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Facebook takes control of FaceSounds dot-com, dot-info domain names

facesounds.com whois

Facebook Inc. has taken control of FaceSounds.com, which at one time offered a free search toolbar add-on to users wanting to change their Facebook chat sounds. 

A quick search on the internet turned up many unhappy users who said FaceSounds spammed their friends.

Previously owned by a resident of Tel Aviv, the Whois information for FaceSounds.com and FaceSounds.info was updated this week and now reflects Facebook, Inc. as the owner of both domains.

It’s unknown how Facebook went about acquiring the names or whether the company has any plans, but at the time of this story, neither domain resolves to a web page. 

My guess is that this is nothing more than Facebook protecting its IP rights.

Discussion: AllFacebook

Categories
News Video Games

Ubisoft Entertainment registers the domain name JustDancePropel.com

Just Dance Propel

Back in mid February, Ubisoft reported its final sales figures for third quarter 2011-12 and its flagship game Just Dance was a “star performer”.  Around the same time, what was purported to be Ubisoft’s official 2012 release schedule was posted to the internet by Gameranx, which included a game titled Just Dance Final Party.  However, Ubisoft quickly shot down rumors saying the lineup was inaccurate to a number of sites that had published the list.

With such a strong franchise, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise that the next Just Dance title is already in the works, but what could it be named?

How about Just Dance Propel?

According to Whois records, Ubisoft Entertainment registered the domain JustDancePropel.com on March 2, 2012.

As for rumored titles like Just Dance Final Party and Just Dance Best Of, Ubisoft doesn’t seem all that interested. 

In fact, at the time of this story going online, neither of the domain names are registered.

Currently, justdancepropel.com resolves to a parked page on Gandi.net.

Discussion: Joystiq, VG247 and N4G

Categories
News Video Games

Microsoft looking to future, secretly acquires Halo5.com, Halo9.com

Halo 5

Remember last year when Microsoft acquired Halo4.com for an undisclosed amount from its previous owner?  

Well, it looks like Microsoft is at it again, this time with the domains Halo5.com and Halo9.com.

According to Whois records, Microsoft has secretly acquired Halo5.com (Whois) and Halo9.com (Whois) from their previous owners using brand Corporation Service Company’s shell company Name Rally.  Name Rally is the same intermediary Microsoft used to acquire AnswerDesk.com.

Of course, these acquisitions may be nothing more than Microsoft defending its intellectual property, but it’s also possible the company is looking far ahead to the eventual releases of Halo 5 and even Halo 9.

So, what’s Microsoft’s current report card on Halo domains up through Halo 10, as of today? 

Here’s a look.

Halo.com – registered and active website owned by HALO Brand Solutions, not Microsoft.
Halo1.com – registered and active website owned by HALO ONE, not Microsoft.
Halo2.com – owned by Microsoft Corporation.
Halo3.com – owned by Microsoft Corporation.
Halo4.com – owned by Microsoft Corporation.
Halo6.com – Parked at Network Solutions by Colby Thiesen, not owned by Microsoft.
Halo7.com – privately registered and active website, not owned by Microsoft.
Halo8.com –  registered and active website owned by Halo 8 Productions, not Microsoft.
Halo10.com – owned by Microsoft Corporation.

I’ve reached out to the previous owner of Halo9.com to learn more about the transaction and will update this post if I hear back.

Discussion: This is Xbox and Redmond Pie

Categories
News Technology

Could the Google-branded tablet be called the Google Play? [UPDATED]

Google Play

Google Play

[Update 1 on March 6, 2012:. Google Play isn’t the name of Google’s upcoming tablet.  The company announced that starting today, Android Market, Google Music and the Google eBookstore will become part of Google Play.]

Original story on March 2, 2012:. Rumors have been swirling since late February that Google may launch a Google-branded 7-inch tablet later this year.  So, what might it be called?  How about the ‘Google Play’?

I like to speculate on new domain name registrations and this past week it appears Google registered a slew of domain names like Googleplayapps.com, Googleplaygames.com and Googleplaybooks.com, hinting at a new product or device that sure sounds a lot like a Google-tablet. 

