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Microsoft registers “Xbox Smart Glass” domains amid E3 rumors [UPDATED]

Xbox Smart Glass

UPDATE 2: Microsoft has unveiled Xbox SmartGlass.  Engadget writes, “SmartGlass brings Airplay-style wireless technology to Xbox and Windows 8 by letting you send video from your tablet or phone to your TV.  It then turns that second screen into an information window giving you data of the content you’re watching.”

UPDATE 1:  Microsoft also registered microsoftsmartglass.at, microsoftsmartglass.ch, microsoftsmartglass.mx, microsoftsmartglass.in, microsoftsmartglass.pl, microsoftsmartglass.tw, smartglass.ch, smartglass.tw, xboxsmartglass.at, xboxsmartglass.in, xboxsmartglass.jp, xboxsmartglass.mx, xboxsmartglass.pl, and xboxsmartglass.tw.

ORIGINAL STORY: According to the Examiner in a story that appeared on Friday, June 1, Microsoft is rumored to be revealing its “Xbox Smart Glass” tablet at the E3 convention in Los Angeles this coming week.

With all the news swirling around the alleged “reveal”, Microsoft Corporation has registered a slew of domains with “Smart Glass” in the name like MicrosoftSmartGlass.com (Whois) and XboxSmartGlass.net (Whois).  The registrations took place on the same day as the big news began to spread, but not before a resident of China beat Microsoft to XboxSmartGlass.com (Whois).

Microsoft registered many more names through the brand protection company MarkMonitor. Here’s a sample of the domains:

microsoftsmartglass.net
microsoftsmartglass.biz
microsoftsmartglass.org
microsoftsmartglass.us
microsoftsmartglass.info
microsoftsmartglass.co
microsoftsmartglass.co.uk
microsoftsmartglass.tv
microsoftsmartglass.mobi
xboxsmartglass.net
xboxsmartglass.biz
xboxsmartglass.org
xboxsmartglass.us
xboxsmartglass.info
xboxsmartglass.co
xboxsmartglass.co.uk
xboxsmartglass.tv
xboxsmartglass.mobi

Currently, the domains redirect visitors to Bing.

Talking about this story: Engadget, PCWorld, Geeky Gadgets, redOrbit, The Verge, GeekWire, Electronista, Joystiq, Geekosystem and VentureBeat

(Image of Xbox Smart Glass via Examiner.com)

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News Technology

Is Google going to introduce Google Plus Stories? Maybe, according to domains

Google Plus Stories

Last November, Twitter introduced Twitter Stories, which allows users to share how they used the social media platform in an interesting way.  Facebook launched its own Facebook Stories application back in 2010.  Now, Google has registered the domain GooglePlusStories.com, hinting that it may roll out its own user testimonial campaign to showcase how people are using its Google Plus social networking tool.

On May 24, 2012, Google Inc. registered the domain names gplusstories.com (Whois) and googleplusstories.com (Whois) through the online brand protection company MarkMonitor.

It’s unsure what exactly Google will publish on its own Stories site, should it launch one.

Twitter’s site highlights tweets which gained noticeable attention, like the story of one user who wrote a book, found an agent, got published and landed a movie deal using Twitter every step of the way.  Or how one user inadvertently live-tweeted the raid on the Osama bin Laden compound.

Whereas Facebook and Twitter users have been credited with helping to topple dictators, Google+ is still relatively new to the social arena.

Still, there have been notable stories.  In February, Agence France Presse reported hundreds of Chinese flooded President Obama’s Google+ page, apparently taking advantage of a glitch in China’s censorship system to post about human rights and green cards.

At the time of this posting, neither domain resolves to a web page and Google has made no official announcement regarding Google+ Stories.

Talking about this story: Marketing Land

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News Technology Trademarks

Samsung files Lunge, Forge, Rivet, Wield, Mission, Victory smartphone trademarks

Samsung Galaxy smartphones

Samsung is at it again, this time filing six different trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for yet to be announced smartphones.

On May 10, 2012, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. submitted applications for the Lunge (Serial No. 85621870), Galaxy Forge (Serial No. 8561866), Galaxy Wield (Serial No. 85621864), Galaxy Mission (Serial No. 85621859), Galaxy Rivet (Serial No. 85621854), and the Galaxy Victory (Serial No. 85621853).

Like many recent filings, the goods and services in the latest applications cover nothing more than mobile telephones and smartphones.

The newest batch has Olympic-like names such as “Lunge” and “Victory”.

Earlier this month Samsung unveiled its Galaxy S III which is the official London 2012 Olympic Games smartphone.

Talking about this story: Android Police, IntoMobile, Phones Review, Phandroid, Android Community, MobileSyrup.com, TechnoBuffalo, Android.net, PhoneArena and Geeky Gadgets

(Image of Galaxy S WiFi 3.6 via Samsung.com)

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News Technology

Amazon acquires KindleVoice.com, Siri-like functionality closer to release?

Kindle Voice

Amazon buys domain names on a regular basis, so it’s no surprise to see the company acquiring the domain name kindlevoice.com.

The name recently expired and Amazon’s legal department scooped it up.  While it may be nothing more than a defensive move, it may also signal that Amazon could be closer to releasing its own version of Apple’s Siri.

Last November, Amazon purchased the Charlotte voice-to-text startup called Yap, which created a lot of buzz among tech sites that speculated Amazon would eventually release voice recognition technology for its Kindle devices.

Apple’s Siri still isn’t fully available on its iPad tablets.  The new iPad was the first tablet to officially have limited Siri technology, but only the voice dictation software.

(Image of Kindle Fire via Amazon.com)

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News Technology

Apple registers iPhone4N.com domain?

iPhone 4N

Update 1 at 5:24AM EST:. After I posted this story, MacRumors pointed out that the iPhone4N.com Whois record raises questions as to whether Apple is really behind the registration.  First, the registrar used was Go Daddy, not MarkMonitor (Apple’s usual choice).  Guess we’ll have to wait and see if anything official is announced.

Original Story: Apple released the iPhone 4 in 2010 and the iPhone 4S in 2011.  Now, all the talk is about Apple’s upcoming iPhone 5.  But Apple did make an interesting domain name purchase this week: iPhone4N.com.

According to Whois records, Apple registered the domain on May 1, 2012.

It’s unknown why the company registered the domain name.

It may be nothing more than a defensive tactic to protect its intellectual property, except, a number of iPhone 4 variations like iPhone4Q.com and iPhone4W.com are still available for anyone to register at the time of this story.

Apple already owns the domains iPhone.com, iPhone4.com and iPhone4S.com.  Apple got its hands on iPhone4S.com after filing a complaint with the World Intellectual Property Organization.  Back in July 2011, Apple acquired iPhone4.com for an unknown amount of money.  The company acquired the domain iPhone.com for an undisclosed amount in 2007.  It’s rumored Apple paid over $1 million to acquire the name.

Talking about this story: BillHartzer.com

(Image of iPhone 4S via Apple.com)