AOL is to cull 450 workers, according to reports from the US.

The monster Internet division of Time Warner is to close two offices in California in a move to trim its software development operation.

Around 100 staff will be offered jobs elsewhere within the company.

What's more, AOL ain't hanging around, with offices in San Francisco and San Diego set to close by the end of the year.

News of the job cuts came on the same day that AOL announced it had been named as the "official presenting sponsor" of the "The AOL Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show" scheduled for February 1.

AOL's three 30-second slots will, reportedly, cost the Internet giant between $7.5 million and $10 million. ®