Archive for the 'Tech News' Category

The YouTube kids: Chad, Karim and Steve

Tuesday, October 10th, 2006

Google finally purchased YouTube for $1.65b. YouTube was founded by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim, who were all early employees of PayPal. Subsequently the purchase has put to end speculation over the net over who was going to buy the company. Other media giants reported earlier to be interested in purchasing YouTube were Viacom, Yahoo and AOL. The next question might be who owns YouTube? To answer this question, you need to mention three young men who came up with the initial idea about the site. They are Chad, Karim and Steve.
Chad, Karim and Steve (YouTube Video)Chad studied studied at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Steve and Karim studied computer science together at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The domain name “YouTube.com” was activated on February 15, 2005, and the website was developed over the following months. The creators offered the public a preview of the site in May 2005, and six months later, YouTube made its official debut.

For more information, read here.

.mobi landrush update

Tuesday, October 3rd, 2006

There is a strong demand for the next evolution of the internet. Individuals and businesses in more than 100 countries around the world registered more than 100,000 .mobi domains in the first four days of the domain’s general availability. This is a great show by all means–an indicator that mobile internet has a future.

.mobi is the first and only top level domain dedicated to delivering Internet content to mobile phones. Built on the open standards developed as part of the Worldwide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Mobile Web Initiative, the .mobi domain makes accessing Internet sites on a mobile device faster, less expensive and more reliable by offering content tailored for the mobile Internet.

A few companies have already put their .mobi to use! Here are a few examples:

cnnmoney.mobi

businessweek.mobi

etc!

The world’s most prolific domainer, Christian Chena

Saturday, September 30th, 2006

I was reading through one of my favourite domain discussion forumschena.gif Domainstate.com when I came across the name Chris Chena. The topic of discussion focused on a popular spanish website Juegos.com that, according to the info posted there, had not only been bought by one Chris Chena for a wooping 7 figure but was also parked on PPC generating $$. As a young domainer, I am always curious to do research and to investigate intriguing issues. I believe in the power of research and development in order to make a break through as an upcoming entrepreneur. Thus I decided to google search for Chris Chena and found substantial info about him. There was one interesting article based on an interview with Chena that was posted by the DRT Domaining Blog. The 27 year-old Chena is the owner and president of Chena Ventures, Inc which controls the Hispanic market. You will like the story about Chena’s ride to stardom from humble beginnings in childhood until he propelled himself into a topnotch a domainer. He entered the domain industry in 2002.

To cut the long story short, Chena not only co-owns the PPC company Namedrive but also has the whole of the spanish domain industry at his control. He boasts of collection of over 100 domains that consists of such prime spanish domains like Juegos.com (games), animacion.com (animation), animation.com among others. According to the story there was a particular day when he posted 8 of the top 10 weekly sales chart on the DNjournal. I have no comments about this guy who has made it. I think he is a model for many new domainers to take after. Take for instance he encourages quality not quantity and discourages typosquatting of whatsoever kind. He remains sceptical and sees no big future for the PPC business model–the bubble will bust at sometime when advertisers will turn to CPA (Cost Per Action).

Google’s growing list of domains

Thursday, September 28th, 2006

logo-google.gifHave you ever wondered how many domain names Google owns? Currently Google owns 520 domain names. Their domain collection has been growing over the last couple years because of all of the companies they started and have bought. Some of these domain names are not in Google’s name, but in the company’s name that they purchased. If you see any domains missing or inaccuracies, feel free and leave a comment.

