Posted Sep 3rd 2008 10:24PM by
Filed under: Member Education, AOL Desktop, AOL 9.1, AOL 9.0 Laura Peterson 0 Comments




Posted Sep 3rd 2008 9:59PM by
Filed under: Member Education, AOL Desktop Laura Peterson 0 Comments



Posted Aug 23rd 2008 12:00AM by Laura Peterson 1 Comments
Posted Aug 20th 2008 2:14PM by Laura Peterson 6 Comments





Posted Aug 18th 2008 12:05AM by
Filed under: Member Education, AOL Desktop Laura Peterson 5 Comments
As promised, here's a closer look at the Address Book simplifications and enhancements that you'll find in AOL Desktop version 10.1. (If you haven't downloaded version 10.1 yet, get it here.)
When you open the Address Book from your mailbox or a draft write mail form, you'll notice that the search, edit, and other action buttons are on top. Secondly, double-clicking on a contact will automatically create a new draft write mail form. (Alternatively, double-clicking when an existing draft is open will add that contact to the same existing draft rather than creating a new one. For example, if you're already writing a letter to one friend and you want to add a second friend from your Address Book, double-clicking on your second friend's contact details will automatically add their address to the existing draft.)
Here's a screenshot demonstrating the convenient auto-filtering search box and the new Address Book layout.

This screenshot shows you how to add a new or existing contact to a mailing list. (Are you looking for the "Groups" from AOL 9.0 and 9.1? Don't worry: Mailing Lists are the same thing as Groups!)

Finally, here are three steps demonstrating how to add the entire contacts in a mailing list to a write mail draft.

Do you have an Address Book tip that I haven't covered? Share it here by adding a comment!
Cheers,
Laura
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Laura Peterson
Product Lead, AOL Desktop
Posted Aug 13th 2008 11:01PM by
Filed under: Member Education, Announcements, AOL Desktop Laura Peterson 5 Comments
AOL Desktop version 10.1 officially launched on Tuesday! It's available for download on Discover AOL.
You'll find more desktop themes and colors, enhancements to the Favorites and Address Book layout, and improvements in speed and stability in AOL Desktop v.10.1.
I'll go into more depth on Favorites and Address Book in the next few articles. Right now, I want to show you how to make AOL Desktop all your own.
Personalizations: With the Personalize menu in AOL Desktop v. 10.1, you can choose themes, customize the software with any color you want, apply your own personal photos to the background, and even set up a rotating photo slideshow.
Whenever you make changes inside the "Personalize" menu, your selections will be previewed in the software in real time.
Themes: Right-click on the background of AOL Desktop with your mouse to bring up the "Personalize" menu. This will bring you into the "theme" area, where you can select stock themes or modify and store your own.

Appearance: This is where you can change the color of the software using a number of pre-set colors. Or, select "custom" to launch the Windows color chooser to choose from even more colors.
Background: This area lets you select photos from your computer which you can apply to your background or background slideshow. Tip: don't browse to a folder that has too many photos because this will slow your software down. Ideally, set up a separate folder with the pictures you really want to use.
Preview: Finally, even though you'll see your changes applied in the software in real time, you can see a demo of your customizations by clicking on the "Preview" tab.
(By the way, that's a lavender field near Snowshill in Gloucestershire, England.)
Check out AOL Desktop version 10.1 and have fun making the software look exactly how you want. Stay tuned for my new articles on the Address Book and Favorites.
Cheers,
Laura
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Laura Peterson
Product Lead, AOL Desktop 


