Categories
News Technology Video Games

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)

Categories
News Video Games

Ubisoft Entertainment registers “Just Dance Floor” domain names

Katy Perry Just Dance 2

Early last month, a list of twenty-five titles for the Wii U were leaked from a UK Blockbuster.  While the games haven’t been confirmed, many of the possible titles, which includes Just Dance 4, will almost certainly be released.

Though Ubisoft has not announced anything official, the company is now hinting at something new called “Just Dance: Floor”.

On May 31, 2012, Ubisoft Entertainment registered the domain names JustDanceFloor.com (Whois) and Just-DanceFloor.com (Whois).

“Just Dance Floor” may or may not have anything to do with “Just Dance 4” and it’s unknown whether it’s a game or some type of “dance floor” device to support the game.

Currently, neither domain resolves to a web page, but it’s likely Ubisoft will announce something regarding Just Dance at E3 2012 this upcoming week.

Talking about this story: Joystiq

(Image of Just Dance 2 in Katy Perry’s ” Last Friday Night music video via Ubisoft.com)

Categories
News Video Games

Creative agency for Microsoft registers Halo 4 Remix, Halo Remix domains

Halo 4 remix

It looks like a promotion or online contest for Halo 4, set for a worldwide release on November 6, 2012, may be on the way.  Roundhouse, a creative agency based in Seattle, WA, who counts among its clients Microsoft, has registered the domain names Halo4remix.com and Haloremix.com.

Roundhouse handles social media work for Xbox, but has yet to reveal what it plans to do with Halo 4 Remix.

Roundhouse has been responsible for several Xbox-related initiatives like last year’s Halo Reach contest.  That contest involved using the forge tool within Halo to assemble and create a work of art using pieces, textures, and other available materials that represent the Halo Universe.

Both domains, Halo4remix.com (Whois) and Haloremix.com (Whois), were registered by Roundhouse’s operations manager Sylvia Nikes on May 30, 2012, only days before the kick off of E3 2012.

At the time of this story, both domain names resolve to a parked page.

Categories
News Trademarks Video Games

ZeniMax Media files trademark for “Hearthfire” computer game software

Hearth Fire

Trademark applications keep rolling in.  Earlier this month, ZeniMax Media filed a trademark application for Dragonborn.  In April, the company filed for the dragon shout “Fus Ro Dah”.  Now, the company has submitted a new trademark application (Serial Number: 85634522) covering computer game software with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for “Hearthfire”.

“Hearthfire” appears to be a reference to the skill book “2920, vol 09 – Hearth Fire” in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Skill books reward players with bonuses.  Hearth Fire is a conjuration skill book and is part of the twelve volume 2920 books.  The conjuration skill allows you to summon creatures from the dead or concoct ethereal weapons from soul energy.

Hearthfire is also the ninth of the 12 seasons in the Elder Scrolls universe.

The trademark application just appeared on the website of the USPTO today, and was originally filed on May 24, 2012.

At this point, it’s unknown whether Hearthfire will be for a new Skyrim DLC, a new video game, or something else.

Bethesda has made no official announcement as of yet.

Talking about this story:  VG247, Joystiq, The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages, Meristation, Game Informer, IGN, GameDynamo, Push Square, Blue’s News, OnlineWelten.com, Strategy Informer, We Got This Covered, Exophase, Ubergizmo, Cinema Blend, Destructoid, Xbox 360 Achievements and NowGamer

Categories
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