On February 29, well over a dozen domain names were registered through the brand protection company MarkMonitor. 

The full list of names includes:

appsonplay.com
booksonplay.com
gamesonplay.com
googleplayapps.com
googleplaybooks.com
googleplaydownloads.com
googleplaygames.com
googleplaymagazines.com
googleplaymovies.com
googleplaymusic.com
googleplaynewspapers.com
googleplaynewsstand.com
googleplaytv.com
googleplayvideos.com
magazinesonplay.com
moviesonplay.com
newspapersonplay.com
tvonplay.com

Of course, Google hasn’t officially been confirmed as the buyer of the Google Play domains since the registrant is hidden behind Whois privacy, but Google regularly uses MarkMonitor to acquire domain names.  Its own Google.com (Whois) is registered with MarkMonitor.

At the time of this posting, none of the names resolve to a web page.

This is all speculation at this point, but with the tablet expected to arrive in April, I’m guessing whatever the name is, we’ll see more news soon.

As of today, Google does not own GoogleTablet.com or GooglePlay.com.

Discussion: The Next Web, Neowin.net, Geek, RootzWiki, androidandme.com, Tom’s Guide, Ubergizmo, WebProNews, phoneArena.com, MobileSyrup.com, Pocket Gamer, Electronista, Phones Review, Geeky Gadgets, Games.com, Marketing Land, Tablet Community, WinFuture, AndroidOS.in, TechCrunch and SlashGear

(Image of Google tablet concept via Chromium)

Categories
News Video Games

Xbox720.com owner redirects domain to US PlayStation 3 website [UPDATED]

Xbox 720

Xbox 720

Update 2 on Feb. 24 at 8:16pm Est: Jeremiah Germany has commented on the story by e-mail.  Jeremiah wrote, “Yes, I still do own the domain.  I switched to namecheap after the godaddy SOPA fiasco, which came with free Whois Privacy.  Yesterday I was testing the redirect with namecheap.  Apparently more than my friends saw the joke; it doesn’t get a lot of hits. I believe you asked me earlier, No, Microsoft hasn’t approached me.”

Update 1 on Feb. 23 at 2:52pm Est: Xbox720.com has stopped forwarding to the US Playstation 3 site.  The web address now sends visitors to a different site operated by Jeremiah Germany (the apparent owner of Xbox720.com), in an obvious ploy to get attention for his site.   Jeremiah has not responded to a request for comment.  I e-mailed Jeremiah earlier today when this story was first posted.

Original story on Feb. 23 at 3:27am Est: It appears the owner of the domain Xbox720.com is none too happy with Microsoft or simply playing an online joke.

As of today, type the web address into your browser and you’ll be redirected to the US PlayStation 3 site (us.playstation.com/ps3).

It’s unknown what prompted the change.  Previously, the domain was monetized using the Google Adsense for Domains program, which Google announced only yesterday would be shut down by mid-April.

Last year we saw a similar case of a web address being redirected to a rival’s site with ModernWarfare3.com, when the disgruntled owner of the domain name sent visitors to the official website of Electronic Arts’ Battlefield 3, Activision’s competitor.  The redirect of ModernWarfare3.com was short-lived as Activision moved swiftly to get the domain name by filing a complaint with the National Arbitration Forum.

As I wrote about in November, neither Sony, Nintendo, nor Microsoft own the domains for their next consoles.

Xbox720.com was registered to a Jeremiah Germany of New York as late as November 2011, but the contact information became protected after going into Whois Privacy in December.

Since first being registered, Xbox720.com has been host to a number of different sites ranging from a Les Paul guitars site in 2006 to a Google Custom Search page in 2008.   In 2009 the site began earning money using Google Adsense for Domains.

I’ve reached out to the most recent owner on record for more information, and will update this story if I hear back.

I’d imagine the redirect will not last long.

Discussion: N4G, Joystiq, Gameranx, Myona News and Bölüm Sonu Canavarı

(Image of Xbox 720 concept by ~djeric on deviantART)