Yahoo! Search BOSS V2 were launched in April, and thanks to the users, the service has been blowing past our expectations. Back then, we promised that there was a lot more to come. Today we would like to announce a few updates to the service.
Control your daily usage limits
Many BOSS developers told us they wanted to be able to control their daily usage. Starting next wek, developers can specify a daily dollar limit for your service consumption. Of course, you can change that limit at any time and can make any combination of queries before hitting that limit. Learn more here on how to set this up. You truly control your own service.
HTTPS support for even more security
Even though we are the only Search API using oAuth, we decided to go one step further. We now allow you to use all the goodness of BOSS with HTTPS. You get all the same functionality that you have with BOSS V2 but you can affix a HTTPS to ensure additional peace of mind. Your search with even more security.
BOSS + SQL, BOSS + YQL
We know that a number of BOSS developers are more familiar with SQL and YQL. We have hence upgraded our BOSS mashup to work with V2, which allows for SQL type querying for the service. As shown in this example about 15 lines of code, you can put together a complete News module. You can also use a user created YQL table with BOSS V2. Download sample mashup code or start using YQL. Your search made relational.
More BOSS news
We added more functionality to the BOSS news service. You can now search for specific headlines, news from a specific location and by specific language. All this powered by the great news content that is indexed by Yahoo! News. Your news, with even more control.
Upgrades in the documentation
We have the best user community in the Search world and we listened to you. In addition to previous examples in PHP, we added code examples in Perl, Python, Ruby, Java and C# to make your jump to BOSS as painless as possible. We noticed the common pitfalls users faced and made sure to provide useful pointers where needed. Check out the documentation and start running with BOSS. Your documents, written your way.
What’s next?
We are truly only scratching the surface of what Y! Search BOSS can offer you. We’re working on delivering a new feature related to blog search. Stay in touch, we’ll share more details in posts to come.
Also as we had announced back in April, we are shutting down BOSS v1 on July 20, 2011, so make sure you transition your applications. If you have any questions reach out to us on the BOSS Yahoo! Group – we are always waiting to help.
New Yahoo Clues Launches
Have you ever wondered how powerful it would be to instantly discover what’s popular to a select group of searchers – by age or gender – over the past day, week or even over the past year?
What if you had controls at your fingertips that let you slice and dice Yahoo! searchers by criteria such as gender, age group and regional interest, or gain deep insights from comparing search terms?
Welcome to the new Yahoo! Clues. This free service gives you fun and engaging ways to explore what users are searching for on Yahoo!, offering a “behind the scenes” look into popular search trends.
Top Trends, a key new feature, allows endless exploration of the most popular search terms on Yahoo! Search. Using filter selections, you can choose a combination of time range, gender, age group and geographic location, and even search term category – and Top Trends shows you what’s popular.
Other enhancements to Yahoo! Clues, first introduced back in November 2010, include:
New site design – Clues now includes a home page with navigation to the Top Trends and Trend Analysis features.
More data – We have expanded the history from one month to over 12 months, and covering over three times as many search terms as the previous release.
Global coverage – All English-language searches globally are available.
New map – Trend Analysis includes a brand new map that puts the data at the center of the experience with beautiful heat map visualizations.
Yahoo! Clues is one of the key tools behind the popular Yahoo! search trends stories on our blog, such as last week’s post on the Fourth of July searches, this year’s American Idol projections, Oprah’s Effect on web searches, or even search trends after major news events such as the Death of Bin Laden or the Japan earthquake.
As I ??discussed with Vera H-C Chan during SXSW Interactive earlier this year, analyzing search trends helps us understand the impulses and processes of why people make their choices at that particular moment in time. Furthermore, the massive global scale of Yahoo! Search activity provides a unique ability to instantly poll a huge sample size of our users to spot future trends or dig into what’s popular.
The questions are endless…
For more details on what’s new for Yahoo! Clues, visit the Clues help page, and to start exploring now, go check out the new Yahoo! Clues.
What if you had controls at your fingertips that let you slice and dice Yahoo! searchers by criteria such as gender, age group and regional interest, or gain deep insights from comparing search terms?
