Yahoo Inc. has acquired Konfabulator, the software maker who created widgets -- mini applications which monitor weather, sports, news and more -- for the Macintosh in 2003. Yahoo confirmed the purchase was finalized late last week for an undisclosed price. A Yahoo spokesman confirmed to The Mac Observer early Monday it will continue to develop widgets for the Mac platform.
Yahoo told the Associated Press it plans to expand the range and reach of widgets by creating a number of tools that will allow customers to access Yahoo content via customized widgets, without requiring a browser to see it. In addition, Yahoo plans to give away the Konfabulator software that creates widgets. Konfabulator had been charging US$20 for the software. Anyone who bought version 2.0 of the software since mid-May will be given refunds, said Konfabulator CEO Arlo Rose.