During a recent announcement, dotMobi revealed Microsoft’s MSN Mobile will utilize the company’s DeviceAtlas mobile device database in an effort to deliver mobile-aware content to consumers. The announcement is just one of many advancements dotMobi has made in its mission to provide consumers with mobile-specific content.
“We’re pleased to lead the way in adopting DeviceAtlas as our standard for mobile content development,” David Raissipour, group program manager, at Microsoft’s MSN Mobile group, said. “dotMobi’s DeviceAtlas is unique in that it ties together the mobile content, operator, and handset communities, and lets us create the kind of specialized content that continues to differentiate MSN in the market.”
Specifically, the DeviceAtlas tool serves as a superset of established mobile device databases. The device contains information for approximately 5,500 devices worldwide. Some of these devices include the RIM Blackberry, Apple iPhone, Amazon Kindle and Nintendo DS Lite.
dotMobi provides DeviceAtlas free of charge to mobile Web content developers around the globe. The company also offers low-priced versions for enterprise use. MSN intends to use the tool to better understand the mobile abilities of its clients and to assist in delivering Web content that meets their needs.
International call provider, Morodo, also recently adopted DeviceAtlas as a standard application.
“Since implementing DeviceAtlas and launching our .mobi site, we’ve seen an increase in registrations. Interestingly, customers are coming from all over the world. I think that shows the power of the .mobi domain in marketing a brand,” James Barnes, Technical Director, Morodo, said.
Morodo adopted the tool because it was in need of a solution to handle the numerous different phones and operators in the world. Barnes said the implementation of the DeviceAtlas was seamless.
According to Vice President of Advanced Services and Applications at dotMobi, Paul Nerger, DeviceAtlas is growing in popularity.
“DeviceAtlas continues to grow by the day in the number of phones and attributes that are available to developers,” Neger said. “We’re excited that Microsoft and Morodo have seen the benefits of DeviceAtlas in helping to resolve the issues inherent in the heterogeneous nature of the mobile handset industry.”
To learn more about Device Atlas, and to try a free, Web-based version, visit deviceatlas.com or deviceatlas.mobi on mobiles.
Apple recently released security updates in response to reports of a serious flaw in the Internet’s Domain Name system last month. Experts, however, are claiming the updates were not good enough and in fact have left Apple servers vulnerable.
The flaw allows cyber hackers to induce a cache poisoning attack. The attack redirects traffic from a legitimate domain name to a malicious site. The flaw opens up the door for phishing attacks and has the potential to trick thousands of Web surfers.
According to Ncircle security analyst Andrew Storm, Apple released a patch for the flaw last week, but the fix is not a fix at all.
“The current countermeasure to this DNS cache poisoning vulnerability is to introduce increased entropy by forcing randomization of the query ID and the source port,” Storm said. “Essentially, making it all the more difficult to spoof the DNS response. However, it appears that Apple forgot something. The client libraries on my OSX 10.4.11 system, post patch install, still does not randomize the source port.”
Storm and other security experts warn the problem has the potential to turn disastrous, noting the most important patch is for the client libraries because there are not many OSX recursive servers in use today.
“The bottom line is that despite this update, it appears that the client libraries still aren’t patched,” Storm said.
Microsoft Corp. released numerous security patches in July for the flaw that surfaced earlier in the year. Cisco System and various other vendors assisted the software giant in correcting the problem.
After the July announcements, experts have warned the danger of infiltration grows everyday because “the cat is out of the bag.”
As Microsoft and Linux distributors scramble to correct the problem, Apple has been chides for focusing more on its recent marathon of product launches. Various media outlets have been asking, “where is the Apple patch,” and now that it is finally out, it ends up not fixing the entire problem.
So far, there is no word on how long it will take the Mac retailer to release a new fix. In the meantime, Apple server owners will have to keep their fingers crossed.
The number of domain names being purchased and sold has fallen in reaction to an auDa rule change that permits domain names to be openly traded. In all, 500 names were bought and sold in June. The number dropped to 350 in July.
According to Chris Disspain, chief executive of Australian domain name administrator auDA, the second month slump is no shocker.
“I wasn’t surprised – I would have expected there to be a number of transfers that were waiting for the rule change, which probably explains why we saw the higher June figure come back a bit in July; but in the general scheme of things that sounds about right,” Disspain said.
While there is significant doubt regarding how much interest there will be in the new market for domain names, Disspain thinks buying and selling levels will is remain passive.