Welcome to the new Yahoo! Clues. This free service gives you fun and engaging ways to explore what users are searching for on Yahoo!, offering a “behind the scenes” look into popular search trends.
Top Trends, a key new feature, allows endless exploration of the most popular search terms on Yahoo! Search. Using filter selections, you can choose a combination of time range, gender, age group and geographic location, and even search term category – and Top Trends shows you what’s popular.
Other enhancements to Yahoo! Clues, first introduced back in November 2010, include:
New site design – Clues now includes a home page with navigation to the Top Trends and Trend Analysis features.
More data – We have expanded the history from one month to over 12 months, and covering over three times as many search terms as the previous release.
Global coverage – All English-language searches globally are available.
New map – Trend Analysis includes a brand new map that puts the data at the center of the experience with beautiful heat map visualizations.
Yahoo! Clues is one of the key tools behind the popular Yahoo! search trends stories on our blog, such as last week’s post on the Fourth of July searches, this year’s American Idol projections, Oprah’s Effect on web searches, or even search trends after major news events such as the Death of Bin Laden or the Japan earthquake.
As I ??discussed with Vera H-C Chan during SXSW Interactive earlier this year, analyzing search trends helps us understand the impulses and processes of why people make their choices at that particular moment in time. Furthermore, the massive global scale of Yahoo! Search activity provides a unique ability to instantly poll a huge sample size of our users to spot future trends or dig into what’s popular.
The questions are endless…
For more details on what’s new for Yahoo! Clues, visit the Clues help page, and to start exploring now, go check out the new Yahoo! Clues.
YDN QA with DuckDuckGo a search engine built with BOSS
Rahul Hampole, Senior Product Manager for Yahoo! Search BOSS, recently interviewed DuckDuckGo founder Gabriel Weinberg by email for the Yahoo! Developer Network’s blog. One of the Q&A’s include:
How does Yahoo! Search BOSS appeal to a developer like you (both on the product side and the business side)?
On the product side, it enables a developer to deliver a fully functioning general-purpose search engine to a consumer, which is pretty amazing if you think about it. As such, it really opens up the possibility to innovate in search.
On the business side, the pricing structure enables you to find a profitable niche. Third-party advertising is allowed, and you can also use the Yahoo! Search ads, which should cover costs.
For more of the Q&A, check out the YDN blog interview.
How does Yahoo! Search BOSS appeal to a developer like you (both on the product side and the business side)?
On the product side, it enables a developer to deliver a fully functioning general-purpose search engine to a consumer, which is pretty amazing if you think about it. As such, it really opens up the possibility to innovate in search.
On the business side, the pricing structure enables you to find a profitable niche. Third-party advertising is allowed, and you can also use the Yahoo! Search ads, which should cover costs.
For more of the Q&A, check out the YDN blog interview.
Introducing schemaorg A Collaboration on Structured Data
Today we’re announcing schema.org, a new initiative from Yahoo!, Bing, and Google, to create and support a common set of schemas for structured data markup on web pages. With schema.org, webmasters and developers can learn about structured data and improve how their sites appear in search results on Bing, Google, and Yahoo!. Information and tips are available on schema.org, a one-stop resource for webmasters looking to add markup to make their pages better understood by search engines.
In 2008, Yahoo! showed its support of structured data through the launch of the SearchMonkey program. We won plaudits and awards for our work but most importantly Yahoo! helped boost an increase in markup on the web which in turn helped improve the search experience by resolving questions quickly through enhanced result displays. SearchMonkey also helped Yahoo! kick start various initiatives to provide a better search experience, including automatic rich results and richer object displays on Yahoo! Search.
We continue our support of the open web and in an effort to delight our users with richer and more useful user experiences we’ve come together with Bing and Google to pool our experiences and to support a common set of schemas, just as search engines came together to support sitemaps.
