Merging all the Official Yahoo! Blogs

New Moon, Blind Side, Planet 51: Critics Roundup

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:54:14 -0800

by Mike Krumboltz

Movie critics probably shouldn’t have bothered. All the reviewers in the world can't stop “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” the second film in the hit franchise, from raking in mountains of cash. Still, a few critics tried.

Roger Ebert, perhaps the most famous movie critic of all time, granted “New Moon” 1 star out of 4, and noted that its teen stars lack energy. “Never have teenagers been in greater need of a jump-start,” said the Pulitzer Prize-winner. The deliciously catty Kyle Smith of the New York Post was predictably unimpressed. Moaned Smith, “This movie moves like the line at the post office."

Other publications were a bit kinder. Claudia Puig of USA Today granted “New Moon” 2.5 stars out of 4 and noted that the film is "an improvement" over the original. The Hollywood Reporter’s Michael Rechtshaffen offered similar sentiments and wrote that “New Moon” is also “exceptionally faithful to its 2008 beginnings.” That quote alone ought to send the franchise’s fans over the moon.

While “New Moon” is getting the vampire’s share of the buzz, there are two other major Hollywood releases hitting theaters this weekend. “The Blind Side,” based on a true story, stars Sandra Bullock as a sassy Midwestern mother who takes in a homeless African American teenager. Heartwarming moments ensue.

Reviews on “The Blind Side” range from positive to “meh.” Respected online critic James Berardinelli applauded the movie for not being cloying, something that can easily happen with inspirational tear-jerkers. Mr. Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter complimented the “energetic performances” from the cast. But there are dissenters. Entertainment Weekly’s Owen Gleiberman commented on the film’s hypocrisy, calling it “a kind of liberal Hollywood version of conservative values.” Ouch.

The last of the three flicks to hit theaters is an animated movie called “Planet 51.” Featuring the vocal talents of Dwayne Johnson, Justin Long, and Gary Oldman, the film is a kind of child-safe, sci-fi adventure with a twist. Instead of aliens landing on Earth, an astronaut lands on an alien planet.

Reviews are, in a word, mixed. Ty Burr of The Boston Globe recommended the movie only to “young children and adults with high pain thresholds,” while Roger Moore of the Chicago Tribune called it “genial but generic.” Other reviewers were more complimentary. Adam Markovitz of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a “B” and said that it "delivers a few pleasant surprises.” Roger Ebert called it “perfectly pleasant as kiddie entertainment."

LeBron James, Project Runway, Thawing Turkey: What's the Buzz

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:47:01 -0800

by Claudine Zap

Our top picks from the day's hottest searches.

Lebron James' house (Searches increased by 1,586%). The basketball star's 35,000 square-foot abode will include a barber shop, sports bar, and a casino.
Thawing turkey (+957%). Yes, it probably is about time to start thinking about doing that.
Project Runway (+576%). Spoiler alert: The mean girl finishes first.
Congo (+157%). Fights over fishing rights have forced 50,000 to flee.
Susan Boyle (+156%). The Internet singing sensation will have a real-live record released next week.

Horror at the Movies: Popcorn

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:29:58 -0800

by Claudine Zap

We would want to be the last ones to ruin movie night, but this just in from Center for Science in the Public Interest: Chowing down on a medium popcorn and soda is the calorie equivalent to three McDonald's quarter-pounders and 12 — yes 12 — pats of butter. And it gets worse: About 90% of this 1,600 calorie bomb comes from fat.

We know, shocker: Movie popcorn is bad for you. But it's even worse than we thought. The killjoys who conducted this test point out that sitting through a two-hour movie isn't exactly "climbing Mt. Everest," but theaters are feeding us like we are. After all, where else do we get food in containers called tubs?