Posted Jul 1st 2008 7:01PM by
Filed under: Announcements Laura Peterson 2 Comments
The News
I'm pleased to share that my friends on the AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) social media team have created a custom chat room for the deaf community. You can access this room conveniently within AOL Desktop or via an external browser. All you need is an AOL or AIM screenname to chat.
The room is called "Deaf Friends". Here is the link: http://chat.aim.com/chats/people/deaf-friends
Below are two screenshots; one shows the lobby area before you enter the room, and the second shows the Deaf Friends room and chat experience itself:
The Background Story
Several weeks ago, I was reviewing the AOL Desktop feedback submitted by AOL members, and I came across quite a few comments and questions regarding the lack of an official AOL chatroom for the deaf and hearing-impaired.
Gene, from Ohio, phrased the problem particularly eloquently:
"I'm a hearing impaired person and would like to have a chat room set up for people with hearing problems. It would be nice to be able to talk to others like myself and have a support room. Put yourself in a room full of friends or co-workers and plug your ears so you can't hear a word and try to communicate... This is what we live with every day. Can AOL step up to the plate and give us a full time chat room for the deaf?"
I forwarded this and other requests to Karri, a product manager on the AIM Chat team. Having also received similar requests from her own feedback channels, Karri was already in the process of creating the dedicated Deaf Friends chat room.
Making a Difference
We product managers appreciate everyone who submits their feedback to us at AOL. Our members can and do make a difference!
I'll close with Gene's perspective on why the Deaf Friends chat room is so important:
"Most deaf people are like survivors in small boats floating in a wide and vast ocean of hearing people. We do the best we can to adapt but it is hard for the hearing to understand what it is like for us to cope with everyday life. We do not ask hearing people to adjust to our life, but we do our best to adjust to theirs.
"I would like to thank you for heling us tie our small boats together so we can communicate with each other."
Once again, visit the Deaf Friends room at http://chat.aim.com/chats/people/deaf-friends to meet others in the deaf and hearing-impaired community.
Cheers,
Laura
Other useful links:
AOL Accessibility
AIM People Connection Blog
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Laura Peterson
Product Lead, AOL Desktop

Posted Jun 30th 2008 11:27AM by
Filed under: Beta News Laura Peterson 5 Comments
We'll be hosting a Beta team chat today at 4 pm Eastern for those on Nexus.
Join other Beta testers and talk with leads on the team about your questions and comments. We're particularly interested in any observations you have about quality and crashes!
Here's the link to get to the Beta chat room at 4 pm today: http://beta.aol.com/projects.php?project=chat
Thanks,
Laura
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Laura Peterson
Product Lead, AOL Desktop
Posted Jun 23rd 2008 12:13PM by
Filed under: Member Education, Announcements, AOL Desktop Laura Peterson 5 Comments
Fraudulent email alert
A valiant AOL Beta tester just alerted me to a fraudulent spam email that appears to come from AOL, but is actually spam. I'm passing on what the email looks like, how to tell that it's fraudulent, and some more information for reporting fraudulent emails that appear to come from AOL.
The sender's address is "update@aol.com" and the subject is "AOL Notification: [ Account Update Needed ]". If you see an email with this sender and subject or any other fraudulent email that appears to be from AOL, forward it to TOSReports@aol.com. Below is a screenshot of the email.
Phishing and how to detect it
Attempting to obtain financial and other sensitive information by pretending to be a trustworthy organization via email is called "phishing". "Phishing" is when a spammer literally tries to "fish" for information by baiting an unsuspecting person with an email that looks reputable at first glance.
The good news is that many phishers leave themselves open to detection by including spelling errors and other dumb mistakes on their emails which valid corporate communications would never include. The trick is to be sensitive to these things so you don't get dragged in, just as you would be alert to a possible pickpocket or con artist on a street.
Case in point: spammers hope that you'll just quickly glance at the email and click on the link they've embedded without a further thought. By adding the blue AOL graphics that make the email look fairly professional, they're trying to distract you so you won't notice all the errors that the email contains.
A good rule of thumb: even if you're sure the email is legitimate, read it carefully before taking ANY action! Additionally, AOL would never threaten to suspend your account if you failed to verify your details. (Your account would only be at risk if you violated the AOL terms of service by failing to pay for your dial-up, or, for example, by using AOL to spam other members. You would in most cases be given an opportunity to immediate rectify the situation via a pop-up linking to an official AOL website.)
Here's that email in question with some tips to show you why it's spam and not a real email from AOL.
This article from AOL Help contains some additional information on reporting suspicious scam emails.
Remember: take the time to read all emails thoroughly before clicking any links or taking any action! Report phishing and fraudulent emails to tosreports@aol.com
Be safe!
Laura
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Laura Peterson
AOL Desktop Team Blog Directory 
Posted Jun 15th 2008 8:40AM by Laura Peterson 0 Comments
As we head into the summer family roadtrip season, the prices at the pump are a bigger budget factor than ever. Minimize the costs of filling up by checking out MapQuest Gas Prices (gasprices.mapquest.com) before you refuel to find the cheapest gas rates in your area. Once you've found the station you want, use the familiar MapQuest layout to get directions to the station and other information.
Below is a quick tour of MapQuest Gas Prices:
After launching MapQuest Gas Prices a year ago, the MapQuest team recently added some features like gas calculators based on member feedback and requests. Straight from the MapQuest team blog, here's a full rundown of the latest features in MapQuest Gas Prices.
MapQuest for Mobile
Already on the road? If you have a cellphone with browsing capabilities, you can type in www.mapquest.com on your mobile web browser, or you can plan out routes and locations at home and click "send to cell" within any of your search results. Other than the standard costs from your wireless plan, these features are free. More info on MapQuest for mobile web is available here.
Traffic, Gas Prices and Events
You can also get a snapshot of local events, traffic news and gas price updates on the AOL welcome screen. Look for this little guy which appears towards the bottom of the welcome screen and aol.com:
Safe and happy travels this summer!
Cheers,
Laura
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Laura Peterson
Product Lead, AOL Desktop 

