Microhoo negotiations have come and gone.  We’re midway through a tussle over the potential Yahoogle search ad deal.  And now, as a report indicates that the Yahoo board has authorized talks, the latest odd name attached to a possible combination of Internet companies looks to be Yahaol.

This development hinges on some big assumptions: AOL needs to avoid being acquired, the economy must stay un-collapsed, and WWIII shouldn’t break out.  Still, if this all holds true until some unknown point in the first half of 2009, Platform-A will launch a new ad exchange.

AOL has introduced a new feature on its homepage that allows users to access multiple email services from third parties.

The company says it is revamping AOL.com to offer users more choice and customization in an effort to attract more traffic.

AOL took the lid off of AIM Express 7.0 this morning, a Flash-based web version of AIM allowing users to chat without having to install software. So say goodbye to all previously annoying presumptions on the part of AIM software.

The new version, says AOL SVP David Liu, makes it so users can log in anywhere. "AIM Express 7.0 makes it even easier for AIM users, especially those on-the-go, to connect with friends whether at home, at a coffee shop, the library, or wherever they have web access."

This week, there have been fresh rumors about cutbacks and layoffs at AOL.  They may or may not be true, but at least one thing hasn’t been removed from the corporate menu: an acquisition of Socialthing.

Socialthing is a bring-the-pieces-together site that’s often compared to FriendFeed.  It’s quite young, having been founded in 2007, and remains in private beta at the moment.

It was recently announced that Time Warner would be selling off AOL split into different sections, with the dial-up business going to one buyer, and the advertising and content part going to another.

In fact, Time Warner reported that AOL’s display ad revenue had dropped a whopping 14% in the quarter.

The billion-dollar stake Google took in AOL to keep the company out of Microsoft’s hands nearly three years ago doesn’t look like it will approach that value now.

Whatever critics may say about AOL as a whole, Platform-A appears to be on top of its game.  The advertising unit has taken another step into the mobile market with the launch of a third-party advertising solution.

Time Warner may or may not want to get rid of AOL, according to a new report.  It’s taken some preparatory steps towards a sale, however, and figured out how the unit could be split up and unloaded as two different pieces.

Time Warner’s negotiations to merge or sell its AOL Internet division to Microsoft or Yahoo have become more urgent ahead of Yahoo’s pivotal shareholder meeting on August 1.

The structure of any possible deal has not been disclosed, but if some type of merger does happen it is expected to change the balance of power for advertising online.

Breaking through AOL’s anti-spam efforts, combined with talking to the wrong person, netted spammer Adam Vitale two and a half years in jail.

AOL has launched a new personal finance site called WalletPop, a spin-off of AOL Money & Finance.

The new site will be focused on helping people manage their personal finances, while AOL Money & Finance will continue to focus on business and investing news.

The site will offer users information on deals from sites across the Web, Q&A with financial experts, tips on saving money, blogs with financial advice and breaking news and video.

Financial news Web sites attracted more that 64 million U.S. visitors in May, an increase of 35 percent over a year ago according to comScore.

Leading the category in May was Yahoo Finance with 18.5 million visitors, up 58 percent over the previous year, trailed by AOL Money & Finance with 15.2 million visitors (up 48%) and MSN Money attracting 13.7 million visitors (up 13%). Forbes brought in 7 million visitors, an increase of 28 percent and Dow Jones & Company closely followed with 6.6 million visitors also up 28 percent.

You’ve heard said "keep your friends close, but your enemies closer," now Yahoo wants to test the boundaries of that maxim to the full.

Google’s owned a five percent stake in AOL for the better part of three years.  Now, thanks to the passage of time and the terms of their partnership, the search giant’s getting the option of escaping.

AOL opened its revenue sharing platform for applications constructed with the Open AIM development kit.

AOL has launched a new version of its AOL radio that features a redesigned online player, along with 150 CBS Radio stations.

The new player is powered by CBS Radio, and allows users to skip songs, add unlimited channel presets and share streams with AIM users.

In the apparent battle between Google’s OpenSocial and Facebook, Bebo more or less threw up its hands and joined both sides.  Now its new corporate parent, AOL, is backing OpenSocial.

Google increased its U.S. dominance in search in April, extending its lead over rivals Yahoo and Microsoft, according to comScore.

Google’s search properties grabbed a record-high 61.6 percent of the U.S. market in April, up from 59.8 percent in March.

Out of the top five search engines, Google was the only company, that saw an increase in the number of searches in April. Yahoo, Microsoft, AOL and Ask all had a decrease of 5 percent or more.

Former AOL Time Warner CFO John Michael Kelly and seven other people were charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission with causing the overstatement of ad revenue by over a billion dollars.