AOL offers new homepage

With email and social networking built in

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12 May 2009 11:38 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

AOL UK has announced the beta launch of its new homepage that, similar to its recent AOL Mail revamp, will let users access multiple email accounts and social networking services from a single online destination.

Open to third-party services and content, the new features include AOL UK users being able to check their Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo Mail - as well as AOL Mail - in addition to using AOL's AIM service.

From the AOL.co.uk homepage, users will also be able to post status updates to multiple social networks, and access profile activity information, including new friend requests and mail notifications, from services such as AIM, Bebo, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

In addition, there's background customisation, the ability to add links to the page, dragging and dropping contents and adding RSS feed options.

Already launched in the US, the revamp sees struggling AOL trying to stay relevant in the face of more up-to-date competitors, as it's reported that parent company Time Warner is trying to spin the company off.