Mainly, the blame lies with the coconut oil used to pop the corn that really packs on the pounds. The two worst offenders are the biggest movie theater chains, Regal and AMC. The theater chain Cinemark switched to the healthier canola oil, so their salty snack comes in slightly better at under 1,000 calories for a medium popcorn. But still. Not exactly diet food. And all this is before you pour on the butter-flavored topping. Not to mention sodium levels that are off the charts. Those super-sized candy boxes are pretty bad too, adding up to around 500 calories for your favorite sugary snack. (And soda — simply extra empty calories in extra-large cups, the study says.)

The L.A. Times quoted a spokesperson for Regal defending the supersized practice by explaining that movie food is a "treat and not intended to be part of a regular diet." But heck, it's so unhealthy, should it even be part of an irregular diet? Clearly, the popcorn police think not.

Intrepid reporters at the New York Post headed to a local movie theater for follow-up. One movie-goer suggested cut-up fruit and veggies as a better way to go. Health food at the movies — why would anyone even bother?

This study is a follow-up to the original report that exposed the shocking truth about popcorn back in 1994. In response, some movie theaters offered — gasp — an airpopped alternative. Guess how well that went over. So successful, the study had to be done again 15 years later. The critics may whine, but the people have spoken: Feedbags with extra butter and salt, please.

New Record for "New Moon"

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:12:58 -0800

by Claudine Zap

The vampire sequel "New Moon" may not be scoring big with critics. But that sure won't be true for the box office. Hordes of Twi-hards stampeded movie theaters for a first look at a midnight viewing.

In fact, fans helped make the teen sensation a record-breaker, with the largest audience ever for a midnight movie. The picture reportedly raked in over $26 million, and beat out similar midnight showings of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and "The Dark Knight."

Of course, we could have guessed that the Robert Pattinson vehicle would go over well: One-day lookups on the Web have soared over 100% for "new moon movie." Movie buffs have also been busy searching on "new moon movie tickets," and "pre order new moon tickets."

All this suggests, says USA Today, a movie weekend that could be the biggest of the year. Stay tuned for further record-breaking news.

Obama's Brother, Elizabeth Lambert, and a Special Delivery: Buzz Week in Review

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:11:31 -0800

by Mike Krumboltz

New faces stirred the Search box this week. Folks quickly turned to the Web to learn more about the president's half-brother, a vilified soccer player, and a 2-year-old who helped deliver his baby brother. Catch up on these stories and more with the Buzz Week in Review.

President Obama's family time
He's still incredibly busy running the country, but President Obama found a little time this past week to catch up with his half-brother. While visiting Beijing on a diplomatic trip, Mr. Obama set aside a few minutes to talk with Mark Okoth Obama Ndesandjo, who shares the same father as the president. Mr. Ndesandjo made some headlines several months ago when he spoke about growing up with whom he called his "abusive father." He and the president have rarely seen each other in person. After their latest meeting, Mr. Ndesandjo said he felt overwhelmed and "over the moon" about getting to see his famous sibling. Details of what was discussed weren't revealed, but Searches still soared on both men's names, as well as "obama family tree."

Foul play on the pitch
In the Internet age, a person can become famous in the blink of an eye. Or, in Elizabeth Lambert's case, infamous. The college soccer player became the focus of intense scrutiny this week after footage surfaced of her pulling an opponent down by her ponytail. The clip has been viewed millions of times on YouTube, and Ms. Lambert has since been suspended indefinitely by her team, the University of New Mexico Lobos. For her part, Ms. Lambert has expressed intense regret for the poor sportsmanship, and is seeing a psychologist to "help her better understand her actions."

Special delivery
It was something out of a bad sitcom: Mom can't get to the hospital fast enough, so her toddler has to help deliver the new baby. This time it really happened, and we're happy to say that both mom, toddler, and baby are doing fine. Bobbye Favazza of Mississippi went into labor and ended up giving birth on the living-room sofa. According to a popular AP article, the woman's toddler, Jeremiha, "got her a towel and caught the baby before firefighters arrived to cut the umbilical cord." The story caught the attention of searchers. Lookups on "two year old delivers baby" experienced a miraculous surge.

