Improved message selection

In Webmail, you can now select multiple messages by using the Shift key while clicking the messages, instead of having to check each checkbox individually. You can click anywhere in the message list rows (except for the actual links) to select a message.

The messages can then be e.g. moved to a folder by dragging one of the subject strings to the desired folder.

This makes it a lot easier to move or delete many messages at a time!

Continue Reading →

Major spam filter upgrade

We have performed a major upgrade of the main Runbox spam filter (SpamAssassin) to the most recent version (3.3.1) and it’s running a fresh spam rule set that’s more aggressive towards spam.

We recommend that you check your spam folders for any misclassified messages during the next few days, and correct your trainable spam filter (if activated on the Filter page) using the “Not spam” link if necessary.

Furthermore, we have implemented a global filter that rejects messages that are virtually guaranteed to be spam (i.e. if the SpamAssassin score is 7 or more). This will significantly decrease the amount of spam that passes through to the user-level spam filters, and decrease the load on practically all levels of the system.

No email will be lost as a consequence of this change — in the very unlikely eventuality that a legitimate message is rejected, the sending server will be notified that the message was believed to be spam so that the sender can try again.

For more information about how Runbox fights spam, see our Anti-spam section.

Continue Reading →

New payment system; important information about recurring billing

Runbox has switched to a new and more secure payment system to comply with requirements recently introduced by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

With the new system, our customers are transferred to a payment terminal provided by our payment processor BBS Nordic when using a credit card to pay for Runbox services. BBS Nordic operates the banks’ common payment infrastructure in Norway, and is an internationally recognized provider of secure electronic business. The new system therefore increases the security and reliability of credit card transactions when making Runbox purchases.

It is only the credit card terminal and transaction handling that has changed — payments are initiated as before, by selecting the desired products from the Payment Options screen, or from your Account screen.

As a consequence of this upgrade, existing subscriptions with recurring billing activated will unfortunately not automatically renew upon expiration.

If you have had recurring billing activated on your account, please re-activate it by making a manual renewal when the expiration date of your subscription approaches.

You will be notified by email when your subscription is about to expire, and you can always check the status of your subscription or add-on products by logging in to your account and clicking Account from the main menu.

Since the new payment system is hosted by our payment processor, credit card details can only be updated when making a purchase, and not from within Runbox. This regime increases the security level and ensures that your credit card data is kept safe.

Continue Reading →

News Archive

 

23.12.2006

 

Runbox Web Hosting Server Move Status

All accounts have been moved to the new server. Here is the information for the new server:

Name Server1 : ns1.runbox.net (IP address 66.29.43.192)

 

Name Server2 : ns2.runbox.net (IP address 66.29.43.193)

 

Server IP : 66.29.43.194

 

Change your domains Name Servers to those above at your domain registrar. Changes will usually take an hour or two to resolve but may take up to 48 hours.

 

You can use http://66.29.43.194/cpanel to log into the cPanel for your account until your domain resloves to the new address.

 

If you are using your Runbox Email account to host email for your domain, log into your cPanel and make sure the MX record is set to “mx.runbox.com”. The transfer may have reset the MX record to a default value which will prevent your mail from being delivered.

 

All web hosting support requests should be sent to WebHosting@nullRunboxANTISPAM.com

 

05.08.2006

 

How to use email: Screencasts

Runbox is producing a number of Screencasts on how to use email.

28.06.2006

 

Validation of external From addresses

In order to prevent falsification of messages by abusers, we now require that From addresses used in Webmail or email clients via SMTP are validated. This means that you cannot send messages “from” an email address that does not belong to you.

To validate an external address that is not among your Runbox aliases or virtual domain addresses, proceed as follows:

 

  1. Log in to Webmail at http://www.runbox.com and go to Preferences.
  2. Enter the address you would like to send from in the “From” field and click [Save settings].
  3. A message with a unique link will be sent to the address provided. Click on the link to confirm that you own the address.
  4. In the Webmail:Preferences screen you will see a message stating that the address was validated. Within 10 minutes you will be able to send “from” that address via Webmail or SMTP.
  5. In order to validate more than one address, do not replace the address you just entered as that will remove the record from our database. Each Webmail folder has its own set of preferences, so you can simply enter one From address for the Preferences in each folder.

 

“From” addresses previously registered in Preferences will continue to work without validation.

 

12.06.2006

 

Runbox launches Web and Domain Hosting services in Beta

We’re pleased to announce that all Runbox accounts now include extensive state-of-the-art web and domain hosting services at no extra cost. The service includes 100 MB storage space, 4 GB data transfer per month, and a cPanel administration interface.

The service is currently in open beta testing as there are integration and support issues that will be resolved over time.

 

Please see our Web Hosting section for more information about the service and how to sign up.

 

05.05.2006

 

Nickname autocomplete function

This function will suggest and autocomplete nicknames as you type in the address fields on the Compose screen. Go to Preferences and activate “Nickname autocomplete” if you want this feature enabled.

25.10.2005

 

Purging Trash

Messages stored in users’ Trash folders on the server that are older than one month will be deleted shortly.

08.10.2005

 

100 MB message size

We have now increased the maximum message size from 30 MB to 100 MB on incoming and outgoing messages. This means that you can attach about 1000 pictures or 25 MP3s to one message, and receive the same amount of data per message in your Runbox account.

28.09.2005

 

Runbox increases email storage quotas to 10 GB and file storage quotas to 1 GB

These are exciting times at Runbox. During the last year it seems the world woke up to Runbox vision that email will be read, written, and stored online, accessible everywhere and on any device. Runbox pioneered the high online storage space premium email segment in 2000 when we launched the first 100 MB storage accounts, unheard of at the time. We then increased to 1 GB accounts in 2004 (admittedly sparked by the competition). We now see that the trend of increased email storage space for premium email will continue indefinitely. We will soon send each other full length feature movies (700 MB++) as attachments.

Runbox is therefore announcing that we will increase the storage quota for all email accounts to 10 GB and files storage to 1 GB effective today. With this we want to signal once and for all that your Runbox account has virtually unlimited storage capacity for the foreseeable future (we are talking many many years) and that you may safely trust to store all your email in your Runbox account. With 10 GB email storage there should be no reason to worry about getting a full mailbox for anyone.

