Last weekend the AOL Mail team piled into a truck and headed to Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA to give away free customizable t-shirts.



Hundreds of Harvard's finest lined up in the snow to claim their free @aol.com t-shirt and ask our airbrush artists to create a message or design of their choice.

As you can see from these photos, requests varied from pretty designs (we just love that cupcake) to funny names (Go Team Badass!). We'd love to see your tee, so if you got one show us your pics on Twitter: @aolmail or #WickedFreeAOLTee.





DJ Kupah -one of our Boston Authentics -provided the day's funky soundtrack while people also had an exclusive chance to check out AOL Mail's new look on an iPad.




We had a lot of fun and are looking forward to doing more events like this in other parts of the country. If you'd like us to visit your city, tell us on Twitter (@aolmail or #WickedFreeAOLTee) or join the conversation on our Facebook page.




Enjoy,

The AOL Mail team

Introducing a regular new series for the AOL Mail blog: The A-Z of online security. Every two weeks during 2012, we're going to post a quick tip or explanation that will help you stay safe as you go about your digital day.

Each handy alphabetized post will be accompanied by an original illustration created by our fab designer Feb. So let's kick things off in the traditional fashion with...



is for Authenticate

If you receive an email from a service provider asking you to authenticate your account, make sure it's genuine before clicking any links.

Links can be spoofed to look legit, but actually take you to fake websites.

If you're not sure, manually input the URL or use your bookmark.

Happy New Year AOL Mailers.

A new year usually means a list of life-changing resolutions. We all want to lose weight or not drink so much but invariably these good intentions fade quicker than you can say "burger and a beer".

However, there is one good resolution that you can cross off your list right away. It's free, easy to achieve and will have a significant impact on your (online) life. Your no. 1 New Year's resolution for 2012 should be to update your browser.



Your web browser is that application you use to surf the internet – even if nobody seems to use that term anymore. Your specific browser is probably one of the most popular five: Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, Opera, or Safari (if you're a Mac user).

Every couple of years new versions of these applications are released, making them faster and more secure than before. So it's always beneficial to use the latest version. The good news is that just like your current version, the update is free and pretty easy to install.



Exactly what you need to do depends on which browser you use, but you should find an Update option in the About section of the browser's Options, Settings or Help menu. You can also search online for the browser's official website and get the latest version from there, or visit www.browsehappy.com for quick links to these sites.

Once you've selected Update, you'll need to follow the onscreen instructions to install the new version. If you're using a computer at work, you may need password authorization from the IT administrator.



If you're still not convinced that updating your browser is worthwhile, here's another compelling reason. A lot of new websites are no longer designed with older browsers in mind, so they may not be fully compatible with your version. In fact, sites using the latest technology may not be viewable at all.

AOL Mail is currently introducing a refresh of its service that may not be compatible with some of the oldest browsers. Without an update your Mail will still work as normal (no worries there), but you won't get the benefits of our great new look and features. We definitely recommend updating your browser so you can enjoy the full AOL Mail experience.

Don't forget that browser updates also make your internet experience more secure. New versions usually include fixes for security weaknesses that have been targeted by hackers. It's a good idea to set your browser to automatically check for updates, as minor ones are frequently released that deal with security concerns. You can usually find this choice in your browser's Settings or Options.



Let's make 2012 the year you browsed the web faster and safer than ever before by updating your browser today.

Happy New Year,

The AOL Mail team

You've spent an evening of forced fun at the work holiday party, you've spent the day shopping for gifts with what felt like the entire population of your state, and you've spent a torturous couple of hours in the company of scissors, tape and wrapping paper.

Now that the painful prelude is coming to a close, it's time to really relax and enjoy the true meaning of the season. Whether you're celebrating a religious feast or a secular holiday, this time of year is always about cherishing others.



At AOL Mail, we're cherishing all our users and celebrating another great year of helping you communicate with your family, friends and the wide world beyond.

So whatever you're doing, we hope you enjoy the holidays.

If you feel like decorating your inbox with some festive cheer, we've got a range of appropriate themes including the gorgeous handmade Woodcut Ornament theme shown above. For more information about changing your theme, read this blog post.

Happy holidays,

The AOL Mail team

AOL Mail has just announced the Giving Good finalists, which means the gift of local impact is now in your hands. Check out our final 10 non-profits here then vote for your favorite.

AOL Mail users nominated their favorite local non-profits and now ten fantastic organizations from across the country have been shortlisted for a chance to win a $10,000 Giving Good grant and free advertising on AOL.

So head to the Giving Good website and once you've chosen your favorite, sign-in using your AOL, Facebook, or other email account to cast your vote. You have one vote per day until December 31, 2011.

You don't need to be an AOL Mail user to vote, so you can ask absolutely everyone you know to support your chosen cause. Rally support for your favorite over email, Facebook, Twitter, coffee, the supermarket queue, the garden fence... you get the picture.

Giving Good is a partnership between AOL Mail and AOL Impact: where doing good is part of our everyday conversation. For more information about AOL Impact visit impact.aol.com.

