AOL/AIM Mail Product Insider Blog

The Only Place You Can Send a 5GB Attachment!

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:49:19 GMT

Written by Rose Kwok, Product Manager, AOL Mail

Many of you may have read the article in USA Today (found here: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2008-04-15-google-gmail-webmail_N.htm) on AOL Mail’s feature that allows sending of large attachments via email. Here are some more details on how you too can use Xdrive to send up to 5GB of attachments.

How can you start using Xdrive to send large attachments?

First, Xdrive is only available in Beta for now, so access your AOL Mail account at http://beta.webmail.aol.com.

Start composing email as you normally would by clicking on “Compose.” 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 select the check box towards the bottom of the dialog. For files over 16MB, your attachments will automatically get uploaded via Xdrive. If you don’t already have an Xdrive account, you will see a brief confirmation dialog. Be sure to click “I Agree” to create a new account. When you are done, click Send and your attachments will be sent along with your email.

When your recipients receive the email, they will see the attachment(s) as a link. All they need to do is click on the link to retrieve the attachment(s) via Xdrive.

What is Xdrive?

Xdrive (http://www.xdrive.com) 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.

Enjoy,

Rose

Tags: Beta, Xdrive, USA Today

Tired of Repeatedly Logging In?

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:34:08 GMT

Written by Tom Lynch, Business Manager, AOL Mail

To provide a more streamlined and convenient webmail experience, we are pleased to bring you a new user option that will allow you to stay permanently logged in.

This new user option is offered just beneath the Password field in the Sign In box. Simply check the box next to "Stay signed in until I sign out." and you're done.

Once checked, you can immediately access your Inbox without having to log in every time you come to an AOL property.

However, please be aware of a couple things. First, once selected this will override your Auto Sign Off setting. Second, be careful on enabling on a shared computer. Enabling this feature on a shared computer would allow anyone using this same computer to access your email account.

To learn more about how this new feature works, simply click here.

AOL Raises the Stakes in Vegas

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 22:31:25 GMT

Written by Tom Lynch, Business Manager, AOL Mail

Yesterday as part of the keynote speech during Microsoft's MIX08 conference, we showcased a next generation in webmail built on Microsoft's Silverlight 2.0 technology. The new product will offer industry-leading performance, unique skinning options, and the ability to deliver rich media content. The new product is still in development, and is being designed to give users the convenience of a browser-based email service with desktop-like performance and functionality.

Here is an example of the skinning capability that the new product will offer. To learn more about the product and see a brief demo, check out an interview with two members of the Mail Team.

To sign up to receive a notification as to when a product preview is available, please go to ria.mail.aol.com.

Tom

Tags: Silverlight, Rich Internet, RIA, MIX

A Little Luck Goes a Long Way

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:59:25 GMT

Written by Tom Lynch, Business Manager, AOL Mail

When is an email address more than an email address? When your email address works for you by expressing who you are and passing along your sentiments to family, friends and social contacts.

Use an email address that means something. Sign up for a LuckyMail email account and let your email spread good fortune and cheer.

With LuckyMail you’ll not only get all the benefits and features of AOL mail, but also a wide open name space that will help you get a name you want. Best of all…. it’s FREE.

Try it out today!

Curious what else is available? Click here to find the email address right for you. Get the email address you want on both sides of the “@”!

Tom

Tags: luckymail

See What's New in WebSuite "Goa"

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 01:16:07 GMT

Written by Rose Kwok, Product Manager, AOL Mail

We know how much you rely on WebSuite for Mail, Calendar and Address Book. That's why we want to keep making it better for you. After months of hard work, the WebSuite team is excited to launch another release of Websuite Standard and WebSuite Basic, codenamed “Goa.” (Did you know Goa is a coastal, tropical island and the smallest state in India?)

Here’s a preview of the new things you will find in your Inbox:

Safer Mail

For your protection, WebSuite has been blocking images from unknown senders. We have now added link blocking as well. No more worrying about clicking a link that could take you to inappropriate content or a phishing site.