21150.com 3576.net 38389438.com 466453.com 7sou.com 95539.com adsbygoogle.com adsense.net adwords.com adwords.net adwords.org adwordselect.com adwordsexample.com adwordsgoogle.com adwordsselect.com adwords-select.com adwordsselect.net adwordsselect.org akwan.com allevil.org altos.us android.com answergoogle.com answer-google.com answersgoogle.com answers-google.com appliedsemantics.com appsem.com apsem.com arabgoogle.com arabicgoogle.com askgoogle.com atlantis9.org averitablebevy.com bakuhatsu.net bigcitysmallbank.com blogger.com blogspot.com bon-vivant.net book300.com canalportugal.info cashexperiment.com catalogsgoogle.com chinagoogle.com clinilab.net cobrasearch.com conversionuniversity.com crotales.com dbanks.org deja.com deja.net dejadiscussion.com dejadiscussions.com deja-discussions.com dejanews.com dejanews.net dejanews.org dejastinks.com dejastinks.net dejasucks.net dejatracker.com deja-tracker.com delsolpm.net divesfl.com dmarc.net dodgeball.com dontswitch.com e17.org earthender.com earthender.net earthrender.com earthrender.net earthstream.com earthviewer.com earthviewer.net earthviewer.org elgoog.com elgoog.net elgoog.org eperfumez.com e-perfumez.com expire.ws firehunt.com floralartbyamy.com foofle.com fourth-party.com fourthparty.net fourth-party.net fourthparty.org fourth-party.org fridata.net froogel.com froogle.com froogol.com frooogle.com g00gle.com gbrowser.com gbrowser.net gbrowser.org gcalendar.com gchat.biz gchat.us gdrive.com gethealed.org gewgle.com gewgol.com gg-center.net ggoogle.com ggooglers.net ggooglers.org ghut.org gigagoogle.com gigagoogle.net gigagoogle.org globalgamerscenter.net globalgamers-center.net globalgames-center.net gmail.com gmmgjd.net gmmgjd.org gmmgjdwap.com gmodule.com gmodules.com gngjd.com gogle.com gogole.com googel.com googil.com google.biz google.com google.info google.net google.org google.us google.ws google1.com google2.com google3.com google4mp3.com googleaccelerator.com googleaccess.com google-access.com googleadsense.com googleadservices.com googleadult.com googleadvancedsearch.com googleanalytic.com googleanalyticas.com googleanalytics.com google-analytics.com googleanswer.com google-answer.com googleanswers.com google-answers.com googlearabic.com googlearchive.com googlearchives.com googlearth.com googlebase.com googlebay.com googleblog.biz googleblog.com googleblog.info googleblog.net googleblog.org googleblows.com googleblows.net googleblows.org googlebot.com googlebox.biz googlebox.com googlebox.info googlebox.net googlebox.org googlebrowserbutton.com googlebrowserbuttons.com googlebucks.com googlebutton.com googlebutton.net googlebutton.org googlebuttons.com googlebuy.com googlebuy.info googlebuy.net googlebuy.org googlebuyers.com googlecache.com googlecalendar.net googlecatalog.com googlecatalogs.com googleclips.com googlecom.com google-compute.com googlecompute.com googlecompute.net googlecompute.org googlecomputers.com googlecomputing.com google-computing.com googledesktop.com google-desktop.com googledigital.info googledigital.net googledigital.org googledirectory.com googledirectory.net googledirectory.org googledoodle.com googledoodle.net googledoodle.org googlee.com googleearth.com googleearth.info googleearth.net googleearth.org googlefoundation.com googlefoundation.net googlefoundation.org googlegear.com googlegear.net googlegear.org googlegoods.com googlegroups.com googleguy.com googleimageads.com googleimages.com googleimagesearch.com google-inc.com googleinstantmessenger.com googleit.com googleit.net googleit.org googlejobs.com googlejobs.net googlejournals.com googlelabs.info googlelabs.net googlelabs.org googlelecture.com googlelibrary.com googlelibrary.info googlelibrary.net googlelibrary.org googlelocal.net googlelocal.org googlemagazines.com googlemagazines.info googlemagazines.net googlemagazines.org googlemail.biz googlemail.com googlemail.info googlemail.org googlemail.us googlemaps.com googlemaps.org googlemastercard.com googleme.com googlemicrofilm.com googlemicrofilm.info googlemicrofilm.net googlemicrofilm.org googlemotherfucker.com googlemovie.info googlemovie.net googlemovie.org googlemovies.info googlemovies.net googlemovies.org googlemusic.com googlenews.net googlenews.org googlenum.com googleoogle.com googleoogle.net googleoogle.org googlepage.org googlepapers.com googlepapers.info googlepapers.net googlepapers.org googleplex.com googleplex.org googleplus.com