View the Giving Good finalists

Happy voting,

The AOL Mail team

Like Louis Pasteur (preventer of disease), Bette Nesmite Graham (inventor of Liquid Paper) and Vanilla Ice ("If there was a problem, yo! I'll solve it"), the AOL Mail team loves solving problems.

If you ever have an issue with your AOL Mail, we want to help. Which is why we've just launched free email support for all our users.

So if your mailbox is malfunctioning, send us an email explaining what's up and we will respond to you within 48 hours.

Simply head to AOL Mail Help and look for the Email us button at the bottom of any help article.

Don't forget that an article on Help may already cover your issue, so it's always worth trying a search first to see if a quick solution is available. Otherwise drop us a line and we'll do our best to help.

Enjoy,

The AOL Mail team

The holidays are coming and AOL Mail is in a giving mood. That's why we've launched Giving Good – your chance to win a $10,000 grant for your favorite local non-profit.



Having a positive local impact is so important to AOL Mail users that we figured we could give you no better holiday gift than the opportunity to make a real difference in your community.

All you have to do is nominate a non-profit organization that means a lot to you. That will put it in the running to win one of three $10,000 Giving Good grants, as well as free advertising on AOL.

The only major requirements are that nominations can only be made by AOL Mail users and must be for U.S.-based non-profits.

The final date for nominations is Dec. 7. Once we've received all your nominations, we'll shortlist 10 Giving Good finalists and launch a public vote to find the three winners.

After you've voted for your favorite, you should encourage your friends to get involved by email, Facebook, Twitter, over coffee, in the supermarket queue, across the garden fence... you get the picture.

So, visit the Giving Good website now to nominate your favorite non-profit and give good this holiday season.

Giving Good is a partnership between AOL Mail and AOL Impact: where doing good is part of our everyday conversation. For more information about AOL Impact, visit impact.aol.com.

Nominate your favorite non-profit for a $10,000 Giving Good grant

Enjoy,

The AOL Mail team

Tomorrow, families across the country will begin the traditional Thanksgiving meal by telling each other what they are thankful for. It's a wonderful tradition that reminds you to always appreciate the good things in life.

At AOL Mail, we're thankful for you – our users. Whether you've been with us since the early days of the internet or just joined in 2011, we're delighted to have you on board.

Last month you should have received our special Thanks for being with AOL Mail since... email. We've got some further tokens of our appreciation planned for the coming months, so keep an eye on your inbox.



Don't forget that you can give your mailbox a holiday makeover by selecting our special Thanksgiving theme, as shown above. For more information about changing your theme, read this blog post.

Happy Thanksgiving to all our AOL Mail users.*

Enjoy,

The AOL Mail team


*Unless you're Canadian, in which case this greeting is six weeks too late.

Anyone who works in email marketing knows that a good subject line is the key to a successful campaign. An email's subject is also important in business where efficient communication is so valuable. Yet, in most personal interactions, the subject line is treated as an afterthought.



When composing emails to friends, many people use quick and generic subjects, like "Hello" or "Tonight". Perpetrators of spam and phishing emails have learned to take advantage of this: have you noticed how many spam messages use "Hello" as the subject?

Spam filters are increasingly suspicious of emails with generic subjects and, more importantly, so are users, especially those aware of the dangers of spoofed emails. If a spammer can send you an email that appears to be from one of your contacts, it's worth being wary of a message from a friend that leads with a vague "Hi".

So instead of creating a subject line that causes the recipient of your message to doubt its authenticity, you could use the subject to assure them that your message is not spam.

The key to a good subject line in personal correspondence is being specific. If you're making plans with friends, use a fact that could not be replicated by a random spammer, such as "Tonight's dinner at Luigi's" or "This weekend's ski trip."



Similarly, if you're sending an invite to a party or event, don't just say: "Party invite" in the subject. Be more specific: e.g. "Jen's 30th birthday party invite".

Not only does this help everyone recognize that your email is a genuine invite and not spam, it also allows them to pick out your message from a crowded inbox. Especially useful for popular people who get invited to more than one party.

A good subject line helps everyone be more inbox efficient. Another useful idea is to change the subject line if the conversation has veered off-topic from the original subject. So if planning your weekend ski trip somehow turns into a debate on the merits of your town's new bike paths – change the subject to the "Great bike paths debate".

If you are emailing someone to ask a quick question, try the common business practice of simply asking your question in the subject line with no additional message. You can even add the acronym EOM (which means "end of message") after your question, so the recipient will know that they don't need to open the email.

Of course, it pays to know whom you're talking to before trying this. Some people may consider it rude and would prefer you take the time for a how-do-you-do before getting down to business.



Paying more attention to the subject of your email can ensure your message is not mistaken for spam, while helping you to communicate more effectively.

Like a good king, you should treat your subjects well and they in turn will be good to you. After all, look what happened to Louis XVI.

Enjoy,

The AOL Mail team