Gear Diary » Yahoo

Mediafly Drives Apps for Ford Reality Show: Focus Rally America

David Goodspeed — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 19:00:31 +0000

If you are a devotee of reality TV programming you already know about this next event-related app/app-related event, The FocusRallyApps/Ford Focus Rally: America. Kicking off on American Idol and revisited this week on the season début of Amazing Race, the Focus Rally pits six two-person teams in brand-spanking new 2012 Ford Focus hatches driving around the country utilizing social networking to decipher a series of clues that will lead them to a grand prize of $100,000 and a new Ford Focus. Mediafly, a market leader in multi-screen media solutions is providing applications to extend the viewership to mobile and tablet apps, was tasked with developing rich media apps allowing followers and fans Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Yahoo! Mail Updated for iPad Using HTML5

Jeff Frantz — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:40:27 +0000

I've had a Yahoo! Mail account since before Google became a verb - or a noun, for that matter - and I still use it for certain purposes, so when Yahoo! recently announced improvements to the service, it caught my attention. Available starting this week, Yahoo! has given iPad users of their Mail service a shot in the arm with a new, HTML5-driven mobile web interface. Yahoo! released a similar update for iPhone compatibility around the beginning of July, so it only makes sense that the iPhone's bigger sibling is getting similar treatment. As part of the update, Yahoo! promises:

· Faster and more reliable: If you’re offline, Yahoo! Mail uses local caching capabilities to help you

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HTML5: Yahoo Says It’s Not Just for Steve Jobs Any More

Douglas Moran — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:30:39 +0000

Steve Jobs harshed on Flash pretty hard at the iPad announcement. But that doesn't mean that there aren't some companies out there that don't agree with him that HTML5 is the future (or perhaps, The Future). Yahoo is one of those companies. Today they announced HTML5 support for the iPhone and iPad, as well as a new Android app that supports HTML5. I can only think that this is just the first in a wave of new HTML5 apps, but Yahoo is there with them now. Check 'em out. Full information below.

In continuing to develop leading mobile products and services that reach a broad audience across multiple platforms, Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ

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Android, AT&T and…Yahoo?

Carly Z — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:30:22 +0000

(underlying image courtesy Haunted Ventures)

Ever since the Droid landed at Verizon, everyone has wondered when AT&T would embrace the cuddly green robot phones. When it was announced that the Motorola Backflip, a rather unusual cousin to the Cliq, would be the first Android phone to hit the Deathstar AT&T, it sounded intriguing. It certainly would catch people's eyes with it's funky keyboard placement; no one is mistaking it for an iPhone wannabe! But there's something different about the Backflip beyond the keyboard...it won't be using Google for search. Nope. AT&T took a long, hard look at Android, at the obvious Google connections, and opted to use the logical choice in search providers: Yahoo! Well, it makes sense if you are AT&T and use insane troll logic! What could AT&T have been thinking? I polled some of the flies on the wall that were present during the brainstorming session with Darth Vader AT&T executives, and here's the scoop. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

A “Tech” Family Moment

Amy Zunk — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:29:25 +0000

Today we are introducing a new series entitled "It's The Next Best Thing To Being There". In it we'll share stories of ways in which tech lets of make and maintain connections with one another.

After reading Dan's post yesterday, I wanted to share my own tech moment with everyone. My grandparents are in their mid-80s. Traveling isn't exactly the easiest thing in the world for them to do anymore. Neither one of them can sit in a car for hours on end. And airplane travel? This is not even an option for my grandmother. Her health issues simply won't allow for it and her doctor has pretty much forbidden her to do it. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Yahoo’s Go service got up and went

Amy Zunk — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:26:10 +0000

Yahoo's Go service has left the building. Yahoo is shutting down the Java client based service because they say its easier to do everything through a web browser. Yahoo Go was a way to have all of Yahoo's services in one easy to use application. It offered offered news, mail, weather, traffic, and Yahoo! search from a mobile device. Developers could create widgets that would plug into the client, adding more functions and features. At the time of its launch, it was a trend setter. But, now, Go is obsolete. Yahoo has branched off into different directions, following the lead of Google, Facebook, etc. Yahoo Go will be shutdown on January 12, 2010. It was Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Blue Plate Special: Yahoo! Fantasy Football ’09 for iPhone/Touch

Travis Ehrlich — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:30:12 +0000

We are all feeling the financial pinch! Blue Plate Special is a weekly review of bargain apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Nothing over $.99.