Also buzzing this week...
• "New Moon" opened to ravenous crowds and tepid reviews.
• Oprah will end her talk show in 2011.
• Look out, Homer: There's a new character in Springfield.

JLo's "Louboutins," JFK's Death, Black Friday Coupons: What's the Buzz

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:41:18 -0800

by Claudine Zap

Our top picks from the day's hottest searches.

Black Friday coupons (Searches increased by 3,175%). Websites are already promoting deals for the day after Thanksgiving.
John F. Kennedy assassination (+1,450%). Today marks the 46th anniversary of the 35th president's untimely death.
Weekend box office results (+210%). Not bad for a bunch of teen vampires and wolves: The "New Moon" saga brought in the third biggest box-office gross in history.
"Louboutins" (+204%). JLo took a tumble while performing her new single — an ode to the sky-high heels.
Susan Boyle news (+140%). The Internet novelty act put out her first album, which broke pre-order sales on Amazon. Critics were slightly less enthusiastic.

Stay Safe this Friday

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:15:33 -0800

by Mike Krumboltz

A typical shopping trip doesn't result in broken bones and injuries. No need for strict safety measures 364 days a year. But on Black Friday? That's when an ounce of prevention can save you a pound of flesh at the emergency room.

After last year's tragic death during a shopping stampede at a Wal-Mart, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued some safety tips for getting through Black Friday in one piece. The guidelines are aimed at retailers responsible for providing their employees with a safe working environment. That can be a tall order on a day when thousands of sleep-deprived shoppers are desperate to grab rare deals.

So what are the guidelines? The OSHA recommends retailers have security personnel or police officers on site, but that's not all. Stores expecting big crowds should use barricades, make sure local emergency services are aware of the event, use bullhorns to address the crowd, and be aware of the building's maximum occupancy. This year, expect more stores to let shoppers in at a slow and steady pace rather than all at once.

Web searches on "black friday safety" have climbed steadily over the past week. There are also numerous articles and blog posts on the risks shoppers and employees face on Black Friday. MSNBC reports that Wal-Mart for one has implemented many changes. Hopefully all retailers can keep their employees and shoppers safe and out of the ER.

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Zhu Zhu Pets, Side Dishes, "Seinfeld": What's the Buzz

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:44:46 -0800

by Claudine Zap

Our top picks from the day's hottest searches.

Zhu Zhu pet hamster (Searches increased by 3,205%). The motorized pet is a top gift this holiday season. The toy's story starts with, what else, inspiration from YouTube.
Easy Thanksgiving side dishes (+500%). With so many harvest veggies to choose from, you could skip the turkey altogether.
Goldman Sachs (+368%). The investment firm that profited from both the housing bubble and the bailout, has a serious PR problem.
Large Hadron Collider (+305%). The world's biggest atom smasher is back up.
"Seinfeld" (+200%). The reunited cast that turned up on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" finished up with the season finale.

Disney Debuts First Black Princess

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:22:23 -0800

by Claudine Zap

The new Disney fairy tale movie, "Princess and the Frog" has a familiar storyline. (Girl kisses frog. Weird stuff happens.) But the look is new: The debut of Disney's first African American princess. Ever. The animated musical opens this week in New York and Los Angeles (and everywhere next month) and already Web searches on Yahoo! have grown over 100% in the last 30 days.

The story is set in Jazz Age New Orleans, with this princess-in-the-rough working as a waitress. She is only royal in her mind, and dreams of opening a restaurant in the French Quarter. Check out the preview.

Aside from breaking a race barrier (Disney's own), the animated flick is a throw-back to another era: The movie is hand-drawn, with zydeco-style songs by Randy Newman and stars Broadway singer Anika Noni Rose as the princess, Tiana, and queen of daytime Oprah Winfrey as the voice of her mom. And, of course, there are the toys. NPR reports that Tiana toys are already extremely popular with the kids. A new cash cow for Disney, perhaps?

