Yahoo wows with widgets

 

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By Stuart Turton in Las Vegas

Posted on 9 Jan 2009 at 09:10

The emergence of internet television is one of the big trends at this year's CES, and looks set to prove an unexpected boost to Yahoo.

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Yahoo's widgets allow television watchers to click an on-screen icon to access an online service.

The technology will be initially rolled out across Samsung's new line of LED televisions, and a hands on at the company's stand reveals an impressive first step.

Widgets are accessed at the click of a key on the remote, and are grouped by content provider. So, Yahoo has a library, as does Samsung and fellow developer, Intel.

Companies can update their libraries, giving users the option to add or remove widgets as they see fit.

A range of online services are available, including YouTube, Flickr and various information services, and Samsung plans to bolster these services by signing deals with content providers, with Lovefilm mentioned as a possibility.

Alongside Samsung, Sony, LG Electronics, and Vizio have all announced plans to release internet-connected televisions based on Yahoo's widget engine, giving the web company a massive headstart in this potentially profitable market.