 

Due to extra demands of premium email usage and the expected cost increase over time with more disk space we announce that we intend from January 1. 2006 to raise the standard price for Runbox accounts to USD 49.95 (in line with the current special extra storage promo priced at USD 49.95 per year. Effectively raising the price from today’s USD 29.95 per year.) In order to promise storage space at this level along with increased support levels Runbox will need to increase the price that has otherwise stayed the same since 2001.

 

However all current most valued customers are invited to and advised to renew their accounts before January 1. to lock in the current great prices effective since 2001. We hope most of you will make sure you lock in the low price. When you pay to renew your account at any time your added subscription time is automatically added to the total length of your subscription.

 

Runbox mission it to provide Premium Email — by that we mean really making your email experience great.

 

09.07.2005

 

Runbox Firefox Toolbar

The Runbox Firefox Toolbar is a very handy extension to the Firefox browser that automatically checks your Runbox account for new messages at short intervals, provides convenient shortcuts to Runbox functions and pages, and more.

For more information and installation instructions, see the Runbox Firefox Toolbar page.

 

17.03.2005

 

Domain Account Signup launched

You can now sign up a domain account like you@nullyourdomain.com and host your domain’s email with Runbox.

Read more about business email hosting Business Email Hosting.

 

If you would like Runbox to handle your company’s or organization’s email, sign up for a business email account, purchase a business email subscription, and start setting up accounts for your coworkers.

 

03.2005

 

Runbox endorses the Mozilla Thunderbird email client and the Mozilla Firefox browser

For users wanting a local email client runbox will recommending Mozilla. From before we endorse and recommend the Opera Browser. Read More:MozillaThunderbird, MozillaFirefox

09.03.2005

 

Major hardware upgrade acquired

We are pleased to announce that this morning, runbox has signed an agreement for acquiring new hardware for a major upgrade of the hardware system and our ISP contract.

Together with Dell and our ISP Comnet, we are setting up a new system based on the EMC AX100 system. We are setting up two new parallel EMC AX100 servers and two more servers to work with them. The EMC AX100 is a fiber channel based SAN/DAS solution with 6 Terabyte of storage space.

 

The two AX100 will be used exclusively for email storage and are optimized for that. They will work with the rest of the runbox hardware structure consisting of no less than 14 servers, increasing the whole infrastructure to 18 servers after implementation.

 

At the same time we are substantially strenghtening our partnership with our ISP Comnet, and upgrading our ISP agreement. Comnet is guaranteeing an uptime on the network of 99,9%.

 

This upgrade is based on contracts with Dell and Comnet over 2-3 years, and represent a contract value of close to USD 100 000. The hardware is being assembled in Ireland now and will be delivered within a maximum of 10 days from today.

 

04.03.2005

 

Business Email Hosting launched

Runbox can now host your company email. Purchase a Runbox Business subscription and get 5 or 10 accounts for your employees, with multiple domains and aliases.

See Business Email Hosting for more information.

 

02.03.2005

 

Domain Account Setup launched

You can now set up Domain Accounts in your multi-account subscription package. This means that your friends, family members, or colleagues can have email sent to anyone@nullyourdomain.com arrive directly in their Runbox account, while taking advantage of Runbox’ management features.

If you own a domain and would like to set up Runbox accounts on your domain for other individuals, do the following:

 

  1. Purchase a multi-account subscription from the Payment Options page (if you don’t already own one).
  2. Set up Runbox to host the email part of your domain using the Email Hosting Administration interface.
  3. Set up the desired sub-accounts from the Sub-Accounts screen. Make sure you select your own domain from the Domain drop-down menu.

 

For more information, see the Email Hosting and Sub-Accounts Help pages.

 

02.02.2005

 

Runbox bandwidth quotas

Thus far Runbox has not enforced any bandwidth quotas aside from the 5000 messages per day limit. We now introduce a tentative bandwidth limit to curb extreme usage. This will not affect normal or even heavy usage, so most of our users will not notice any difference.

The reason for the policy change is that our hosting provider has changed their bandwidth pricing policy, and that content-based message processing such as spam scanning is becoming increasingly resource intensive.

 

We expect this to release resources that will allow Runbox to provide better services for everyone.

 

The bandwidth quota includes email you receive, email and attachments you download via POP3 and IMAP, messages you send via SMTP and from the webmail, and attachments downloaded from the webmail.

 

The new quotas are as follows:

 

  • Trial users – 250 MB per week
  • Subscribers – 2.5 GB per week

 

A bandwidth usage graph or similar will soon appear in your webmail when you are close to reaching your weekly limit.

 

More information

 

21.01.2005

 

Email Hosting launched

You can now set up Runbox to handle email for your domain.

Go to Email Hosting Administration to set up a domain you administer. You can set up one domain for free, and soon you can buy more.

 

You can set up aliases on your domain in Alias Administration, as well as aliases on the Runbox domains. You can currently set up 5 aliases, and email domain aliases can even forward email to other Runbox accounts.

 

In the near future you will also be able to register new domains through Runbox instead of some other domain registrar.

 

15.01.2005

 

New Help, News, and Information sections launched

All Runbox documentation and information has been converted to a new platform that lets you, the Runbox user, edit and add to the information!

There are many knowledgeable people in the Runbox Community, and the information that is shared through the Runbox Forum and the mailing list should also be stored in a more permanent format so that other users can get help more easily.

 

The new TWiki-based Help section will also be a place to exchange ideas and suggestions about how to improve Runbox Mail Manager.

 

Join in by going to TWiki !

 

14.01.2005

 

Private Domains launched in Beta.

runbox today launched private domains in beta. This service will allow you to use your own domain with your runbox account. Soon you will also be able to delegate accounts using your own domain to other people.

09.12.2004

Trainable spam filter

Runbox takes the globally increasing spam problem seriously and now launches a trainable, “intelligent” spam filter superior to other spam filters available.

To start using the trainable spam filter, go to Manager:Filter and check the “Use trainable spam-filter” option. In Webmail you will then see a new “Report spam” link in the menu, which you will use to tell your filter that the selected messages are spam and move them to your Spam folder. In your Spam folder (as defined in Manager:Filter), you will see a corresponding “Not spam” link.