Early reviews are positive. Time magazine calls the holiday offering a "start-to-finish delight." Entertainment Weekly glows that the G-rated movie is "a fresh twist on the classic fairy tale." Filmcritic.com notes that while the cartoon is a visual feast, it serves up little along the theme of race or class. However, images might speak stronger than words in this case. As Filmcritic puts it, "If they're not careful, 'like a Disney movie' might once again cease to be a pejorative phrase."

Old Dogs, The Road, Ninja Assassin: Critic Roundup

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:48:09 -0800

by Mike Krumboltz

Good news for folks looking to escape "family time" and take in a movie — you'll have plenty of options this week. There are several new films opening in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, and the critics are weighing in with their takes on whether or not Hollywood's efforts are worth your money. Here's the scoop...

Based on its critical reception, Disney's "Old Dogs" looks destined to play dead at theaters. The film garnered atrocious reviews. The Chicago Tribune granted the film 0 stars and explained that the movie is "a great opportunity to gather family members you clearly think are stupid." Online critic James Berardinelli granted the movie half a star out of four and wrote that "there are some experiences no one should be subjected to even in the name of science." And the carnage didn't stop. Entertainment Weekly gave the film an "F" and lamented the disappearance of Robin Williams' dignity. Moviegoers — you have been warned.

Reviews for Oscar contender "The Road" were much more positive. The film, based on a Cormac McCarthy novel about the end of the world, isn't exactly uplifting, but critics applauded the film's largely CGI-less look of muted grays and stark landscapes. Also getting much acclaim — Viggo Mortensen, who plays a man desperate to protect his son from the horrors of a post-apocalyptic world. Deborah Young of The Hollywood Reporter called it "bleak but intense." A.O. Scott of The New York Times also praised the movie, but did note that the film's score seems to be too sentimental at times.

For adrenaline junkies, there's "Ninja Assassin." The action film, produced by Andy and Larry Wachowski of "Matrix" fame, scored mixed reviews. Some critics were surprisingly positive. Chris Nashawaty of EW gave the film a "B" and applauded the film's "very cool" fight scenes. Other reviewers were a bit more tepid. David Thomas of Filmcritic.com awarded the film two out of five stars, noting that it will "likely disappoint action fans with excessive CGI gore." Unless she herself is a ninja, you may want to leave Grandma at home.

Myths and Facts About Thanksgiving

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:26:31 -0800

by Mike Krumboltz

Thanksgiving is a uniquely North American holiday. But are those "facts" we learned in school really true? Is Plymouth Rock an actual, well, rock? Did the pilgrims really eat turkey and pumpkin pie? And who made the holiday "official"? The Buzz Log investigates some of the myths and realities of the beloved holiday.

Was there really a Plymouth Rock?
Kids are taught that when the pilgrims arrived in America, they landed on Plymouth Rock. Well, it might not have gone down like that. According to George Mason's History News Network, the Plymouth Rock theory rests on the "dubious testimony" of one man. Historians argue that pilgrims first landed at Provincetown (not Plymouth). Still, one can visit Plymouth Rock if so inclined. According to the Plymouth Rock Foundation, the rock once weighed thousands of pounds. Over the years, the rock split and parts washed out to sea. Pilgrim Hall Museum writes that the world's most famous rock weighs around several tons, a big drop since its heyday. Today, the remains of the rock are housed in a special building so tourists can gawk from a safe distance. Photos aren't exactly awe-inspiring.

Did the first Thanksgiving have turkey?
Probably not. The Christian Science Monitor hosts an excellent article on the first Thanksgiving that happened back in 1621. According to the journals of several of the colonists, deer and large amounts of "fowl" were enjoyed by the pilgrims. However, instead of that being turkey, it's more likely the hunters brought back duck or geese. So why did turkey become associated with the holiday? According to Slate, price may have been a chief reason. "Among the big birds, turkey was ideal for a fall feast. Turkeys born in the spring would spend about seven months eating insects and worms on the farm, growing to about 10 pounds by Thanksgiving." Additionally, they were cheaper than geese. Good news for geese, bad news for the turkey.

