Internet stalwart Yahoo! has introduced new search features aimed at helping its users get all the entertainment and news content they want on all connected devices. In other words, Yahoo! is embracing the smartphone and web TV age.
“Our goal is to understand what people care about and to make it fun for them to explore the most personally relevant, interesting, and informative content so that they can get things done faster and stay in the know,” said Shashi Seth, senior vice-president, Yahoo! Search and Marketplaces.
“Yahoo!’s new immersive search is a cornerstone of the overall Yahoo! experience, creating more ways to connect people with whatever and whoever interests them.”
The new enhancements include 3D tools for viewing content. Seth said Yahoo! is working toward its vision to be the centre of people’s online lives by finding new ways to bring people closer to what they need and want on the web.
“Today’s visually stunning new search experiences throughout the Yahoo! network, along with innovative technology enhancements and quality improvements for rich local and shopping searches, all supplement organic algorithmic search listings from the recently transitioned Microsoft search platform. “Yahoo! expects current and future innovations to redefine Yahoo! Search and drive greater consumer engagement and loyalty.”
The new features began rolling out to Search users across the US today, and Yahoo! expects to launch them for additional global markets in 2011.
The new enhancements include intelligent shortcuts for movies, musical artists, celebrities and news topics and conveniently organises the most important details, such as images, articles, videos, tweets, event listings, and ratings. They also provide quick and easy ways to purchase movie or concert tickets while searching.
Yahoo! Search ‘quick apps’
The first in a series of unique “quick apps” from Yahoo! Search is a new web app for Netflix which provides an easy way for Netflix members to add DVDs to their queue right from the Search results page. Additionally, members can start to instantly watch movies and TV shows with one click on the app’s “play” button.
Yahoo! will also be displaying image slideshows right above the standard results for interesting topics from Yahoo!’s Trending Now lists on Yahoo.com and elsewhere.
An immersive new Yahoo! Image Search delivers engaging slideshows with public photos from Flickr and Yahoo!’s leading content sites, as well as the ability for people to view personally meaningful public Facebook albums from friends when they sign in and connect their Yahoo! accounts to Facebook.
In addition, Android and iPhone users can now get faster, more sophisticated Search results, thanks to the latest HTML5 technology. Rich content on entertainment, finance, and local topics is surfaced in more unique and compelling ways for high-end mobile devices.
