Yahoo shows off new homepage

The new Yahoo homepage will have a Web 2.0 look and feel

Yahoo is testing out a new homepage that boasts social networking features.

The firm has offered a number of its users access to a trial version of the new site, which features markedly different features on its front page.

Included in the redesign are Yahoo staples including news and entertainment, but on the left hand panel is an active list of running applications.

These applications, which include Mail, Flickr and eBay, provide up-to-date information and real-time updates. For example, current screenshots show the eBay tab displaying information on running auctions.

The new features give the Yahoo front page much more of a Web 2.0 look and feel, according to Tapan Bhat, senior vice president for front doors, communities and network services at Yahoo.

"After lots of ongoing research (focus groups, usability experiments etc) we have begun testing an all-new, more streamlined Yahoo.com that will bring the things that matter most to you, no matter where they 'live' on the web," he said in a blog post yesterday.

Bhat explained that more features would be added over time, including friends' feeds that let users stay informed of their contacts' changes and movements.

Only a small group of users in a number of countries have been invited to participate in the trial, and Yahoo is not currently accepting applications.