Who made Thankgiving official?
Ladies and gentlemen, let's give it up for President Lincoln! That's right, Honest Abe is responsible for making Thanksgiving an official holiday in 1863. National Geographic hosts a blog on some surprising facts about the holiday and notes that Lincoln may have been swayed by magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale, the author of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Historians say she was a big proponent of making Thanksgiving a national holiday. Mr. Lincoln apparently agreed.

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Katie Couric, Palm Pixi, Saab: What's the Buzz

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:05:32 -0800

by Claudine Zap

Our top picks from the day's hottest searches.

Palm Pixi (Searches increased by 882%). The newest Palm phone enters the scene.
Saab (+417%). The Swedish car company may find a new home in Beijing.
Turkey injector recipes (+238%). Sounds like a mad scientist got loose in the kitchen.
Katie Couric (+166%). She's definitely not Dan Rather: The CBS anchor raised some eyebrows when old photos surfaced of her busting a move.
First Lady (+85%). Google seems to have removed an offensive image that came up on searches for Michelle Obama, and apologized after being criticized for not doing so sooner.

Extremely Extreme Turducken

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:44:51 -0800

by Mike Krumboltz

So you fancy yourself a turducken expert, eh? You like to think your Franken-bird is head and feathers above the rest? Prepare thyself for a rude awakening, rube. Your three birds, however delectable, can't hold a candle to (drum roll please)...extreme turkducken!

Back in the early 19th-century, the French created a culinary concoction that has never been topped: 16 different types of bird stuffed into a turkey. All told, that's 17 kinds of meat for the gorging. The meal was appopriately called "roast without equal."

So what sort of birds were in there? According to an article from the Sonoma Valley Sun, there was everything from chicken to lark, from pheasant to partridge. The complete list, courtesy of the Sun: "A bustard was stuffed with a turkey, stuffed with a goose, stuffed with a pheasant, stuffed with a chicken, stuffed with a duck, stuffed with a guinea fowl, stuffed with a teal, stuffed with a woodcock, stuffed with a partridge, stuffed with a plover, stuffed with a lapwing, stuffed with a quail, stuffed with a thrush, stuffed with a lark, stuffed with an Ortolan Bunting, stuffed with (finally) a garden warbler."

Near as we can tell, the roast without equal isn't attempted these days for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that some of those birds are now endangered species. Still, according to a BBC article from 2007, an English farm did create a 12-bird roast that was large enough to feed 125 people. It cost around $1,100.

For those with more modest means and less-Titanic tummies, there's always the good ol' classic turducken. From the looks of Search, it's going to be another popular year for the three-bird combo. Over the past week, Web lookups on "turducken" and "turducken recipes" have each posted triple-digit gains. Attention arteries: Brace for impact.

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Thanksgiving Prep: The Searches Are On

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:00:38 -0800

by Claudine Zap

So, Thanksgiving is almost here. And you're just figuring out now you have no idea what you're doing? Fear not. If search is any indication, you're far from alone. Frantic cooks are looking up last-minute help with "thanksgiving recipes," "turkey cooking tips," and "thanksgiving desserts."

First off, the turkey. While you could go traditional with an oven-cooked meal, one-day searches have soared on the crispy kind: Many may well find a deep-fried fowl on their Thanksgiving table. Queries on the delicious sounding "cajun deep fried turkey recipes" skyrocketed over 1,000%. "Turkey brine" is also popular, as is "roasted turkey recipe." But hey, even searches on "tofurkey," the "bird" carved from soybeans, are big right now. PETA would be proud.

For those who went with frozen poultry, thawing the turkey may be top of mind. Check out foodsafety.gov for cooking and safety tips. But if the turkey is frozen, you can still pop it in the oven and cook. Just plan on 50% more cook time than you would for the unfrozen kind. For "turkey cooking time per pound," you can also check out the guide from Whole Foods Market. If you need extra hand-holding on the big day with the big bird, Butterball is standing by for your cooking questions.

