September 3, 2009 on 11:30 am | In Mac version | 87 Comments
An updated version of Yahoo! Messenger for Mac 3.0 is now available.
This latest version includes a couple of new features and many bug fixes to help enhance overall stability and performance. Other changes were made to ensure compatibility with Apple’s latest version of OS X, Snow Leopard.
For the first time, Insider is now available in Yahoo! Messenger for Mac. The new version of Insider offers quick access to the latest news, including local news for U.S. locations. You can also check the weather, see what awaits you in your Yahoo! Mail inbox, or easily search the web, images or video.
This latest version also includes a “Report a Problem” feature to make it easier for Mac users to report technical issues they’re experiencing. To access it, click on the Help menu and select “Report a Problem to Yahoo!”.
From there you can select the feature area that relates to your issue (sign in, messaging, webcam etc.), and then describe the problem you’re having. We really appreciate it when you submit your problems this way as the diagnostic information that’s included helps us better troubleshoot the issue.
Download Yahoo! Messenger for Mac 3.0 Beta
As always, we appreciate your feedback which you can submit by going to the Help menu in the Mac version and selecting “Send Feedback”.
We hope you enjoy this latest version!
Sarah Bacon
Product Manager
September 1, 2009 on 3:49 pm | In 10 version, 9.0 version, Features | 17 Comments
Last week, users on Yahoo! Messenger 10 Beta got an early look at the new Insider, the window that pops up when you first sign into Messenger for the day. Today, we’re also rolling it out to users on the U.S. versions of Yahoo! Messenger 8.1 and 9.0.
Here’s an overview of what you’ll see in the new Insider:
News, news and more news
We’ve pulled in news from the Yahoo! homepage, as well as headlines from Top Stories, World, Sports, Tech, and everyone’s favorite, Odd Stories (and yes, they are truly odd). If you’re in the U.S., you can also get local news from your town or city. The local news location is the same as what you choose for your weather.
We also included Yahoo! Buzz in its own tab in Insider. You’ll see short summaries of the top 10 news stories that have been buzzed up by internet users.
Yahoo! Mail
While Yahoo! Messenger has always had Yahoo! Mail alerts built-in, the new Mail tab in Insider gives you a handy, snapshot view of your Yahoo! Mail inbox. An indicator on the Mail tab will tell you how many unseen messages you have, and clicking on a message will take you right to it in Yahoo! Mail.
Current weather + 5-day forecast
Below your name you’ll find the current weather conditions for your area. Click on the weather display and you’ll see a 5-day forecast. To change your weather location, click on the location listed to the right of the current forecast. Type in any location in the world and click Go.
Search the web, images and video
The new search box at the top of Insider gives you quick access to Yahoo! Search. We’ve also included search assist to help you find the most common search phrases as you enter in your query.
Skins to match
If you’re on Yahoo! Messenger 10, the color of the new Insider will match the skin that you’ve chosen for your main Messenger windows. On versions 8.1 and 9.0, you’ll see a Skins menu in the upper right corner of the Insider window. Just click on it to select a different skin.
Ads, of course
I’m sure you’ll all be thrilled to know that the same 300×250 ad is still available in Insider. And just below it is a smaller ad where you’ll see tips or promotions related to Yahoo! Messenger. Oh and did we mention that we love it when you click on ads?
If it’s been awhile since you’ve looked at Insider, now’s a great time to give it a fresh look. Just click on the Help menu and select “Yahoo! Insider”.
And if you’d like to turn Insider back on so you see it when you sign in to Yahoo! Messenger, go to Messenger > Preferences > General and check the box next to “Show Yahoo! Insider”.
We hope you enjoy the new Insider. Let us know what you think by leaving a comment here on the blog or by going to the Help menu in Yahoo! Messenger 9.0 or 10 and selecting “Send Feedback”.
Sarah Bacon
Product Manager
