Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Smart Home
  3. News

Yahoo Makes Mail, Toolbar More Social

By
Yahoo Makes Mail, Toolbar More Social

Following up on an initiative it announced almost a year ago, embattled Internet giant Yahoo has rolled out a new version of its widely-used Yahoo Mail service that offers a “smarter,” socially aware inbox that can automatically highlight communications from friends on social networking sites as well as prioritized their inbox and folders based on social connections. Yahoo has also introduced a new preview version of its Yahoo Toolbar that provides access to friend updates and updates from both Yahoo and third-party services as users surf the Web.

“Yahoo Mail users have told us that they want to be more productive when they get to their inbox and they want help breaking through the clutter and getting to the communications that matter most to them,” said Yahoo Mail VP John Kremer, in a statement. “We’ve created a smarter inbox experience to address the problem of inbox overload. We’re also embedding really useful applications directly into the inbox, which should help people be even more efficient.”

Recommended Videos

The new version of Yahoo Mail is another step in the company’s “Open Strategy” initiative, which is intended to open up two-way interaction between Yahoo’s services and applications and third-party services and tools…like social networking sites and media sharing services.

Related

The new Welcome page for Yahoo Mail “surfaces”—e.g., picks out and highlights—email messages, updates, and information from people and services that Yahoo Mail user “care about most,” based on their connections to people and their online activity. With a user’s permission, third-party applications can also tap into users’ email, calendar, and contact info to deliver messages and information relevant to individual users.

Within Yahoo Mail, users can tap into Yahoo’s universal profile service and define which users and connections are most important to them; this information is then used by the inbox and folders to offer a prioritized view based on users’ social connections. Yahoo Mail also offers a way for third parties to offer applications that can live in Yahoo Mail’s left-hand navigation panel so services can integrate right into Yahoo Mail—Yahoo promises “top brands” will soon be available right from Yahoo Mail—Flickr, Flixster, WordPress, Family Journal, and Xoopit are available now.

The new Yahoo Mail inbox is available now to users in the U.S. and Australia; open applications are available to a limited number of U.S. users. Yahoo expects the features will be widely available in the first half of 2009. About 275 million people use Yahoo Mail; the company is rolling out changes slowly to ensure minimal disruption to its users.

The new Yahoo Toolbar will enable users to check new messages in Yahoo Mail and social networking services without having to navigate to the sites directly; it will also keep users abreast of updates from their socially-connected friends.

Editors' Recommendations

Geoff Duncan
Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
This BLUETTI portable power station is truly weatherproof
Man using BLUETTI AC240 portable power station while camping to cook

It seems like we're covering a new BLUETTI launch here at Digital Trends every month, but that's okay. Thanks to the brand's excellent products, innovative advancements, and great features, people all over can access reliable power. Its latest launch, the BLUETTI AC240, is an IP65-rated weatherproof portable power station that delivers a comprehensive energy solution for outdoor enthusiasts, first responders, and beyond. Protected against dust, water, and elements, this expandable station creates an uninterrupted power source in any environment at any time. Moreover, it empowers users to stay connected, even with power-hungry devices, to tackle demanding tasks regardless of the current weather, environment, or location. Right now, you can save big by taking advantage of Early Bird pricing.
Buy Now
 
Why you should buy the BLUETTI AC240 all-weather portable power station

Imagine for a moment that you're camping with your family, hiking through the great outdoors, or even taking a long, scenic road trip through the countryside. In all of these situations, even when you're off-grid, you'll still need reliable access to power to charge your phone and tablet(s) and power up other electronics -- like a coffee maker when you wake up in the morning. Of course, power stations and power outlets don't exist randomly out in the wild. You could use your vehicle, but that will drain the battery and, in some cases, still won't provide enough power for what you want to do. Cue the BLUETTI AC240 portable power station and devices like it.

Read more
Snag this Roomba robot vacuum while it’s discounted to $180
iRobot Roomba 694 at Best Buy - WiFi connected robot vacuum

If you're on the hunt for robot vacuum deals because you think you need help from one of these cleaning devices to keep your floors spotless, you should head on over to Crutchfield where the iRobot Roomba 694 is available at $95 off. From its original price of $275, you'll only have to pay $180, which is an excellent price for all of the conveniences that you'll get from this machine. We're not sure how much time is remaining before this offer expires though, so you better hurry and complete your purchase while you can still pocket the savings.

Why you should buy the iRobot Roomba 694 robot vacuum
For its relatively affordable price, the iRobot Roomba 694 offers most of the important features that you would expect from a robot vacuum. It comes with a three-stage cleaning system that includes an edge-sweeping brush, roller brushes, and powerful vacuum suction. You'll be able to control the device through the iRobot Home app on your smartphone or using voice commands through smart home devices that are powered by Google Assistant or Amazon's Alexa. Once the iRobot Roomba 694 is done, or when its battery runs low in the middle of cleaning, it will automatically returns to its base station for recharging.

Read more
DeWalt Spring Black Friday sale: Power tools and accessories from $15
A DeWalt drill being used.

If you have grand plans for a major home renovation project, you need the right power tools to facilitate this. Fortunately, there’s a huge DeWalt Spring Black Friday sale going on at Amazon so you can save big on plenty of great power tools as well as accessories for enriching the experience. There are hundreds of options within the DeWalt sale so the best thing you can do is hit the button below right now and see what’s out there for yourself. However, if you want some inspiration of what to consider, keep reading and we’ll take you through what we love most.

What to shop for in the DeWalt Spring Black Friday sale
Seemingly every household renovation task can be made easier with a good quality drill. That’s why it’s a great idea to buy the which is down to $99 from $179. A considerable saving of 45%, you get a compact and lightweight drill driver which can deliver 300 unit watts out of power. Its high speed transmission has two speeds of either 0-450 and 1,500 rpm with a 1/2-inch single sleeve ratcheting chuck which provides tight bit gripping strength. It’s the workhorse everyone needs and is sure to last.

Read more