Category: Technology

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News Technology

Research in Motion registers over 500 domain names for its new BlackBerrys

Blackberry Torch 9850 9860

Wow, talk about some domain registrations. 

Research in Motion, the maker of Blackberry, officially unveiled several new RIM smartphones this week, including the BlackBerry Torch 9850/9860 and the Blackberry Torch 9810. 

And with the unveiling of the new RIM devices came a small investment in domain names with over 500 new domain registrations by Research in Motion on August 3.

Registrant:
        Domain Administrator
        Research In Motion Limited
        295 Philip Street 
         Waterloo ON N2L3L3

 Created on…………..: 2011-08-03.
    Expires on…………..: 2012-08-03.
    Record last updated on..: 2011-08-03.

The domain registrations are too long to list in this post, but you can view them here. 

Here’s a sampling of the domain names that include .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, apps names, shortened versions, typos, hyphenated names and much more.

http://whois.domaintools.com/9860blackberrytorch.com 
http://whois.domaintools.com/appsforblackberrytorch9860.com 
http://whois.domaintools.com/appsfortorch9860.com 
http://whois.domaintools.com/bb9860.com 
http://whois.domaintools.com/blackberry-9860.com 
http://whois.domaintools.com/blackberrytorch9860accessories.com 
http://whois.domaintools.com/buyblackberrytorch9860.com

Categories
Disputes News Technology WIPO

Apple wins dispute over iPods.com, domain name ordered transferred

iPod Shuffle

Updated August 1, 2011:  The full administrative panel decision has been posted online.

**

WIPO Panelist David Cairns has ruled in favor of Apple in a dispute over the domain name ipods.com.

Apple filed the complaint at the end of May with the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Although the company is known for paying millions of dollars for domain names, sometimes months after launching a product, it may be adopting a different approach by following the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (the UDRP), which costs thousands not millions when it’s successful for a complainant.  

In the case of iCloud.com which captured technology news headlines, the company reportedly paid $4.5 million in late April for ownership of the domain name (along with others) from Swedish cloud computing company Xcerion, shortly before officially launching the service. 

But the days of Apple purchasing domain names for seven figures, like it did for iPhone.com from businessman Michael Kovatch months after it released the iPhone, might be gone.

Full details of the ruling in case no. D2011-0929 have not been posted yet, which would explain what led Panelist David Cairns to the decision of ordering ipods.com to be transferred to Apple.  

The decision was just issued this past Friday, on July 29, according to WIPO’s website.  When the full decision becomes available online, I will update this post.

Depending on the reasoning, this decision could prompt Apple to file dozens of disputes over web addresses it still doesn’t own such as iPad.com, iPads.com, Macs.com, iPhones.com, iPhone5.com and countless more.

Earlier this month, Apple acquired the domains iPhone4.com and WhiteiPhone.com for an undisclosed amount.

Discussion: Apple Insider, Chron.Com / TechBlog, iPodNN, Neowin.net, 9to5Mac, Network World, The Inquirer, Mashable, Geeky Gadgets, the Sociable and Techmeme

(Photo of iPod Shuffle Second Generation via Wikipedia)

Categories
News Technology

Bell-ATL.com, internet’s oldest hyphenated .com domain turns 25

payphone

Bell-ATL.com used to be the web address for Bell Atlantic’s website, which is now called Verizon Communications after a series of mergers dating back to the 1980s. 

The URL (http://www.bell-atl.com/), which turns 25 on August 5, is still used by the telecommunications giant and re-directs to a landing page on Verizon.com’s website.

While it’s not symbolics.com, the first .com domain ever registered, it is the first hyphenated .com domain ever registered.

Also sharing a 25th birthday on August 5 are GE.com, Grebyn.com, ISC.com, NSC.com, and Stargate.com.

Categories
News Technology

Apple acquires ‘leaked’ iPhone4.com domain name, still missing others

iphone4

Apple has officially acquired the domain name iPhone4.com, the fourth generation of its iPhone that was released in 2010.

The iPhone 4 has been one of Apple’s more controversial devices, after technology news site Gizmodo obtained a prototype of the smartphone before its release.

The Whois record for iPhone4.com switched from Whois Privacy Services to Apple Inc on July 11.

Registrant:
Apple Inc.
Apple Inc.
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino CA 95014

Domain Name: iphone4.com

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

Administrative Contact:
Apple Inc.
Apple Inc.
1 Infinite Loop
Cupertino CA 95014
US

Created on…………..: 2006-08-11.
Expires on…………..: 2020-08-11.
Record last updated on..: 2011-07-11.

Apple may now own iPhone4.com, but according to registrant records the company still doesn’t own iPhone5.com, iPhone6.com, iPhone7.com, iPhone8.com… you get the idea.

Apple acquired iPhone.com for an undisclosed amount in 2007, which many speculate the company paid over $1 million to acquire the name.

This week Apple also acquired the domain name WhiteiPhone.com for an undisclosed amount.

Discussion: TechCrunch, Mac Rumors, The Washington Post, Cult of Mac, Elliot’s Blog, Redmond Pie, UberGizmo, TNerd, DomainNameNews and InvestorPlace

Categories
News Technology

Google finally unveils Photovine

Photovine

In June I wrote about Google applying for the trademark on the word Photovine and owning the domain name photovine.com.

Now, in the wee hours of the night, Google has unveiled Photovine.

A reader tipped me off earlier today that the site had a new landing page, and it also looks like they tipped off my friends over at Business Insider and The Next Web who have more on the story.

Here’s some additional information about Google’s newest service offering from the Support page found on the website.

What is Photovine?

Photovine is a community that’s about creating fun and unique collections of photos that we call Vines.

How does Photovine work?

In Photovine, vines connect you with people through the ideas and themes expressed in your photos.

A vine is like a constantly growing family of photos connected through a common caption created by you, your friends, and people all over the world.

Some examples of vines could be: “What Weekends Are Made Of”, “Secret Stuffed Animal”, “Party People”, or, “Love of My Life”.

As people add photos to vines, they tell their own stories about the moments, images, and ideas that define our lives in a way that’s social, creative, and fun.

Start a vine by taking a photo and creating a new caption, or add to an existing vine. Other people will see your vine and join in by adding their own photo, showing their own take on the caption.

What kind of photos can I post?

If you find yourself with a photo that you’re not sure is a good idea to post, it’s probably not. As a rule of thumb, if you wouldn’t want your family to see it, you probably shouldn’t post it.

What about privacy?

We take your privacy seriously. Please read our Privacy Policy to learn more about how we treat the information collected from you while using our app.

Speaking of privacy, remember that the Photovine community is uber public. Anyone can see your photos, even if they’re not following you. Being able to find like-minded strangers and make new friends is part of what makes Photovine so fun and unique.