“One imagines this will settle down to a trickle, apart from the odd spike if an individual offloads a whole portfolio of names, because domains won’t continually change names,” Disspain said.
Currently, AuDA does not plan to publish monthly sales figures and doesn’t have the ability to force sellers and buyers to disclose how often domain names are traded.
While the rules have changed, Disspain points out, in order to allow domain name trading, the agency must is not trying act as a market operator similar to the ASX.
“There were arguments that perhaps we should run a market. I suppose if we thought things were going out of hand we might propose to do so, but at this stage everything looks fine,” Disspain said.
The global development of the domain name market and registry services prompted the Melbourne-based AusRegistry Group to increase its operations to the United Arab Emirates.
AusRegistry International was chosen by UAE regulators to assist in providing a technological, administrative and policy framework for the .ae domain. Additinally, the company is set to provide registry services.
“We believe the Registry System deployed is best of breed and will ensure a robust and stable .ae namespace and previously unrealized levels of service, ” AusRegistry International chief executive Adrian Kinderis said.
Who wants 1,440 domain names?
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and numbers recently gave #1 Domain Names International the accreditation boot. The event left 1,440 registered domain names homeless. The last time something like this happened was in March when RegisterFly lost its accreditation. Luckily, GoDaddy swooped in and saved the day by taking over the registration of the debunk registrar. But who will want to take the time to seek out such a small amount of domain names? After all, the rules that swirl around registrars picking up abandoned domain names are not user-friendly. Companies expressing “interest” in the domain names, per the ICANN regulations, must have and do the following:
Registrar experience, including number of registrations and customers managed.
Availability of sufficient customer service staffing to timely respond to customer service requests during and shortly after the bulk transfer.
Ability to communicate with customers in languages other than English.
A list of the gTLDs in which accredited and operational.
Experience with and knowledge of bulk-transfer procedures.
Documentation of procedures to resolve potential disputes of domain name control or registration rights (in the event of contested ownership or inaccurate whois data).
Experience as a customer facing / “retail” registrar business.
Experience with second-level IDNs in the com zone.
Ability to provide ICANN with regular status reports.
Talk about a lot of work to secure a measly 1,440 domain names. It will be interesting to see how many registrars express interest in the names and how well the ICANN’s new policy holds up when that number turns out to be relatively small.
In the meantime, the #1 Domain Names International still maintains its accreditation on its Web site that reads, “We are small enough to be personal yet large enough to be a stable ICANN accredited registrar since 1999.”
While no specific information has been released by the ICANN regarding the incident, a quick search on DNForum reveals a few complaints about the company. Some complaints include difficulty transferring names out and receiving a renewal notice from the company when a domain was at an opposing registrar.
If you are afraid you have missed the domain name real estate market, think again. Several experts claim there is still plenty of room for players in the domain name game.
According to Ron Jackson, publisher of DNJournal.com, the domain market has flourished during a time when the real world’s real estate market is floundering. Take for example GoDaddy who recently announced it registered its 30 millionth domain name.
“Domains have held up remarkably well,” Jackson, who also buys and sells domain names, said during a recent interview. “In the first six months of 2008, total reported sales in the domain aftermarket rose 11.6 percent over the first half of 2007 when the overall economy was in dramatically better condition than it is now.”
Jackson goes on to point out there are infinite possibilities when it comes to domain names. Currently, there are approximately 1.4 billion domains registered according to the Internet World Statistics.
“Domains have been able to defy economic gravity,” Jackson said, “Because so many traditional businesses are moving online to take advantage of the cost savings and global reach.”
One of the reasons why the domain name game is so popular is because it requires very little money to get started, but the earning opportunities are outstanding. In a market where 248.com sold for $175,500 and Fund.com took home almost 1 million dollars, the appeal is obvious.
According to Jackson, domains are the latest “gold rush.”
“You can definitely do it part time, and, in fact, I think that’s the best way to start,” Jackson said. “This business is open to people from all financial backgrounds. A domain costs less than $10 most places, so you can start with very little. Those who already have a lot of money can afford to buy more attractive assets right away, but others can certainly build up to the major player level. Over the years, I’ve seen many people become millionaires.”
Of course there is more to being successful at domaining than picking up a few names and turning them for a quick profit. The game requires time and research to effectively select names that present the opportunity to be successful.
Domain author John Motson, who penned the e-book, Domaining Manifesto, reiterates the importance of investing time into the market.
