AOL Webmail, now enhanced by Xdrive!

Written by guest blogger Rose Kwok, Product Manager, AOL Mail

By now, you have probably already sent emails with attachments using AOL Up ‘til now AOL has supported a total email and attachment size of up to 16MB. But what if you want to send your mom all your pictures from your recent trip to Europe? They add up to about 1GB of storage space!


No worries, you can now send large attachments (of up to 5GB) along with your email, thanks to the new AOL Webmail & Xdrive integration.

What is Xdrive?

Xdrive is a 5GB personal hard drive on the Internet. You can get easy backup and secure storage, just like an external hard drive, but without the worry of losing or damaging a piece of hardware. You can simply upload files to Xdrive and securely access your files anywhere over the web. You can even share your files with your friends and family by allowing them permission. All this, for free.

How can you start using Xdrive to send large attachments?

First, if you don’t already have one, create a free Xdrive account. Sign up for one here:

http://www.xdrive.com/

When you are back in Webmail, compose email as you normally would. After you click on “Attach file” browse and select your attachment. You will notice an updated dialog box:




If you would like to upload via Xdrive, simply click on the check box towards the bottom of the dialog. For files over 16MB, your attachments will automatically get uploaded via Xdrive.

The best part is that your attachments will also be backed up and stored securely in your Xdrive account. Never lose an attachment again!

When your recipients receive the email, they will see the attachment, which can then be retrieved via Xdrive.

Get started now!

Want to be the first to try out this new feature? It’s only available in Beta. Check it out at:

http://beta.webmail.aol.com

Enjoy and happy holidays!

Rose

AOL Mail's New Unified Inbox

AOL users now have the option to switch to the new Unified Inbox, stay put, or switch back.

Benefits of the improved Inbox option include:
1. E-mail messages remain in your Inbox and Sent folder until you delete them
2. Unlimited storage lets you keep as many e-mail messages as you want
3. See all of your e-mail messages in one place, instead of separate New Mail and Old Mail folders

If you are an AOL Webmail user, you will receive the following pop-up the next time you log in to AOL Webmail:




If you are using the AOL 9.1 software, use AOL Keywords to switch to the new Inbox:

Switch to Unified Inbox: AOL Keyword: Inbox

Switch back to New & Old folders: AOL Keyword: mailbox switch

If you are using Webmail or IMAP/POP3, use the following links:

Switch to Unified Inbox: http://inbox.aol.com/mail/changeMailboxStyle?style=self

Switch back to New & Old folders: http://inbox.aol.com/mail/changeMailboxStyle?style=auto

NOTE: You must be signed in to AOL with your screen name and password in order to access the links above.

More information on the Unified Inbox is available here:

How do I switch to the unified Inbox Mail?

Thanksgiving Gift from AOL Mail

Written by guest blogger Rose Kwok, Product Manager, AOL Mail

Hi loyal Mail Blog readers,

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! To thank YOU for choosing AOL, the WebSuite team has been working hard these past few months to bring you another exciting release, what we have been referring to as Fiji. Here are some of the great new features you will find in your mail box.

Filters – aka Rules; set up Filters and have your mail delivered straight to your mail folders based on your filter criteria

Reading Pane – quickly read your mail in a Reading Pane with your message list still visible

AIM Integration improvements - save your IM conversations into your WebSuite folders so you can access and continue them whenever you want

SMS integration - send SMS to any mobile phone or any buddy on your buddy list (US only)

More & more Content - myAOL RSS Panel, Just for Fun Panels, AOL Radio Panel, AOL Mail Blog Panel, etc.

So, go ahead…set up filters to manage incoming e-mails and get through your Inbox more quickly with the Reading Pane. IM and SMS your friends on the go. Best of all, you can read this very blog within WebSuite by selecting the AOL Mail Blog Panel!

Enjoy. And as always, we’d love to hear your feedback.

Rose

AOL 9.1 is ready for download and here’s why you should upgrade

Written by guest blogger Seth Halvaksz, Sr. Product Manager, AOL Mail

Everyone knows AOL for desktop software that combines e-mail, IM, web browsing (and more) into a single, safe, easy-to-use application with security features such as anti-virus, anti-spam and parental controls. Although you may think you need to be an AOL dial-up subscriber to use our software, that’s not the case! Now anyone with an AOL mail account can use the AOL 9.1 all-in-one desktop software over a broadband (DSL or cable) or a third-party dial-up connection.

