Consuming news and information on the go has become the norm — whether waiting for a morning coffee or commuting home from work, content discovery is an insatiable daily habit. Our mobile phones have opened up a window to the world, with the latest news, sports updates, and entertainment coverage right there in our pockets. Because consuming content is such a core part of our everyday lives, today we’re launching our new Yahoo! mobile app for iPhone. Beautifully designed with smaller screens in mind, the new Yahoo! is all about delivering the best of the web — right on your phone.

Story Summaries on The New Yahoo! App on iPhone

The new Yahoo! mobile app is also smarter, using Summly’s natural-language algorithms and machine learning to deliver quick story summaries. We acquired Summly less than a month ago, and we’re thrilled to introduce this game-changing technology in our first mobile application. And, with the immersive imagery of our virtually endless newsfeed, the new Yahoo! app has both great technology and beautiful design front and center. Because searching for great content is also core to the Yahoo! experience, we’ve also improved the search experience with better video and image search.

Want to stay on top of breaking business news or even the latest in the world of science? Just select the types of stories you’re interested in. Within each article, you can easily select more of the topics you’d like to see, and less of those you don’t. When you’re signed into Yahoo!, the choices you make are saved across screens. The more you use Yahoo!, the more relevant and interesting the experience becomes — on mobile and desktop.

The Yahoo! app for iPhone and iPod Touch is currently available to our users in the U.S., please try it out and let us know what you think. This is just the beginning of the new, more mobile Yahoo!, so stay tuned for more!

Download the new Yahoo! App on iPhone and iPod Touch.

Tens of millions of photos are now yours to search and share, courtesy of all the amazing photographers in the Flickr community.

Here’s how it works:

• Go to Yahoo! Image Search either on the web, your tablet or mobile phone. Search for any query.
• If you’re looking for a photo you can reuse, make sure you select the “Labeled for Reuse” filter on the left rail to only see the photos that you can reuse.

• Hover over the thumbnail to see any details about the photo, including the photographer’s name.

• Click on any thumbnail and you can view the full image. To see the specific Creative Commons license terms for the image, just click the “Attribution” link. And if you want to see more photos by that specific photographer, just click the “i” and you can see the rest of their photostream on Flickr.

And this feature is available in Yahoo! Image Search across web and mobile devices. Check it out and let us know what you think!

- Girish Krishnan and the MultiMedia Search Team

We’ve been busy in the kitchen, bringing you inspiring and creative ideas for Christmas treats and essentials. Search for [Christmas cookies] to find plenty of handy recipes, along with pictures, reviews and ingredients right at your fingertips. Try [Christmas side dishes] and [Christmas desserts] to help make your holiday meal something everyone will remember.

With dinner (and dessert!) taken care of, how about some ideas for last minute decorations? Search for [Christmas tree] to reveal imaginative ways to help make this seasonal centerpiece shine. Try searching [Christmas wreaths], [Christmas decorations], and [Christmas flowers] for other inspiring ways to take home decor to a whole new level. If you’re looking for things to occupy the little ones when they are out school, search for [Christmas crafts] to discover some charming projects to keep them occupied.

If you still haven’t gotten round to finishing your Christmas shopping, no need to panic. Search for [hot Christmas toys] to find those last-minute must-have gifts. You can also search for [Christmas gift ideas] to help you find something for that one family member who is the hardest to buy for.

But that’s not all! From [Christmas stockings] to [Christmas table settings], from [Christmas carols] to [Christmas quotes] – we’ve got your holiday season covered for practical ideas, inspiration and step-by-step details.

And what about New Years? Well, there’s always [detox recipes] for those looking to recover from all of that indulgent holiday eating. And for those with a more immediate need? What about [how to cure a hangover]?

Be sure to also check out our Search Trends blog today to see what holiday searches are spiking now!

