AOL has announced that they won’t provide any support on Netscape browser after February 1, 2008. In matter of fact, the shrinking of user base with the stiff competition likely put the end of a browser’s era. However, the Internet portal of Netscape will always open to serve the other needs of their users, but not that surprise, they recommended their existing users to switch to Firefox.

Indeed, people nowadays no longer speculate on the next generation of Netscape browser. What’s on their mind is how powerful the Firefox 3.0 when it ready to be released to the market. For existing Netscape browser users, a switch to Firefox is a wise move as Mozilla has provided more support on its browser through shorter release cycles.

The other day I came across a new gaming site that called QQ Games. It is also designed as an official plugin for the AIM users to play games with their buddies online. In order to play the games that offered by QQ Games, one must become an AIM user and download the plugin that weight in at 11.8MB. The platform this QQ Games supports at this moment is Windows. In the meantime, the games available include Treasure Hunter, Robo, Match Master, Black Jack, and Pool. According to the statistical data compiled from Quantcast, QQ Games has attracted more than 160,000 monthly uniques barely in the US.

QQ, a strong domestic brand name in China when people come to using the instant messaging service. On the other hand, AIM is AOL’s instant messenger (IM), both have laid a strong foundation involving the Web startups based on the IM platform. The creation of QQ Games plugin is a great example of how a China company works with an American firm and provides a good case for the Chinese entrepreneur that was pondering how to go on from what has already been achieve in China and replicate the success in the US market.

I just came across the Web mail product of AOL is now fully integrated with AIM, as stated in a press release. This new Web-based email service will allow users to use the email and Instant Messaging services simultaneously from the same application. This is in line with AOL’s vision, i.e. to provide online users with a service that was fundamental to their lives. As I visited the latest news and updates page of AOL, there are bunch of new features that was built-in to this new release, in addition to the launched of the new AIM WIMZI widget.

AOL went public in year 1992, purchased Netscape Communications for about $10 billion in stock in year 1999, started its offering of the Web-based email in 2000, has always remained as one of the most popular email systems among home users.

“Experience with the new AOL News,” this is what AOL said about their relaunched of its news site. AOL News, want to be the quintessence of the Web 2.0 designs and effects, relaunches itself with the blog-like look today. As mentioned in their “Welcome” page, the new site is divided into three different columns, main news is on the main column, the left column is occupied by the most popular stories, most stories that commented, most recent comments, and the users submitted news. On the other hand, the right column will be the wire feeds from major news sources from the Associated Press, ABC News, CBS News, with the addition of AOL News bloggers entries, trotted out its blog-like format while trying to emulate some famous blogs on an interactive medium.

In the meantime, the news on the Web was a glut. With the new blog born in every half second, according to the statistics in last August, I wondered that AOL’s news site was still in the business. Well, I don’t know how they going to compete with some other news site such as Google News, MSN News, and etc. No doubt that AOL want to make their news site “a lot more enjoyable” by offering the poll and voting features on their site.

Though we realized that everything competes with everything for eyeballs, but my sense is that they’re not competing with the blogs. Also, it seem to be they’re resisting to the pressure to be acted as a blog in terms of functionality and appearance.

One of the facts that Revolution Health has caught the eyes of industry pundits and the public is due to its founder, Steve Case, also a co-founder of AOL. It has unveiled last week, in the mean time acquired Casepages. It is founded as a platform that provides ‘personal health homes’ to the public. On the landing page, you’ll discover that there are several articles, news headlines, videos, or tools such as lose one pound prepared by the Revolution Health. Users can also find their doctors, join a community in order to participate a health discussion, compare health insurance plans in the U.S., or even join as a premium member for extra benefits. Moreover, Revolution Health is hopping on the Web 2.0 train with the release of social network services to the users such as users are allowed to ask health questions, and answer other users’ questions, share personal story, post a blog, create a personal profile that can link up to other users, and etc.

Meanwhile, pro and con on the founding ambition of this newly launched Revolution Health could be found on the Web. This blog talked about Revolution Health and mentioned that they meet the current demand of the U.S. health care system by providing a control mechanism for the personal health records. However, techdirt raised the questions whether Revolution Health is that revolutionary, and capable to solve the sophisticated health care issues in the U.S. by just create a health portal-like Web 2.0.