WorldWondersProject.com: Google buys domain for secret new site [UPDATED]

In September I wrote about Google acquiring the domain name OneWorldManyStories.com after the domain name had expired.

Then, in early October, Google unveiled the ‘One World Many Stories’ website that showcases stories of how people use Google Earth to discover more about the world.  The site was launched in celebration of Google Earth being downloaded 1 billion times.

Now it appears Google has another secretive project underway called the “World Wonders Project”, that if I had to guess, I’d say has something to do with Google Earth and the Wonders of the World.

Google registered the domain names WorldWondersProject.com and WorldWondersProject.net on October 12 through MarkMonitor.

Here’s a look at the Whois record.

Registrant:
DNS Admin
Google Inc.
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View CA 94043
US

Domain Name: worldwondersproject.com

Registrar Name: Markmonitor.com
Registrar Whois: whois.markmonitor.com

Administrative Contact:
DNS Admin
Google Inc.
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View CA 94043
US

Technical Contact, Zone Contact:
DNS Admin
Google Inc.
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View CA 94043
US

Created on…………..: 2011-10-12.
Expires on…………..: 2013-10-12.
Record last updated on..: 2011-10-12.

Domain servers in listed order:

ns1.google.com
ns3.google.com
ns4.google.com
ns2.google.com

[Update 2, May 31, 2012:. Google is today releasing a new online project that will give users the ability to virtually explore historical sites, including Stonehenge and Kew Gardens, The Telegraph reports.]

[Update 1, Oct. 28, 2012:.  It now appears Google has acquired the domain WorldWonders.org [WHOIS] from BuyDomains using the same well-known internet brand protection company MarkMonitor as the intermediary.  The name transferred from BuyDomains to MarkMonitor this week.  According to web cache, the purchase price was only $2,088.]

(Photo of The Sphinx and the Khafre’s Pyramid in Giza by Ian Sewell)