Introducing AOL Mail Gadget for iGoogle

Written by guest blogger Rohit Kinra, Sr. Product Manager, AOL Mail

We’ve been hard at work for the past couple of months on developing web-based gadgets for all AOL mail users (AOL, AIM, or My eAddress). A gadget is a "light-weight single-purpose program" on a web site, designed to perform a specific function.

We're now releasing another web-based gadget for all of you who use iGoogle for your homepage (yes, we do play nicely with our competitors :-) ). And we are busy working on more gadgets for more of your favorite websites, so keep checking back with us.
All the gadgets will show you new mail in your AOL, AIM, or My eAddress mailboxes. So, now you can find out about the new mail in your mailbox even while your surfing on Google (and other sites in the future). The gadgets allow you to:

• See new mail with their subject lines, whom they are from, and when you got them.
• See the number of new mail messages in your mailbox.
• Compose a new mail message… We will link you right into our Web Suite and you can begin writing your new mail.
• Set how many new mail messages you want to see (5, 10, or 15).
• Set the background color when displaying your new mail.



Our first version is US English only, but we are working hard to make a global version with the following languages:

French (France)
German (Germany)
English (US)
English (United Kingdom)
English (Canada)
English (India)
Spanish (US)
Spanish (Spain)
Italian (Italy)
Swedish (Sweden)
Chinese (China)
Dutch (Netherlands)

If you want to try the AOL mail gadget for Google, you can load it into your iGoogle page. Click here to try it now.

Thanks and we hope you enjoy the new gadgets. Please let us know what you think of them.

Enjoy,
Rohit Kinra

Sending text messages from the Web Suite (and AOL 9.0VR too)

You may have heard that Yahoo is offering a new service starting today that lets you send an SMS or text message from email. Well, that’s another feature that AOL has had for years now. Simply open the Web Suite's AIM Panel or AOL 9.0VR (works with the AIM installed program too), click the IM button, and type “+1 and the 10-digit cell phone number” into the To: Screen Name box. Your IM will be received on their cell phone, usually within seconds, and they can reply back via IM too. It's kind of fun, so give it a try! Note: recipient's phone must have the feature to receive text messages and some cell phone companies charge for text messages.

So that you don't have to type in all the digits the next time, it’s real easy to add that number to your buddy list. I’ve had my wife’s cell number in my buddy list for those last minute “pick up more milk please” text messages. :-)

Enjoy the new AIM Panel in the Web Suite and thanks for choosing AOL.

‘Til next time,

Tae Kang
“The AOL Mail Blog Guy”
http://mailblog.aol.com
Keyword: mail blog

More capabilities with some new, great features

Hi,

The Web Suite has been updated with new features today. Unrelated to the update was an unfortunate and coincidental mail service interruption that occurred a few hours after the update and prevented logins. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused some of you. We have found the cause and have put in new measures to prevent it from happening again.

The summary of the new Web Suite features can be found below in a previous blog entry. You can now see all these new, great features at the same web address you've been using before: http://mail.aol.com. Of course you can always go to www.aol.com and click on the Mail icon there too (latter method takes a little longer than book marking http://mail.aol.com).

To try the all new Basic version of the Web Suite, remember to click the Basic Version link at the bottom of the screen. It's lite, fast, and a great option for anyone on a slower internet connection or older system/browser.

Again, we apologize for the service interruption earlier today and hope you enjoy all the new capabilities of the Web Suite and Web Suite Basic.

Tae Kang

“The AOL Mail Blog Guy”
http://mailblog.aol.com
Keyword: mail blog

AOL Mail on Facebook

Are you a Facebook user? If so, check out the new, fast-growing “You’ve Got Mail” Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17403920336.

You can join the Facebook group and connect with other AOL Mail users with similar interests. Have some fun with it.

Tae Kang
“The AOL Mail Blog Guy”
http://mailblog.aol.com
Keyword: mail blog

Web Suite Basic Beta is here and new features too

Reminder: There is nothing to install onto your computer to try a beta version of the Web Suite—you simply access the new beta version by accessing a different web site using your browser, and you can switch back to the web mail you’ve been using, at any time, by going to a different web page to access your emails. In other words, the same email account content can be accessed via the following new web sites (web mail services).

Hi,

On behalf of the entire AOL Mail team, I’m happy to announce the all-new Web Suite Basic Beta and an upcoming update to the Web Suite Standard web mail products. Both were released a few hours ago into Beta, and are accessible for everyone to try out. I think you’ll find the Beta Basic version fast and streamlined for those of you who want mail, and mail only,—fast. And for those of you who want a more full experience, with calendar, Panels, Pictures, etc, and have a fast internet connection with a fast computer, then the Web Suite Standard may be more to your liking. Either way, AOL gives you the choice.