The trainable filter uses statistical analysis to determine whether incoming messages are spam by comparing their contents (words and word combinations) with those already recorded through training. After a few days of training, your filter will catch noticeably more spam and pass it to your Spam folder. During this phase you want to check your Spam folder regularly and correct any falsely caught spam by using the “Not spam” link.

In a short while your filter will adapt to your flow of email and distinguish spam from legitimate messages, and you can check your Spam folder less often. As email characteristics tend to change over time, it is important that you keep correcting the filter if it makes a mistake.

03.12.2004

Add to whitelist-function

You can now add senders directly to the whitelist by clicking on the “whitelist sender” icon on the Read mail page.

01.12.2004

New Features

We’ve recently added a couple of new features:

  • Messages marked as replied: When you reply to a message (via reply or reply to all) the message will be marked with a little “Replied” icon in the message list. The flag does not apply to your existing messages.
  • Updating signatures: When composing a new message, choose a From address in the “From:” drop down menu. Now click the new “Update sign.” button next to the message body field, and the signature that belongs to the selected From address will be updated in the message body. Signatures will always be appended at the end of a message.

26.11.2004

Address Book Import

You can now import contacts from other address books to your Runbox Address Book.

First, export your contacts from your email client or other email service to a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file. In your Runbox Address Book, click “Import” from the submenu to open the import window. Select the CSV file from your computer, and follow the instructions on your screen.

Once the procedure is completed, your Address Book will be refreshed with the imported data.

25.11.2004

Runbox Merchandise

Finally you can get Runbox t-shirts, coffee mugs, mouse pads, and more: Runbox Merchandise

What better way to proclaim your email superiority than wearing a t-shirt from your favorite email service!

10.11.2004

New feature: Autoreply

You can now set an Autoreply message from the Manager:Filter section.

If left empty, the subject of the message will be “Re: [original subject]”.

Note that autoreplies:

  • …will only be sent to messages addressed to you personally.
  • …will only be sent once per week to the same address. To reset this recipient list, set Autoreply to Inactive, Save Settings, and re-activate.

24.07.2004

Runbox recommended by flexbeta.net

Runbox was recently reviewed by flexbeta.net, and compared to 4 other 1GB email services. They concluded that Runbox is one of the best alternatives among subscription services. You’ll find the article here: http://www.flexbeta.net/main/articles.php?action=show&id=72

01.07.2004

Storage space increased to 1 GB

We have increased the email storage quota for all regular subscriber accounts to 1 GB, and the file storage quota to 100 MB. Subscriber accounts with extra purchased disk space have been increased to 2 GB.

With this move, Runbox stays in the forefront of the email service market and further advances its online email storage concept.

Runbox just got 10 times better!

26.06.2004

Payments

If you are having trouble paying for an expired account, please log in here to do so.

25.06.2004

Compose in HTML

We have added an HTML-composer to the Webmail Compose screen. You can now format message text, insert pictures, tables, links, and much more when writing messages. Simply click “HTML editor” in Compose, or set HTML-composition as default in Preferences for the folder.

More options in Preferences

We have added a few options that you can set in Webmail:Preferences:

  • Compose HTML: To use the HTML-editor as the default for writing messages.
  • View HTML: To view the HTML-version of a mail (if it exists) by default
  • Show external images: Displays external images in HTML-mails by default.
  • Show attached images: This will display all attached images below the mail.

23.06.2004

Inline HTML

We’ve just upgraded the web application, and can now display HTML-messages inline. All HTML is filtered to remove possible malicious code, including FORM-tags. This might make some messages look a bit strange, so if you trust the sender, you can still open the original HTML in a new window.

For security and privacy reasons, all external images are also disabled by default. Images that are included with the message are displayed as intended, but they no longer appear as attachments.

HTML-messages that don’t include a plain text version will now be converted to plain text and displayed.

Show all headers

It’s now possible to view all headers of a mail by clicking the “View full headers” icon to the right in the message screen. We’ve also changed the links “View source”, “View print format”, “Block sender” and “Block domain” to icons.

Add to addressbook

We’ve added a “Add to Address Book” icon next to the sender’s address in the message screen.

Attached messages

Attached messages are now displayed as separate messages. We intend to add the possibility of copying them to a mailfolder as well in the near future.

19.06.2004

Disposable addresses

You can now create your own “sub-adresses” at runbox.com, which is handy if you want to use your email address somewhere without attracting spam to your main Runbox account. For instance, if your username is “joe.user” you can now receive email at “joe.user+work@nullrunbox.com” and “joe.user+rec@nullrunbox.com”.

18.06.2004

Runbox increases email storage space to 1 GB

Runbox has decided to increase online storage space for all paying subscriber accounts to 1 GB for email and 100 MB for files. This will be implemented approximately July 1, retroactively.

As the original premium email service, Runbox has since 1999 delivered industry defining storage space for online storage of email. Runbox has always believed that the future of email is online storage, that you should be able to consolidate all your email in one place, and access it on any email client or device.

Runbox is continuously working to improve the Runbox email service, and will continue to be in the forefront of development.

16.06.2004

Nw Frontpage

With the new frontpage Runbox presents its new entrance and a new look that is the first step of a site-wide interface upgrade. We think it looks great and is more informative and effective for both existing users and new visitors.

24.05.2004

Web application updates

We just installed the newest version of the webapp today, and there are three changes worth noticing:

  1. Improved date-handling: Dates on outgoing messages are now in the user configured timezone, instead of GMT
  2. References on replies: When you reply to a message, the reply will now include the headers “References:” and “In-Reply-To:”
  3. Redone character set handling: By far the biggest change. All messages are now converted to and displayed in UTF-8. This should make it possible to correctly view any mail, no matter what character set they’re written in. The character set that’s defined in preferences will be used for composing new mails. It will also be used as the default character set if the character set in a mail is unknown, but clearly not ASCII. In order to maintain all characters from all possible character sets when replying, you should set your character set to UTF-8 in preferences.

