Gossip

Yahoo struggles to find its own web site

Yahoo's attempt to catch up with Skype proceeds apace as it links up - free - with all the text gateways in the world. Well - in the US. Meanwhile, in the UK, you can pay BT money for the service.

According to a  Reuters report (based on a Yahoo press release) the new Yahoo tool "allows users of its local search service to send restaurant or business information in the form of a text message, from a computer to a mobile phone."

UK users who fell for Yahoo's new text service will already know that any attempt to use texting is liable to create an invitation to set up a BT account; so NewsWireless went to the Yahoo media-contact pages to see if there was more to the story than Reuters had printed.

The latest Yahoo story on the site was several days old. It's dated January 18th. It is about a fourth quarter financial statement.

Your Network Sniffer watched while The Boss contacted Yahoo press officials in California. "We can't find the text story," he told that nice Mr Nelson. With a manly chuckle, Nelson said: "Ah, that would be my fault! I'm supposed to update the Web site with the latest releases!" - so we asked him to mail us with the release.

Apparently, California press officers aren't allowed to send press releases to London journalists. "I'll try to contact my team in the UK," he said conspiratorially.

We hope he succeeds. Meanwhile, you can read the Reuters piece, and if Yahoo ever manages to operate the email system, or update its web site, we'll let you know; otherwise, it's all a dark secret. No data over wireless for you Brits!

Reuters also noted that Google, in October, rolled out a test service that allows people to use mobile phones or handheld devices to tap Google's Web search via SMS.

Also, Amazon has announced a local search service that uses voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP, to directly connect users to businesses they have located via Amazon's A9 Web search service.