Yahoo Inc. is opening up its IM (instant messaging) network so that external developers can extend its functionality with new applications. Yahoo last month released a new beta version of Yahoo Messenger with Voice, along with software development tools for creating plugins for it. The IM beta version will have some plugins already installed by default, and allow users to choose others.
The U.S. House of Representatives has defeated a provision to require U.S. broadband providers to offer the same speed of service to competitors that's available to partners, a major defeat to a coalition of online companies and consumer groups.
Just months after evidence emerged that Yahoo Inc. provided information that led to the arrest and imprisonment of Chinese journalist Shi Tao, the company is once again taking criticism for handing over information that allegedly led to the imprisonment of a Chinese political dissident.