AOL lays off 200 U.S staffers, more overseas

By Geoff Duncan Published March 10, 2011

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Struggling online portal AOL says it is laying off some 200 U.S. staffers from its technology and content departments in a move to eliminate redundancy in the wake of AOL’s $315 million acquisition of The Huffington Post. Layoffs have been widely expected to follow on the heels of the acquisition as AOL integrates The Huffington Post organization into its content development teams and installs Ariana Huffington as the editor in chief of all AOL content offerings.

The layoffs will also impact some 700 AOL positions in India that mainly provide backend support to AOL’s U.S. operations; however, an AOL spokesperson has indicated to the Associated Press that a few hundred of those positions are actually being shifted to other companies that will begin handling AOL’s support operations.

Recommended Videos

AOL’s acquisition of The Huffington Post closed on Monday. AOL immediately announced six new additions to its reporting staff, including three established journalists from the New York Daily News, the New York Times, and Yahoo. AOL CEO Tim Armstrong characterized the new hires as “only the beginning.”

Former Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Computing

Lenovo’s Googlebook lineup could include two laptops, a 2-in-1 tablet, and an AI mouse

Images have emerged online giving us our first look at Lenovo’s upcoming Googlebooks

Googlebook

Google announced Googlebook at I/O in May, but we are still waiting to see what the finished hardware will actually look like. The first devices are expected this fall, and new images published by Android Headlines may have given us an early look at what Lenovo has planned.

Lenovo appears to be preparing at least three Googlebooks, including two traditional laptops and a detachable 2-in-1 tablet. There is also a new wireless AI mouse that seems to have been designed specifically for the platform.

Computing

Shopping for back-to-school? I’d recommend these GaN chargers for saving space and packing more power

From a $9 spare to a $56 desk hub, these chargers cut down on cable clutter so that you can focus on your studies, not how cluttered your desk looks.

Best GaN chargers in 2026 for back to school shopping.

Between a phone, a laptop, a tablet, and perhaps a pair of wireless earbuds that require charging every day or every few days, most students are packing multiple chargers for move-in day. Those big, heavy bricks take up valuable backpack space that could otherwise be free for carrying more items.

However, GaN chargers fix that problem in two ways. First, they deliver the same amount of power from a much smaller body, thanks to gallium nitride transistors. Furthermore, if you're willing to spend a little more upfront, you can get a high-capacity, multi-device charger capable of powering your entire digital ecosystem from a single wall outlet, something that could be very useful for a dorm room.

Computing

Gemini Spark can now use Chrome logins and saved passwords to run errands on your behalf

Gemini Spark can use Chrome’s auto browse feature to navigate websites and complete online tasks

Gemini Spark Chrome auto browse feature

Google is integrating Gemini Spark with Chrome so it can carry web-based tasks further without users having to take over at every step. The search giant is also expanding access to AI Pro subscribers in more than 160 additional countries, although the new browser capabilities are initially limited to the United States.

How Chrome auto browse works