Posted May 20th 2008 8:38PM by Laura Peterson 0 Comments
As RSS feeds become more common, you can now access these constantly updating headlines and articles already associated with many of your favorite websites directly from your AOL Desktop toolbar.
Find a website that has an RSS feed associated with it. A website featuring RSS feeds has the orange RSS icon in the right side of the URL field (circled here in blue):
These two screenshots from the current AOL Desktop Beta (codename: Nexus) show me adding a favorite (Joystiq.com) then, after dragging it to the desired spot in my toolbar, hovering over the Joystiq favorite to access the built-in RSS feed. I can then click on any of the headlines in the feed to be taken directly to the article.
Adding the favorite:
Accessing the RSS panel and clicking on a headline:
This is one of many features available in the current Beta, available now on Beta Central: http://beta.aol.com/projects.php?project=nexus
Enjoy this alternative way of getting to your feeds in AOL Desktop!
Cheers,
Laura
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Laura Peterson
Product Lead, AOL Desktop 


Posted May 9th 2008 11:01AM by Laura Peterson 0 Comments
Hi Everyone, I've asked Corilee from the AOL Voice team to tell you more about the latest product, AIM Call Out (which works in the latest AOL Desktop Beta), as well as AOL Call Alert, which has always been a great way of tracking and managing incoming calls while you're away from your phone or on a dial-up connection.
To celebrate Mother's Day, all calls made on May 10th and 11th will be FREE! Download AOL Desktop Beta (codename: Nexus) here to use AIM Call Out. Of course, you can also use AIM Call Out in AIM 6.5.
Have a great weekend,
Laura ---
Thanks Laura. Our team recently launched AIM Call Out, a service that lets you make phone calls at your PC using AIM or AOL. Those of you using the new AOL Desktop Beta (codename: Nexus), will want to know that the built-in AIM Call Out service will be free this Mother's Day weekend, May 10th - 11th. You can make as many calls as you want to more than 200 countries. Make calls right from your PC using a headset or a microphone and speakers, or set up a call between two phones using the Web Connect feature.
Here's a screenshot of AIM Call Out inside of AIM:
Find out more at: www.aolcallalert.com.
Hope that helps give you some options for staying in touch with friends at family with AOL Desktop!
Corilee Fox
AOL's Voice team, based near picturesque Halifax, Nova Scotia, has always offered some neat phone call management capabilities -- AOL Voicemail, AOL by Phone, and AOL Call Alert.
Product Lead, AOL Desktop