There are two big announcements:

1) The new Web Suite Basic is now available in beta (once there, you can switch to the Standard version via a link at the bottom of the screen). Basic is designed for those of you who want only emails, and as fast as they can be served up. It’s optimized for those of you who:

- Are on a slower internet connection (ie: 56k dialup modems),

- Are using an older operating system such as Windows 98, Windows 2000, and older versions of the Mac OS,

- Are using an older web browser (ie: Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x, Firefox 1.x, Safari 2.0.3 and below, etc.),

- Use screen readers or other accessibility software, or

- Just want a faster Web Mail experience without needing access to your Calendar, AIM, or Pictures. Faster systems can also use the Basic version if you prefer.


The AOL Beta team will begin a more formal test of the Basic version starting next week, but it is available as a sneak peek. You can subscribe to the Web Suite Beta Alert if you'd like to be notified of that and other Web Suite beta events.

2) The Web Suite Standard in beta, which will be the new version of what most of you have been using to date, has new features that you’ve been asking for. Once there, you can switch to the Basic version via a link at the bottom of the screen. The new Standard version has many new features, some of which are:

- Six different screen colors (“skins”) to choose from.


- Twelve different Panels with a wide variety of topics, such as:

o News — Headlines from AOL Top News, CNN, USA Today, New York Times, and Strange But True

o Business — News from the marketplace from AOL Business News, BusinessWeek, Forbes, Fortune, and The Motley Fool

o Sports — Scores and game highlights from AOL Top Sports, USA Today Sports, New York Times Sports, and ESPN

o Technology — Feed your inner-propeller-head with tech information from Techcrunch, CNET, Engadget, Digg, and Gizmodo

o Entertainment — News from Hollywood to Bollywood via MovieFone, TMZ.com, People.com, and the AOL Music Top 11 Show

o Directory — The AOL Channel lineup: quick links to close to twenty major portals for the information and content you've come to expect.

o Daily Quote — Random quotes from great (and some not so great) minds throughout theages

- New link at the bottom of the screen to toggle between the Basic and Standard versions of the Web Suite (with compatible browser).


- Many more AIM Panel features, such as separate sign in/out capability, “invisible” mode, multiple conversations within a single window, Buddy sounds, offline IM capability, expressions, additional preference settings, auto-sign-in capability, and much more.

Below is a screen shot highlighting some of Web Suite Standard’s new features.



With the various versions available to you, it can get a bit confusing until you get familiar with the differences between each one. I recommend you create a browser bookmark for your favorite Web Suite version (or all of them so that you have them at your fingertips). Bookmarks can be created easily in Windows XP by following these steps (see your operating system’s documentation for steps in other OS’):

1) Log into the version of web mailthat you prefer.
2) Resize the browser window so that you can see a part of the Windows desktop behind it.
3) Drag-n-drop the IE icon from the browser window to the desktop. See screen shot below--drag the part that’s highlighted in red. A shortcut will be created on the desktop. Double-clicking it will take you straight to your login page. No more remembering web site addresses.




Tell us what you think of both the beta of Web Suite Basic and the new features in the Web Suite Standard. And thanks for choosing AOL.

Tae Kang

“The AOL Mail Blog Guy”
http://mailblog.aol.com
Keyword: mail blog

Introducing Web Suite Basic

About Web Suite Standard and Basic:

If you are using the soon-to-be-discontinued “webmail1.webmail.aol.com” version of the Web Suite, you have two alternatives to use from now on: Basic and Standard versions. The Basic version was created for those with slower connection speeds and older systems that may not have enough computing “horse power” to be used with the Standard version.


The Standard version is designed for use with modern computers (with current OS, browsers, and full AJAX support) that have a fast, broadband internet connection. As long as your computer is compatible with both versions, you can switch back-and-forth between the two at any time by using the link at the very bottom of the screen after logging in.

As long as your computer is compatible, you can use the following web addresses to go directly to either version. If your computer does not meet all the system requirements, the Basic version will be the only option. If you experience any difficulty logging into either one, make sure to clear your browser’s cache AND cookies files.

Web Suite Standard - http://mail.aol.com

Web Suite Basic - http://basic.mail.aol.com



Written by guest blogger Rose, Product Manager, AOL Web Suite

Hi Mail Blog readers!

I’m guest blogging for Tae today to let you know about an exciting new offering from AOL Mail. For the past few months, my team and I have been working on something called Web Suite Basic. As you may remember, Tae had previously mentioned an upcoming lightweight web mail in this entry.

So, what is Web Suite Basic?

Web Suite Basic is a web-based mail and address book product that is ideal for narrow band, legacy systems, and accessibility. It is a lightweight application that, in technical jargon, uses minimal DHTML and JavaScript (is easier for older computers to handle). We also stripped down the “bells and whistles” so it’s optimized for speed. Web Suite Basic is also screen reader friendly. We have included basic tabbing and keyboard controls for ease of use. Best of all, it looks and feels like Web Suite Standard, to provide you (our loyal users) a seamless experience!

Is Web Suite Basic for you?

