Yahoo reaches out beyond browser

Web giant Yahoo has taken the first steps towards moving beyond the browser.

It has announced plans to allow people to use Yahoo e-mail, messaging and other services on mobile phones and via the TV.

Yahoo joins a growing number of net firms that are looking to break out of the confines of the PC browser.

Details of the venture, dubbed Yahoo Go, were revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

In the hand

Yahoo has set up camp in a large tent at CES to provide a taste of how people can access its services on different gadgets.

As mobiles become almost ubiquitous and offer increasingly powerful capabilities, they have attracted the attention of net-based companies.

Google, for example, recently introduced a version of its Gmail e-mail service customised for mobiles.

And internet calling company Skype has released a beta version of its software for Windows smartphones.

Yahoo is dipping its toes into the mobile arena by joining forces with Nokia, Motorola and US carrier Cingular to gain a foothold.

The Nokia handset offers one button to get access to Yahoo mail, contacts and more, mirroring what users get on a browser.

Motorola's Razr and Slivr handsets on Cingular come with a pre-loaded package of Yahoo services.

Big screen service

As well as targeting the small screen, Yahoo has set its sights on larger displays. It has created a version of its services specifically for the TV, running on Windows Media Center PCs.

It means that people would be able, for example, to look at their pictures on the photo-sharing site Flickr on the TV.

Yahoo's move to the living room has being prompted by the evolution of the TV set into the gateway for digital video, music and pictures.

Other big players in the industry such as Microsoft and Intel are also pushing to play a bigger role in the lounge.

CES, the world's largest consumer technology trade show, runs until Sunday.

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