Today’s announcement offers tremendous opportunity for growth. In addition to consolidating the schemas for the vocabularies we already support, there are schemas for more than a hundred newly created categories including movies, music, organizations, TV shows, products, places and more. We will continue to expand these categories by listening to feedback from the community and will continue publishing new schemas on a regular basis. Don’t worry if your site has already added RDFa or microformats currently supported by our Enhanced Displays program, that site will still appear with an Enhanced Display on Yahoo! – no changes required.
As webmasters add this markup to their sites, search engines can develop richer search experiences. Yahoo! is leading the way in this space and recently announced alignment between search and our Web of Objects program to deliver engaging answers through Search Direct. We look forward to seeing structured markup continue to grow on the web, power richer search results, and enable you to find answers faster to even more complex queries.
In 2008, Yahoo! showed its support of structured data through the launch of the SearchMonkey program. We won plaudits and awards for our work but most importantly Yahoo! helped boost an increase in markup on the web which in turn helped improve the search experience by resolving questions quickly through enhanced result displays. SearchMonkey also helped Yahoo! kick start various initiatives to provide a better search experience, including automatic rich results and richer object displays on Yahoo! Search.
We continue our support of the open web and in an effort to delight our users with richer and more useful user experiences we’ve come together with Bing and Google to pool our experiences and to support a common set of schemas, just as search engines came together to support sitemaps.
Today’s announcement offers tremendous opportunity for growth. In addition to consolidating the schemas for the vocabularies we already support, there are schemas for more than a hundred newly created categories including movies, music, organizations, TV shows, products, places and more. We will continue to expand these categories by listening to feedback from the community and will continue publishing new schemas on a regular basis. Don’t worry if your site has already added RDFa or microformats currently supported by our Enhanced Displays program, that site will still appear with an Enhanced Display on Yahoo! – no changes required.
As webmasters add this markup to their sites, search engines can develop richer search experiences. Yahoo! is leading the way in this space and recently announced alignment between search and our Web of Objects program to deliver engaging answers through Search Direct. We look forward to seeing structured markup continue to grow on the web, power richer search results, and enable you to find answers faster to even more complex queries.
Yahoo Search Trends State Fairs Still a Summer Staple According To Online Searches
An enduring summer ritual, Americans have been attending state and county fairs since 1841 and still turn out in droves for livestock judging, butter sculpting, cheese curds and fun family entertainment. Did you know that women search on Yahoo! for “state fairs” more than men and that Wisconsin, Missouri and New Jersey search the most for “state fairs”?
According to Yahoo!, the Top 10 Searched State Fairs are:
1. Texas State Fair
2. New York State Fair
3. Minnesota State Fair (searches are up 88% this week)
4. Wisconsin State Fair (searches are up 17% this week and this state searches for “state fairs” more than any other state this month on Yahoo!)
5. Indiana State Fair
6. Ohio State Fair (searches are up 215% this week)
7. Iowa State Fair (searches are up 66% this week)
8. Illinois State Fair (searches are up 19% this week)
9. California State Fair
10. Oregon State Fair
Today, state fairs have evolved from food and livestock competitions to events the whole family can enjoy with performances this season from nostalgic rock bands like Journey, Def Leopard and Pat Benatar to country favorites Reba McEntire and Alan Jackson. According to Yahoo!, searches this month are spiking for Sugarland, Train and Lady Antebellum, proving they are the hot acts to see this year and are some of the busiest bands on the 2011 state fair circuit.
According to Yahoo!, Top 10 Busiest Bands on the 2011 State Fair Circuit are:
1. Big Time Rush
2. Maroon 5
3. Train
4. Gavin Degraw
5. The Oak Ridge Boys
6. Lady Antebellum
7. Toby Keith
8. Jason Aldean
9. Sugarland
10. MC Hammer
Carnival staple: A trip to the fair would not be complete without a ride on the Ferris wheel or the Tilt-a-whirl, but this year searches are spiking for alternative carnival rides like “crazy mouse” and “the scrambler.” 33% of searches for “carnival rides” on Yahoo! come from those 24-33.
