Yahoo launches podcast website Podcasts.yahoo.com hopes to retain traffic and preempt Google BY OUR TECH CORRESPONDENT 11th October 2005: Yahoo has launched a website for podcasts, in a move to take on Apple's iTunes and simultaneously pre-empt a similar move from search rival Google. Apple Computer has the online podcast store iTunes, which also sells music. The latest podcasts are organised and listed at podcasts.yahoo.com. You can listen to podcasts at the Yahoo podcasting site, whereas you need iTunes software or an iPod to access the podcasts on display at the site. According to a survey, more than 28%of web surfers have heard of podcasts, but only around 2% have actually listened to on. The popularity of podcasts is still evolving, and Yahoo does not want to be beaten again by its search engine rival Google at innovation. With the podcasts website, Yahoo also hopes to retain the surfers reaching Yahoo, preventing them from surfing out of the site. There is still very little advertising for podcasts, since the volumes are yet to sore. But Yahoo is determined to tap the podcasting market as it evolves. For Yahoo, the priority is to first generate and retain interest in podcasts. Once that is accomplished, advertisers and revenues will follow, feels Yahoo. Google, which has powered ahead with innovations like Google Print, Google Earth, GMail, Google Reader and Google Talk is yet to get into podcasts. Google leads the search engine market, trailed by Yahoo and MSN. BY OUR TECH CORRESPONDENT