Welcome to post-gazetteNOW.

We're delighted to release the next phase of improvements. They reflect updated technology and an effort to bring better navigation, content and interactivity to the site. The aim is to enhance your experience and help you find the features you want, as quickly and easily as possible.

We offer some highlights here, but please check your favorite sections to see the improvements first hand.

A handy library of interactive instructional videos will show you some of the new tools we're providing -- from customizing your home page to adding comments to our blogs.

Questions? Comments? E-mail them to pgnow@post-gazette.com. We'll answer as many as we can.

Home Page: The biggest improvement here is the main navigation bar. We've made some changes that make it faster and easier for you to get to your favorite content -- but also to reflect improvements in the way we're packaging your site each day.

Carousels: Also on the home page, we've launched three preview windows for multimedia, top stories by section and the latest from our columnists and blogs. Using the arrows on either side of the preview windows you can scroll through snapshots of the latest reports, features, videos, podcasts and commentary inside the site.

Section Fronts: Section fronts -- Sports, for example -- will be streamlined so that the biggest and most recent stories will stack from top to bottom, right down the center column. Left and right of the center column, you'll find content widgets with the latest information drawn from related columnists, regular features, wire service stories and our multimedia, such as video and news reports.

Widgets: Once you register on post-gazetteNOW, you will be able to select some of your favorite widgets and install them on your own customized Home Page where they will update every time you visit.

Commenting: Once you sign up as a post-gazetteNOW member, you can begin adding comments to content on the site, beginning with some of our blogs. Look for commenting and forum features to expand in the weeks ahead.

Want to sign up as a post-gazetteNOW member right now? Go here.

Want to view a sign-up tutorial? Go here.

Here's a quick review of some of the elements of the new navigation bar you'll be using on the home page.

The navigation bar for the main sections of the site will be visible all the time, no matter how far down you drill in a story or presentation. In addition, a "breadcrumb trail" will track your travels through the site just under the navigation bar, so you can always retrace your steps for your convenience.

From left to right on the new home page navigation bar:

NOW
The navigation bar under Now will connect you to top sections with timely information, such our Breaking News page and the Weather page.

NEWS
We've grouped our topical news reports by subject matter, from Politics to Transportation. This is where you will now find Health, Science and Environment stories.

LOCAL
The State section will offer Pennsylvania news and reports from Harrisburg.

The Region section will have your county-wide reports and updates from around Western Pennsylvania.

Next, you'll find your Neighborhood news report and a special navigation bar with quick links to content from the region: City, East, West, North, South, Washington and Westmoreland.

SPORTS
All your sports coverage is waiting for you at this navigation link, from Steelers to in-depth High School athletics.

The High School main section page has an additional special navigation bar to take you to breakdowns by Football, Basketball, Soccer and Baseball & Softball and Other for additional varsity sports.

There is more depth at More Colleges, too, where an additional special navigation bar connects you to Duquesne, Robert Morris, District college sports reports and national updates.

At More Sports you'll find a special navigation bar linking you to Golf, Motor Sports, Pro Basketball and Other Sports such as boxing and pro soccer. In season, ski and snow sports will be in Recreation.

LIVING
You'll find Food (and those recipes!) Fashion, Travel and your news about Homes & Gardens. Within Special Occasions, you'll find Weddings and 100th birthday profiles. A Recreation section replaces the Outdoors section -- and that's where you'll find your ski and snow report in season.

A&E
This remains your destination for coverage of the entertainment and art worlds and the celebrities that orbit them. You'll find content about movies, TV, radio, stage, books and celebrities.

We've combined the Movie and Video pages in a single Movies section. A new Celebrities section will keep an eye on the famous worldwide (The Good, the Bad the Beautiful). The SEEN section link on the navigation bar will bring you an updated section with the social scene coverage you expect. Our stage coverage has been retitled Theater & Dance, and we offer a new Art & Architecture section.

BUSINESS
Our business coverage of the region's top companies and industries, along with personal finance, consumer news and market tracking information are all grouped here.

We've added Business to Business for the Western Pennsylvania business community. Workplace will focus on employment and personnel issues. Business Opinion will be the place to find essays, Letters to the Business Editor and Heard Off the Street.

Personal Business will now include the consumer reports from Larry Walsh and Yvonne Zanos, along with our regular lineup of financial background reports.

OPINION
This is the place to find Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorials as well as our opinion page columnists, guest essayists and cartoonist Rob Rogers. The Opinion section will continue to be the home for our PG Columnist index page.

You can navigate to all PG Blogs from this section.

MEDIA CENTER
This is where to get a quick view of the latest video and podcast reports on our site as well as a link to the unique visual documentaries of the Pittburgh Revolution.

Here you'll find an easy-to-use system to help you find our latest multimedia reports and archives of recent files.

And that's just a quick overview.

You'll find more to like as you explore your favorite sections online. We're interested in your reaction to the improvements and your suggestions for where we should go from here. Share your thoughts ... and thanks again. Your readership is greatly appreciated!

The staff of post-gazetteNOW