Ever since Digg revealed the completely overhauled version of its website at South by Southwest (SXSW), there has been a lot of anticipation surrounding the completely overhauled interface. Now we're one step closer to the launch, as Digg has just released redesigned Digg buttons and a new version of the widget generator.
If you're a regular reader of Mashable, you've seen the new buttons by now; we implemented them not long before Digg's big announcement at SXSW. The buttons feature a thumbs-up, rather than the "Digg it" of the past. The thumbs-up is a more universal symbol, which makes it ideal for the new Digg: Anonymous users will be able to digg stories once the new version rolls out.
The other new change is the updated Digg widget generator. It's slicker, faster, provides more links to the publisher's content, and can be customized with tabs and columns. I've embedded a quick version of the widget specific to Mashable to give you an idea of what the new widgets look like (Note: For some, the widget reverts to an old style; we think this may be a bug that has yet to be fixed):
See more Mashable.com stories on Digg.com
new DiggWidget({id: "digg-widget", layout: 2, colors: {hdrBg: "#0000ff", hdrTxt: "#b3daff", tabBg: "#4684be", tabTxt: "#b3daff", tabOnTxt: "#d41717", bdyBg: "#fff", stryBrdr: "#ddd", lnk: "#105cb6", descTxt: "#999999", subHd: "#999999"}, title: "Mashable on Digg", width: 600, requests: [{t: "Mashable.com", p: {count: "10", sort: "promote_date-desc", method: "story.getPopular", domain: "Mashable.com"}}], hide: {footer: true}, target: "_blank"});
Digg has a lot to do in advance of the launch of the new version, but the release of the buttons marks an important step in that process. With faster and more user-friendly Digg buttons in place, it won't be long before alpha invites for the new Digg are sent out.