AOL's free 'ride' & parental controls

Actually, it's called OpenRide, but it's free, and it combines AOL's most popular features into one piece of software. Optimal for broadband Net users, it can also be used on dialup connections, OpenRide "provides access to email, instant messaging, Web browsing, online search and a digital entertainment media center in one application. The latter service lets users watch video, listen to music and view photos," InformationWeek reports. Each service has its own pane on a "four-pane screen that lets people, for example, check email while watching a video, or send an IM while listening to music." Longtime AOL users who've gone high-speed will probably like its familiarity, the Associated Press review suggests, but reviewer Anick Jesdanun wasn't that impressed as a non-AOL person. He doesn't mention the one feature that would probably add parents to the list of those who really like it: AOL's well-known and well-liked Parental Controls. Information Week reports on those separately. Here's AOL's page about them.