Bigmouthmedia Search Engine News: /Yahoo/

Yahoo Mail revamp for smartphones and tablets

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 07:36:00 GMT

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer continues her drive to make the internet giant a key player in the mobile market, and now Yahoo has launched new versions of Yahoo Mail for smartphones and tablets, plus a newly revamped version of its mail service for computer users.

"You've told us loud and clear that you want fewer distractions when it comes to email. You want to quickly login, communicate, and get on with your day," Mayer announced via the Yahoo blog. "Starting today, the new Yahoo! Mail is fast, easy and available anywhere you go. These improvements will be available on all major platforms: Web, Windows 8, iPhone/iPod touch and Android."

While Yahoo Mail remains the leading web mail service in the United States - and third in the world behind Google and Hotmail - user numbers are steadily declining. User numbers in November declined by 16 per cent in the US, and 7 per cent worldwide, and researchers say this could be due to younger generations favouring text message as a means of communication.

"Most of the new users, especially young ones, are using mobile Internet devices. So the first order of things is to make sure there are native experiences for them," Vivek Sharma, General Manager of Yahoo Mail & Messenger told the Telegraph.

The latest announcement is part of Mayer's bid to gear Yahoo toward a more coherent mobile strategy. The revamp to Yahoo Mail will see an email app for the iPhone released and an updated version of the existing Android app, plus an email app specifically for tablets and PCs based on the Windows 8 OS.

Recently Yahoo also announced the acquisition of mobile video chat start up OnTheAir.

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Yahoo acquire tiny video-chat startup OnTheAir

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 06:01:00 GMT

Internet giant Yahoo has acquired a tiny San-Francisco based startup company called OnTheAir. The five-person company specialises in mobile video chat, and will join Yahoo's existing mobile division which includes another mobile startup, Stamped.

The acquisition was announced on the OnTheAir web site, and a spokesperson for the company wrote: "While we haven't yet attained our dream of building a widespread daily use product, we are just as committed to it. And this is why we're so excited to be joining Yahoo!

"When we first met with the team at Yahoo, it was clear that everybody there is committed to making mobile products the backbone for the world's daily habits."

OnTheAir currently lets users conduct video calls in a talk show type format, where one person can MC and invite other speakers one by one, displaying them next to the MC. It remains undisclosed whether the service will be discontinued - as was the case with Stamped - and financial details of the acquisition have not been revealed.

Still hoping to turn around the web giant's flagging fortunes, recently appointed CEO Marissa Mayer has made mobile a priority for Yahoo.

"Our top priority is a focused, coherent mobile strategy," Mayer said during a quarterly earnings conference call, and added that she wants the company to focus on the tablet and mobile market, working towards half of Yahoo's work force one day working on mobile.

"Hiring the most talented mobile product thinkers and engineers is a big priority for us moving forward," Adam Cahan, Yahoo's senior vice president of emerging products and technology, told CNET.

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Kindle tops Yahoo gadget list

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 05:49:00 GMT

The Kindle has been searched for more than any other gadget in the UK according to the Yahoo! UK Year in Review for 2012.

The e-reader ranked third in overall searches, a result that was in-part fuelled by adult fiction novel Fifty Shades of Grey.

The release of the Kindle Fire HD and Paperwhite has sparked further interest in the product this year despite the launch of both the iPad and iPhone 5 technologies into the market space at the same time. The iPad came in just sixth on the list.

The most searched for topic was The Olympics, followed by Liverpool FC, because of the racism row and the Hillsborough report released in September. Manchester United also made the top ten, as did Arsenal FC.

Kate Middleton also ranked highly, possibly because of the topless photographs of her which were circulated in September whilst in France.

"2012 was clearly the year of sport, with Brits swept up by the excitement of the London Olympics online." Senior News Editor Nick Petche told the Telegraph

"Gadget geeks searching for the latest iPhone and iPad saw technology searches hit the news headlines as well as our most searched list overall.

"However the newcomer to the search charts was Kindle - no doubt fuelled by its latest incarnation which introduces a full colour HD screen and video. It was also helped by the fascination around ebooks, particularly the bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey.

"It's also no surprise to see Kate Middleton making the top 10 - while those photos did increase her search ratings, her popularity has grown exponentially this year and I think we'll only see this continue looking ahead to 2013."

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De Castro appointed as Yahoo COO

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 06:01:00 GMT

Online corporation Yahoo has announced that former Google executive Henrique de Castro is to take up the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO).

The news came amongst reports Chief Executive Marissa Mayer is trying to restructure and strengthen management within the company in order to combat struggling market figures. De Castro will oversee operations, media and business development alongside global sales. According to the BBC De Castro will receive £373, 000 annual salary as well as around £22 million in additional bonuses and restricted stock units.