Here are some of the enhancements you’ll see in AOL 9.1:

Easier surfing - ability to browse the Web without signing on to AOL when you have a broadband or third-party dial-up connection

Unified Inbox - unlimited storage with an Inbox that keeps your mail as long as you need it

Flexibility with reply - select only the text you want when replying to a message, or don’t select any text if you want to display the entire message in your e-mail reply

RSS feeds - add RSS feeds to your Favorites

Instant news - quick access to the latest news by clicking or hovering over a News icon in the Toolbar

New with AOL 9.1 is a unified Inbox with unlimited mail storage. If you’re a current AOL user, you can switch to an Inbox view of your messages at any time, and with unlimited storage you can keep as many e-mail messages as you want!

You will also see improvements to AOL’s award-winning spam detection. If we suspect the person sending the e-mail is not genuine, AOL will block the e-mail until you tell us you want to see it.

Want to learn more about AOL 9.1 and download the software? Here’s where to go:

http://daol.aol.com/software/91

Enjoy and thanks for choosing AOL!

Seth

Tip: Want to skip the login screen?

The previous blog topic in this slot was too confusing so it’s being replaced with the following one about an upcoming and related feature. I didn’t want to lose the ongoing discussions under this entry, hence why it’s being replace rather than removed entirely (blog software deletes all comments if an entry is removed).

Want an even easier way to avoid entering in your password every time you want to read you emails?

Note: This goes without saying, but just a reminder…. Remember to click the Sign Out link after using a public/shared computer. I’m offering this tip for use on your own personal computer that only you use (preferably that’s already protected by a password).

Don’t want to enter in your screen name and password each time you want to read your emails on your computer?

There’s an upcoming new feature that we’re internally calling “keep me signed in.” It does what it sounds like. If you choose to turn on that feature, it’ll keep you signed into your account until you manually click the Sign Out link. This will be a very handy feature because you can skip a few steps in the login process. With this feature, you’ll be able to go straight to http://mail.aol.com (use a book mark for single-click access)and you won't be prompted for a password. You decide whether this is desired for your situation--for some people (like me), speed and convenienceis king since mail security isn't a worry for me on my personal computer.

Whenever you’re done with reading your emails, don’t click the Sign Out link because if you do, then you’ll have to enter in your password again the next time. Instead, just exit or close the browser normally. Note: Clicking the Sign Out link or deleting the browser cookies will require you to enter in your screen name and password again the next time--handy for when you're on a public computer.

This feature will be coming out next month along with even more features that many of you have been asking for. So stay tuned for more details. Enjoy and thanks for choosing AOL!

Tae

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

Accessible version of the Web Suite impresses

AOL tries hard to offer mail products that can be beneficial to the majority of the online users and one of the groups that is not forgotten is our visually impaired group. The Basic version of the Web Suite (aka Accessible Version) helps visually impaired users by being screen reader friendly with a robust set of keyboard shortcuts. A few months ago, I blogged about some of the most common shortcuts (email me if you’d like the full list—too long to post here).

Anyways, even more accessibility improvements are slated for inclusion next month but I wanted to share with you what one major organization had to say about the new Accessible Version of the Web Suite. Curtis Chong is the President of the National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science and is a recognized expert on accessible technology. Here’s what he wrote to AOL:

“I must say that I am quite impressed with the work that has clearly been done to create the accessible Web-based AOL mail interface. After I played around with it a bit, I found that the keyboard shortcuts do work if you give them a chance to do so .

I admit that I have spent perhaps two hours working on this, but so far, I can find very little to criticize and much to be glad about. My instincts tell me that a lot of thought and work went into the design of the accessible interface. The design clearly demonstrates a strong understanding of how screen-access programs for the blind work, knowledge of the shortcuts they use to facilitate efficient navigation of Web pages, and a practical understanding of what blind people need and want in an e-mail system. I'm hard to impress, but I will tell you that this has impressed me.

Cordially,
Curtis Chong”

We hope our visually impaired friends are enjoying the new Basic Version of the Web Suite.

Thank you all for choosing AOL.

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

Going Mobile

How many times have you wanted to check your emails while you’re out-and-about? (away from your home or office) While you’re in the car (with someone else driving of course), while you’re waiting idle some place, while you’re at the airport, etc.

Well, now you can on the all new Mobile Mail, if you have a cell phone that’s capable of surfing the Internet. We've made checking your AOL, AIM, and My eAddress Mail on your cell phone much easier. Check out the new and improved Mobile Mail.

Give it a try and remember to tell us what you think via the Beta Feedback link at the bottom of the Mobile Mail screen.

Note: Your cell phone account must have a data plan and your carrier may charge you extra for surfing on the Internet. Flat-rate data plans are common with most carriers.

There’s no real need to, but you could also access Mobile Mail using any standard computer browser. Sure the type size will be small, since it’s designed for a phone screen, but there are some advantages too. I can’t tell you what they are, but you can see for yourself. Don’t tell anyone I told you here. :-)

Enoy and thanks for choosing AOL.

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

Tags: Mobile Mail, beta