RSSWith HailStorm Brewing, AOL Readies 'Magic Carpet'
By Nate Mook and Craig Newell | Published July 24, 2001, 7:50 AM
America Online is quietly rolling out a new unified sign-in service, similar to Microsoft's Passport, across its properties and partner sites. Codenamed "Magic Carpet" and currently promoted as the "Screen Name Service," visitors will be able to sign in with a single click and seamlessly browse sites supporting the new technology. Additionally, the service will be compatible with AOL, AOL Instant Messenger, and CompuServe 2000 accounts.
A clear competitor to Microsoft's fledgling Passport service, which provides authentication for MSN sites as well as a wallet service for "express" purchases, AOL's Magic Carpet could have a direct impact on the software giant's goal to establish a Web services platform.
Currently, Web sites can license Passport from Microsoft allowing their users to sign in with a single account. The company has faced mixed results with the technology, striking deals with few sites to use the universal sign in service. Passport partners include Starbucks and online retailer ComponentSource. Up until now, the only real draw to use Passport has come from browsing Microsoft's own properties.
However, this may change with the impending October release of Windows XP, which upon installation will repeatedly request a user to sign up for a Passport. Microsoft plans to extend this requirement even further with the launch of HailStorm next year. HailStorm is the codename for XML-based .NET services that will revolve around the Passport user authentication system. If a Windows user wishes to utilize the online calendar or messaging system for example, a Passport will be needed.
With HailStorm set for an early 2002 debut, AOL is not wasting any time deploying their competing service. Signs of Magic Carpet have already begun to surface on AOL's servers, with a non-functional sign in page for AOL partner SchoolSports.com.
Just like Passport, Magic Carpet works on a very simple premise - eliminate the need to remember multiple names and passwords while browsing the Web. Using an existing AOL login, a Web site can instantly and securely access all associated visitor information.
Users of other AOL services will also note that the Internet giant has been placing a new "Screen Name" logo on many of its existing properties. In addition, current beta versions of AOL Instant Messenger and AOL 7.0 feature the Screen Name logo, in a move that appears to be preparing members for widespread adoption of the Screen Name branding.
Information on a formal product release date could not be obtained. AOL did not return repeated requests for comment.
AOL's Magic Carpet ... what a well choosen description. Much like their flagship "controlled content service" which looks like something out of a bad layered cartoon. They have come along way in an attempt to shed their kiddie-surfer image. Yet it's still a toss up between ironic and how sad it is to see Aol herd users like a lot of sheep. Aol knows they can change the service, or charge what they want, because their users will just pay it. Sound like bashing..? Maybe not, after years of listening to the differences between what normal users and aol users have of the internet and service, how to connect etc., the results are humorous and frightening. Must be a new way to define job security. I wonder if Adolf Case doesn't get the real estate on XP he cries for, if then he will go back to placing his cd's into children's cereal boxes. Or, placing unwanted icons on your desktop after installing other programs even after you click 'no', what cheese.
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|There you go. AOL. Last time I thought only Microsoft has mastered the skill of cat. (i mean copycat). But now all it seems that their competitor his copying their idea instead. Microsoft has certainly learned their lesson and innovate better. I hope all the best for Microsoft and I hope all the worse for AOL. Coz i dun want to see AOL become the standard of the Internet. Coz if that day comes we all will be forced to use their Internet Access services. I HATE monopoly (Microsoft excepted). I HATE AOL.
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|the comments about Windows constantly "reminding" you to set up Windows Messenger also hold true when you have unused desktop icons.... I just got that message, and closed it out, then 30 seconds later it comes up again, closed it out again, and it comes up again, until I go through the stupid wizard to move my 1 unused icon into a completely separate and unneccisary "unused desktop shortcuts" folder. Other than that, I like XP...
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|You are able to turn off the desktop cleaning feature by going to display properties, clicking the desktop tab, clicking the 'customize desktop' button and removing the checkmark from the Run desktop cleaup wizard every 60 days.
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|That was driving me nuts too. It's a result of upgrading to RC1 over the previous beta. To get rid of it, go in to the task scheduler and remove all tasks associated with it.
I have Windows XP to be really enjoyable to use too.
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|Repeatedly asks you to to sign up for passport? Where the hell did you get that? It only asks for a passport if you use services that require it, like trying to login to .Net Messenger (which it doesn't throw in your face, it just sits there in the notification area until you turn it off.
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|Well, actually, with WinXP RC1, the first 5 times you connect to the Internet, you are prompted to create a .NET Passport by a little message bubble that pops out of the notification tray. Regardless of who your ISP is. If you dial in to AOL, Earthlink, Juno, etc, etc, you still get prompted to create a .NET Passport. In a way that most naive users will assume that doing so is mandatory. Very sneaky
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|i never had that problem...of course i use cable. i guess all of us broadband users are safe.
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|I guess so.
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|Well, after the third time the little notice popped up on my screen I just entered my passport information. I'm on dsl so I guess all broadband users aren't all safe from the pop-ups.
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|I am on a dialup account with my system running Windows XP, and not once did I get asked to signup for a Passport during connection to the internet
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|If you already use passport (i.e. on the MSN homepage) then it may have imported your settings.
/Ryan
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|Same here - on a cable modem. After about the 5th reboot and continued requests to sign onto Passport, I gave in to make the system tray icon stop bugging me.
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|I've been wondering. If you have an AOL account (username: Ports), and they bring www.reallylamewebsite.org.uk into their passport service and they already have a user Ports. Who keeps the username?
Eventually the web will be clustered into giant passport login services and many user logins will collide.
Nothing good can ever come from staying with normal people.
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|The larger service will keep control of the name. This same thing happened with AOL's purchase of Netscape and merging of the Netcenter database. Netcenter users were required to change their username if it was already taken by an AOL member, causing a huge stink by many upset visitors.
Nate Mook
nmook@betanews.com
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|But Passport uses e-mail addresses for login names.
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|True, although Hotmail doesn't (or didn't, haven't checked recently) - which is now integrated with Passport. Microsoft is pushing for e-mail address usernames though, especially in Windows XP. So, for example, if Microsoft Passport is integrated with Travelocity, users of the travel site that have the same name as someone with a Hotmail account will be forced to pick a new login.
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|Passport uses email accounts.
Hotmail does not.
But i would say that hotmail authenticates you with Passport by USERNAME@hotmail.com
If you log into MSN messenger, your sign in name has '@hotmail.com' at the end, that is if you are using hotmail.
Hope this makes sense.
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|Hotmail has always used e-mail logins, at least since MS bought them out.
Haven't you noticed on the login, you type your user name, and then it has @hotmail.com, or @msn.com now too(I think).
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|That is why it is still beta! User feedback determines stuff like how many times .net passport popups up before it get annoying. Remember, you are all working with beta software...
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