googleporn.com googleprint.biz googleprint.com googleprint.info googleprint.net googleprint.org googleprint.us googleproxy.com googlequiz.com googlequiz.net googlequiz.org googlereader.com google-reader.com googlereader.info google-reader.info googlereader.net google-reader.net googlereader.org google-reader.org googleregistrar.com googlesatellite.com googlesatellite.info googlesatellite.net googlesatellite.org googlescholar.com googlesearch.com googlesearch.net googleseek.com googlesex.com googlesex.info googleshopping.com googleshopping.net googleshopping.org googlesidebar.com googlesidebar.net googlesidebar.org googlesimplex.com googlesms.biz googlesms.info googlesms.net googlesms.org googlesms.us googlesponsoredlinks.com googlestore.com googlestuff.com google-stuff.com googlesucks.com googlesucks.net googlesucks.org googlesyndication.com googletalk.info googletalk.net googletalk.org googletoolbar.com googletv.com googletv.net googletv.org googlevideo.biz googlevillage.com googlewifi.info googlewifi.net googlewifi.org googlewireless.info googlewireless.net googlewireless.org googleworld.org googli.com googlie.com googlr.com goolge.com gooogle.com gotgoogle.com gppgle.com gppglr.com groupsgoogle.com gtalkr.com guugle.com guugle.org guyindia.com habsplanet.com ho.org howtobuyaweddingring.com igoogle.com igoogle.net igoogle.org infrareddesigns.com issamghanwi.com jamesallen.org janinaordmann.com janina-ordmann.com jenniferwanderer.com jennifer-wanderer.com jinjilake.net kaltix.com kaltix.net kaltix.org kangkang.biz karsanadolulisesi.com karsfenlisesi.com kazimierczuk.net kedrowski.com keyhole.com keyholecorp.com keyholecorp.net keyholecorp.org kimphotosoftware.com latiff.biz lifescapeinc.com loizzos.com lorcanmurray.com lrgx.com m4cs.net mainechaos.com margin15.com markfong.com measuremap.com measuremap.net measuremap.org minzhu.org mobilegoogle.info mobilegoogle.net mobilegoogle.org my-deja.com mydeja.net my-deja.net mydejanews.com my-dejanews.com mygoogle.com my-google.com mygoogle.net my-google.net mygoogle.org my-google.org mypicasa.com namingsolutions.com ngoogle.com nncc.info non-org.net numgoogle.com nwiz.biz ogogle.com oingo.com orcit.com orcut.com orkat.com orkut.biz orkut.com orkut.info orkut.org ozhorde.com pageadgooglesyndication.com philipdryan.com picasa.com picasa.net picasasoftware.com piccasa.net porngoogle.com pyra.com q8planet.com rapidrefocus.com renquan.org requesttimeoff.com richardsbrain.com seeabc.com seedandsaplings.com sellwood.net sergeybrin.com sergeybrin.net sergeybrin.org signacon.net silverflute.net simpel.org smartprogrammer.com smartprogrammer.net sobacka.com sumitbudhiraja.com sumutpos.com support-reverse-smileys.com syncraconstruction.com talageo.com talkcentral.org tampe.info tapata.net team7365.com telageo.com testgmacrfc.com thecarbonneaus.net thedinnerpartynetwork.com timeoffrequest.com timeoffrequests.com timphanmem.com tongwen.net tongwen.org toolbargoogle.com triple-sss.com tvsearch.com urchin.com urching.com urchinstats.com utlemming.org veritablebevy.com wapgmmgjd.com wapgoogle.com wappdapag.com webservicehost.com wherewas.com writely.com wwapgmmgjd.com wwwadwordsselect.com wwwadwords-select.com wwwgoogle.com wwwgooglecom.com wwwgoogleoogle.com wwwgooglesyndication.com wwwpicasa.com wwwpicassa.com wwwpicassa.net wwwpiccasa.com wwwpiccasa.net wwwpiccassa.com wwwpiccassa.net wwwwgoogle.com xjpop.com xn--yvonne-schrder-5pb.com xn--yvonneschrder-rmb.com xvid-x.org xzcz.com yourmailhost.net zipdash.com ziqing.net Updated Entries gdrive.com googledrive.com google.dk google.se google.co.nz google.ca google.cn google.com.pr google.com.ca google.com.ch google.fi google.co.in google.co.uk google.lv google.co.hu google.lk gmale.com google.com.au google.ru google.nl adwords.nl google.be adwords.be google.de gogle.de googel.de google.ro google.kz google.by googlelyrics.com goog1e.com google.no blogger.eu google.pl google.com.pl google.es google.pt google.com.br google.vc google.co.za google.tm google.com.my google.bg frooglegoogle.com google.co.jp google.ie google.co.ck google.com.mx googleshoppinglist.com googlereviews.com googlewishlist.com saturngoogle.com earthgoogle.com mercurygoogle.com venusgoogle.com marsgoogle.com jupitergoogle.com uranusgoogle.com neptunegoogle.com plutogoogle.com googlegalactic.com googlesolarsystem.com google.com.om google.fr google.mu google.com.ph google.com.jm googlemini.com.cn

