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Yahoo & Google Find Digital Lifestyles

USA Today reports that "Yahoo Go" takes tools that work just fine on a PC into the new and still-glitchy medium of interactive consumer electronics. Rival Google is also believed to be announcing similar offerings at CES today.

"It's the most natural thing in the world," says Yahoo CEO Terry Semel. "It's all about a connected life � how we take the information we store online ... (and use it) on any device."

It's a sign the Web is growing up, tech analysts say. High-speed broadband access is replacing clunky dial-up. Consumers are finally becoming comfortable with Internet applications. And business-grade networking technology is getting cheap enough to find its way into consumer electronics, says independent tech analyst Rob Enderle.

The relationship between viewers and content makers is "being turned upside-down, or right-side up," Sony CEO Howard Stringer said in a speech Thursday. "Content is no longer pushed at consumers. Content is pulled down when they want it."

Just don't expect it all to work on the first try. As electronics makers rush to the market, they're putting out a hodgepodge of products that don't necessarily work together. No guarantees that they're easy to use, either. That's normal in a young market, Enderle says.

Even though the shift to a new era can be tough, it's inevitable � and a good thing, says Yahoo's Semel. "This is a way to fully enhance the (entertainment) experience," he says. "This is a step up."

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