Speculation over the next Xbox name

We are struggling to keep up... is it Xbox gold, Xbox 8 or Xbox infinity? Frankly it might not be any; but we are keen to see what Microsoft chooses and plays out following on from Sony promoting their latest console, Playstation 4.

We are tipping in the office that Microsoft might make a big announcement in April, and reveal their next project, potentially linking to a new Xbox console; seeing as they have recently secured all relevant domains. 

This story is one to keep an eye on, and as enthusiastic gamers, we will be listening imminently; the question is what will be the new name if any?

RUMBLE OVER .AMAZON JUNGLE

One of the biggest domain disputes ever is taking place between online retailer giants Amazon.com inc and the South American government over the legal rights to the domain name .amazon. The Brazilian and Peruvian governments, whose combined rainforest equates to 73% of the world’s forests, have stated it “would prevent the use of this domain for purposes of public interest relating to the protection, promotion and awareness, raising on issues related to the Amazon biome”. Online retailers Amazon.com Inc. however, have already bid $185,000 for the domain name. ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) has issued an early warning to Amazon.com inc. asking their reasoning behind registering the domain. Amazon.com inc is yet to respond. The situation really shows how valuable domains are. Historically, domain names have always referred to a generic description such as .net or a geographical region such as .co.uk. All the new domain names have opened this up to be a lot more commercial. Who do you think should be given ownership of the domain?

.TRAVEL DOMAINS - Pro's and Con's

On the surface, .travel domains can appear too long, unwieldy and potentially unnessesary. Maybe for travel companies such as “Thomas Cook”, a .travel domain will actually look good and achieve its purpose (thomascook.travel). Not only does it inform the customer that this is a bona fide travel company, but it also doesn’t seem too awkward as a long domain name. However there are a lot of company names such as “Dash” (dash.travel), which can it look less like a domain and more like a funky name (DashDot Travel).

We have been brought up on the internet to trust and aspire towards short domains such as .com. Although 60% of people couldn’t tell you what com stands for (commercial), the likelihood is that they will hold a .com site in more esteem than any other. Long domains such as .travel almost seem to be in conflict with our deep-rooted preferences. This, coupled with the badly managed release of .travel domains has lead to a situation where 12 years after their release, there are still millions of .travel domains yet to be registered.

THE .XXX DOMAIN

Reports suggest the new .xxx domain has failed to arouse any interest! During a recent website scan by Metacert, it appears that 82% of adult sites are choosing to remain on the .com domain.

Many argue that the new top level domains are in fact beneficial, as they will allow consumers to be more aware of the site they are on whilst ensuring safety and stability of the domain name system. However certain pornography industry representatives disagree.

.TRAVEL DOMAINS – an inauspicious beginning

Due to widely held beliefs and speculative rumours, many web developers and domain registrars hold . travel domains in disregard. Without going into details, I will attempt to illuminate as to why the .travel domain release was such a flop.

BATMAN AND DOMAINS

Batman fans worldwide are jumping with excitement about the rumour that there may be a new Batman film or video game!

Where did this rumour originate? Interestingly, by registration of some domains!

Technology news website Fusible has noticed that overnight 15 Batman related domains have just appeared. Although the owner remains confidential due to the privacy laws, using a whois website, the domain registrar can be traced to the domain registration company Markmonitior. And as Warner brothers inc are a recognised client of Markmonitor, there’s a strong chance the domains were registered by Warner Brothers inc.

ONLINE TRAVEL INDUSTRY & ITS PITFALLS

Gone are the days when the sole source of travel information and services came from the high-street travel agent. The online travel industry has blossomed in the past decade, now supplying absolutely everything needed for a trip, except maybe for the actual experience itself. Nowadays if you happen to contract the travel itch, the first place you go for answers will invariably be the Internet.

Apart from adult websites (naughty.xxx) and spam sites, Travel has become the biggest online industry. In fact, completely contrary to popular predictions 10-20 years ago, worldwide interconnectivity has boosted travel rather than making it obsolete. This has meant that the way we think about travel has changed, or rather how we approach it.