"His operational experience in internet advertising and his proven success in structuring and scaling global organizations make him the perfect fit for Yahoo as we propel the business to its next phase of growth," Mayer said in a company press statement.

The company has struggled in recent years due to market competitors like Google and Facebook, and Mayer, who joined Yahoo in July, became the organisation's third Chief Executive in twelve months.

De Castro is also the second former Google employee hired by Yahoo in recent months, and joins new finance chief Ken Goldman and marketing head Kathy Savitt, a former Amazon.com executive.

"This is a pivotal point in Yahoo's history, and I believe strongly in the opportunity ahead," De Castro told the BBC.

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Yahoo appoints Google exec Marissa Mayer as CEO

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 01:12:00 GMT

Google's Marissa Mayer has jumped ship, joining rival Yahoo as the company's new chief executive officer, taking over from interim CEO Ross Levinsohn.

Google employee number 20 worked with the tech giant for 13 years, and is one of its most prominent public figures - she has been directly involved in a number of key products at Mountain View, including the company's famous search page, Gmail and Google News. At the time of her departure, she was responsible for location and local services, including Google Maps.

"I am honoured and delighted to lead Yahoo, one of the internet's premier destinations for more than 700 million users," Mayer said in a press release.

"I look forward to working with the Company's dedicated employees to bring innovative products, content, and personalised experiences to users and advertisers all around the world."

The move comes as a surprise to many in the industry - there was no indication she had any intention of leaving Google, and her candidacy as Yahoo chief executive was kept a secret.

The flagging Internet giant has struggled to keep up with the likes of Google and Facebook in recent years, and lack of leadership at the company - Mayer is the third CEO to be appointed at Yahoo in less than a year - has both hurt the company's profits and incensed vocal shareholders.

Mayer's appointment may finally signal a change in the tide at Yahoo, and experts are already anticipating she will bring renewed focus to the company while at the helm.

"Marissa is a well-known, visionary leader in user experience and product design and one of Silicon Valley's most exciting strategists in technology development. I look forward to working with her to enhance Yahoo's product offerings for our over 700 million unique monthly visitors," Yahoo co-founder David Filo said.

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Passwords leaked from Yahoo servers

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 00:25:00 GMT

An investigation into the leaking of 450,000 user IDs and passwords have been launched by Yahoo, following a hacking attack. According to US security firm Trustedsec, the attack came from servers connected to the user-generated Yahoo Voices section of Yahoo website.

Hacking group D33DS had claimed to be behind the attack.

In a statement Yahoo told the BBC: "We confirm that an older file from Yahoo Contributor Network... containing approximately 450,000 Yahoo and other company users' names and passwords was compromised yesterday.

"Of these, less than 5 per cent of the Yahoo accounts had valid passwords. We are taking immediate action by fixing the vulnerability that led to the disclosure of this data, changing the passwords of the affected Yahoo users and notifying the companies whose user's accounts may have been compromised."

Trustedsec said the passwords were associated with a variety of email addresses Gmail.com and Aol.com as well as Yahoo. They reported the hackers used a technique known as SQL injection to extract sensitive information from the database.

"The most alarming part of the entire story was the fact that the passwords were stored entirely unencrypted," the security firm said in a blog post.

The crowd-powered question-and-answer site Formspring has also been the victim of a recent hacking attack - the site had to disable nearly 30 million passwords following 420,000 Formspring passwords showing up on a security forum.

The company's San Francisco based servers were hacked into and the passwords were then posted onto the forum.

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Patents row over for Facebook and Yahoo

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 08:36:00 GMT

Facebook and Yahoo have revealed they're tired of fighting - putting their patents dispute to bed and opting instead to form an ad alliance.

In a joint statement, the two companies announced they would cross-licence innovations and collaborate on future patents. No money was paid to either party.

Yahoo took legal action against the social network in March, claiming Facebook infringed 10 of its patents relating to advertisements, privacy controls, news feed, messaging and website personalisation. Facebook then countersued - alleging Yahoo violated 10 of its patents, many of which formed a huge portion of the flagging internet giant's business.

However, following the appointment of interim CEO Ross Levinsohn, Yahoo immediately began taking steps to resolve the dispute.

"We are excited to develop a deeper partnership with Facebook, and I'm grateful to Sheryl and her team for working hard together with our team to develop this dynamic agreement. We are looking forward to building on the success we have already seen to provide innovative new products and experiences for both consumers and sponsors," Yahoo's interim CEO Ross Levinsohn said in a press release.

"Combining the premium content and reach of Yahoo as the world's leading digital media company with Facebook provides branded advertisements with unmatched opportunity."

Facebook's chief operating officer was also involved in negotiations.

"I'm pleased that we were able to resolve this in a positive manner and look forward to partnering closely with Ross and the leadership at Yahoo," said Sheryl Sandberg, Chief Operating Officer at Facebook.