Performance

We know you want things fast, and making WebSuite faster was the focus for "Goa" – from loading WebSuite to reading and sending messages. For the techies among you, we've upgraded the entire Standard application to the 1.0 version of the Dojo toolkit for snappier performance! You also may have noticed that the “Unsend” and “Status” features were removed from this WebSuite release. Because of the way these features were implemented, they were preventing us from achieving the best product performance. So, we made the difficult decision to remove them from WebSuite. If you are a hardcore “Status” user, or have an “Unsend” emergency, you can still find these features in our integrated clients (AOL 9.1 and AOL Desktop).

MapQuest

Love MapQuest? We do too. That’s why we’ve put WebSuite and Mapquest together. Need directions to your next party? When you add a location to a new event in Calendar, we will parse your address and show you where it is on a map from Mapquest. Voila!
(Feature currently not available in Basic version)

AIM Integration

The IM windows you minimize within WebSuite will now flash when you have new incoming IMs so you will never miss a message again. We also added a new IM button to your read and compose mail views that alerts you when your friends are online. When you start writing a new message, WebSuite will check whether your buddies are online and the button will light up if they are, allowing you to IM with them in real time.
(AIM currently not available in Basic version)

Calendar

You asked for it, we’ve got it! For those of you who love and use our Basic version, you will be glad to hear that we added AOL Calendar to the fast product many have come to love. Just as in the Standard version, you will be able to view your personal calendar in month, week or day view. Make it even more fun by sharing it with your friends and family. Best of all, AOL Basic Calendar is fully accessible.

For those of you using the Standard version, we’ve got something for you too. AOL Calendar now supports importing calendars from any iCal (.ics) URL and similarly exporting any public calendars as iCal files.

AOLJournals

Do you use AOL Journals? If so, WebSuite now provides 1-click access straight to your Journals page. Start sharing your stories with the world!
(Panels not available in Basic version)

And more…

Safari 3 users will now be able to use the Rich Text Editor to make all their emails colorful and pretty. More features (including Drafts for AOL accounts and a “Keep Me Signed In” option) will be coming in the next few weeks, so please stay tuned.

Hope you love “Goa” as much as we do. Enjoy and let us know what you think.

Rose

Tags: blocking, performance, unsend, status, map, AIM, safari

AOL Webmail, now enhanced by Xdrive!

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 21:46:51 GMT

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

Tags: Xdrive, attachments, beta

AOL Mail's New Unified Inbox

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:10:10 GMT

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?

Tags: New, Old, switch, Unified, pop-up

How do I do ____ now with the new Web Suite?

Wed, 23 May 2007 23:22:04 GMT

Hi,

Updated: Tues, 12/18, 3:40pm

The new look and feel of the Web Suite may be a bit confusing at first for some people, but rest assured that we’ve streamlined some of the functions so that things will get easier once you know how it’s done now, or where a feature has been moved to. To discover some of the new features and see the new Mail Tour, click here. Or an alternate tour is here.

We’ll keep adding to this list of FAQs so, check back here regularly to learn a tip or two. Here’s a list of some of the main items that should help with the transition to the new look and feel:

**NEW** How do I delete pictures from the AOL Shoebox?
Go to http://pictures.aol.com and then click on link under My Albums that says Shoebox Album. Select the pictures in the Shoebox Album by clicking on them and then click the Delete button on the toolbar. It's that easy.

Can I change the sort order of the Contacts List (Addresses)?
Yes, you'll once again be able to change the sort order of the Contacts List to your liking. Some people prefer it by Last name and some prefer it by First name -- the choice is once again up to you. You can set your preference under Settings | General.

What’s the best way to delete or move emails?
There are multiple ways to do this, but one of the easiest is to drag-and-drop an email from one folder to another. In case you’re not familiar with how that’s done, it means you can click-and-hold on an email, drag it on top of the destination folder, then release it. If you want to move multiple emails at once, put check marks next to all the emails, then either drag-and-drop them onto a folder or select the destination folder from the Action menu.

The "flags column" in the Inbox has been moved from the left side in the old version to the right side in the new Web Suite. Can you change it back?
Actually, we made it user-selectable! Not only can you move the "flag column" back to the left side if that's where you prefer it, but you can also re-arrange any of the columns. Simply drag and drop the column headers to where you prefer them. Incidentally, clicking a column header sorts the list by that column. Each additional click of it reverses the sort in the same column.
For now, the column positions revert back to default when you sign back in, which may be inconvenient (sorry). But in an upcoming version, column positions, size, and visibility will be retained, even when you log out and back in.

