We're always asking for feedback.
...and we always want to hear how we're doing. So please tell us!
You're absolutely right in that we've lost the "Active SmartPlanet" unit on the front page. It's a good point, and I'll pass it along.
P.S. We don't think we're smarter than anybody -- certainly not readers. (If you couldn't figure it out, you're all a pretty intelligent bunch!) Try not to take the new design that way, because it from its inception was a project intended to improve, not detract, the reader experience.