It’s never easy saying goodbye (it’s my last Product Pulse), but I leave you with the tenth anniversary of Viagra to help you rise to the occasion. And don’t you worry — the Pulse will live on. Have a look at what we’ve raised up this week:

• Let there be sound: Yahoo! Messenger gets Mac-tastic with the launch of the latest Mac Beta version, now with voice calling. Now you can make free PC-to-PC calls, make calls from your Mac to regular mobile phones (worldwide!) for as low as one penny a minute, and let your friends call you on your Mac from any phone. That’s not all — you get a free voicemail, so pals can leave a message when you’re away or not logged into Yahoo! Messenger. If you’d rather take all your calls, make use of the forwarding feature to send incoming calls to any regular or mobile phone number (you’ll need a Phone Out to do this). Download it here and read about the other handy phone tricks for your Mac here.
• Be there in a Dash: GPS devices just got juiced up with Internet connectivity. Dash Express (created by Dash Navigation), the first two-way connected GPS device, is now available on Amazon.com . It offers you the most accurate traffic and destination info, all from the comfort of your car - no wires necessary. (Think live info gathering and sharing from other commuters on the roads during peak commute times and an auto-update to software, maps, and historical traffic data.) Just be ready to fork out $399. And the best part? With a touch of a button, you can find everything from the nearest bakery to the cheapest taqueria with the power of the Internet, including Yahoo! Local search results.
• Popcorn time!: Nothing beats surround-sound theater speakers and that extra shot of butter on your popcorn. Now keep tabs of all the latest movies and showtimes at the theaters you want by adding the Movie Showtimes module on your My Yahoo! page. Add the module and click “Edit Module Preferences” icon to update your start page with movie screens in your hood.

Subscribe to the RSS feed (or add it to My Yahoo!) to get this Product Pulse every week.

It’s been 45 years since The Rock was designated to hold bad guys the likes of Al Capone and “Machine Gun” Kelly. Gangsta cred or not, there’s no escaping this week’s updates:

• Mobile March Madness: Now you can keep tabs on all the latest college hoops action wherever and whenever from your mobile phone with three new tools. You can get up-to-the minute news, scores, schedules and images on the dedicated mobile NCAA page, the new Men’s College Hoops mobile widget (you’ll need Yahoo! Go 3.0), and specially-configured Yahoo! oneSearch results, with specialized men’s college basketball content from Yahoo! Sports and Rivals.com. No need to be tied to your computer screen to keep score. More here.
• Team spirit: We’ve got more Audibles to cheer your NCAA team on Yahoo! Messenger. Whether it’s to jeer at your friends’ alma mater or boo a bad play, we’ve got Audibles (like a referee calling an offensive foul) and new avatar gear (find jerseys from more than 25 schools) to show your team pride. Make sure you’re using Yahoo! Messenger 8.1 or 9.0 beta to get your spirit on.
• Staying on topic: You may have heard about the “New with Me” profile page on MyBlogLog that pulls together all your activity across the Internet and shows people what you’re up to (like a feed of all your updates and your friends’ updates). We’ve just added a new Tags page that combs through your “New with Me” page into relevant pages called Topics. What does this mean? Not only can you see an aggregation of your friends’ Internet whereabouts in one place, now you can find what your MyBlogLog community is saying, doing, thinking about any topic you find interesting quick and easy. BTW: Find out what the Easter chatter is here.

Subscribe to the RSS feed (or add it to My Yahoo!) to get this Product Pulse every week.

Can’t live without your 500-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets? Well, thank Eli Whitney for figuring out a way to remove the seeds from cotton 214 years ago. After you finish thinking about the touch, the feel, read on for what we’ve seeded up this week.

