Yahoo Launches Apps for Tablets and Smartphones

In an attempt to strengthen its mobile and social networking offerings, Yahoo has launched a new array of applications for personal computers, tablets and smartphones. The company that fired its own CEO, Carol Bartz, is now trying hard to capture the attention of publishers and advertisers to a new Apple iPad- based media service.

Blake Irving, the product chief addressed the repoters at Yahoo's Sunnyvale, California headquarters and said, "Innovation in this space is happening on mobile devices first, and it's closest to users and that's where the fastest-growth markets are."

A multimedia newsstand for tablets dubbed Livestand is a weather application for Android mobile devices and a new version of IntoNow is a social application related to television for iPad are among the new products unveiled by Yahoo.

Yahoo has been criticized for its lack of ample strategies to engage the web users who are slowly shifting away from PCs and spending more time on smartphones and tablets. Since Carol's expulsion, the company is undergoing strategic review of its business.

When questioned about how the company will focus on the development of its new product, Irving answered that the staff is dedicated to develop innovative products and the focus on their mission has not changed. He said, "I'm personally more bullish on Yahoo today, than I was two weeks ago, eight weeks ago, and a year ago. We have dreams about what this company can be, and that's what we're building."