As for everything else beyond the turkey, there are a cornucopia of searches for lots of delicious dishes: "cornbread stuffing recipes," "green bean casserole recipes," "cranberry orange relish," and "pumpkin pie recipes" are all heating up the search box —along with the sobering "how many calories in thanksgiving dinner." Maybe best to leave that one unanswered until after the holidays.

A Boy's Incredible Journey

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:10:32 -0800

by Mike Krumboltz

A 13-year-old boy with a form of autism called Asperger's syndrome was recently found after he went missing for 11 days. According to reports, the boy spent the entire 11 days lost in the New York City subway system.

The boy, Francisco Hernandez Jr., was found back in October, but news of his odyssey was just recently reported in The New York Times. Other outlets, including People and Fox, have also picked up on the incredible story.

Apparently, Hernandez had gotten into trouble at his middle school. Rather than go home and face punishment from his parents, he chose to remove the battery from his cell phone and enter the subway. While riding the rails for a week and a half, Hernandez ate candy, drank bottled water, and used the public restrooms in the subway.

Naturally, the boy's parents were frantic when they couldn't find him. The couple reported him missing to the police as well as the Mexican Consulate. After 11 days, a police officer found him sitting quietly at the Coney Island station. A truly terrifying ordeal, but it did have a happy ending.

The story has inspired tremendous interest in the boy and his journey, as well as Asperger's syndrome. According to People, Asperger's played a pivotal role in Francisco's journey. The syndrome "makes it difficult for him to conduct social interactions," so he was unable to ask for help. He mostly sat and slept, frightened, until he was found and returned to his extremely relieved parents.

The New York Times reported that the boy's mother, Marisela García, is still struggling with "how to manage her son's condition." When asked about his journey, Francisco replied, “I don’t know how I express myself sometimes.”

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Stay Safe Online

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:05:20 -0700

Keeping you safe while you’re online is a top priority for us here at Yahoo!. One important part of your online safety is making sure that nobody else can access your Yahoo! Mail account without your permission, and the best way to do that is to make sure you choose a good password and make sure nobody else knows it or can easily guess it.

I know it can feel like a pain typing out a more detailed password, but none of us want to make it any easier for the bad guys.

My top advice is to be mindful of any Web page that requests your Yahoo! password. The #1 way people get their passwords stolen is by typing them into lookalike “phishing” web sites, pages that pretend to be Yahoo! or another trusted Web site but actually are run by the bad guys. Scrutinize carefully any page that requests your Yahoo! password. In addition:

Make sure the Web page address doesn’t have any misspellings or extra words (e.g. http://www.yah000.com, http://www.yahoo-members.com, or http://www.yahoo.BadGuyEnterprises.com) in it. When it doubt, go straight to http://www.yahoo.com and log in from there.
Be vigilant about anything that doesn’t look right on the page, such as typos, outdated content, or broken or missing pictures.
Best idea: be sure to set up a customized “Sign-In seal” picture — instructions are at https://protect.login.yahoo.com/ — and never enter your password unless you see that picture on the page.

Here are a few more tips to help keep you safe online:

Don’t use the same password on multiple sites. Your Yahoo! Mail account is important to you, so it deserves its own password. That way, if the unthinkable happens on another site, at least your Yahoo! mailbox remains secure.
Never send your password over email. Yahoo! will never request your password from you in an e-mail; if you ever receive such a request, you should treat it as fraud. Do not pass “Go!” Instead immediately click the “Spam” button on that message.
Protect yourself with a virus scanner. Another way passwords get stolen is from a virus that records your keystrokes. Don’t give the bad guys that option: There are a number of anti-virus companies that offer free versions or trial offers, including (in no particular order and with no specific endorsement implied) http://security.symantec.com , http://usa.kaspersky.com/downloads/free-virus-scanner.php, http://us.mcafee.com/root/downloads.asp?id=freeTrials, and http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html.

Unfortunately there is no silver bullet against these criminals and con-men, but hopefully these tips will help us all keep the bad guys at bay.