• And the nominees are: It’s the final day of nominations for the Yahoo! Video Awards, so get your favorite videos into the line up. We’ve got it all — videos about zombies to Weird Al’s childhood. There are categories for all your interests including Best Indie Music Video, Best Internet Personality, Best Series, and more. And don’t worry, it’s okay to just vote. You may want to wait until Monday after all the nominees have loaded up their videos. Read more here.
• Getting foxy: Through our new friendship with FoxyTunes, we have a brand new version of FoxyTunes 2.0 for IE (freshly beta) to let you control any media player while surfing the web. What’s new? Now you can change the appearance of your FoxyTunes by installing custom skins (we’ve already got 11 skins available) and down the road you’ll be able to create your very own. We’ve even added a FoxyTunes Mini, basically a universal desktop widget that’s a customizable, collapsible, and skinnable version of its big bro. The best part — there’s a timer and alarm clock feature that lets you set your media player to your favorite song. The best part of waking up.
• Retiring in style: As Yahoo! Messenger turns 9.0, we’ve decided to retire our vintage versions (5.5 and 5.6). After April 1, if you’re using version 5.5 or 5.6, you will no longer be able to sign in. We know change is hard, so we’ve got two alternatives to help make it easier. You can download the new Yahoo! Messenger 8.1 or the 9.0 beta, or try our Yahoo! Messenger for the Web. Both options offer better protection from spam, advanced features like voice calling and SMS, and the addition of your friends on Windows Live Messenger. And rest assured, your existing friends will follow up when you make the move! For more info go here and stay dialed into what else the team’s got up their sleeve here.
• Luck of the Irish: Whether you’re Irish or not, green beer and green cheer is just around the corner. So make it official by greening your My Yahoo! page with our new St. Paddy’s themed layout (complete with shamrocks, peeking rainbow, and blue skies). Go here and click on “Seasonal,” then go with the “St. Patrick’s” option.

Subscribe to the RSS feed (or add it to My Yahoo!) to get this Product Pulse every week.

Feeling the need for speed? Let’s give a birthday cheer and toast to Janet Guthrie for breaking the mold 70 years ago, as the first woman to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500. And you thought Danica was racy. After you’ve caught your breath, check out our speedy updates.

• Everything in one place: Imagine being able to link practically any kind of Web content to your phone (think news feeds, web sites, videos, images, emails, search queries). Yahoo! onePlace works like a smart mobile bookmarking tool and brings all your favorite content in one place with one click. You organize it how you want it and it dynamically updates itself (like flight status). It’s also designed to link to your personalized content on the Yahoo! network (My Yahoo!, Flickr, del.icio.us) and other sites too (like Yelp and Digg). One caveat: it’s coming out in Q2 2008. So keep those fingers ready!
• Test-drive worthy: Yahoo! Maps just got juiced up with new neighborhood data, expanded worldwide coverage (especially throughout Eastern Europe), and some new stylistic improvements like lighter map tiles and hybrid road colors. The coolest part is the new lower zoom levels and view into 12,000 new neighborhoods like the “Lower East Side” in New York. We’ve even added new “points of interest” info like schools, rest areas, and ski resorts. There’s more to come, so stay tuned and read more here.
• All things digital: If you’re addicted to Kara Swisher’s daily “BoomTown” chatter, we’ve got the perfect addition to your My Yahoo! page. The new “All Things Digital” module lets you stay on top of the Valley tidbits with the latest tech commentary and analysis from Kara, Walt Mossberg, and John Paczkowski. Add it here.
• The eagle has landed: Well, for developers that is. For Web, mobile, and desktop developers that haven’t yet gotten wind of the news, Fire Eagle (our new open location-based platform) has beta launched so you can build cool applications that hone in on a user’s location. How does it work? Users share their location (in a secure and safe way) so that you can create cool ways for them to discover the world around them. It’s invite-only, so make sure to ask for an invitation and keep tabs on the team’s updates.

Subscribe to the RSS feed (or add it to My Yahoo!) to get this Product Pulse every week.

Need an extra day? Well, here ya go, the gift of a Leap Day. You’ll just have to wait another four years for the next one. In the meantime, take a looksee at what we’ve rounded up.