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New Yahoo! Finance for Mobile for iPhone and BlackBerry

Thomas R. Hall — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 07:07:27 +0000

Yahoo! released a new dedicated mobile application for both the iPhone and BlackBerry platform. The new application allows you to view your Yahoo! Finance information on the go. The native application has a nicer look and provides easier access to information than the mobile web site version. Yahoo! Finance is available in the App Store for iPhone and iPod Touch users and as an Over-the-Air (OTA) download for BlackBerry Bold, Tour, and 8900 series users. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Google vs. Bing. vs. Yahoo: Fight!

Carly Z — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:15:30 +0000

I came across this website this morning and thought it would make a fun experiment. In the spirit of blind taste tests like Coke vs Pepsi, one website has set up a Bing vs. Google vs. Yahoo. In this blind test, is your favorite search engine the one that reigns supreme? I tested it with 10 random searches I've done lately and listed next to it the website that won each blind test. Read on for the results... Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Microsoft and Yahoo partner to share the search pain

Wayne Schulz — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:21:58 +0000

As has been widely reported Microsoft and Yahoo are combining their search technologies in the hope of making one unified search tool that finally can put some hurt into Google's dominance. Under a just announced deal Microsoft will get a 10 year license for Yahoo's core search technologies and Microsoft's Bing will be the exclusive algorithmic search for both companies. This new collaboration is intended to combine the forces of Microsoft and Yahoo to create a more potent challenge to Google's search dynasty. I predict the one thing that it will create is one big project to integrate these two search also rans. Anyone want to bet how long it lasts? I say 3 years. More Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Review: Yahoo! iPhone Application

Jeff Frantz — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 22:17:04 +0000

Yahoo! has done a nice job of optimizing its mobile website and products for use on an iPhone, but until now hasn’t released a more robust application to compete with Google’s iPhone app. That changed this past week with the introduction of Yahoo! for iPhone. Previous Yahoo! iPhone applications focused on specific functions such as social networking (OneConnect) or web searches (Inquisitor). The new application - simply titled “Yahoo!” – is an attempt to pull together several of Yahoo!’s standard website products into one mobile software package, simulating some of the website’s primary features on your iPhone. It’s a nice app, fairly intuitive and well designed. The application menu lists five primary components: “Featured,” “Y!News,” “My Interests,” “Connect,” and “Yahoo! Everything” (listed as “More” on the application home screen). Each of the first four menu items checks for updates since the last time you visited, and gives you the option to update your content if there is more recent information available. “Featured” lists synopses of the current featured news items on Yahoo!’s site. If you want to read the full story, Yahoo! will launch Safari on your iPhone. Hitting the “back” button in Safari will re-launch the Yahoo! application and take you back to where you were when you left.

Keep your seat! Web TV from Samsung and Yahoo!

Kerry Woo — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:32:03 +0000

With a plethora of media and Internet services demanding our attention, whether via mobile devices, computers or televisions, Samsung and Yahoo! may have created the solution for blending a rich media and interactive experience on one convenient viewing platform.

At CES 2009, Samsung and Yahoo! have announced a new Internet-based service - Internet@TV – Content Service - that  will be available this spring of 2009. The Yahoo! Widget Engine on certain models of new Samsung flat-panel HDTVs promises to "Open a Whole New World of TV Interactivity for Consumers.“

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Yahoo! Music to selectively reimburse subscribers

Wayne Schulz — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:26:28 +0000

Looks as if Yahoo! Music may be having a change of heart with respect to how they treat customers who purchased DRM protected music. The Yahoo! Music store is slated to close on September 30, 2008. After that time owners of digitally protected (DRM) music purchased from Yahoo! will be unable to transfer their songs to other computers or renew DRM licenses because the Yahoo! licensing system will be off-line. Previously Yahoo! had suggested subscribers copy songs to CD then rip them back to their computer - effectively removing the copy protection on the songs. Now InformationWeek in a July 25, 2008 story is quoting Yahoo! spokeswoman Carrie Davis as saying "You'll be compensated for whatever you paid for the music...we Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Online Dating: the Experience