But not to worry, Yahoo! Search has been hard at work on another collection of rich content to get you inspired and organized for this year’s Turkey Day celebration. Whether you are looking for inspiration in the kitchen, ways to keep the family amused, or simply want to maximize your football watching time, we have plenty of rich content to help you.

A large part of the day will be focused on dinner, and we’ve got plenty of help for you here. Simply search for [Thanksgiving menu] in Yahoo! Search and it will help you decide whether you want to keep the menu traditional or move things in a different direction. Tired of the same old mashed potatoes? [Thanksgiving side dishes] offers some mouth-watering ideas to give your menu a twist.

For many of us, Thanksgiving means more time with the kids, grandkids, or nieces and nephews. [Thanksgiving crafts] will help make sure you’ve always got something up your sleeve to keep the young ones amused (and out of the kitchen while you’re trying to get dinner finished!)

What about after the table is cleared and the dishes done? For those of you looking for some quality Thanksgiving football action, search for [Thanksgiving football schedule] to see who is playing.

From food to decorating to football, Yahoo! Search gives you everything you need to plan and enjoy a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday this year.

As always, there are plenty of eyes on the big prize as President Obama squares off against Governor Mitt Romney for the top job. Yahoo! Search is doing its bit to make sure the information you want for all your election needs is right at your fingertips with a suite of helpful Direct Displays.

Interested in what the pollsters are saying? The Polls Direct Display will help you out. Search for [2012 Presidential Polls] and you can see the latest national poll numbers.

Search for [swing state polls] to see how the all-important swing states are trending…

Get the latest on your local Senate race. Search for your specific state result like this:  [Nebraska Senate Race 2012].

You’ll also be able to get details on key propositions, issues, and referenda using the Propositions Direct Display. Search for the state proposition number. For instance, [Colorado Amendment 64].

That’s not all – on November 6^th, you’ll also be able to get results for presidential, congressional, and gubernatorial races as they come in. For instance, you can search for your state’s local U.S. House of Representatives results by searching for [New York U.S. House Results] and get results in real-time.

With Yahoo! Search you can get involved, stay informed and see how the political landscape is looking. From district to state to national issues, we’ve got you covered.

Geo is increasingly important in today’s always-on, mobile world and adding features like these have been among the most requested we’ve received from our developers. With mobile devices becoming more pervasive, users everywhere want to be able to quickly pull up relevant geo information like maps or addresses. By adding PlaceFinder and PlaceSpotter to BOSS, we’re arming developers with rich new tools for driving more valuable and personalized interactions with their users.

PlaceFinder – Geocoding made simple
PlaceFinder is a geocoder (and reverse geocoder) service. The service helps developers convert an address into a latitude/longitude and alternatively, if you provide a latitude/longitude it can resolve it to an address. Whether you are building a check-in service or want to show an address on a map, we’ve got you covered. PlaceFinder already powers several popular applications like foursquare. which uses it to power check-ins on their mobile application. BOSS PlaceFinder offers tiered pricing and one simple monthly bill.

PlaceSpotter – Adding location awareness to your content
The PlaceSpotter API (formerly known as PlaceMaker) allows developers to take a piece of content, pull rich information about the locations mentioned and provide meaning to those locations. A news article is no longer just text but has rich, meaningful geographical information associated with it. For instance, the next time your users are reading a review of a cool new coffee shop in the Mission neighborhood in San Francisco, they can discover another article about a hip new bakery in the same neighborhood. Learn more on the new PlaceSpotter service.

Using the new services
If you are a current BOSS developer, you are all set to go. Simply review the documentation and start using the service with your existing key. If you are a new developer, you can sign up for BOSS by creating a key, and adding a payment option like a credit card or PayPal.

YQL tables for development
If you are looking to continue experimenting with the standalone PlaceFinder and PlaceMaker services, we are excited to continue supporting you through our YQL tables. These tables will be limited to 2,000 queries per day and are meant for non-commercial usage. We intend to shut down the current free versions of PlaceFinder and PlaceMaker on November 17, 2012.