• Send a loud smooch: If you’ve ever wanted to make your Yahoo! Messenger emoticons come to life (with sound), now you can! Choose from eight audible emoticons like the cowboy, happy face, the devil and more. Here’s how. Once you have an IM window open, click the audibles icon (the one with the lips) right above your text box (works only on Yahoo! Messenger 8.1 or 9.0). Click the “More Audibles” button on the right, select “See All Audibles,” then choose the “emoticon” option, and let er rip! Yeehaw! Read more here.
• Ultimate fighting: Not the spandex-wearing kind, think mixed martial arts fighting with grappling holds and kicks. On March 1, sports fans everywhere can view the Ultimate Fighting Championship event, UFC 82: Pride of a Champion live via pay-per-view on Yahoo! Sports (we’re the new online distributor for UFC, so more of these to come). Who will be crowned the champion – PRIDE Champion Dan Hendersen, or UFC Champion Anderson Silva? That much you’ll have to tune in to find out.
• For you suits: No more ink on your fingers from reading the Wall Street Journal. Now add the new Wall Street Journal module to get all your in-depth business news and financial info all day long right from your My Yahoo! page. For WSJ.com subscribers, the module keeps your top business stories above the fold and for the rest of us, we get access to free daily articles and free video links. Check out the other modules you can add here.
• Pick’em good: If you’ve ever been on the fence about Fantasy Sports, we’ve upped the ante on Yahoo! Sports. For this year’s college basketball Tourney Pick’em, a perfect bracket pick for all 63 games could land you $5 million (thanks to KFC). And for all you stat skeptics, for the very first time we’re guaranteeing $10,000 to the entrant with the highest scoring bracket. We’ve even added some new feature like customized scoring, a public group directory, and a user-generated Popular Picks bracket. Happy pickings.

Subscribe to the RSS feed (or add it to My Yahoo!) to get this Product Pulse every week.

Remember the first time you experienced the Internet on the Netscape browser? You’re probably not going to admit it for fear it ages you. Nevertheless, a nod is in order as the curtain closes on this pioneering Web browser. After your moment of silence, check out what we’ve got in store for you.

• Strolling through Avatar Town: If you haven’t already visited Avatar Town, now’s the time to make a trip. From the latest bling bling to your very own exotic pet, outfit your digital persona by checking out all the new shops and accessories to look your best in the virtual world. Don’t forget to make an appointment for a new hair cut at the Ocean Breeze salon. Just hover over the items you want and choose “Add to Favorites” and it’s an instant makeover. Read more here.
• Spreading good vibes: If you’ve ever wanted to track and see how one kind act leads to another, you were destined for the Yahoo! Vibes application on Facebook. Both big and small acts count. Have a friend who’s having a bad day? Or you just want to wish your sister good luck on her exam? Send some good vibes and watch in real-time as people around the world are sharing their kindness to others. And make sure to read up on what else the team’s vibing up here.
• Your votes count: Can’t start your day without My Yahoo! or you’re a social bookmarking addict? Well, now’s your chance to tell the world how much you love and count on our products by voting for your fave Yahoo! products that have made the cut as finalists (including Yahoo.com, My Yahoo!, Yahoo! Mail, Zimbra, Flickr, deli.cio.us, Yahoo! Groups) for the 2008 Webware 100 Awards. The community decides who wins in each category and we’re counting on you to help us take the winner spot! Just hold tight until Feb. 25 when the voting begins!
• Tips and tricks: My Yahoo! has gotten a new “Tips” page to help you quickly and easily make you’re start page just right. Want to change the theme or color of your page? Need to add or drag & drop modules? Take a look through all the tips and tricks to help organize your page just the way you like it.

Subscribe to the RSS feed (or add it to My Yahoo!) to get this Product Pulse every week.

Eat my shorts and do have a cow in honor of Matt Groening’s 54th birthday. After you’ve done your best “doh,” take a look through our futurama updates.

• Popcorn not included: We’ve added one more reason for you to cozy up with your sweetie. Add the My Netflix module to your My Yahoo! page and get instant access into your Netflix account without leaving your page. You can see what the “Top Rentals” are or what’s new and hot for a special evening. Or get a status update on what movies are on their way to your home. Read more here.
• New and improved: Yahoo! Video look a little different to you? Not to worry, you’re not going crazy. We’ve made some changes to make the site the one-stop shop for all video on Yahoo!, whether it’s news, sports, movies or music. You now get a wider and cinematastic (16:9 player view in fact) viewing experience, bigger files so you can upload higher quality files (up to 150 megabytes), and also curate your own video experience beyond embedding your own individual videos to your blog or site. There’s more, read about it here.
• Putting the My in MyBlogLog: Just think, how cool it would be to personalize your site with your MyBlogLog community. With the new MyBlogLog plugin you can now instantly display members from your MyBlogLog community on your site. The plugin lets you display a widget of your most active MyBlogLog members, helps you to manage a members’ list page, and view a detailed members profile page. Just think of all the social bookmarking opportunities! One caveat, the plugins only work if you’ve already got a Yahoo! API key, but not to fret if you don’t. You can apply for the beta at developer.yahoo.com/mybloglog . Check out what else the team’s brewing here.