Judie Stanford — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:57:44 +0000

You're cinematic razor sharp, A welcome arrow through the heart, Under your skin feels like home, Electric shocks on aching bones,
Give me a chance to hold on, Give me a chance to hold on, Give me a chance to hold on, Just give me something to hold on, to...

- "You're All I Have", by Snow Patrol

I told you all about my experiences with eHarmony and Yahoo in the last installment, and now it's time to share some pearls of wisdom and experiences from some of Gear Diary's brave readers regarding their own online dating processes. These are folks who have boldly gone through the same basic experience, and good or bad - they have lived to tell about it... Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Online Dating: the Do’s and Don’ts

Judie Stanford — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:20:54 +0000

In the car I just can't wait, to pick you up on our very first date Is it cool if I hold your hand? Is it wrong if I think it's lame to dance? Do you like my stupid hair? Would you guess that I didn't know what to wear? I'm too scared of what you think You make me nervous so I really can't eat

- "First Date", by Blink 182

So you've picked the online dating site or sites that you would like to join, you've created what you think is a fabulous profile, you're getting "winks", "nudges", communication requests or emails from potential matches; you might have even shared a phone call with one or two of them, and you're starting to think that maybe someone long-term could possibly be just around the corner. Maybe you are right, but then...maybe you shouldn't be too hasty about pinning your hopes on the first potential who crafts a good email or talks a good game. This portion of my online dating series is about setting expectations somewhere in the realistic realm and avoiding some of the pitfalls that can be encountered during the early days of online dating. All of this is, of course, assuming that you are serious about meeting someone "serious", and assuming that you don't luck into Prince (or Princess) Charming immediately. ;-) I was given quite a bit of advice from Wayne when I started this Online Dating Site experiment, and I also received some good tips from eHarmony and tech guru Jon Westfall; I'll pepper those nuggets throughout this writeup, and let you know about all the different ways that I either did or didn't follow their wisdom.

Here are a few common overall rules for successful online dating. These rules aren't absolute, people who break them can find success. Following the rules generally helps to stack the odds in your favor. The whole purpose of online dating is to evaluate someone for a potential relationship (usually long term). This is done via meeting face to face. Until you meet someone you have no idea whether you'd be compatible for a long term relationship. Extended email, instant messenger and phone relationships - without meeting in person - don't fall under the typical definition of online dating. A good rule of thumb is 3 to 6 email exchanges followed by one or two phone conversations - then meet face to face. That's right - you must get yourself out from behind the keyboard and in front of the person you are considering dating. And the sooner the better. - Wayne

It's interesting to note that I was in absolutely no hurry to follow Wayne's rules about spending time with anyone when I started this experiment, and make no mistake about it - it was just an experiment. I was gung-ho about email exchange, maybe even participating in a phone call or two, but I wanted to keep the actual meeting somewhere in the far-off and murky future. That's probably because, if the truth be told, I wasn't really interested in dating anyone just yet. There; I said it. But it would seem that things never work out the way you plan, and it would also seem that when you aren't really looking for something, you are more likely than ever to find it. But I digress... Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Online Dating: Choosing a Site

Judie Stanford — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 05:15:29 +0000

All the lonely people Where do they all come from? All the lonely people Where do they all belong?
- "Eleanor Rigby", by Paul McCartney