- If you are on a dialup connection (56k, 128k, etc)…
- If you are using an older operating system (Windows 98, Windows 2000, Mac OS 10.4.9) or browser (Internet Explorer 5.5, Firefox 1.0, Safari 1.3, 2.0.1-3.) …
- If you are an accessibility user or use a screen reader…
- If you want a faster e-mail experience without needing access to your calendar, pictures or AIM…

Then Web Suite Basic is for you! The product will be available on the Beta site starting later this week. Stay tuned and I’m sure Tae will let you know when the big day comes. You can also subscribe to the Web Mail Beta Alert, and the beta team will notify you of this and other Web Mail beta events (via email)." :-)

Hope you enjoy Web Suite Basic. Let us know what you think by leaving comments here after you’ve had a chance to test drive it.

PS. If you want to continue using great features such as AOL Calendar, AIM Panel, AOL Pictures or linked screen name, you’ll be able to keep using our Standard version!

Rose

UPDATE: In order to make the Basic version as fast as possible, we had to defer a couple of items, such as the "address auto-complete in the To: field" and the "Linked Screen Names" features for now. We're looking into how we may be able to add those features soon to this new product, while keeping it still faster than the Standard version. Stay tuned.


Tags: Standard, Basic, differences, Barbados, phase-out

Check out the NEW My eAddress

Written by guest blogger Teya, Product Management, AOL Mail Team

Have you checked out the all-new My eAddress? AOL made it even easier for you to express yourself with a personalized email address. I like that you get to choose an email domain (the part after the @ sign) that suits your personality, with the same ease as signing up for AOL's free email (takes around 1 min.). Oh and don’t worry, it still won’t cost you a penny!

AOL has quite a few domain name choices to pick from—30 of them in fact. Some of my personal favorites are @luckymail.com, @writesoon.com, @totalfoodnut.com and @when.com. I can just imagine some of the creative email addresses that will ensue. Take a look at the new page and tell us some of your favorites. Let us know what you think. Here is a screen shot showing some of the new domain names you can choose:




Here’s how to get your own free personalized email address:

1) Go to http://domains.aol.com.

2) Click on one of the 30 popular domain names you want. They’re all free.

3) Register for the email address just like you would for AOL’s free email. Again, it only takes around a minute to get one.

That’s it! To use your new email account, you log in just like before (http://mail.aol.com). Just remember to enter your entire email address as the Screen Name, even the part after the @ sign. Example: chattingchuck@luckymail.com as the screen name. You can start sending and receiving email with your new personalized email address right away.

Keep checking http://domains.aol.com to discover cool new email domains.

Teya

Multiple ways to read your emails

There are many ways to access your AOL, AIM, or My eAddress mail account (let’s call them all AOL Mail for the purpose of this article). The most commonly known ways are via the web browser and the installed program (aka client).


But did you also know that there are a total of 8 ways to access the same mail account? In other words, the look-and-feel may be different depending on which method you use, but the same emails will be there (dependent on features). The complete list of the various ways is below, with links to details on how to access them. I recommend bookmarking the web sites below for easy access. You can also create a “shortcut” on your Windows desktop, but we’ll cover that in a separate article.

1) Web browsers

a. Method 1a) The latest full-featured version of the Web Suite can be used by entering into your browser’s URL address: mail.aol.com or mail.aim.com.

b. Method 1b) The older version (fewer features than the one above, but doesn’t require as much “horse power” from your system) can be used at: webmail1.webmail.aol.com.

2) AOL installed program (aka client). The latest beta version that gives you a choice of an Inbox or the AOL New/Old Mail folders is now available.

3) Almost any 3rd party email program can be used with your AOL Mail account, such as Outlook Express, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, etc. since AOL offers both IMAP and POP3 for free. I recommend IMAP if you want folders too. Setup instructions are here.

4) Any email-capable cell phone

a. Method 4a) use your cell phone’s browser to go to a new upcoming mobile mail service (stay tuned for more info soon!)

b. Method 4b) many phones have an email program built into them. If yours does, use the server names here to read your emails while on-the-go. iPhone specific info is here.

5) Coming soon: a new “lite” version of the Web Suite, called Web Suite Basic. I’m really looking forward to this one because it’s intended for those who’ve been experiencing very slow performance with older computers, on dialup connections, or anyone who just wants email without all the “bells and whistles” of the full Web Suite experience. Note: no Calendar for now in the Web Suite Basic.

6) Classic web mail, which is one of the first (translation = dated/unsupported) web mail product but it still works for now. Note: this works only with AOL-branded accounts. Classic.webmail.aol.com.

Remember to bookmark your favorite ones so that they’re at your fingertips. Enjoy accessing your emails in the many ways that are possible.

‘Til next time,

Tae Kang
“The Mail Blog Guy”
(coming soon: http://Mailblog.aol.com)
Keyword: mail blog


Tags: Multiple ways, read, emails