Why Tumblr Won’t Move Yahoo’s Needle

When Yahoo Inc. Chief Executive Marissa Mayer announced that the Internet giant would spend $1.1 billion to acquire blogging site Tumblr, she promised not to “screw it up.” Maybe the young chief should have instead emphasized what the six-year-old fledging startup can do for Yahoo.

News Byte

Mexican Court Tosses $2.75 Billion Award Against Yahoo

The folks at Yahoo are breathing a bit easier on word today that the Superior Court of Justice for the Federal District in Mexico reversed a lower court’s preliminary damage award of $2.75 billion won in a suit filed by Worldwide Directories and Ideas Interactivas. The plaintiffs had sued Yahoo and Yahoo Mexico over alleged breach of contract and lost profits of a yellow pages listing service. The latest ruling leaves intact only $172,500 in damages against Yahoo Mexico. An appeal is possible.

News Byte

Yahoo Acquires To-Do App Maker Astrid

Astrid, which makes a cross-platform to-do app that claims four million users, said Wednesday it had been acquired by Yahoo. Terms were not disclosed. Astrid, which launched in 2008, will continue to support its apps for 90 days.

Yahoo Chairman Fred Amoroso to Step Down in Late June

Former LiveOps CEO Maynard Webb will serve as interim chairman.
fred_amoroso

News Byte

Yahoo Brings Jybe Team Back Into the Fold

Yahoo said Wednesday it had acquired Jybe, maker of a personalized social recommendation app, and its five-member team, all former Yahoos. Neither the terms of the deal nor the plans to integrate the technology into Yahoo’s platform were disclosed.

News Byte

Yahoo Says Work-From-Home Ban Is Strictly an In-House Issue

Yahoo on Tuesday responded to the controversy over its decision to require remote workers to relocate to company offices, issuing a statement that went only fractionally beyond “no comment.” “This isn’t a broad industry view on working from home — this is about what is right for Yahoo right now. We don’t discuss internal matters,” the statement read in its entirety.

News Byte

Yahoo Brings On Sandy Gould to Lead Recruiting

Yahoo announced today it had hired recruitment veteran Sandy Gould, most recently of the Disney/ABC Television Group, as senior vice president of global talent acquisition and development.

News Byte

Tim Cook, Marissa Mayer in the Running for Time’s Person of the Year

Time magazine announced the eight frontrunners for its annual Person of the Year honor today, and right up there with Barack Obama and young Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai are a pair of Silicon Valley CEOs — Apple’s Tim Cook and Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer. The runaway winner in the online reader poll was North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, thanks to strong support among the Internet Wiseguy demographic. The winner will be announced tomorrow.

News Byte

Yahoo Taps Jacqueline Reses as EVP for Human Resources

Yahoo today named Jacqueline Reses, most recently head of the U.S. media group at Apax Partners, as its executive vice president of people and development, overseeing human resources and corporate development.

News Byte

Activision Blizzard CEO Kotick Joins Coca-Cola Board

Coca-Cola announced today it had appointed Bobby Kotick, CEO of videogame publisher Activision Blizzard, to its board. Kotick, 48, has previous boardroom experience, having served as a Yahoo director from 2003 to 2008. “Bobby brings an entrepreneurial mindset and a high level of financial literacy and digital knowledge to our company,” said Coke Chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent.

News Byte

ABC News, Yahoo Announce News Alliance

With the launch of GoodMorningAmerica.com today, ABC News inaugurated an online news alliance with Yahoo that will see the two collaborate on original coverage for both the Web and TV. ABC News, which is prepping the first three installments of a new online-first interview series hosted by its anchors, will become the premier provider on Yahoo News.

Yahoo Reports Progress in Alibaba Talks