“First, domaining is not a get-rich-quick scheme,” Motson said. “Yes, you can earn a lot of money with the right investments, but first you have to put the hours in. You should do a lot of research, follow popular domaining forums and domain news blogs and, in general, feel your way in.”
Motson also said the domain market is like a ladder with the wise and lucky domainers at the top. “The thing you have to remember, though, is that due to the nature of the domain industry, the road from the bottom to the top can be quick,” Motson said. “All it takes is one smart investment.”
InvestInURLs.com recently announced a major acquisition of more than 60 domain names. The names, all Colorado-based, are related to restaurants, hotels, travel, jobs, shopping, attractions, events, real estate and nightlife. Adding to its already massive portfolio, InvestInURLs.com plans to benefit from the purchase by reselling the domain names in its marketplace and through domain parking. The company also intends to development some of the domain names with the assistance of TagTeam Creative Advertising and Website Design.
According to InvestInURLs.com owner, Jay Lohmann, the company prides itself in quality domain names.
“We love to invest in domains and we’re excited to add these Colorado domains to our Domain Portfolio. These URLs represent both geo-domains and product/service domains that fit our investment strategy of buying high-quality generic keyword and geo domains. Per our business model, some of these domain names will be developed, a few we’ll keep as long-term investments, and other domains will be for sale to local businesses in Colorado and investors, Lohmann said in a prepared statement.
Lohmann also noted the importance of catering to mainstream domain name investors as the company moves forward with its business plan.
“The value of Generic Keyword and Geo domains is becoming more obvious to mainstream investors, and these Colorado domain names will add significant value to our investment strategy,” Lohmann said. “Colorado real estate is hot and so is the Internet real estate tied to it. This state is one of the premier living and working environments in the United States. We look forward to working with local businesses to build high-quality virtual properties their customers can experience.”
Currently, the company’s portfolio boasts more than 100 domain names relating to various cities and industries. Topics range from cash advance services to retirement homes. The marketplace focuses on providing consumers with high-quality, generic keyword and geo domains.
InvestInURLs.com is an Internet Real Estate Investment Firm that specializes geographic domains and generic keyword. The company partners with domain development agency TagTeam Creative Advertising and Website Design based out of Dallas and Colorado Springs.
To learn more about domain names available through the company, visit www.investinurls.com.
A United Kingdom couple recently lost their rights to a domain name their purchased for their 11-year-old son following a unique battle with New York-based law firm Baker and McKenzie.
In June, the law firm contacted Richard and Gillian Saville-Smith on behalf of the estate of C.S. Lewis. The dispute surrounded the 2006 registration of narnia.mobi. The couple originally purchased the domain name as a present for their son, Comrie Saville-Smith. They purchased the name for £70.
Upon the launch of the .mobi Web site names, companies were granted a three-month time period to register their brand names before registration was open to the public. The Saville-Smith registered the Narnia name along with USPresident.mobi and Queen.mobi because they thought it would be “fun.”
Narnia.mobi was purchased for Comrie who is a C.S. Lewis fan, his parents said. The plan was to use the name for an e-mail address.
The UK family had no idea their purchase would turn into a legal battle, but that is exactly what happened. In 2008, Richard received a large document dematinding the family turn over the domain name to the law firm. At the time, Saville-Smith spoke out against the company.
“Taking this huge 128-page legal action is clearly intended to scare us into handing over something we have that they want - just because they say so and are a big firm of lawyers with an extremely rich client, and not because they are in the right,” he said of the world’s leading law firm.
The law firm filed a claim with the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva, which ruled in favor of the author’s estate. In the statement, Baker and McKenzie claimed the couple registered the domain name in bad faith.
“The domain name is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark or service mark in which the complainant has rights,” the statement said.
The couple disagreed, noting they had not developed the site or tried to profit from the domain name.
Typically, domain name disputes center around “cyber squatters” who utilize sites for monetary fain. While the Saville-Smith family did not technically cyber squat, the WIPO ruled the name was to be handed over to the estate.
You have spent endless hours and money to build and maintain your domain name, but have you secured your investment? It’s an unfortunate event, but some domainers have found themselves empty handed after working so hard to create a worthy Web site. Here are three tips every domainer should know and abide by.
Make sure your domain name is registered in your name. This tip sounds like a given, but it can become a problem. For example, Web designers often offer consumers a service in which they register domain names for their clients. This is a convenient way to register your domain name. However, when utilizing this type of service, ensure that they register the domain in your name and not theirs. Unless you have a trademark on the name, you can easily lose that name forever.