07.05.2004

SSL launched

You can now login to Runbox Mail Manager securely via SSL after clicking the “Secure” link under the login box on the frontpage.

After you have logged in you will be redirected to a regular page and might therefore see a “You are about to be redirected” page, which is normal.

27.04.2004

Runbox Mail Manager version 4 launched

The software behind the Runbox Mail Manager web interfaces has been recreated, making it much more expandable and easier to maintain. On the surface it looks and works exactly like the previous version, but the new software “under the hood” implies much more frequent improvements and updates.

We can now focus on developing the service further, and we look forward to creating and deploying many new features in the weeks and months to come.

03.02.2004

runbox assists FBI in tracking down virus originator

Read the full story? , as covered in all major Norwegian newspapers.

24.01.2004

Save attachments

It is now possible to save attachments directly to the Files area. In the message screen, check the attachments you want to save, select a folder from the drop-down menu, and click “Save”.

16.01.2004

New loginpage

We have just published a new version of the loginpage. Hope you like it!

12.12.2003

Files interface launched

We’re pleased to inform you that the long-awaited web interface for Runbox Files has been launched. By clicking the Files link in the main menu you can access your Files area and view, organize, and upload files. Now you can also attach files from your Files area when composing messages.

12.11.2003

Retrieve mail from Hotmail, MSN and Lycos

We are happy to announce that you can now retrieve your Hotmail, MSN and regional Lycos (not lycos.com) email to runbox. Simply enter your data as follows:

If you want to fetch mail from other folders than the inbox, just add the foldername to your email address with a slash. So if your email address isjsmith@nullhotmailANTISPAM.com and you want to fetch the contents of your “Work” folder, enter jsmith@nullhotmail.com/Work as the username.

Additionally, it is now possible to fetch mail from popservers that use non-standard ports (i.e. a port other than 110).

01.10.2003

Runbox has relocated!

As of today, runbox has moved into new offices in Oslo, closer to our partner company Linpro, and in the same building as Opera Software, one of Norway’s premier Internet companies. Or new address is: runbox AS Waldemar Thranes gate 98 0175 Oslo Norway New phone number: +47 92667234 We will temporarily be without a fax or webcam, but we are always reachable via email, and at times via the support chat room.

27.08.2003

Larger attachment and recipient limits

As of today, runbox users may send mails totaling up to 30 MB in size. Paying users may also send mails with up to 300 recipients on each.

20.08.2003

Virus issues

Two viruses are causing woes for runbox and other mail services lately. The biggest problem is Sobig.F, which has plagued the world since Tuesday August 19. Email users all over the world have received this Outlook worm, and/or been the spoofed “sender” on it, because their address has been in an infected PC’s address book. The runbox spam filter and antivirus scans do detect these virus mails now however, if activated by the user. The Sobig.F mails are about 100 kB in size, have subjects like “Your details”, “Your application” and attachments of the .pif or .scr type. The virus only infects Outlook users with no updated antivirus protection. You can read more at Symantec’s website.

If you receive a mail with a subject like “your account gujaghgh” from “admin@nullrunbox.com” claiming your account is about to expire and that you have to click on the attachment (called message.zip) to read more, do NOT open the attachment, and please delete said mail(s). They are not from us, but rather another virus. You can read more here.

17.06.2003

Virus Scanning launched

As of today all incoming email for subscribers is virus-scanned. Messages found to contain a virus will be rejected with an appropriate notification to the sender, and will not be delivered to the recipient. 24.06.2003 – Update: You can now turn virus scanning on and off from Manager:Filter. We deactivated scanning for everyone after users experienced problems with email from Yahoo groups, so please turn it back on manually if you want it activated.

13.06.2003

Runbox Files launched

You can now store your files on runbox servers along with your email, and access them from any computer anywhere in the world.

To start using Files, click “Files” in the main menu. This will open a page with more information about the service, usage, and pricing.

30.05.2003

New Address Book launched

We are pleased to announce that the new Address Book is finally launched. It is completely recreated and reorganized, and lets you store much more information than previously possible. It features a new layout similar to the familiar Webmail interface, and many new or enhanced functions:

  • Add contact: Contacts can be added quickly using the fields at the bottom of the contacts list in the middle of the screen, always accessible with the “Add” menu option. Clicking the “extensive” menu option will open a new window allowing you to enter more information.
  • Edit contact: Clicking a nickname will open a new window where you can edit all stored information.
  • Sorting: Sort contacts by any column by clicking the corresponding header.
  • Index: Access your contacts by the nicknames’ first letter using the alphabet menu options to the right in the Address Book menu.
  • Search: Find contacts by using the search function at the bottom of the screen.
  • Group functionality: Organize your contacts by groups, using the Groups area to the left of the screen. Create, rename, or delete groups, and add or move contacts just like you do with messages in Webmail.
  • Group properties: After clicking a group in the Group list, its properties will appear in the bottom of the Groups area. Click the “[Group] properties” link to add or edit group information.
  • Drag-and-drop contacts: To move a contact to a group; click the nickname, drag it towards the Groups area, and drop it over a group name (Internet Explorer only).

In the near future we will add an import function to upload address book files from your local clients, and a shortcut in the Webmail:Message screen to add senders to the Address Book.

14.05.2003

Attention safelist users

Runbox is currently evaluating its policy on safelists, after initially having decided to allow these despite last year’s problems. We may need to block the most prolific hosts from our servers, in order to maintain the performance levels expected by us and you. Currently, this includes lists hosted through thesafelistnetwork.com and damnsmartideas.com .

09.03.2003

Feature enhancement: Whitelist senders

Under “Unsolicited email protection” in Manager:Filter you can now whitelist email addresses or domains. Messages from whitelisted senders will not be affected by the spam filter regardless of message content. Shortcuts from the Webmail:Message screen to add senders to the list will be added shortly. Note that the order and wording of the main anti-spam options has been changed slightly to be technically more correct. It now reads: “Detect junk mail: ()No ()Yes, save to [folder] ()Yes, reject if possible”. Also, the runbox spam-filter is now more accurate than ever in catching spam, as it was recently expanded to use the Razor “spam catalogue” in the detection process.