In the past, my printed emails showed me the names and sizes of any attachments. Where did that info go?
It's coming back in an updated version that's due in mid/late June.

How do I view the Addresses from the Contact Panel?
When you hover your mouse (place your mouse over something and stay there without clicking anything) over a contact in the Contacts Panel on the right side of the screen, a little box will open showing you the information, including the email address. From that box you can also initiate a new email or an IM session, as well as edit or delete that contact.

Is there a way to see just a certain group of emails, such as the Unread or flagged ones only in my Inbox?
Yes, you can "filter" the emails you see by selecting one of the pre-set filters that are available from the drop-down menu near the top-right corner of the message list. In case you haven't noticed yet, anything with a subtle little triangle is a drop-down menu in the new Web Suite.

Is there a way to have the Today curtain remain closed each time I log in?
No, the Today curtain is displayed each time you log in (sorry, but something has to pay for the free service). Clicking on anything behind the curtain will close it. Then click again on a message if you want to read it.

Why am I not seeing the images in my emails?
For security purposes, images from unknown senders are automatically hidden now (only the text will be visible). This has become standard practice amongst all the major email services. If you prefer to have the images shown, you can set that under Settings | General. Put a check mark next to: Hide images in mail from unknown senders.

Where did all my Saved on AOL folders go?
They’re still there. Simply click on the little blue triangle (that’s a small drop-down indicator) next to My Folders in the left side of the screen, and all your folders will show up below it.

How do I close the panel on the right side of my screen? And keep it closed?
There is a small, unobtrusive little tab with a tiny arrow pointing to the right, near the top-left of the panel. Yes, it’s too small. I’ll try to put a screen shot here when I get a chance. Click that tab to close the Panel. Click it again to open it back up. It acts like a “drawer” that opens and closes, similar to the Today curtain. In the next release, the panel will remain closed, if that's your preference, even after you log out and back in.

How do I sort my Contacts list?
A user option has been made available so that the Contacts list can be sorted by the First name or Last name. The setting is under Settings | General.

What's the fastest way to check emails in my other AOL/AIM accounts?
Of course you can always sign out, then back in using the other account, but there's an easier way using the Linked Screen Name feature. Near the top-left corner of the Web Suite is the screen name you're logged in under. Next to it is a tiny little gray triangle. [Obvious, I know. :-)] Click on the gray triangle to show the drop-down menu and select Manage Screen Names. Link one of your other accounts (ifyou have others) to the current one you're logged in with. Then you can simply select the alternate account from the drop-down menu to easily switch back-and-forth between your mail accounts. No more logging out of one account and re-logging in with another, then switching back. How's that for easy?

Can I have the sort order of my Inbox remain the way I like it, each time I log in? Currently it reverts back to a default way.
Yes, that feature will be available soon, possibly in the next released version. Stay tuned.

Why don't I hear the "You've Got Mail" sound any longer? I heard it before and I use FireFox with QuickTime installed.
The sound has been turned off for now while a long-term solution is found for a known issue between a combination of the Web Suite, FireFox, and QuickTime 7. This only affects FireFox users who have QuickTime7 installed.

How do I save my emails permanently?
Drag-and-drop them to any of your personal folders that you have created under My Folders (see above if you can’t find your folders).

How do I create new folders with the new Web Suite?
The way to create, edit, empty, and delete folders has been made easier in the new Web Suite. Place your mouse over the My Folders name in the Folders List, which is on the left side of the screen. Just "hover" your mouse over it without clicking and you'll see the word Add show up to the right of it (widen the Folder List using the steps below if you're not seeing it). Click Add and a new folder will get created, prompting you to enter in the new folder name. Then click the green plus sign to create the new folder. See screen shots in the Tour.

Can I make the Folder List wider?
Yes, this is especially important for those of you with screen resolutions less than 1024x768 and we'll try to make it more obvious how this is done in the future. You can grab the vertical line that separates the Folder List from the Message List and drag than vertical line to the right to make the Folder List wider (the line is just to the left of the column of check boxes). See how "obvious" that was? Sorry, we need to improve on that.

How do I empty one of my folders?
When you "hover" your mouse over any user-created folder, the word Edit will appear to the right of the folder name. You may need to widen theFolder List (steps above) if you're screen resolution is low or you're not seeing it. Click Edit and you can rename, empty, and delete it from the dialog box that appears.