According to Yahoo!, Top 10 Rides on the State Fair Midways are:
1. Ferris Wheel
2. Tilt-a-whirl
3. Merry-Go-Round/Carousel
4. Freak Out
5. The Zipper
6. Skywheel
7. Scrambler/Sizzler
8. Pharaoh’s Fury/Pirate Ship
9. Alpine Bobs/Himalaya
10. Crazy Mouse
Whether you go to see your favorite band, to sample funnel cake or to see an entire sculpture made from butter, there is something for everyone at the state fair.
All data is based on the last 3 months.
According to Yahoo!, the Top 10 Searched State Fairs are:
1. Texas State Fair
2. New York State Fair
3. Minnesota State Fair (searches are up 88% this week)
4. Wisconsin State Fair (searches are up 17% this week and this state searches for “state fairs” more than any other state this month on Yahoo!)
5. Indiana State Fair
6. Ohio State Fair (searches are up 215% this week)
7. Iowa State Fair (searches are up 66% this week)
8. Illinois State Fair (searches are up 19% this week)
9. California State Fair
10. Oregon State Fair
Today, state fairs have evolved from food and livestock competitions to events the whole family can enjoy with performances this season from nostalgic rock bands like Journey, Def Leopard and Pat Benatar to country favorites Reba McEntire and Alan Jackson. According to Yahoo!, searches this month are spiking for Sugarland, Train and Lady Antebellum, proving they are the hot acts to see this year and are some of the busiest bands on the 2011 state fair circuit.
According to Yahoo!, Top 10 Busiest Bands on the 2011 State Fair Circuit are:
1. Big Time Rush
2. Maroon 5
3. Train
4. Gavin Degraw
5. The Oak Ridge Boys
6. Lady Antebellum
7. Toby Keith
8. Jason Aldean
9. Sugarland
10. MC Hammer
Carnival staple: A trip to the fair would not be complete without a ride on the Ferris wheel or the Tilt-a-whirl, but this year searches are spiking for alternative carnival rides like “crazy mouse” and “the scrambler.” 33% of searches for “carnival rides” on Yahoo! come from those 24-33.
According to Yahoo!, Top 10 Rides on the State Fair Midways are:
1. Ferris Wheel
2. Tilt-a-whirl
3. Merry-Go-Round/Carousel
4. Freak Out
5. The Zipper
6. Skywheel
7. Scrambler/Sizzler
8. Pharaoh’s Fury/Pirate Ship
9. Alpine Bobs/Himalaya
10. Crazy Mouse
Whether you go to see your favorite band, to sample funnel cake or to see an entire sculpture made from butter, there is something for everyone at the state fair.
All data is based on the last 3 months.
Yahoo Search is looking for Insiders
The last time I needed a cab ride to the airport, I knew I was in for multiple calls to at least three or four taxi companies before I could find one available within 15 minutes. So, I dove into the app store and its hundreds of thousands of apps to see what I could find.
I’d heard about UberCab, so I started there. I downloaded the app, but after going through sign-up and registration, I wasn’t sure how I’d be charged for the ride. I then searched some more and downloaded Taxi Magic and Cabulous. The Taxi Magic app scouted local cab companies for an available taxi, allowing me to pay the driver directly, so I booked and finished my search without trying the Cabulous app.
Apps are great in this way, but I did wish there was a better method to discover new apps, and find that one app I liked and could depend on.
The ratings and reviews in app stores help, but with 425,000-plus apps in the Apple App Store and 200,000 apps in Android Market, discovering new apps you like isn’t easy. And what’s more challenging – if you don’t know the specific name of the app you want, finding the right app out of the tens of thousands of possibilities requires multiple searches, downloads, and general uncertainty about the quality of the app you download.
Mobile users rely on apps to continuously be informed and entertained, yet discovering new apps on a daily basis is still much more difficult and less intuitive than searching for Web content on the PC.
At Yahoo! Search, we think there is a better way – both for discovering personally relevant apps on a daily basis and finding the utility apps that help get the job done – regardless of the type of device or platform.
Today, we are ?? introducing two fun, fast ways to search and discover mobile apps: Yahoo! App Search on the PC, and AppSpot, a new mobile application. Together, they take the guesswork out of finding relevant and interesting apps for users.
