From InformationWeek - AOL is preparing to leverage its dominant strength in its AIM instant messaging service by giving a free phone number to its users and, in addition, by introducing AIM Pages, a social networking feature.

The free phone number would compete with eBay's Skype VoIP service, which charges $4 for a number. AIM Pages would compete with MySpace. AOL, a Time Warner unit, has 38 percent of the IM market, according to recent market research studies.

•  Read more

From TechWeb - AOL plans to launch a PC-based Internet telephone service closely tied to its AIM instant messaging service, a move that would expand the Web portal's options for advertisers.

AIM Phoneline, due this month, would be available as an ad-supported free service for making PC-to-PC calls.

• See the rest of the article

From Kevin Maney's Blog, "There's a bunch of conjecture floating around about AOL using AIM to create a MySpace competitor. No need for the conjecture. That's exactly what AOL CEO Jonathan Miller told me when I visited AOL headquarters a couple of months ago…."

• Read Blog Entry

We are pleased to annouce the official launch of the ChatCable™ website. First comes the website, next come the cables, then comes the fun of helping connect people to people, everywhere, anytime, for free! The ChatCable™ is the simple solution to getting your laptop, notebook or desktop computer ready to live in the voice over IP world. Most computers are not easily equipped with microphones. Yet millions of people per day are getting connected to each other through instant messaging and voice-chat programs like Skype which need microphones. Now, with the ChatCable(tm) there is no need to go buy an expensive, bulky computer headset just to use your computer to voice chat. The ChatCable™ connects your existing cell phone headset to the microphone and speaker jacks on your desktop or notebook computer. This lets you voice chat using VoIP & Instant Messaging software such as Skype®, MSN® Messenger, Yahoo!® Chat, AIM®, ICQ® and Google® Talk.