BEIJING, July 26 -- Search giant Yahoo said on Monday that it has bought Pixoria, a company that provides small, downloadable programs that let computer users quickly get up-to-the-minute information, such as stock quotes and weather reports without having to open a Web browser.

    Pixoria, based in Palo Alto, Calif., has three employees; all will become Yahoo employees under the acquisition. The company's product is a software engine called "Konfabulator Widgets". Konfabulator is a Java-based program that runs modules called widgets. Each widget specializes in fetching specific information and displaying it on a computer desktop in a visually cool way off a Web site.

    It's so cool, in fact, that Apple built a similar set of tools into its latest operating system.

    For Yahoo, it's a step toward a possible next version of Web use in which consumers have customized information streamed to their computers.

    "We think this is where the Web is headed in its next generation," said Toni Schneider, vice president of Yahoo Developer Networks. "For us, it's great -- we can reach beyond the browser, beyond what we can do in a one-size-fits-all Web site."

    The products, which also include such things as an alarm clock and a launching pad for Web searches, are available free at widgets.yahoo.com

    (Agencies)