05.03.2003

Runbox webcam up

Those interested can now view parts of the runbox offices here and here to catch some of the Runbox Team in action. For live support or to chat with other users, drop by our IRC support channel, (enter a nickname and click Login). We will respond to requests as time permits.

22.02.2003

runbox featured in Dagens Næringsliv

Norway’s leading business daily, Dagens Næringsliv, features runbox in its Saturday edition, chronicling the transition from free to paid service, focusing in particular on the conversion rate resulting from the changeover. The article, as published in the paper edition, can be viewed here. To read a translated version in English, click here.

21.02.2003

New functions

Due to requests made on the runbox mailing list, the following enhancements have been deployed:

  • Select “From” name and address: A new drop-down menu on the Compose page displays all “From” addresses and corresponding names previously registered in Preferences. The address registered for the current folder (if any) will be selected by default. At the top of the list one will always find one’s runbox email address, along with any name registered under Preferences for Inbox.
  • Reply from message listing: Clicking a sender’s address in a message listing (e.g. Inbox) will open the Compose page with the fields already filled out, as if one had clicked Reply after opening a message.

17.02.2003

Feature enhancement: Scan retrieved email for spam

In addition to scanning email sent directly to your runbox address the spam-scan feature now also scans email retrieved from servers set up under Manager:Retrieve. Note that you need to re-save your filter settings (Manager:Filter) to retain your junk mail settings if you have not done so since this feature was updated 13.02.

21.01.2003

New feature: Junk mail protection

Unsolicited email has become a substantial issue for an increasing number of runbox users. Consequentially we now offer subscribers automatic junk email protection. When activated incoming messages will be scanned for junk email characteristics, and users can choose to have detected junk email rejected (returned to sender) or saved to a specific folder. These settings can be found on Manager:Filter under “Unsolicited email protection”, and are only available to subscribers (not trial users) due to resource demand issues. Please note that this feature is still in Beta-test, meaning it may not work exactly as intended and may be changed as user feedback and resource load is evaluated. Furthermore, junk email scanning will never function flawlessly; some messages will inevitably be incorrectly classified – some legitimate messages will be deemed to be junk and vice versa. In general the rate of error is very low, though a known problem are newsletters because they sometimes look like spam.

16.01.2003

New functions

We have added some needed and requested functions:

  • Order by direction: Message lists in folders can now be ordered ascending and descending for each column header (From, Subject, Date/time). The current direction is indicated with an arrow pointing upwards or downwards, and can be changed by clicking the header once more.
  • Go to first, last: Access the first and last pages of the list using the |< and >| symbols to the top/bottom right. The “Prev” and “Next” links have been replaced by << and >>. Similar changes have been done on the message contents page.
  • Enhanced search function: One can now search by message field (From, Subject), folder, date, and size. This function is available at the bottom of the message list in every folder, and the different search fields can be used one by one or together to set the desired criteria. Note that the date format is YYYYMMDD, where for instance “< 20030117” means all messages received before 17. of January 2003, while “= 200210” will find all messages received in October 2002.

These functions now also work together, so that one will not lose the previous parameters or search results when performing actions like ordering messages, moving to the next page, creating folders, etc.

21.12.2002

Happy Holidays

A Merry Christmas from all of us in the Runbox Team! We thank you for being a subscriber, and anticipate the great service improvements to come in the New Year. These days we feel extra generous and announce the following offer: Purchase a 1 year gift subscription for a friend and have 100MB added to your own account for 1 year! Proceed as follows:

  1. Make sure you are logged in, so that the system knows which account to award the extra 100MB. (Click the News link in the top header main menu once you are logged in to return to this page.)
  2. Click this link to purchase the gift account: 0) {document.location.href=’https://www.paynet.no/terminal?langu=en&curry=USD&totam=29.95&descr=1%20year%20gift%20subscription%20for%20Runbox%20Mail%20Manager&utref=’ + location.search.substring(1,location.search.indexOf(‘&’)) + ‘:rmm:g1:31536000&payid=130&bgcolor=%23eeeeee&fgcolor=%23000000&lblcolor=%23000000&fontsize=2&fontface=arial&pacolor=%23155d96&mrurl=http://www.runbox.com:81/mail/payreceipt&mcurl=http://www.runbox.com:81/mail/payconfirmation%3Futref%3D’ + location.search.substring(1,location.search.indexOf(‘&’)) + ‘:rmm:g1:31536000:29.95&maurl=/docs/en/payment/cancellation.html&mlurl=http://www.runbox.com:81/mail/payment%3Fuser%3D’ + location.search.substring(location.search.indexOf(‘&’)+1); return false} else {alert(‘Please log in first, select News from the main menu, and then click this link.’); return false}” class=”activetext”>Purchase 1 year gift subscription?
  3. Your 100MB extra disk space will be awarded once the transaction is processed.
  4. You will receive a confirmation email to your runbox account with further information. It will contain a gift account code that the gift receiver must email us once he/she has registered an account with his/her desired username.

Take advantage of this great offer now, and don’t forget to check your email during the holidays! smile

25.11.2002

Important safelist deadline

We anticipate ending the deletion of over quota mail at runbox, on December 1. This means that if you get more than 5000 mails per day and have not moved over to safelistbox yet, mail may bounce.

Also, new anti-spam measures being introduced at about the same time (first half of December), will most likely interfere with safelist type mail. More information on this will be posted shortly.

01.11.2002

Safelistbox.com update

Mail for safelistbox.com is now permanently routed to, and can be accessed at, http://www.safelistbox.com . Again, if your runbox username and password don’t work at safelistbox, please mail support @ runbox.com

13.10.2002

Safelist update

There was a problem with Safelistbox.com today, hence all mail sent there was temporarily rerouted back to runbox. We expect to have this solved tomorrow. We are aware of some bouncing resulting from this, which we greatly regret. Please have patience during this period of transition.

IMPORTANT: Runbox.com will ban safelist hosts shortly, to restore performance and dependability to a superior level. It is therefore imperative that you move all and any safelist mail to username@nullsafelistboxANTISPAM.com (see below for more details), immediately. Also, please note that we discourage new safelist users from joining either service at this time. 08.10.2002 New feature: IMAP Runbox Mail Manager now supports the IMAP protocol for use with your local email client. If you use an email client like Outlook or Netscape with runbox you will find that IMAP has many advantages over POP, as it supports synchronization of folders and messages between server and client. See the Help section for more information on IMAP and how to set up your client.

