Yahoo! Messenger is an advertisement-supported instant
messaging client and associated protocol provided by Yahoo!. Yahoo!
Messenger is provided free of charge and can be downloaded and used with
a generic "Yahoo! ID" which also allows access to other Yahoo! services,
such as Yahoo! Mail, where users can be automatically notified when they
receive new email. Yahoo! also offers PC-PC, PC-Phone and Phone-to-PC
service, file transfers, webcam hosting, text messaging service, and
chat rooms in various categories.
Yahoo! Messenger was
originally launched under the name Yahoo! Pager on March 9, 1998.
A leading online portal, Yahoo! draws people
to its network of websites with a mix of news, entertainment, and
shopping, as well as the revitalized Bing search engine (powered by
Microsoft). The company also offers registered users personalized Web
pages, e-mail, and message boards. Yahoo! publishes content in more than
25 languages. It generates most of its revenue through advertising and
online marketing sales, but it also charges fees for premium services
(such as personals and music) to about 8.5 million users. Additional
fee-based revenues include royalties, licenses, and mobile services, as
well as broadband Internet access.
Yahoo Services
Yahoo eMail
Sign up for free email with unlimited storage from Yahoo! Mail.
Powerful spam and virus protection with limitless space for photos,
attachments and more.
Yahoo! Messenger
Chat, Instant message, SMS, Video Call, PC Calls.
Yahoo! Toolbar
Yahoo! Toolbar is a toolbar that installs on the Internet
Explorer and Firefox browsers, within the context of internet access
functions.
It allows access to several functions, including Yahoo!
Search and Yahoo! Mail.
It also contains built-in algorithms to prevent pop-ups and
spyware.
Yahoo! Search Web Services
Allows you to access Yahoo content and services .
Yahoo Chat Rooms
Join chat rooms in Yahoo! Messenger to discuss a variety of
topics with other people.
Discuss sports, entertainment, politics, romance and more.
Yahoo! Voice
Yahoo! Voice is a multi-device Voice over IP service, provided
by Yahoo! via its Yahoo! Messenger instant messaging application.
The ability to make PC-to-PC and PC-to-Phone calls is
available worldwide.
The ability to receive Phone-to-PC calls is available only
in the Canada, United Kingdom, the United States, and France.
Voicemail and file sharing
Yahoo! added voicemail and file sending capabilities to their
client. File-sharing of sizes up to 2GB was added to Yahoo messenger
Yahoo! Music Radio
Yahoo! Messenger users can listen to free and paid Internet
radio services, using the official Yahoo! Music Radio plug-in from
within the messenger window.
The plug-in also allows full player functionality, such as
play, pause, skip and rate this song.
Webcam
Yahoo's software now allows users with the most current updated
versions (messenger 8 through 10) to utilize its webcam service.
This option enables users from distances all over the world
to view others who have installed a webcam on their end.
The service is free with provided speeds averaging from a
range in between 1 to 2 frames per second.
The resolution of the images can be seen starting at 320 x
240 pixels or 160 x 120.
Flickr
Yahoo now owns Flickr the huge photo sharing website.
Flickr is almost certainly the best online photo management
and sharing application in the world.
You can show off your favorite photos and videos to the
world, securely and privately show content to your friends and
family, or blog the photos and videos you take with a
cameraphone.
(Yahoo! Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, www.yahoo.com) The largest and most
comprehensive information portal on the Web. Along with Web search,
news, sports and weather, Yahoo! offers e-mail, instant messaging,
travel, auctions, classified ads, discussion groups, Web hosting and
numerous other services.
It Began with Search
When it launched in 1995, Yahoo! was the first Web search site to
gain worldwide attention. It distinguished itself in the early days
because it created its indexes manually. Instead of sending out
automated spiders that roamed the Web and indexed everything in sight,
indexing specialists decided what categories a Web page fit in. As a
result, Yahoo! called itself a "directory," rather than just a search
engine. Today, Yahoo! also uses spiders because the Web has grown too
large to handle entirely by hand.
A Student Hobby
In 1994, Stanford Ph.D candidates Jerry Yang and David Filo began
indexing interesting Web sites as a hobby. "Jerry and David's Guide to
the World Wide Web" turned into Yahoo!, meaning "Yet Another
Hierarchical Officious Oracle!" A very successful IPO followed in 1996,
and within a few years, Yahoo! became a major global brand with offices
around the world.