Psst! Facebook’s For Sale!

Sunday, September 24th, 2006

facebook1.JPG

What is the latest rumor on the net? Facebook’s chatty users love to gossip. Rumors of buyout talks between the student-focused social networking site and any number of high profile media and technology players have been circling since Facebook earned its first round of venture funding in 2004. According to an article published by the Forbes cover-facebook.jpgmagazine the latest bout of speculation, reported Thursday, involves Yahoo! (nasdaq: YHOO - news - people ) and an asking price near $1 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. That’s not a bad bid given that Facebook has about 10m active users and that number is still growing!
The speculated sale comes after an ongoing series of changes to the site’s privacy settings, which at first infuriated many users though the furor has quieted since Facebook honored some of their wishes. Last week the company said it would eventually open the site to the public rather than limit it to people affiliated with certain organizations like schools or companies.

I can’t hesitate to question the motivation behind making public Facebook content through google indexing and making it open to any ‘other’ interested parties, groups and organizations. I understand Yahoo! wants to make more money through ads but let them leave membership open for every other dick and harry and we’ll see what happens–we will all leave Facebook. The fact that it consists of students only is what makes Facebook so special, however an oversight might predict that employers could be lured into Facebook to scout for talent of potential employees once it is made public. Nevertheless, I highly doubt any progress thinkers would laud Facebook for making their personal info public available in the internet!!!

Maruti loses case in domain name

Monday, September 18th, 2006

maruti.jpgLast week was a bad day for automaker Maruti-Suzuki when the company lost its domain name to a domain cybersquatter. Maruti Udyog lost its case to Rao Tella, a US citizen and the present owner of the domain name www.maruti.com, for transfer of the domain name to the auto major.
In January 2003, Maruti Udyog had filed an arbitral complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) alleging that Tella’s domain name infringed Maruti’s trademark, `MARUTI’ and, hence, had the right to the domain name. The plaintiff, Tella said that his use of the domain name was lawful as the domain was at one point primarily used to post photos of a nephew named Maruti though later he converted the Web site to an engine portal. Tella earned revenues from the site through an affiliated Web site that paid him every time someone clicked on www.maruti.com to reach the affiliated Web site. However, Tella is known to be a cyber squatter with a history of registering Web sites having the names of trade marked companies.