First, Yahoo! AppSpot, a mobile search app for iPhone, iPod touch and Android users, is packed with unique features:
Daily Personal Picks: Unlike ‘Top Apps’ lists that provide the same apps day after day, you’ll get new, personalized app suggestions on a daily basis, so you’re always introduced to the latest, most interesting, and relevant apps.
More Precise Results: Using Yahoo!’s sophisticated search technology, quickly zero-in on an app by showing matching app titles as well as related keywords as you type.
Related Apps: Discover similar apps within the “more apps you’ll love” section to find related apps that best match your needs.
At-a-Glance Shopping: Review the price, overall star ratings, screenshots, and description all on one screen to avoid the endless scrolling.
Fast & Easy Downloads: Direct links to the specific app pages within the Apple App Store or Android Marketplace make downloading an app a snap.
Second, we are rolling out Yahoo! App Search to provide the best of both the PC and mobile worlds –you get the convenience and speed to shop on your PC and the ability to easily download apps on your mobile device.
Yahoo! Search is continuing our mission to take search beyond just links to provide you with direct answers and great content discovery experiences – whenever and wherever you want.
Start discovering new apps today! AppSpot is available now for download on AppSpot for iPhone and iPod touch and AppSpot for Android. Or give it a spin on your PC at http://apps.search.yahoo.com
I’d heard about UberCab, so I started there. I downloaded the app, but after going through sign-up and registration, I wasn’t sure how I’d be charged for the ride. I then searched some more and downloaded Taxi Magic and Cabulous. The Taxi Magic app scouted local cab companies for an available taxi, allowing me to pay the driver directly, so I booked and finished my search without trying the Cabulous app.
Apps are great in this way, but I did wish there was a better method to discover new apps, and find that one app I liked and could depend on.
The ratings and reviews in app stores help, but with 425,000-plus apps in the Apple App Store and 200,000 apps in Android Market, discovering new apps you like isn’t easy. And what’s more challenging – if you don’t know the specific name of the app you want, finding the right app out of the tens of thousands of possibilities requires multiple searches, downloads, and general uncertainty about the quality of the app you download.
Mobile users rely on apps to continuously be informed and entertained, yet discovering new apps on a daily basis is still much more difficult and less intuitive than searching for Web content on the PC.
At Yahoo! Search, we think there is a better way – both for discovering personally relevant apps on a daily basis and finding the utility apps that help get the job done – regardless of the type of device or platform.
Today, we are ?? introducing two fun, fast ways to search and discover mobile apps: Yahoo! App Search on the PC, and AppSpot, a new mobile application. Together, they take the guesswork out of finding relevant and interesting apps for users.
First, Yahoo! AppSpot, a mobile search app for iPhone, iPod touch and Android users, is packed with unique features:
Daily Personal Picks: Unlike ‘Top Apps’ lists that provide the same apps day after day, you’ll get new, personalized app suggestions on a daily basis, so you’re always introduced to the latest, most interesting, and relevant apps.
More Precise Results: Using Yahoo!’s sophisticated search technology, quickly zero-in on an app by showing matching app titles as well as related keywords as you type.
Related Apps: Discover similar apps within the “more apps you’ll love” section to find related apps that best match your needs.
At-a-Glance Shopping: Review the price, overall star ratings, screenshots, and description all on one screen to avoid the endless scrolling.
Fast & Easy Downloads: Direct links to the specific app pages within the Apple App Store or Android Marketplace make downloading an app a snap.
Second, we are rolling out Yahoo! App Search to provide the best of both the PC and mobile worlds –you get the convenience and speed to shop on your PC and the ability to easily download apps on your mobile device.
Yahoo! Search is continuing our mission to take search beyond just links to provide you with direct answers and great content discovery experiences – whenever and wherever you want.
Start discovering new apps today! AppSpot is available now for download on AppSpot for iPhone and iPod touch and AppSpot for Android. Or give it a spin on your PC at http://apps.search.yahoo.com
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