I don't think that anyone necessarily plans to be alone and lonely; sometimes it just happens. Perhaps it's because they got caught up in a career race, or they live somewhere with a limited dating pool. Maybe they've been dating the wrong person, they're divorced, or perhaps it's because they have simply postponed couplehood until nearly everyone they know is paired up, and the ones who aren't simply don't look appealing. However it happens, there comes a day when as satisfying as being a singleton may have been, they suddenly realize that they...are lonely. Now let's personalize the experience. So here is how it often happens: you are sitting at home watching the television, alone of course, and a commercial comes on. Smiling, happy, loving couples flounce across the screen, and an announcer starts talking about how you don't have to be alone anymore. That there is someone out there that is just like you, someone that will "get" you, someone that will understand why somebody as wonderful as you is still single, because that person is still single too - and they are just as wonderful. The logical part of your brain will kick in at first. "Give me a break, the only people who would ever join an online dating service are losers; people who are socially inept or who are looking for a hook-up." But still, those couples taunt you...and you wonder. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Online Dating Services: I Need Your Stories

Judie Stanford — Sun, 25 May 2008 17:12:47 +0000

I've received several requests recently about doing article on the ins and outs of online dating, and after a bit of thought, I decided to do it. So in order to give as broad a spectrum of how right or how wrong things can go when you are putting yourself "out there", I've decided that I'll need help...which is where you all come in. I am collecting firsthand stories from friends and readers about their online dating service experiences, and I would love to hear yours if you have one. If you have a friend who has tried an online dating service, please pass my request on to them. Continue reading on Gear Diary ...

Microsoft Steal’s Page From Seinfeld: Issues Press Release About Nothing

Wayne Schulz — Sun, 18 May 2008 20:43:32 +0000

In a move sure to get people excited about their Advance 08 conference slated to start on Tuesday of next week, Microsoft issued a vague and ambiguous press release that contains 292 words - and spends 112 of them saying essentially - "oh well, life goes on" pointing out "...that it is continuing to explore and pursue its alternatives to improve and expand its online services and advertising business. ".

"In light of developments since the withdrawal of the Microsoft proposal to acquire Yahoo! Inc., Microsoft announced that it is continuing to explore and pursue its alternatives to improve and expand its online services and advertising business. Microsoft is considering and has raised with Yahoo! an alternative that would involve a transaction with Yahoo!

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Microsoft to Yahoo!: “Will You Marry Me?”

Wayne Schulz — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 10:32:41 +0000

The Wall Street Journal this morning is reporting that Microsoft has bid $44.6 billion for the struggling perpetual second place Yahoo! web search engine. Interestingly, Terry Semel also resigned as Chairman of the Board yesterday. Let the new company name game begin. MicroHoo!, Mahoo, Yacrosoft…

photo credit: sfslim There’s a conference call at 8:30 a.m. EST Friday 2/1/2008. The replay can be accessed by dialing (800) 642-1687 or (706) 645-9291; the conference ID number is 33470390. Keep reading for more thoughts - and add your own. Talk about a shotgun wedding.

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The HTC Hermes / Dopod 838Pro Review

Judie Stanford — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 07:19:07 +0000

Many of you by now will recognize the name HTC as the abbreviation for the Taiwanese based company High Tech Computer. They are the world's largest manufacturer of Pocket PC and Smartphone OS based PDAs, and as such they are responsible for many of the more recognizable devices which are rebranded by companies including Hewlett Packard, i-mate, Audiovox, and Dopod - to name a few. The device we'll be looking at today is known by several names including the O2 XDA Trion, the MDA Vario II, Orange SPV M3100, and the Dopod 838Pro. This review will specifically cover the HTC Hermes branded as the Dopod 838Pro; while some of its included software may differ from other branded versions, the general hardware specifications should be about the same. Similar to the HTC Apache / Sprint PPC-6700 which I reviewed last year, the Hermes features a compact touch-screen PDA form factor with a left-sliding keyboard which only appears when needed. The Hermes is intended to function not only as the user's mobile phone, but also as a fully functional PDA, an email and text messaging center, and a compact means to wirelessly surf the internet.

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Making a Dash for T-Mobile?

Judie Stanford — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 17:33:15 +0000

The HTC Excalibur, AKA T-Mobile Dash�has been�announced today;�Engadget already has a review.� Photo from Engadget Pricing will be set at $199.99 with a two-year contract, $249.99 with a one year contract, and $349 with no contract - quite reasonable! If any of you pick one up - be sure to post your impressions. :-) Continue reading on Gear Diary ...