Did You Know What ‘Yahoo’ Actually Stands For?

Published

4 weeks ago

September 9, 2026

Tech: Yahoo, one of the early pioneers of the internet, has an interesting story behind its name.

The term “Yahoo” is commonly expanded as “Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle.” Another version is “Yet Another Hierarchically Organized Oracle.”

However, Yahoo was not originally created as an acronym. The phrase was developed later as a playful backronym to match the name.

The project was started by Jerry Yang and David Filo in January 1994. It was initially called “Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web.”

The founders later renamed the project Yahoo. The name was inspired by the fictional Yahoos in Jonathan Swift’s 1726 novel Gulliver’s Travels.

In the novel, Yahoos are portrayed as crude and uncivilized creatures. Yang and Filo reportedly chose the name with a sense of self-deprecating humour.

The backronym also reflected the nature of their early web directory. “Yet Another” suggested that Yahoo was another internet directory of its time.

“Hierarchical” referred to the way websites were arranged into categories and subcategories. “Officious” added a humorous reference to someone who is overly eager to exercise authority.

“Oracle” suggested a source of information and knowledge.

Yahoo later grew into a major internet portal. Its services included Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News and Yahoo Finance.

The company became one of the most recognised names of the early internet era.

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UPI Payment Fails at Singapore Airport, Sparks Discussion

Published

1 week ago

September 29, 2026

Namma Kudla

Tech: An Indian traveller’s failed UPI payment at Singapore’s Changi Airport has sparked a discussion about the challenges of using UPI abroad.

X user Nikhil George tried to pay at The Cocoa Trees using Google Pay. The cashier reportedly warned him that UPI rarely works there. After scanning the QR code, the payment failed with a message saying, “Could not get conversion rate. Try scanning again.”

The incident led to mixed reactions online. Some users said UPI worked well for them in Singapore and Sri Lanka, while others pointed out that success depends on the payment terminal and bank.

Users also discussed foreign exchange charges that may apply when making international UPI payments. NPCI International responded to George and asked him to share more details to help investigate the issue.

The incident highlights that while UPI is available in several countries, the payment experience may vary depending on the merchant, terminal and banking setup.

Tech

Meta AI Chief Deletes Edited Photo Mocking Altman-Amodei Moment

Published

2 weeks ago

September 25, 2026

Namma Kudla

Tech : Meta AI chief Alexandr Wang shared and later deleted an edited photo featuring OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.

The image was based on a viral photo from the India AI Impact Summit, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared with several AI leaders. In the original picture, Altman and Amodei did not hold hands.

Wang edited Meta’s Muse mascot into the photo, placing it between the two AI executives and holding both their hands.

“What can’t Muse do?” Wang wrote on X, jokingly adding that Muse should pick up the Nobel Peace Prize.

The post appeared to poke fun at the rivalry between Altman and Amodei while promoting Meta’s new AI assistant. Wang later deleted the edited image without giving a reason.

Tech

Apple Developing Screenless Fitness Band like Whoop

Published

2 weeks ago

September 24, 2026

Namma Kudla

Tech: Apple is reportedly developing a screenless fitness band similar to Whoop, focusing entirely on health and fitness tracking.

The wearable could feature a fabric wristband with a small computer module and sensors to monitor heart rate and other health data.

Unlike the Apple Watch, it may not have a display, apps or notifications, offering a distraction-free experience.

Bloomberg reports that Apple executives are closely interested in the health wearable market. However, the product is still in development and may not launch before 2028.

Apple is also expanding health-tracking features on the Apple Watch, including advanced heart-rate monitoring and daily readiness metrics.