Find out more about AIM Call Out and the "Call Mom Free" promotion: http://call-out.aim.com/
For those of you who still rely on your landline or cell phone, don't you hate missing calls when you're on dial-up? That's where AOL Call Alert comes in -- it lets you track incoming calls, forward them to voicemail, or answer the call at your PC. With AOL Call Alert, whenever someone calls you get an instant alert window in AOL Desktop to let you know who it is, even while you're on dial-up.

Principal Marketing Manager, AOL Voice
Posted May 7th 2008 5:24PM by Laura Peterson 0 Comments
Hi all,
Want to know what features will be included in the next AOL Desktop Beta? Got a question for the team about AOL Desktop? Looking for help or information?
If so, join me and other leads on the AOL Desktop development, design, and testing team for another open chat this coming Monday, May 12th, starting at 4 pm Eastern.
As always, we'll be taking questions and feedback about the latest AOL Desktop Beta (codename Nexus), which you can download here: http://beta.aol.com/projects.php?project=nexus
Here's a direct link to the Beta chat room, where the AOL Desktop and Beta teams and Beta testers will be congregating for another lively session starting at 4 on Monday. http://beta.aol.com/projects.php?project=chat
See you there!
Laura
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Laura Peterson
Product Lead, AOL Desktop
Posted Apr 25th 2008 8:42PM by Laura Peterson 5 Comments
Today we released our third AOL Desktop (codename: Nexus) build with a brand new look designed especially for the AOL Beta Community. It's AOL like you've never seen it before.
This Beta release not only contains visual customizations that identifies with the AOL Beta Community, but functional ones designed to assist with Beta testing.
In the toolbar and favorites, you will find shortcuts to AOL Beta Central, Beta chat, reporting feedback, and other popular tasks and sites.
Go to the Nexus Beta site to download the AOL Beta Community release and take part in the focus test!
Stay tuned for information about the next Beta chat with the AOL product team.
Cheers,
Laura
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Laura Peterson
Product Lead, AOL Desktop
Posted Apr 15th 2008 4:38PM by
Filed under: Beta News Laura Peterson 9 Comments
Interested in shaping the next version of AOL Desktop? Have questions about the current AOL Desktop Beta? Want to talk to the team behind it all?
Chat with the AOL Desktop team, other Beta testers, and the AOL Beta community managers tomorrow afternoon as we launch our third open chat session on the heels of the second AOL Desktop (codename: Nexus) Beta release.
What: AOL Desktop Beta Chat #3
Who: AOL Beta testers, AOL Beta community managers, AOL Desktop team, and YOU!
When: Wednesday April 16 @ 4:00 pm Eastern (1:00 pm Pacific)
Where: All details can be found at http://beta.aol.com/projects.php?project=chat See you there,
Laura
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Laura Peterson
Product Lead, AOL Desktop
Laura Peterson is a Principal Product Manager in AOL Products and the lead product manager on the AOL Desktop software. She works with AOL Product Development, Product Design, Quality Assurance, AOL Beta, Marketing, and AOL Help to create, talk about, launch, and support the AOL software! She also responds to as much member feedback and questions as she can via email, IM, and, of course, the blog itself. Walking the hallways of AOL since 2003, her previous assignments include work on the AOL 9.0 Optimized toolbar, AOL's voice services products, and other software releases such as 9.0 VR and the first AOL Mail and AIM Gadget.
Doran Butuche is the lead product manager on Desktop Gadgets, those cool mini-applications that live in the Vista Sidebar, where he is responsible for product definition and management.
Summer is a Sr. Manager for AOL Member Communications. While she has no ties directly to the product development team, she has been a contributor to many AOL blogs over the last few years and is excited to bring a non-product team perspective to the Desktop blog.