Yahoo has launched a new Yahoo Photos beta site that allows users to download high-resolution photos, tag them with descriptors for search, and comment on others' images, writes CNET. The new site also features integration with Yahoo Mail, Messenger, Mobile and 360, giving users a focal point for viewing shared photos. "Yahoo has taken the technical sophistication developed at Flickr to the mass market," said Brian Bowman, vice-president of community at Yahoo. Flickr, intended as an online community for more serious photographers, was acquired by Yahoo more than a year ago.

Unlike Flickr, Yahoo Photos are not publicly searchable by default - "moms and dads are very concerned about privacy," according to Will Aldrich, director of product management for Yahoo Photos - but users can choose to make their photos public, MediaPost writes. The site is monetized by ads; also, users can obtain prints of photos from Target, which has partnered with Yahoo.

Yahoo Photos is the top photo site, with 30 million users worldwide, according to ComScore. It allows users to store, organize and share photos with friends and family.