While it stands a fact that the domainer won the day, it is not fair at all because the automaker is not able to use its name to market its products in the net.

French NIC Warns Against Slamming

Sunday, September 17th, 2006

afnic.jpegAccording to an article published by Circle ID, notes Afnic, there has been a significant increase in the number of cases of slamming since the beginning of this year.
Consequently the french domain registrar, Afnic, has issued a guide to fight against these practices. AFNIC defines “slamming” as “a variety of illicit practices … based on deception and … aimed at getting owners of domain names or brands to subscribe to unsolicited services related with their presence on the Internet” such as false renewal invoice, false register, or even psychological pressure. Just to give you an update, Afnic mid this year liberalized .fr allowing individuals from France to register domain names. Therefore Afnic limited private registrations by asking registrants for a siren number only issued to companies residence in France.

Microsoft Zune vs. Apple’s Ipod

Friday, September 15th, 2006

zune.jpgapple_ipod.jpg

The battle for supremacy among MP3 players makers is becoming ever competitive with more players entering the market to sell gizmo devices to insatiable customers. Microsoft is the latest entrant into a market that has become increasingly dominated by Apple’s Ipod. If lateness was anything to go by then Microsoft is definitely too late and comes in at a time when Apples already controls over 40 percent of all the internet music download through it iTunes software. To counter the competition, Microsoft has also announced that it would launch its own music download program known as Zune Market Place. Being an Ipod fan, I wonder what might be so special in the Zune. The device, which the company anticipates will be ready in time for holidays, will come in three colors black, brown and white. Interesting enough, a Zune will have in-built Wi-Fi for sharing full-length music downloads with other Zune devices around it. As rumoured earlier, zune will have a 30Gb hard-disk and a screen. However, Microsoft has declined to disclose any pricing information.

As the battle for gizmo devices intensifies, all I say is that a better pricing strategy by Microsoft could see it curve a sizable market niche from Apple. Pricing wars are definitely in the offing after Apple this week released a new 30Gb Ipod with a lower pricing of $249 -dropping from earlier pricing of $289. There were rumours back in August that Microsfot was going to charge $299 per Zune device. However, there was nothing special in the new 30 Gb Ipod except that a longer battery-life, larger screen, brighter screen and a lower price tag! Apple might boast of its market command but it has missed the opportunity to release a Wi-Fi device!
As I see it now, the key to Zune beating Ipod will depend on a pricing and Wi-Fi technology.

Who killed the newspaper?

Tuesday, September 12th, 2006

It was interesting to read in the late August issue of the Economist about the near death of the Newspaper. With a running sensationalist theme “Who killed the newspaper”, the Economist elaborated on how the most useful bit of the media is disappearing. This is a cause for concern, but not panic, concluded the magazine! I was not so convinced by the author of the article who stayed on the fence in his writing without coming out substantially on the “death” of the newspaper! However, with local advertisers migrating to the web, the plight of newspapers seems to get worse daily. Newspapers are being forced to cut on their sizes due to diminishing ads and sales since the invention of the internet. Late last week, according to a report in the Boston Business Journal, the Boston Herald is slashing an average of 6 pages from its daily newspaper to save on costs.

Reporters’ records accessed in HP probe

Sunday, September 10th, 2006

Two CNET News.com reporters’ personal telephone records were accessed by a contractor hired by Hewlett-Packard to uncover the source of boardroom leaks to the media, according to the California attorney general’s office.

The investigation conducted by a company hired by HP used a controversial technique called “pretexting” to obtain the personal phone records of CNET News.com reporters Dawn Kawamoto and Tom Krazit, state prosecutors said. Pretexting is a sometimes-illegal method of obtaining personal records through misrepresentation of someone’s identity.

Kawamoto and Krazit co-wrote a Jan. 23 article outlining a private, long-term strategy session held by HP’s board of directors.