http://groups.google.com/groups/favorites

is this new? I rarely use google groups and my 'favorites' is blank...

hard to say...
Google Groups offers you the recent web pages you have visited.
but i don't think they had a Favorites option.

well,
it's not new.. :/
http://www.google.com/googlegroups/tour/index.html#browse

Favorites are the threads that you have marked with a "star" – if you do not use that feature, it will be empty.

Is this new, a based-on-frames layout?

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/172/473661511_f408e33ae2_b.jpg

stefan: no

Nice new blog

alex: ok, thanks. never seen this before, but i´m not using groups very often.