03.10.2002

Important safelist update

If you are a safelist subscriber, you MUST switch all your lists over to yourusername@nullsafelistboxANTISPAM.com, in order to keep using runbox for your Internet marketing needs. The system’s recent slowness and poor performance is in part due to the huge amounts of safelistmail we receive daily. Additionally, new spam filters added to runbox will soon bounce safelist mail.

You thus need to:

1. Check whether your login for runbox works at safelistbox. If not, please mail us so that we may amend that. If it works, you are ready to: 2. Resubscribe to all safelists as username@nullsafelistboxANTISPAM.com. Mail will be received at Safelistbox from now on. You may use your runbox account for any non-safelist purposes still, of course.

03.10.2002

runbox enters into agreement with major Norwegian TV company and is seeking funding

runbox has entered into an agreement with major Norwegian private TV broadcasting company TV2 as can be seen on runbox Norwegian sitewww.runbox.no. TV2 will promote runbox extensively in their internet, text TV and TV channels. runbox and TV2 will split revenue from customers in the Norwegian market. “This is a major breakthrough for runbox and ensures us financially long term. We will now be able to deliver even better serive to all customers world wide.” says runbox Founder and CEO Hans J Lysglimt.

runbox is now seeking international partners to promote runbox similar to TV2 and split revenue in local markets country by country. runbox today has paying customers in more than 100 countries world wide. Interested? Please contact us at info@nullrunboxANTISPAM.com

runbox is now seeking funding for further developement of the Runbox Mail Manager platform. runbox has a steadily growing number of paying subscribers requesting ever new features and extensions to the runbox service. runbox is now seeking USD 200 000 – 500 000 in funding for developement. Interested? Please contact us at info@nullrunboxANTISPAM.com

31.07.2002

New functions

Some useful functions were added during the last few days:

  • Filter by message header: Many users have requested an option on Manager:Filter to sort by the whole message header of incoming messages, not only specific header elements or fields. Using this option will broaden the search and also allow for filtering on fields not specified in the drop-down menu.
  • Printer-friendly message: Another frequently requested feature is a print format version of message contents. This is now available through the “View print format” link to the right in the message title field.
  • Last login from: To improve the users’ control over account accesses, the “Last login” message displayed upon each login now shows the logged IP address of the previous session along with its date and time.

30.07.2002

Affiliate website launched

The brand-new Runbox Affiliate Program website is now launched! Runbox Affiliates currently earn USD 11 for every customer they refer to Runbox Mail Manager by advertising on their own web pages and elsewhere, and you can sign up as an affiliate now by visiting affiliate.runbox.com. The new site contains news, comprehensive real-time statistics, information, and resources, and is an indispensable tool for all Runbox Affiliates.

09.07.2002

Important enforcement notice

The messages per day limit referenced below will now be enforced. This means that we will allow each account to receive up to 5000 mails in total, per day. Mail deleted by filters does not count. While it is in everyone’s best interest to curb extreme mail levels, we do apologize for any inconvenience caused by this. SAFE LIST USERS: To alleviate the problems caused you by these regulations, we aremost likely setting up a seperate sub service of runbox to handle safelist mail, so that it will not bounce. We hope to have this up and running in the next few weeks. All you need to do to start using username@nullsafelistboxANTISPAM.com rather than username@nullrunboxANTISPAM.com. Please see this page for updates shortly.

15.05.2002

Additional server installed

A new database server was installed today and service performance should improve significantly. We also expect the system to scale better overall as user growth increases.

27.04.2002

New function: Last login time

As requested on the runbox mailing list a message displaying last account login time now appears upon each login. You can now be certain no one has logged in to your account since your last session, should you for some reason suspect such activity.

15.04.2002

Traffic restrictions

For the benefit of the vast majority of Runbox Mail Manager users, runbox now introduces traffic restrictions. Currently a small number of users receive extreme amounts of messages affecting the overall system performance. runbox will continue to allow extremely high transfer rates, which will be enforced discretionally: Volume limit: 100 MB per day. Message limit: 6 000 per day. These restrictions are effective immediately and we apologize for any inconvenience caused. Please contact us at support@nullrunboxANTISPAM.com if you are affected by this policy change.

11.04.2002

New feature: Select language encoding

Many users have requested the possibility of selecting character set, allowing them to read and write messages in their native language. This is now implemented; go to Webmail:Preferences to change the character set for your account. Note that you will be prompted to install the corresponding language pack for your browser unless already supported.

08.04.2002

Rearranged Webmail menu and new funtion

The Webmail menu has been sligthly rearranged; the Preferences option can now be found to the far left of the screen. A frequently requested function has been added: A “mark as read/unread” option in Webmail:List. Select one or more messages and click “Read” or “Unread” in the Webmail menu to change the status.

11.03.2002

New function: Block senders

On Manager:Filter we have added a section called “Block sender”, where one can block both email addresses and domains by adding them to a list (remember to Save settings when done). All incoming email matching the senders listed will be deleted immediately. This function is similar to a regular filter set up to delete messages matching a string, but is much more manageable. To simplify the process of blocking senders we have also added shortcut links to the Webmail:Message page. Clicking “Block address” or “Block domain” here will add the sender to the “Block sender” list and incoming messages from the current sender will consequently be deleted.

07.03.2002

Sending mail through SMTP

We have now switched completely from so-called POP-before-relay, to SMTP authentication, to verify you to our outgoing mail server. This means that instead of having to check your mail by logging onto the POP server first, before sending, most clients will now send your password to the SMTP server automatically, as needed, to log you in.

Outlook users should set up their clients using My outgoing server requires authentication, and specify their login data as their runbox username, and regular password. There are similar choices in Eudora and other major mail clients, while Netscape Messenger will require the password to be entered manually, once per session, specifically for the SMTP server (it will prompt you).