"Yahoo's new leaders are driven by a renewed focus on innovation and providing great products to users. Together, we can provide users with engaging social experiences while creating value for marketers."

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Yahoo launches Axis 'browser'

Thu, 24 May 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Yahoo has launched a new browser plugin that aims to "re-imagine how people search and browse on the web".

The browser is available to iPhone and iPad users, and as well as a browser plugin to Chrome, Firefox, IE and Safari.

"Our search strategy is predicated on two core beliefs - one, that people want answers, not links and two, that consumer-facing search is ripe for innovative disruption," said Shashi Seth, senior vice president for Connections at Yahoo in a statement.

Rather than scoring through links on a search results page (cough, Google), Yahoo's Axis plugin provides "instant answers and visual results" in the form of a display of Web page thumbnails, and allows users to swipe or click to the next result without returning to the search results page.

The customisable home pages have also been designed to connect seamlessly between devices - users can search on their computers and then scan results on the go with their iPhones.

"With Axis, we have re-defined and re-architected the search and browse experience from the ground up," Seth said.

The plugin's intention, says head of product for the Search Innovation Group at Yahoo Ethan Batraski, is to eliminate the 'middle step' in the search process and give users a better, more efficient way to get from searching to browsing.

According to CNET, Ads will eventually be integrated into the search tiles, but will emphasise user experience rather than revenue in its early stages. Assuming the browser plugin is a success, Yahoo will begin looking for ways to incorporate ads into the search process.

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Yahoo gives up Alibaba stake

Tue, 22 May 2012 04:01:00 GMT

Yahoo will sell half of its 40 per cent stake in Alibaba back to the Chinese internet giant, following years of negotiations.

The flagging internet giant reached an agreement with Alibaba for $7.1bn (£4.5bn) - a significant cash injection for the company and its shareholders. Alibaba will pay $6.3bn (£3.9bn) in cash, and an additional $800 million in Alibaba preferred stock. The agreement also paves the way for Alibaba to consider its initial public offering.

"Today's agreement provides clarity for our shareholders on a substantial component of Yahoo's value and reaffirms the significance of our relationship with Alibaba," said Ross Levinsohn, Interim CEO of Yahoo.

"We look forward to continued collaboration with the Alibaba team on business initiatives as we explore joint opportunities for growth and benefit from Alibaba's future."

Following the sale of its Alibaba stock, Yahoo will be able to pay dividends and make acquisitions, as well as buy back its own shares - something shareholders have been demanding.

The agreement will also allow Alibaba to buy back Yahoo's remaining 20 per cent stake in the company if it makes its initial public offering.

The Chinese internet group has been working to buy back Yahoo's stake in the company for some time - in the past, negotiations between the two suffered setbacks. The new deal will give Alibaba greater ownership over its own affairs, while still benefitting from Yahoo's global audience - an important factor as the company looks to expand outside China.

"This transaction opens a new chapter in our relationship with Yahoo," said Jack Ma, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Alibaba Group.

"I look forward to working with Ross Levinsohn and the Yahoo team as Alibaba builds China's leading e-commerce company. Yahoo's global audience reach will provide attractive partnership opportunities for Alibaba to explore markets outside of China.

"The transaction will establish a balanced ownership structure that enables Alibaba to take our business to the next level as a public company in the future."

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Thompson out, Levinsohn in at Yahoo

Mon, 14 May 2012 01:25:00 GMT

Disgraced Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson has stepped down after a paltry four months at the helm and has been replaced by the company's global media head Ross Levinsohn.

His abrupt departure comes following a major embarrassment for the flagging internet giant, after 'errors' appeared on Thompson's biography in a regulatory filing - the incident prompted shareholder Daniel Loeb to call for yet another management reshuffle.

In addition to naming Levinsohn interim CEO, the company is also set to name Loeb a company director, and is reportedly close to reaching an agreement about a number of new directors he had previously suggested.

The shuffle marks the latest attempt to steady the company - not to mention a significant victory for its most vocal shareholder, Daniel Loeb - and joining the board is Michael J. Wolf, along with Fred Amoroso, who will act as chairman.

In a leaked internal memo, Levinsohn told employees:

"Today's announcements lay to rest the unfortunate and serious distractions surrounding our senior leadership and the composition of our Board going forward. I know that Fred and the new Yahoo Board are looking forward to working constructively to stabilize the leadership team and to further accelerate the progress we have made in reinvigorating Yahoo.

"Today's announcements really boil down to this: following these changes, a transformation and renewal at Board levels that began in August of last year is now complete.

"In spite of the very bumpy road we've travelled, we are achieving genuine and meaningful successes in the marketplace every day and heading in the right direction," he added.

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