Ask & AOL

New Blog and Feed Search Makes the Blogosphere More Accessible and Useful

The new blog search service aims to capitalize on the fervent interest in the topics and debates covered by blogs that are not easy to find on traditional online news sites.

Ask.com of late introduced Blog and Feed Search, a new service designed specifically for searching posts, feeds and news published to the "blogosphere community."

Time Warner's Internet unit hopes its security package will boost its appeal to customers and prospects.

AOL is preparing to enter the security fray with a new software bundle that it plans to market to the general public, not just its subscribers, News.com has learned.

The online video market is exploding, and AOL this week purchased a D.C. company with expertise in placing ads in the emerging platform.

AOL LLC, signaling the importance online video will play in drawing visitors to its ad-supported Web sites, has purchased a small company that specializes in inserting advertising into video clips.

AOL of late announced that it acquired “Lightningcast,” a broadband advertising company, as the portal positions itself to cash in on the surging popularity of streaming video.

AOL will soon begin broadcasting news programs supplied by Shanghai Media Group's broadband unit, the Shanghai Company said in a statement.

AOL, the online unit of media giant Time Warner Inc., recently announced that it has formed a tie-up with China's number two media company, one of its first such pairings since it withdrew from the Chinese market in 2003.

Under their new relationship, the broadband content arm of Shanghai Media Group (SMG) will provide material for a Chinese language version of AOL.com aimed at Chinese speakers in the United States.

It's never been easy to win a fight against people who buy ink by the barrel. The same may be true about those who buy bandwidth by the terabit — as a coalition fighting Internet giant AOL discovered lately.

America Online, the world's biggest Internet service provider has apparently blocked e-mails on its servers containing links to the petition against the "CertifiedEmail" plan at DearAOL.com.

Forget the TV, tomorrow’s screen of preference will probably be the Internet, AOL chief Jonathan Miller predicted at the influential "MIPTV featuring MILIA" trade show here.

"Video consumption is exploding on-line and on-demand is going to be the dominant way to consume content," Miller said in a keynote speech that must have sent shivers down the spines of the packed audience of TV executives.

America Online lately introduced new and enhanced mobile-browsing services--as part of the company's ongoing efforts to expand its portfolio of offerings for handheld users, as the provider of online services and content competes for wireless Internet users.

According to a survey AOL conducted with the Associated Press and Pew Research Center, 52 percent of adults keep their cell phone turned on all day, everyday, and 40 percent of those aged 18-29 are likely to drop their landline once and for all. The report reveals that more than 30 percent of adults want to search and browse the Web from their cell phone, while 47 percent say that mobile maps and driving directions are a "must have" on the next phone they buy.

After years of jealously guarding access to its AOL Instant Messenger network, America Online is openly flirting with third-party developers looking to connect to its AIM service.

AOL said that it has launched Open AIM, a free developer kit that allows the creation of plug-ins, mashups and third-party applications that connect to AOL's 63 million AIM users, which analysts said was a significant move for a company that has traditionally cordoned off its services.

Ask.com lately introduced the beta versions of Ask.com France, Ask.com Italia and Ask.com Nederland, representing the company's most recent expansions in Western Europe. The beta search sites are available in each respective country at www.ask.com and can also be accessed directly from any country at: www.fr.ask.com, www.it.ask.com, and www.nl.ask.com.

Following the launch of Ask U.K. in 2001, Ask Espana in 2005 and Ask Deutschland beta in 2006, the new sites extend Ask.com's reach into the rapidly growing European search market...

Ask.com lately introduced the beta versions of Ask.com France, Ask.com Italia and Ask.com Nederland, representing the company's most recent expansions in Western Europe. The beta search sites are available in each respective country at www.ask.com and can also be accessed directly from any country at: www.fr.ask.com, www.it.ask.com, and www.nl.ask.com.

Following the launch of Ask U.K. in 2001, Ask Espana in 2005 and Ask Deutschland beta in 2006, the new sites extend Ask.com's reach into the rapidly growing European search market.