31.01.2002

Delete messages from Trash

Upon request it is now possible to delete individual messages from the Trash folder. Clicking “Delete” on the List or Message page in the Trash folder will delete the selected/current message(s) permanently.

30.01.2002

Move messages with drag-and-drop

To ease the task of moving messages we have implemented a convenient drag-and-drop function. To move a message simply click its subject, drag it to the desired target folder name, and release the mouse button. This will work on both the List and Message page. One can move several messages at once (List page only) by checking the corresponding checkboxes and then dragging just one of the messages. This will move all the checked messages, including the one that is dragged (checked or not). At the present this function works in Internet Explorer only.

28.01.2002

Time zones

The much needed and frequently requested option to select time zone is now available on the Account page. The time zones displayed will depend on what country is selected; simply change country to update the time zone list. When the correct time zone is saved all timestamps in the message listings will reflect the correct date and time for your area, including possible daylight saving time.

04.01.2002

Purchase extra disk space

It is now possible to expand the default 100MB disk storage space by purchasing additional space. Simply go to Webmail:Preferences and click the “Buy more disk space” link at the bottom of the page to purchase 100MB extra storage space. We recommend monitoring your disk usage with the usage meter to make sure you do not approach your current limit and risk having incoming messages returned to sender.

02.12.2001

Successful transition

The transition of Runbox Mail Manager to a commercial service is a great success, and the response from existing users overwhelmingly positive. The service’s popularity has increased subsequent to the resumption of new user registrations, and these revitalizing processes will in turn contribute in increasing the service quality. We thank you for your confidence and look forward to providing an ever improving email service in the time to come. New functions

  • Spell check: When composing a message you can now check the spelling of your message text by clicking the “Spell check” button below the message text area. For the present the spell check only supports English; we might add support for other languages at a later time.
  • Disk usage meter: To more easily monitor your disk space usage a small disk usage meter has been added at the bottom left of the Webmail screen. We recommend keeping your usage well below the 100MB limit to avoid having incoming email returned to sender.
  • Display new messages only: It is now possible to view only new messages from all folders simultaneously by clicking the link “New” to the right of the Folders heading.

07.10.2001

Important announcement

Dear runbox user, Thank you for using Runbox Mail Manager, we hope you are enjoying the service. Runbox Mail Manager is what we believe a complete and comprehensive email service should be. Abundant 100MB storage space, a wide range of features, no advertisements, a clean and intuitive interface; this is absolute email messaging freedom. No other email service offers you this degree of quality and flexibility. The service in its entirety is developed by us, and we are proud of it.

We, the Runbox Team, want to assure you that we are committed to continue offering you the best email services available. Runbox Mail Manager is recommended by hundreds of websites around the world, and has in less than one year accepted more than 100 000 registered users. We very much appreciate the attention and support we have received, and we intend to continue improving the service.

To be able to continue delivering this quality of service and further develop Runbox Mail Manager we can no longer offer it for free. Unfortunately, general changes in the global business climate have made it impossible to finance a free service. We hope the runbox users will ultimately approve the need for runbox to charge for Runbox Mail Manager, as we believe that this transition will inevitably benefit both the users and the service. By paying for Runbox Mail Manager you can be confident we have the resources necessary to continue providing you with the very best of email services. From October 2001 Runbox Mail Manager will cost USD 29.95 per year, or USD 49.95 for two years. We will inform you of your payment options, including how you may be able to reduce your subscription fee through recruitment programs, both via email and on the website. The emails will be sent in several batches; you need not take any action if you have not received an email about your payment options. However, if you want to make your payment immediately you can do so here.

We look forward to offering you an even better Runbox Mail Manager in the time to come.- The Runbox Team

27.09.2001

New version of ‘mobile’ interface

The “mobile”, light version of Runbox Mail Manager is now updated and improved. This graphics-free and extremely fast interface now has an improved layout, and contains all the functions found in the normal web version. It is highly recommended for users who appreciate fast page loading and efficient message handling, and for low-bandwidth clients. Try it at mobile.runbox.com.

16.09.2001

Regarding mailing list blocking

Yahoo Groups were unblocked on September 1, which we are now announcing after a test period. However, if massive abuse results from this, that decision may have to be reversed. So please heed our traffic limitations, as described below (“Incoming traffic restrictions”).

05.09.2001

Another new function

For some time we have been receiving requests to better integrate the Address Book with the Compose page. A solution has now been implemented, and the user’s registered nicknames are accessible to the right of the recipient fields on Webmail: Compose.

03.09.2001

New functions

To further enhance the service, and partially by popular request, we have added some very useful functions to the web interface.

  • Order by : One can now order the message list in Webmail by the “From”, “Subject”, “Date, time”, or “Size” field by clicking the appropriate header (in the dark grey field at the top).
  • Size format : The size of messages and folders is displayed in kB or MB as opposed to bytes. This is less accurate but easier to read.
  • View source : When displaying message contents one has the option to view the message’s source and headers by clicking the “View source” link to the right in the message title field. The message source is displayed in a new browser window.
  • Choose “From”-address : You can decide what email address should be displayed as the “From”-address in each message you compose. In the “To”-field, enter both the “To”- and “From”-address on this format: myfriend@nullrunbox.com#me@nullrunbox.com#. The message will then be sent to “myfriend@nullrunbox.com” and appear to be sent from “me@nullrunbox.com”, overriding the “From”-option in Webmail: Preferences (but not affecting the settings for “Name” and “Reply-to address”).
  • Disk space used : On the Folders-page (available via the link above the folder list to the left) you can see the total amount of disk space you use. runbox recommends users monitor their disk space usage and keep it below 100MB at all times to avoid having incoming email bounced.
  • Order filters : To change the order of configured filters (Manager: Filter), enter the desired values in the “Order”-fields and click “Save settings”. Initially all filters will have a value of 0, and any number between 0 and 999 may be used.

We invite users to suggest additions or changes to improve the service and help make it the best email service available. Email your suggestions tofeedback@nullrunbox.com.

01.08.2001

runbox mailing list and IRC server

We have created a mailing list for Runbox Mail Manager users. To subscribe, send a message to runbox-subscribe@nulllists.runbox.no. All users are welcome to email this list to ask questions, suggest improvements, or simply communicate with the runbox staff and other users. To communicate with other users (and, at times, the runbox staff) in real-time, connect to our IRC server. The address is irc.runbox.no, port 6667, channel “emailers”.

