Posted By: Mark Thatcher

Jay Wrolstad, newsfactor.comThu Oct 5, 12:43 PM ET

AOL has rolled out software with a new look and feel, and some cool tools for broadband users looking to get the most out of their high-speed connections.

AOL's new -- and free -- OpenRide software package is built for multitasking with the AOL home page divided into quarters, each representing primary functions, such as e-mail, instant messaging, Web browsing, and search.

If you click on one quadrant, it comes to the forefront for a better view. The goal of the new software is to give you the ability to check multiple e-mail accounts, watch videos, listen to music, and view photos through one integrated screen.

Once open, each pane can be made larger or smaller with the Dynasizer feature. You can navigate between the applications -- to share a photo from the Media Center, for example -- with a single click.

The new software also allows you to quickly see when new messages arrive and lets you scroll over to the appropriate application to identify the sender.

Activities Made Easy

"[OpenRide] provides a much better experience for broadband users, with instant access to the core Internet activities," said Roy Ben-Yoseph, AOL's director of product management. He noted that OpenRide allows seamless access to multiple e-mail accounts, including POP3 services from competing e-mail providers, such as Google, Yahoo, and regional ISPs.

Ben-Yoseph touted the new OpenRide Media Center as an online application that will be particularly useful for broadband users by providing news clips, film previews, and an array of video from the AOL library. The software adds XM satellite radio to the existing AOL broadcast offerings.

"Broadband users want this functionality," he said. "And there are a of those users who don't know how to access to video or radio, so we have made it a lot easier,"

Keep in Touch

Other new features of OpenRide include a presence indicator for e-mail and IM accounts so that if a Buddy List contact isn't online, OpenRide can turn an IM into a text message or e-mail -- automatically.

The built-in Web browser has been updated as well to improve tabbed browsing and Web site thumbnail previews. It also offers phishing and spyware protection.

"You can store Web browsing history, conduct searches in the multimedia applications, and easily share that content through the messaging capabilities," Ben-Yoseph said. "Sharing has become a popular online behavior, and we have made it that much easier."

A new version of AOL Search for broadband is currently being tested. Once ready, it will extend query results beyond text links to collect relevant results in several formats, such as videos, pictures, sound clips, and local information.

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