Next, if you are not the registrant on the domain name, find out who is. This can be done by looking up the domain in the WhoIs database. The registrant’s contact information will be listed in the database. From here, contact the registrant and request the information be changed to your personal information.
Lastly, if you register a domain name for a multi-year term, make sure you keep your contact information updated. Generally reminders are typically sent via e-mail, however it is always a good idea to ensure your mailing address and phone number are up to date. If for any reason you move, change phone numbers or e-mail addresses, make changing your information with WhoIs and your registrar a priority. If you accidentally miss the renewal period, there is an expiration grace period in which the site will be shut down and held for registration. Following that time frame, however, the domain name will be put up for auction and the previous registrant will lose rights to the domain name. Don’t let this happen to you.
By keeping these three tips in mind, you can safely secure your domain name investment and protect one of your most valuable assets. It only takes a few minutes to follow these simple steps. The effort is worth the payoff.
Microsoft Corp. released several security fixes last week including a software patch to repair a glitch in the Domain Name System protocol. At the time, the fix was rated “important,” the high-level of interest in the flaw, however, has far surpassed that.The patch was designed to repair a cache-poisoning error that was found earlier in the year. Microsoft, Cisco System and several other vendors joined together to make the correction.Now that the patch has been released, the cat has been let out of the bag. Everyone knows about the flaw and IT managers are racing to fix their domain name servers before someone takes advantage of the security breech.The danger is real.Take for example the Arlington County, Virginia, government. While the agency wouldn’t reveal what steps it took to following the revelation, chief information security officer, David Jordan, said the issue is critical and is treated accordingly.“They go to the front of the queue,” Jordan said. Jordan also said the agency has expanded its network monitoring until further notice.In all, the US-CERT advisory complied a list of 80 vendors who may find their products have been affected by the flaw. Since that time, only a handful of vendors have responded claiming their software was not affected.Two of the vendor’s facing the crisis is Sun Microsystems and Red Hat Inc. Both companies teamed up with Microsoft and Cisco to assist in fixing the problem at hand.The companies are distributors of the Berkeley Internet Name domain technology. The system is used for DNS implementation and was developed by Internet Systems Consortium (ISC).While the DNS flaw is making headlines, it is not necessarily a new concern. According to the ISC, in the past, other researchers have discovered cache-poisoning errors in the DNS.Attackers can take advantage of such errors to conclude the numerical identifiers arbitrarily assigned to DNS packets. In doing so, this allows the attacker to insert fake code and spoof DNS traffic.“Someone using this technique can poison a caching server in about 10 to 20 minutes,” Paul Mockapetris, Nominum Inc., said.
As the Internet grows so does its functionality. More and more Internet users are finding themselves moving from passive surfer to interactive user. As the interest increases to purchase and maintain a domain name, so does the need to understand the fundamentals of domain name registration.
To begin, a domain name is simply a Web site name. For example, the domain name for this site is DomainAppraisal.org. Often referred to as a host name, the domain name is essentially an Internet address.
All Internet addresses begine with http:// or www. The name that follows either of these is the actual domain name. Domain names also feature extensions. The most common extension is .com. However, .org, .edu, and .gov are also popular. Domain name extensions may also be linked to the country of registration. For example, Australia registers domain names with the .au extension.
In general, domain names typically feature characters from the alphabet, numerals and hyphens. In a recent decision by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), however, the door was open to include other characters in domain names. This new rule will go into affect in January 2009.
Now that you have a general understanding of the domain name concept, you can consider registering you own name. The registration process is actually quite easy. It can be done through one of several domain vendors such as GoDaddy.com.
Before registering a name, pick one that works for your site. Keep in mind, this name may be already taken, so don’t become too attached to it. Let’s say you decide you want to register the name DomainAppraisal.org. When you visit the domain name vendor’s site, you can type this name in to see if it is available. Of course, it is not. Instead, you might consider looking up the same name with a different extension. For example, maybe DomainAppraisal.com is available. If you are still having trouble finding a name, consider changing the name a bit. In this particular case, you can make the name plural – DomainAppraisals.com. If that doesn’t work try something else like Domain-Appraisals.com or DNAppraisal.com.
Once you find a name that is available you can register it through the ICANN approved company. With a domain name in hand, you can design a Web site and assign it to that particular name.