Month: March 2012

Categories
News

Google was buyer of Wallet.com domain

Wallet.com Whois

Wallet.com Whois

Back in June 2011, DotWeekly editor Jamie Zoch spotted a change in the Whois records of the domain name Wallet.com.  Jamie speculated that either Zynga or Google was the buyer of the domain, which was privately registered making it difficult to know the owner’s identity.

As of today, the buyer is no longer a secret, thanks to another change in the Whois records. 

Whois Privacy was removed this week from Wallet.com revealing Google Inc. as the official owner, who paid an undisclosed amount of money for the name.

When you type wallet.com into your browser, you are taken to google.com. 

In May 2011, Google announced Google Wallet, a mobile app that allows users to make their phone a virtual wallet.  The web address for the site is <www.google.com/wallet>.

Categories
News Technology

Motorola Trademark Holdings registers Motorola Turn domains [UPDATED]

Motorola Turn

Motorola Turn

This week, Motorola Trademark Holdings registered several domain names around the word “Turn” for some type of new consumer product. 

The domain purchases include names such as MotoTurn.com and MotorolaTurn.com.

It’s unknown at this time what may come of the Motorola Turn.  Will it be a mobile phone?  A tablet? Or some other product or accessory?

In mid February, the US Department of Justice approved the merger of Google and Motorola Mobility.

Here’s the full list of names that were registered on March 14, 2012, each of which are located on MotorolaMobility.com DNS servers according to the Whois records.

http://whois.domaintools.com/moto-turn.com 
http://whois.domaintools.com/motorola-turn.com 
http://whois.domaintools.com/motorolaturn.com 
http://whois.domaintools.com/mototurn.com 

[Update 1 on March 25:. Motorola filed a trademark application (Serial Number: 85569635) for MOTOTURN on March 14, 2012, with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  The goods and services cover: “Set-top boxes; network access control, encryption and authorization software and services that allow Cable and Video Operators the capability to receive, process, control and distribute digital video, audio, and data services.”]

Discussion: MobileSyrup.com, Phandroid, Softpedia and Ubergizmo

(Image of Motorola at MWC 2012 via Motorola.com)

Categories
News Video Games

Middle-earth Enterprises registers Legends of Middle Earth game domains

Legends of Middle Earth game

Could another video game based upon J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth literary writings be released?

Well, according to three new domain registrations by Middle-earth Enterprises (a division of The Saul Zaentz Company), a new game called “Legends of Middle Earth” may be in the works.

On March 12, The Saul Zaentz Company registered LegendsofMiddleEarthgame.com (Whois), LOMgame.com (Whois), and LOMEgame.com (Whois).

At the time of this story going online, none of the domains resolve to a web page.

Discussion: GameSpot and HardGamers

(Image of Lord of the Rings Battle for Middle Earth 2 Rise of the Witch King via EA.com)

Categories
News

Amazon hints at Web Services Partner Network with domain registrations

Amazon Web Services Partner Network

With competition heating up between companies offering cloud computing services, it appears Amazon Web Services (AWS) may be launching its own partner network some time in the near future, according to a slew of domain registrations that include names like awspartnernetwork.com and amazonawspartnernetwork.com.

Amazon Web Services does have a Solution Providers Program but the Partner Network sounds like an entirely new opportunity for AWS partners.

In total, Amazon’s legal department registered nearly two dozen new domain names on March 12, that hint at the service.

Here’s a look at the full list of domains.

amazon-partner-network.com
amazonaws-partner-network.com
amazonawsadvancedtechnologypartner.com
amazonawsapn.com
amazonawsconsultingpartner.com
amazonawsmsp.com
amazonawspartner.com
amazonawspartnernetwork.com
amazonmsp.com
amazonpartnernetwork.com
aws-advancedtechnology-partner.com
aws-consulting-partner.com
aws-managed-service-provider.com
aws-partner-network.com
aws-partner.com
awsadvancedtechnologypartner.com
awsapn.com
awsconsultingpartner.com
awsmanagedserviceprovider.com
awsmsp.com
awspartner.com
awspartnernetwork.com

As of today, no official word yet by Amazon on its AWS Partner Network.

Categories
News Trademarks Video Games

Electronic Arts files trademark applications for ‘Full Contact Bingo’

Full Contact Bingo

This may be one of the stranger trademark filings I’ve seen by Electronic Arts, but it should make for an interesting game.

On March 5, 2012, EA submitted two trademark applications (Serial Numbers 85560267 and 85560275) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for “Full Contact Bingo.”

Serial Number 85560267 covers, “Entertainment services, namely, providing an on-line computer game; Provision of information relating to electronic computer games provided via the Internet.”

Serial Number 85560275 covers, “Computer game software; Downloadable computer game software via a global computer network and wireless devices; Video game software.”

As of today, Electronic Arts has made no announcement on releasing Full Contact Bingo.

Discussion: Game Informer, Kotaku, VG247, Hard OCP, Shacknews, HardGamers, AusGamers and Kotaku Australia