links for 2009-07-21

In Maryland, a New Leader Hopes to Unite Tech Firms

After nearly eight months without a leader, the Tech Council of Maryland plans to announce Monday that it has tapped Renée M. Winsky, a current board member, as its new executive director.

Winsky, 46, spent the past nine years at the Maryland Technology Development Corp. — she has been president and executive director since 2007 — and has long been involved in the state's technology community. She previously worked at the Information Technology Association of America and the National League of Cities.

"I'm looking forward to getting back to my true association roots," she said last week. Winsky will start her new gig in September.

(tags: technology)

AOL tries to recapture that startup feeling

It might seem an odd move for a company that relies on money from advertising. Yet AOL is reducing the number of ads it shows on its home page and some other Web sites it runs.

The maneuver is one of the changes new CEO Tim Armstrong, 38, has brought to the long-struggling Internet company since he took over AOL in April. The former Google Inc. executive was hired to recharge AOL and lead its spinoff from Time Warner Inc., undoing a legendarily disastrous deal.

(tags: aol Innovation)