Subscribe to the RSS feed (or add it to My Yahoo!) to get this Product Pulse every week.

We’ve had a busy week, with a Super and Fat Tuesday followed by a Chinese New Year Thursday. After you’ve caught your breath, take a look through our updates to make sure you didn’t miss anything.

• Getting mousy: On your My Yahoo! page, that is. Now you have the rest of the year to sport the Chinese New Year theme on your start page to remind yourself of all the good fortune to come. Just click “personalize this page” then “change color” and pick “seasonal” and ratatouille!
• Letting the world watch: We’re still in the beginning phases, but man, is it oh so cool. Yahoo! Live is the latest experiment from our Advanced Products team which makes it possible for you, yes you, to broadcast your life via a live video experience. The rest of us get to live vicariously through what you’re doing in real time. We’ve even got something for developers. Check out the preview of our API and embeddable components to add your personal touch. And read more here.
• All prettied up: Our Yahoo! Media Player has gotten a new look and feel. For instance, when you first load it up, it comes up minimized rather than half-open, so you can actually do other things on your page. No more flickering when you scroll on the player and now there’s a link to search on text related to the current track playing, which opens up in a new window (this link used to open in the current window, interrupting playback). We’ve even got a new homepage haircut, which has been smoothed out so you can easily find all the important points to get started rather than distracting you with dynamic features. Read more here.

Subscribe to the RSS feed (or add it to My Yahoo!) to get this Product Pulse every week.

Admit it, you’re glad Dave is back with his Stupid Human Tricks and self-deprecating humor. After you’ve given him credit for bringing witty to late night TV for 26 years, check out what we’ve humored up.

• Personal paparazzi: Gossip, scandal, and style tips – get it all in one place by adding the new People Magazine module to your My Yahoo!. Now you can be the one to tee off the water cooler conversations.
• Plug in your answer: Try the new updated Yahoo! Messenger plug-in that lets you search, browse, read, answer and pose questions on six different versions of Yahoo! Answers from the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, and more. Just pick the country of your choice and start answering away. Talk about global knowledge!
• Photo soup: This cool visual word puzzle has humble hack beginnings straight out of our Yahoo! Research team in Barcelona. Players create word search puzzles with pairs of tagged Flickr photos. The photo is the clue and the tag is hidden, and whoever finds all the tags can claim winner status! Start souping it up here.

Subscribe to the RSS feed (or add it to My Yahoo!) to get this Product Pulse every week.

Oh, bother. It’s Winnie the Pooh Day. Pause a moment to ponder the wisdom of the Bear of Very Little Brain, and then dig into this week’s product honeypot. TTFN!

Tag, you’re history: Important moments in history made their debut on Flickr through a pilot project with the Library of Congress called The Commons. They’ve added more than 3,000 photos from two of their popular collections — American Memory: Color photographs from the Great Depression and The George Grantham Bain Collection, images from the daily news scene nearly 100 years ago. Your job is to tag them and leave comments to add even more depth to these important archives. More here.

Fearless files: You’ve had that moment of hesitation when being asked to “accept file” when IMing a friend. (Hey, anybody can get a virus.) Fear no more. By teaming up with Symantec, Yahoo! Messenger can now automatically scan files with Norton AntiVirus (if you have Norton AntiVirus 2007/2008 and Norton Internet Security 2007/2008 installed on your computer). More over here.

Of flab and football: January can only mean two things: diet resolutions and football mania. That’s why you need to head to My Yahoo! to add the Diet Tracker module and Football Page. The Diet Tracker doubles as your personal trainer and guilty conscience, letting your track your daily weigh-ins against a target date. The Football Page is just that — a pigskin-filled tab with nothing but news, stats, photos, blogs and more. Pass the (low fat) chips.

Music blog remix: Yahoo!’s Media Innovation Group just released an experimental (”possibly dodgy”) desktop application that lets you mix together blog posts and MP3s from your favorite music blogs. Save your favorite posts on various music blogs, build your personal remix, save the results for future reference, make it into a playlist, podcast, or feed, or just share what you’ve mixed together with pals. It’s a proof of concept for now, but a cool concept nonetheless… more here from the developer himself.

Subscribe to the RSS feed (or add it to My Yahoo!) to get this Product Pulse every week.