Yahoo has made some purchases that many wondered why they were doing it. Many guesses... I am starting to see something in the works. Yahoo now has a rival map service that is like MSN and Google and they are pushing the use of their API's.
Yahoo bought UpComing.org and now guess what? There is a web 2.0 application merging Yahoo Maps beta, UpComing and Flash 8.0.
MashUpcoming.com
http://www.MashUpcoming.com
Here are some properties Yahoo bought:
Flickr
UpComing.org
Konfabulator
Seeing them merge together in one app seems cool. Also considering that Yahoo has HotJObs, the map feature along with RSS feeds can a little know app called Konfabulator can make job hunting a little simpler.
Don't count out AOL just yet. With the Live 8 show last summer, AOL is showing that it has some spark left. the new AOL look is good, its video library is slowly being made available, it has new online shows... I wonder if TimeWarner finally has a plan?
Will they FINALLY use Netscape and WinAmp to put content o the web that people want to see? Will it be free? Will AOL finally get its act together? A plan looks afoot. Even WinAmp gets all these minor updates, and new features lik XM Radio and being able to play videos from gaming to CNN.
Makes you wonder if there is going to be a new online war that will include AOL. Instead of one of the big 3 trying to buy AOL, maybe the big 3 becomes the big 4.