Yahoo isn't ceding the webmail market to the likes of Gmail and Hotmail; the company has announced the launch of a cleaner, faster and more social version of Yahoo Mail.
The new Yahoo Mail Beta, which will debut in the next few weeks, focuses on providing the user with a slicker, cleaner and snappier interface. Yahoo says that many of its core features have been "re-architeched" in an effort to make downloading and e-mailing a faster experience. The interface itself is reminiscent of the Gmail interface.
Yahoo has also made its e-mail client more social. Like Gmail or Hotmail, if someone sends you a link from Flickr or YouTube, those photos or videos will automatically be embedded in the e-mail. Flickr (a Yahoo property) also includes a new slideshow feature.
Facebook and Twitter are the big social additions to Yahoo Mail, though. As part of its strategy to integrate social media into its products, Yahoo is giving its mail users the ability to update their statuses on Facebook and Twitter. The "What's New" tab also lets you see your friends' updates from Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr.
Google and Microsoft have been upping the ante recently with updates to their webmail products, so Yahoo's move shouldn't surprise anybody. Microsoft recently reinvented Hotmail, bringing a faster interface, integration with Office Web Apps and a new "Sweep" function. Gmail Priority Inbox on the other hand is a major reinvention of e-mail management that has launched to mostly positive reviews.