23.07.2001

Software and hardware upgrade

We have successfully upgraded the web application and the conversion process went well, after some delays and necessary problem-solving. We have also performed other, minor software upgrades and rid the system of abusers and excess email (see previous news post for more information). Currently we are adding more servers and are reorganizing system tasks to better the load balancing. Service performance should improve further in the time to come.

25.06.2001

Software upgrade

This week we will upgrade to a new version of the Runbox Mail Manager web application. The new version is much faster and more efficient, and we expect service performance to improve radically. Users will experience increased speed, stability, and functionality. The conversion process will start today and will last several days, while the system goes through all accounts chronologically. Please note the following:

  • You might need to log in twice consecutively when your account has been converted. Should you coincidentally log in while your account is being converted, you will simply get a short message asking you to try back in a while.
  • All email in your account exceeding 200 MB will be permanently deleted. In the past we have been extremely lenient and have rarely enforced the 100 MB disk space limit, unfortunately resulting in the servers being forced to unnecessarily process enormous amounts of excess email. With the new version we will implement a strict policy and return all incoming email to sender when the 100 MB limit has been reached.
  • After conversion contents in all folders (not just Inbox) will be accessible via POP.

29.05.2001

Signup temporarily disabled

After a relatively long period of explosive user growth and consequent growing pains, we feel the time is right to temporarily halt the intake of new users and focus on stabilizing the system. We want to improve the internal structure of the system from the ground up, add more hardware, make software amendments, rid databases and mail directories of abusers, and perform other neglected tasks. We also want to focus more on our Norwegian user base and further develop our revenue models for the European market. While not being able to accept new users is unfortunate, we’re sure our current users will appreciate the increased service performance we’ll be able to provide. We’re confident this effort will improve the service as a whole, and we expect to resume the registration of new international users in a few weeks (signup at www.runbox.no continues as usual). We’d also like to express our appreciation for the continued attention and support from both existing and potential new users.

20.05.2001

New servers

After several delays we have added a new web server to help handle the high load, and the webmail interface will be permanently accessible. We are still not content with the performance level, and more hardware additions are on the way. Additionally, we will release a new and more efficient version of the web application. With these enhancements we expect the service performance to improve significantly in the near future.

14.04.2001

WAP interface

The WAP interface for Runbox Mail Manager has finally been launched at wap.runbox.com. It works with most WAP enabled clients, and provides a convenient way for reading and sending email on mobile phones and PDAs.

01.04.2001

Runbox Mail Manager in Norwegian

A Norwegian version of Runbox Mail Manager has been released, available at www.runbox.no. It is the same service as the international version, with the addition of some unique features for mobile phones in a special section called Runbox Mobile Club. For the time being these features are only available in Norway, as they require SMS-enabled mobile phone operators. When operators in other countries support payable SMS services we will launch Runbox Mobile Club abroad as well.

19.02.2001

Runbox Mail Manager 2.0 released

The Runbox Mail Manager application has been completely redone from the ground up. Please enjoy the new service and the many improvements in features, interface, and speed.

31.01.2001

System upgrade

The month of January has been a very eventful one in Runbox’ history; the Runbox Mail Manager user base has quadrupled and we have received much praise as well as suggestions for improvements of the service. Unfortunately, this level of popularity has resulted in temporary system overloads, as some of you have experienced during the last couple of weeks. For this we apologize, and we assure you that drastic improvements are imminent. We are in the process of a major hardware upgrade, which will eradicate problems with sluggishness, webmail and POP3 access failure, etc. Furthermore, we will soon launch the next version of RMM, which will include several new features and improve the service level greatly in general. In the meantime we continue to value your patience and support, and please keep sending suggestions and comments.

19.12.2000

Article about Runbox Mail Manager in PC Magazine Norway

The december issue of PC Magazine Norway brings a review of Runbox Mail Manager explaining many of the service’s advantages. The article is largely positive, while anticipating the imminient upgrade of RMM which will add several features. Read the article at this site in English or Norwegian.

11.12.2000

Runbox Mail Manager nominated for best web service of the year

The Norwegian e-business magazine Kapital Data has picked Runbox Mail Manager as one of their 10 nominees for best web service of the year. Their report praises the service for its advanced features and user-friendlyness, among other things. Read the report in its entirety in English orNorwegian.

02.11.2000

Runbox Mail Mananager in the news

After releasing its email service Runbox Mail Manager (RMM), runbox.com AS gets press coverage in Norwegian online media. Several technology-related news sites have published very positive reports about the service. The articles, along with the official runbox.com AS press release, can be found here.

12.10.2000

Runbox Mail Manager launched (Beta version)

runbox AS has officially launched its free email service Runbox Mail Manager (RMM). Having started with a unique approach to web based email administration, we intend to aggressively develop RMM with the defined goal of centralizing all email online, thus providing users with full flexibility and control in email management. The service will continuously be expanded and enhanced, giving the users the tools and features they need to effectively manage their email.

We’re also proud to announce that runbox AS has developed and is currently providing a fully customized webmail service for LibertySurf? Norway. We’re confident that the users of LibertySurf? Norway will find that the new webmail interface adds significant value to the LibertySurf? service, and hope that the email manager meets all their email messaging needs. Please see www.libertysurf.no for more information.

16.08.2000

Runbox Mail Manager in Beta

runbox AS has released its service Runbox Mail Manager (RMM) for Beta-testing. RMM is a web-based service for the administration of email, and includes a wide range of email tools. It is developed to meet the demands of beginning and advanced email users alike.

runbox AS aims to abstract the concept of email to allow for email administration rather than just email handling. In an otherwise complex world of email with various systems, protocols, and clients, RMM will provide an elevated platform allowing a new level of email management and flexibility across networks and platforms. This connection gives the user a powerful tool with a new degree of choice and independence through the complete control over his/her email. With a wide range of email functions presented through a unique interface, RMM enhances the user’s email experience while improving the relation to any other utilized services.

Continue Reading →