Yahoo refreshes Mail, Search

September 17, 2010 By Fahmida Y. Rashid

Yahoo hasn’t had a good few days but it hopes that sunny days are ahead with a few tweaks to its product lineup.

Days after reports of Bing displacing Yahoo in the number 2 slot came out, Yahoo attempts to reassert its relevancy by previewing updates to several of its site products, including email and search. The updates are expect to roll out to users sometime this fall.

The changes are aimed towards reversing the decline in the amount of time people spend on Yahoo sites.

The company changed the appearance of its search interface so that users can get more expansive information on the first results page. In other words, users searching a movie would also see showtimes and be able to buy tickets without leaving the Yahoo site. Under a recent deal with Starbucks, users who log on to free Wi-Fi networks in the coffee store will be directed to Yahoo content tailored to their local market. Similar deals with other companies are expected.

Yahoo will also continue investing in mobile applications for devices like the iPad and other tablets. The Android tablets, when they finally arrive, are expected to be a huge market opportunity. The Yahoo! App for the tablet will include news and other content, access to Yahoo Mail, an alarm clock, and weather forecast features. There are agreements currently with 100 carriers and handset makers to pre-install Yahoo products on mobile devices.

The company’s chief product officer Blake Irving laid out a three-year plan to transform Yahoo into “an innovative technology company with the largest digital media content and communications business in the world.”

The company has lost several high-level ad and product executives in recent months.

Showing 6 comments

Brenda at 10:25pm 10th October 2010 YESSSSS! We did it! :) It's finally official! We Won the choice to keep our Classic Groups! The new remodel is going to be offered as an option to choose, not something we have to opt out of! Below is the link to the video which is the unprinted part of Carol Bartz's interview with USA Today, and the first question is about Yahoo Groups. It proves it without a doubt, that we did win our fight to keep Classic Groups! I'm not sure why the video part of the interview wasn't transcribed with the rest of it, that would have helped greatly, but at least it's now here for all to see. (Sigh of relief). http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid4... Brenda Nightowl >8# http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/modsandmembers...
Owl at 1:39pm 5th October 2010 Go read this! http://gigaom.com/2010/10/04/yahoo-quashes-groups... We made the news!
Brenda at 1:40am 25th September 2010 YATANIC, ICEBERG! DEAD AHEAD! For weeks we’ve been striving To save Classic Groups. Since Yahoo just wants us To jump through their hoops. A group was created To further our goal. We threw ourselves into The cause, heart and soul There were 100 members In no time at all, All joining together To stop this downfall. We wrote Yahoo’s Execs, And the media too, Even told Advertisers What they planned to do. We feverishly worked, Though it was a gamble, While in her blog, Layla, Continued to ramble. “Stop this remodel”, We shouted as one, “You have no idea, Of the damage you’ve done! You’re destroying our archives! Post numbers are gone, Threading is chaos, And our subjects are gone! We don’t want your silly Grey grinning ghosts! Bring back our home page, It mattered the most! Our photos are scrambled, Some even are missing, Why are you doing this? Our pleas you’re dismissing! We simply can’t function With your new “Yabook”! Just give us an opt out, To keep Classic Look! Things that were private, Have been compromised! Members lists show, And even archives! We have no control of our Management functions, Some people are thinking Of filing injunctions! The thousands of posts In the Suggestion Thread, Are all going ignored, Can’t you hear what we’ve said? STOP THIS REMODEL, We don’t want this mess! You’ve upset us all, And you’re causing distress! If we wanted Facebook, Then we would be there! Our groups are our “homes” Do you even care? You came with a bulldozer, You’re crushing them flat! Don’t do this, we’d rather Just stay where we’re at! Don’t you know thousands Of users are leaving? And all of the rest are Just sitting here grieving? Please listen to us, While we are still here, Because if you don’t, Then surely I fear, No one will be left, To hear what you say We’ll be in our lifeboats, All paddling away Cause we see the iceberg, And before it can hit, We’ve all made our plans, We’re ready to quit. So please take a minute, Slow down and think? Because your Yatanic, Well, it’s doomed to sink.” By Nightowl >8# (Owner of http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/modsandmembers...
Brenda (Owl) at 2:32pm 24th September 2010 GROUPS USERS, TAKE NOTE! USA TODAY ASKS US: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK CAROL BARTZ? "USA Today CEO Forum plans to interview Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz. And we'd like your help. Do you have any questions you'd like them to ask? Let us know what you want to know about Yahoo, Bartz, prospects for the Internet and digital media, and how CEOs can effectively manage companies in a period of such rapid change. We'll ask Bartz as many of your questions as we can -- and we'll post her best answers on usatoday.com." By David Lieberman Here's our chance, go and post the questionsto them about why is she destroying Yahoo Groups and why she won't listen to thousands of users planning a mass exodus if the remodel continues! Let's get our concerns out in the media!!!! We're making progress in our quest to save Classic Yahoo Groups. People are starting to listen! We just have to keep on protesting and not let up! Nightowl >8# http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/modsandmembers... (Created to save Yahoo Classic Groups or help them to find an alternative)
Owl at 5:41pm 20th September 2010 Yahoo is destroying our groups and people are leaving in droves.Yahoo is not listening to it's group users. We have created a group devoted to saving our Classic Yahoo Groups. http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/modsandmembers... We do not want the remodel to continue to go forward! We want some answers from yahoo about whatis going on, and we want the remodel stopped until we have some. And we will continue to lift our voices in protest all over the net, to get our message heard, and others will continue to leave yahoo until we get those answers! We deserve better than this treatment from a company that we have been loyal followers of for so long. Stop the remodel and talk to us! That is the only way yahoo can prevent the disaster that is happening. If you want to know more about what our group's plan to save yahoo groups is, read below: I realize we've accumulated a lot of posts in the few days we've been up at So if you don't have time to read them all and want to know what we're about, just come check out Post # 211. Our group is public, you can read it without even joining, so you can get an idea what our strategy is and the things we are trying to do to continue the movement to save our Classic Yahoo Groups. This might give you a better idea of if you want to join forces with us or not, and also prevent you having to wade through hundreds of messages to find out what we're about. :) We'd love to have you, come check us out! Brenda Nightowl >8#
Pedro at 6:25pm 17th September 2010 whatever they did, my yahoo mail is broken. Definitely moving to gmail now. Yahoo is dead.