BOSS, today
We started BOSS to provide developers access to search technology, something that is tremendously hard to do well. We are now taking the same model and extending it to other technologies.Because of the flexibility of the BOSS model, it’s used by a wide variety of institutions – everyone from non-profits, to Fortune 500 companies to small business owners. Today, BOSS powers tens of millions of queries for thousands of developer applications.

Thanks to all our developers out there who continue to inspire us with the amazing things they’re doing with BOSS everyday. And, don’t be shy—let us know what you’d like to see more of from us!

Rahul Hampole, Nagesh Pobbathi and the BOSS Team

But, we’re most excited about all the comments, questions and feature ideas that we got from you all – our users. Last night, we rolled out an update to Yahoo! Axis on the desktop and iOS that now offers enhanced performance and the most frequently requested user features.

Desktop Browser Plug-in Updates:

• Close Option: Now, you can close Axis with a simple click on any web page so that it never interferes with your browsing experience.  By clicking on the ‘X,’ Axis will disappear on the page.  To make Axis visible again, simply reload the page or navigate to a new page.

New features for Yahoo! Axis iOS include:

• Opening links in new tabs: Many of you wanted to be able to open a web link in a new tab. Now, whenever you press down on a link, Axis gives you the option of opening the link in your current tab, in a new tab or simply copying the link.  Navigating web sites just got a lot smoother in Axis.

• Private Browsing Mode: Yahoo! Axis now offers a more robust private browsing mode on iPhone and iPad.  When activated, Axis will not store cookies or web site browsing so you can keep your Axis experiences private.  With private browsing mode, you also have the option to keep all your tabs open or close all tabs when you enter or exit the mode. Bookmarks created during ‘Private Browsing Mode’ will be preserved and will be shown along with the regular bookmarks, across all devices.

• Secured Site Lock: Easily identify secured web sites before entering in personal information, such as login or credit card information.  With the new lock graphic, which is displayed in the Axis title bar on secured web sites, you’ll be able to more easily keep your information safe and share it only with trusted sites.

• Increased Security: Axis data, such as search history, browsing history and bookmarks, is now encrypted locally to keep you and your personal information even more secure.

Additionally, we’re always focused on ensuring that Axis performs quickly and seamlessly so we’ve released several enhancements to improve the overall performance across iOS and desktop. Check out the new version of Axis today and let us know what you think!

Yahoo! Axis team

But where to start? So many athletes … how did my favorites do? So many sports you only follow every four years…what exactly are the rules to archery, again? And so many events…when exactly is the men’s 200 meter backstroke race taking place? These are all questions that Yahoo! Search can help you answer with our latest Direct Display offering, available on your desktop, tablet, or smart phone.

If you are all about the athletes, then you can easily check out the Profile Direct Displays that will give you instant stats on all the athletes you want to know about. In addition to biographical data, you’ll be able to see if they have placed for a medal or broken a record. Just try searching for your favorite athlete’s name.

You can even see how your favorite athlete did across their events by using the Athlete Results Direct Display. Just search for Usain Bolt Results.

Are you a big fan of swimming and want to know when the important races are taking place? Using the Schedule Direct Display you can get the information you need at a glance. Just try searching for Swimming Schedule.

As the Games get going, check out our Medal Count Direct Display to see who’s leading there.

New to an event and looking to get a handle on the jargon and rules? Use the Sports Fact Direct Display to get the info you need to get yourself up to speed.

If it’s still too early for you to get excited about the upcoming Games, you might like to take a look at some of the most memorable moments of past Games using our Memorable Moments Direct Display. Just search for memorable moments and scroll through the slideshow.

And that’s not all! There are plenty more Direct Displays out there to help you get the answers you need when you need them. From national anthems to individual country profiles, from team rosters to information on all the spectacular venues you’ll see in the UK this year – Yahoo! Search has got it all covered!

