Yahoo buys Widget maker Konfabulator

Yahoo announced today that it has agreed to buy Konfabulator maker of the popular widgets for computers which provide a whole lot of information on the desktop like Weather, stock qoutes etc without openinhg the web browswer.

Konfabulator based out of Palo alto, introduced the concept of widgets to Apple Inc that apple liked it so much and have an exclusive widget dashboard on MAC.Konfabulator's development team is just three people and konfabulator makes their widgets for PCs and MAC.

Yahoo is trying out new ways to make optimum use of its huge content in the early days by tweaking its messenger software. But as messenger is getting obsolete and Yahoo is thinking konfabulator widgets will do the job of getting its content to internet public will tiny little animated icons. Yahoo deal finalized last week givess yahoo access to a toolbox of mini-applications which will be able to opne up the wealth of information on Yahoo's website without opening a web browser. The widgets will connect to the Yahoo's website through internet when the PC is booted without requiring a browser and displays the information like weather, stock qoutes etc through an animated icon in the computer desktop.

The software platform will be called as Yahoo! widgets and will; be given away free just like the yahoo messenger. People who have bought Konfabulator widge since mid-may will be given refunds of the $20 they paid for the konfabulator software.

Yahoo Widgets might open up a new area of revenue for Yahoo as yahoo may tweak it to inculde paid advertisements, or may even charge a small subscription for the internet community to access its premium content.

Author: Rameshrajan
Email: rajan.ramesh@gmail.com
www.visteoconsulting.com