NEWS: AOL Tech Network of Engadget, Switched, TUAW...

AOL CEO Randy Falco (TWX) sets employees at ease about that distracting AOL-Microsoft-Yahoo-News Corp chatter. (YHOO) (MSFT). No comment yet on how many thousands of AOLers will be fired if the Yahoo merger goes through.

In publishing - which includes Programming, Products and Platforms - our focus has been on growing audience size and engagement. The results have been very encouraging. In February, AOL had its fifth consecutive month of growth, with page views up 16% over the same period in 2007. Thirteen of AOL's content sites - such as Music, Television, News, Money & Finance and Celebrity - rank in the top 5 in their respective areas. ...

In advertising, we're focused on building the most effective and efficient marketplace for buying and selling digital advertising. Platform-A combines some of the strongest assets...

In the social media area, we're focused on empowering a truly social Web with programming and tools that help connect people, cultures and lifestyles around the world. Bebo, together with AIM and ICQ, will create a social media network reaching 80 million people worldwide. ...

Engadget gets a new look and adds Switched to the family!

by Ryan Block, posted Apr 10th 2008 at 2:11AM

It's been well over a year since our last big redesign, which in gadget time means our last design was unveiled circa original Walkman. So we're freshening up the whole joint -- all seven sites -- with a brand new design. Oh, and we're also adding an eighth site to the Engadget network: Switched!

Our latest addition, Switched will be dishing out features for those with a more casual interest in tech, as well as highlighting fresh, hand-picked tech news from our network of sister sites. So expect to see hot stories from Engadget classic, Mobile, HD, TUAW, and Download Squad running over there, as well as news from other geeky Weblogs, Inc. sites like Joystiq, Xbox 360 Fanboy, and Wii Fanboy...

AOL Regroups Blogs, Launches AOL Tech Network

AOL launched what they’re calling the AOL Tech Network this evening. It’s a grouping of existing blogs - the Engadget sites, Switched, TUAW and Download Squad, under a new tech content group.

Unike AOL Games, AOL Entertainment and other sub brands, AOL Tech is being branded without “AOL.” A new link on the AOL home page links to Switched, which will now syndicate in content from the other blogs in the network.

This is partly a streamlining of the organization, but it’s also a way for AOL’s sales team to pitch a tech brand to advertisers that has a big footprint. The combined blogs bring in nearly 5 million combined monthly visitors, making it about twice the size of Wired and in the same ballpark as Yahoo Tech....