For those of you with a green thumb, Yahoo! Search’s new Gardening Direct Display will provide you with the links to information and tips you need to create a beautiful garden and become the envy of your neighbors.  Search for “how to grow tomatoes”, “pruning roses”, or “planting zucchini” and you’ll immediately get links to plant information, growing tips, and more.

Planning a barbeque or picnic this summer?   Easily discover the best summer recipes with Yahoo! Recipe Search that finds sources for the most popular recipes just for you.  Browse through images of the best and highest rated recipes from top culinary sources so that you can spend less time looking for new recipes and more time enjoying your culinary creations with family and friends.

With our nation’s birthday right around the corner, we want to make sure you are all set to celebrate and know where to see the best firework displays in your area.

Yahoo! Search also keeps you up to date all of summer’s biggest games with our new Sporting Events Direct Display.  Whether it’s Wimbledon, Euro 2012, or the Tour de France that has you hooked, Yahoo! Search provides the latest event information such as recent scores, upcoming games and latest stats.  Even if you can’t catch all the games, Yahoo! Search makes sure you’re always in the know.

Of course, you’re probably getting excited for the upcoming Summer Olympics.  Don’t worry – we’ve got that covered too! We’ll tell you more in the coming weeks about the exciting content and tools Yahoo! has developed for this very special occasion.

Check out these new experiences and enjoy your summer!

- Yahoo! Search Team

Searching for images and video on the Web should be the most visually stunning experience possible. After all, sometimes a photo or video can tell a story better than words.

Today, we are taking Yahoo! Image Search and Video Search to an eye-catching new level. Through an extension of our partnership with Getty Images and some reengineering (and redesigning) of our multimedia search experiences, we are delivering a more timely experience, supported by the most recent, and often never-seen-before content.

That’s right, thanks to Getty Images, Yahoo! Image Search will have access to some of the highest quality digital images on the planet. And these are not just any photos, they are the crème-de-la-crème, from the collection of more than 20,000 new Getty Images added every day by Getty Images’ award-winning network of photographers. Of course we also help people find top quality images of the very latest headline news, sports and entertainment events within minutes of being taken.

Optimizing Your Results – New Image Search and Video Search Results Pages

With this amazing influx of new content, we thought it was only fitting to juice up the entire experience. So we’ve introduced awesome new features to help people take a closer look at the images and videos they want.

• Thumbnail Viewing Experience –Users can now get a fantastic thumbnail viewing experience of images and videos. The new search results page sports a neatly tiled look, with each image and video squarely sized, then becoming larger when you hover over it.
• A New Video Search Results Page, with preview on hover and continuous scroll

The new Video Search results page introduces continuous scroll, and each video equally sized, then becoming larger and playing the preview when you hover over it.


• High Quality Badge & Latest Filter – We have introduced two prominent filters on the left rail to help you find the highest quality and most recent images. For images, the HQ badge identifies photos with at least 2 megapixels and a 1024 x 768 aspect ratio. For Yahoo! HQ videos, we use adaptive streaming technology to optimize your viewing experience by continuously adjusting the quality of the streamed Yahoo! hosted video to match the capabilities of your network and device. The Latest filter allows you to discover the most recent photos and videos available on the Web, so you can always keep up to date.
  
  
  
• Search While You Watch – For those of us interested in a lot of different topics, we now have a “search while you watch” option, to search for a video without going back to the search results page. For users who want to look at interesting video search topics, clearing of the search query on the full image page now shows recommended & trending topics to provide them with an experience of continuous discovery.
  
  
• Full Screen Viewing – Since we have built on the power of the HTML5 browser, we’re now providing a full screen option and cross-device support to help you discover the content you are looking for more easily.
  

Now more than ever, it’s easier to discover the images and video you are looking for on Yahoo!. We could not be more excited about these enhancements, and so is the Getty Images team (check out their post). Give us a try next time you want to find top quality images and video.

- Girish Ananthakrishnan, Sriram Satish, Krishanu Seal, Kiran Palukuri and the MultiMedia Search team