Yahoo Announces New Smart TV, Advertising, News Digest & First Acquisition of 2014

Yahoo Smart TV

Are you ready for what Yahoo has to bring in 2014? After making big changes in 2013, like acquiring popular blogging site Tumblr and overhauling Flickr, Yahoo has announced at CES a slew of new, enhanced products along with its first acquisition of 2014 that will impact the way people interact with their phone screens, desktop screens and TV screens. Here’s an overview of Yahoo’s latest news.

 

Yahoo Smart TV

Yahoo Smart TV

Yahoo Smart TV is the next iteration of Yahoo’s Connected TV platform, aiming to make it easier than ever to find interesting programming. The Smart Guide feature learns your viewing habits to recommend shows you might like, including programming that’s about to start, in-progress content like sports games, Video On Demand content and content from the Web. Yahoo Smart Info will surface content related to the program you’re watching such as live updates for your fantasy team. Yahoo is also partnering with networks like FOX to bring you relevant ways to connect to your favorite shows such as downloads and bonus content. Smart Info also makes ads smarter by allowing you to complete simple tasks like tracking your FedEx package and taking advantage of a special offer during commercial break.

 

News Digest

Yahoo News Digest screenshos

Yahoo News Digest is an attempt to bring news consumption back to the basics, making reading news through an app more similar to reading the daily paper. An app available for iPhone and iPod touch, News Digest delivers only the most important news twice daily (once in the morning and once in the evening) so you don’t have to constantly check the news all day. Unlike a traditional newspaper, however, Yahoo News Digest focuses more on getting only the important tidbits across rather than full articles.

How News Digest works: Through algorithms and human editorial power, Yahoo selects what it views as the day’s most important stories. It then summarizes multiple sources to identify key pieces of information like articles, maps, infographics, Wikipedia extracts, videos, photos and more, which yahoo calls “Atoms.” Yahoo then combines these Atoms to create full stories in News Digest.

Download Yahoo News Digest for iPhone or iPod Touch:

Yahoo News Digest

 

The New Yahoo Advertising

Tumblr Sponsored Posts feauturing dior ad

Yahoo has revamped its advertising and now offers a more comprehensive suite of Web, mobile and video ad products across native, audience and premium displays. All of Yahoo’s new ad types, including Tumblr Sponsored Posts, Yahoo Audience Ads and Yahoo Ad Exchange, can be accessed through the company’s new simplified buying platform. With its new advertising products, Yahoo aims to help marketers target the right users with natural-looking ads. This is when Yahoo’s data on the digital habits of over 800 million people around the world will come in handy!

 

Yahoo Acquires Aviate

Screenshots of Aviate Android homescreen launcher

One week into 2014 and Yahoo has already announced its first acquisition. Aviate is an Android homescreen launcher that adjusts to your changing needs throughout the day. Aviate does this by intelligently categorizing apps on your phone into “spaces” and, using signals like Wi-Fi state, GPS location and time of day, determining which context you are in. Using this information Avitate surfaces information to your homescreen at the moment when it’s most useful to you.

Though Aviate is still in private beta, the first 25,000 people who use the code “YAHOO” will be able to install the app.

Download Aviate Beta for Android:

Aviate Beta for Android

Lauren Mobertz

By Lauren Mobertz

Lauren is the former managing editor for DashBurst. One part geek, one part urban nomad, she is constantly scouting for the latest tech and world news. In the evenings you'll find Lauren running in strange places or attempting to dance salsa.