose from, but which choice will help your business the most?  Here are four great options that will get you going in the right direction.

Google Local Business Center
Chances are, you've used Google Maps a time or two to find the location of a business or event that you wanted to go to.  Did you know that Google Maps (technically Google Local Business Center) offers great tools and stats for the owners of those businesses?  If you're a business owner, you can take advantage of this too with Google Local Business Center.

If your business is already listed on Google Maps and Google Local, you can claim the listing and access information about your Google Maps/Local listing.  You may also create coupons and offers that will be displayed when someone searches for your business.  To claim your listing, you'll need to verify ownership by either phone or postcard.  If you have multiple locations, the process can be a bit tedious, but it's well worth the effort given the information and possibilities that exist.

Yelp
A site that's been at the forefront location boom is Yelp, a site built on not only showcasing busniesses in a given area but also giving customers the ability to write reviews and rate them.  Like Google's Business Center, Yelp allows business owners to claim or add their own locations.  You will need to verify their ownership by either a phone call or postcard.  You might think that adding or claiming your business on only one of these services is necessary, but to get the most out of these services, you should set up a presence on as many networks as possible.

Location-aware Social Networks (Foursquare, Gowalla & Brightkite)
The latest trend in social networks are services that are aware of your location and let you share that location with others.  While this sounds "big brother-ish"...it can be.  It is also incredibly beneficial to businessowners and their customers.  You can check in to the bakery down the street and let your friends and followers on other networks (such as Twitter and Facebook) know where you are.  They can meet you or learn about that location if not already familiar with it.  There is also a game element baked into these networks, rewarding you with virtual badges, check-in points, and mayorship designations for the most visits.  Some great services that are evolving this new trend are Foursquare, Gowalla, and Brightkite.

Yowza
Finding deals and offers that are near you, right from your mobile device.  There's an app for that.  Put a Hollywood star like Greg Grunberg together with a great designer (Rick Yaeger) and a great developer (August Trometer) you've got Yowza!, an app that can show you what retailers are offering deals in your neighborhood.  As a consumer, this is a great app and as a business owner, it's not too shabby either.  You can easily set up a merchant account on Yowza's site and begin to create offers for your products and services.  Consumers will see it appear when they have the app open and are near your place of business.  The offers can have expiration dates on them and customers can be notified of new offers via messages on their device.  While not free, this is a great way to get in front of your customers and behind a service with some star power.