How do I stop emails from opening up in new windows? I want to read them in the same window.
Under Settings | General (click on the Settings link near the top-left corner of the screen), you can choose whether to read or write your emails in a new window (also known as reading or writing emails in separate pop-up windows). Or you can read or write your emails in the same window (also known as in-line read/write). Default for NEW accounts is to pop-up windows, but again, that can be changed to your liking.

Why is the number next to the Spam folder incorrect? Sometimes I get an error when I try to empty it.
This is a known issue and we're working on it. When it gets fixed, I'll edit the text here, so check back here please and sorry for the inconvenience.

How do I copy/paste text into an email I’m writing?
Using the keyboard shortcuts for copy/cut/paste works fine with the Web Suite, even though you may not see a menu in the compose screen. As a refresher, copy, cut, and paste are ctrl-c, ctrl-x, and ctrl-v respectively. If you're not familiar with this combo yet, give it a try. You may prefer this faster method.

How do I UNSEND an email I regret sending? [btw: this is only possible on AOL/AIM; none of the other email services have this capability and probably won't since it needs to be created from day one]
After you've vented, I mean, replied to someone and you regret hitting that Send button, you can Unsend that email as long as they haven't read it yet. This works only with emails sent to other AOL/AIM addresses since once the email leaves our system, it's literally out of our hands. Go to your Sent folder and place a check mark next to the email you want to retract. Then click the Unsend button. You can also usethe QuickAction menu (blue triangle) that appears when you hover over an email, and select Unsend.

How do I see whether my contacts are online for an IM chat?
The "presence icon" will be coming back soon. We wanted to make it even better.

How do I log out when I’m done with the Web Suite?
Click the Sign Out link that's now located near the top left corner of the screen. Suggestion: unless you're using a public computer, I don't recommend clearing your cache each time you log out. See info about that below.

Should I clear my cache daily?
No because the Web Suite uses the cache files tostore programming code that's necessary for it to work on your computer. By clearing it daily, you're forcing your computer to download the same program files each time,which will make the Web Suite slower than it really is. Forcing this each time you log in, will make everything slower than it has to be, even on a broadband connection. No confidential info is kept in cache files--just programming code that makes the email program run.

How can I have copies of every incoming email saved onto my hard drive?
This can bedone by:
1) Setting up an email program, such as Outlook Express, to access your AOL/AIM Mail account. AOL does not charge for this access as some others do.
2) Create a folder that's local on your hard drive (ie: My AOL emails).
3) Create a rule in your email program that automatically places a COPY of each incoming email into your local folder. That way, you'll have two copies of each incoming email (one in your AOL/AIM Mail account and a backup copy in your local hard disk folder). For all emails that are already in your account (in Inbox or other folders), manually copy all those emails onto your local folder--exact steps differ from email program to another. Note: this may take some time to complete, depending on your internet connection speed, how many emails you do at a time, and what time of the day you do this. I recommend doing a couple of hundred emails at a time, late at night, for best results.

What is an easy way to block email from particular senders?
You can block emails from certain people by adjusting your settings under Settings | Spam Controls | Spam Filters by Address. There are various ways to block emails from a particular person, a particular domain name (use wild card characters), or allow email from only the people you know.

How can I optimize the Web Suite for faster performance?
1) As I said, don't clear your browser's cache daily--it's unnecessary and doesn't give you that much more security. No personally identifiable data is kept in the Web Suite's cache files.
2) Use a faster browser, such as IE7 or Firefox. I can see from internet data reports that IE7 is about to over take IE6 in terms of user base.

I’ll be working on the following answers and adding more FAQs here, so check back soon. If you have other FAQ topics you’d like me to add here, please leave me a comment below. Please keep these comments specific to new FAQs (comments re: technical issues or feedback should be left in the next topic below this one--sorry, non-FAQ topics left here will be deleted to keep it organized).

‘Til next time,
Tae

Other FAQs I'll be working on…

How do I see whether the email I sent was read or not?

How can I _________ (you fill in the blank by leaving me a comment here) :-)

Thanksgiving Gift from AOL Mail

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:46:16 GMT

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

Tags: WebSuite, filters, reading pane, SMS

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

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 20:14:46 GMT

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

Tags: AOL, client, desktop, software, 9.1