Martha Stewart and Yahoo! Mail – It’s a Good Thing

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:41:42 -0700

Yahoo! web lifestyle editor, Heather Cabot, was a guest on the Martha Stewart show last Friday. You might remember Heather from her appearance on The View from the Bay last year. Martha’s show on social networking and technology featured guests David Pogue from the New York Times and Biz Stone from Twitter. Heather was on to highlight how Yahoo! makes it easy to bring everything that matters to you in one place.

The beginning of Heather’s segment includes a tour of our newly designed Homepage. But I’m probably a little biased in thinking the best part was when Heather and Martha opened up Yahoo! Mail to highlight some of the open and social features that help you to be more productive and stay better connected. I have to agree with Martha that Picnik is a really great Yahoo! Mail App.

Here’s a link to the videos available from the show on Friday. http://www.marthastewart.com/show/the-martha-stewart-show/the-tech-show. Heather’s segment is number 4.

Add an Extra Address to your Yahoo! Mail

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:49:53 -0700

Today’s post comes from reader suggestion (who will have to remain anonymous, because I seem to have misplaced his email, ping, message from Facebook, LinkedIn etc.), who reminded me that, ‘with all of the fantastic new updates we’ve been releasing lately, like the new social features and Apps in Yahoo! Mail, we sometimes overlook the great features that have been around for ages.’ Features which make Yahoo! Mail the best (not just my opinion) email service around. One such feature is the ability to add an extra mail address to your Yahoo! Mail account.

You’ve got questions, I’ve got answers…

What is it?
An extra mail address is a second Yahoo! email address that is linked to your existing Yahoo! Mail account. It’s another email address, just like your primary one, that you can use to send and receive mail from, while using the exact same Inbox you’re used to. You can even make it the default address that you send email from if you want.

Why do I want one?
I can think of a number of things that you could use the extra mail address for. Here’s just a couple:

Let’s say you’re looking for a new job. If you originally signed up for a mail address like barry_manilow_fan@yahoo.com, you might think twice about putting that at the top of your resume. You can create an extra mail address that is more appropriate for a job search or other business correspondence.
Maybe you just want to have a second email address. There’s a great deal of convenience in being able to check for new mail without having to login and out of two separate accounts.

Sounds good, how do I get one?
It’s easy to set up and start using. From your Yahoo! Mail account click ‘Options’ then ‘Mail Options’ in the upper-right part of your Mailbox. From the Mail Options screen click ‘Accounts’ then ‘Add or edit an Account’. At the bottom of the new window click the ‘Get Started’ link under ‘Extra Mail Address’.

That sounds easy, but I’m still not sure. What else?

You can easily send from this extra email address by selecting it from the pull-down menu when you compose a new message.
You can sign in to your Yahoo! Mail (or anywhere else on Yahoo!) using the extra email address with your existing password.
You can even make the extra email address the default for sending new mail. Just set it as the default in the ‘Mail Accounts’ section of Mail Options.

I really hope you try out this feature. If you get stuck, or want to find out more information about extra email addresses in Yahoo! Mail, take a look at our help pages.

Yahoo! Mail Update

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:30:20 -0700

A small fraction of Yahoo! Mail users may have experienced intermittent email issues earlier today, October 26, but the problem has now been resolved. We believe this was an isolated incident. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. If you are still experiencing any problems with Yahoo! Mail, please contact our Customer Care Team.

Spell Checking with the New Yahoo! Mail

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:40:39 -0800

A few of you have been reporting that you are having issues with the spell-checker in the new version of Yahoo! Mail. I just want to let you know that we are aware of the issue and will have a fix out soon.

In the meantime, you can use the built-in spell checking functionality of some of today’s modern browsers. For example, the latest versions of Firefox, Google Chrome and Safari all have in-line spell checkers. If you don’t have one of those browsers installed or don’t want to install one, you can use classic Yahoo! Mail until we have rolled out the fix (from ‘Options’ click the ‘Switch to Yahoo! Mail Classic’ link).

You can read more on our help pages, or contact out customer care team.