domains

VeriSign, which runs the master database for such domains as .com and .net, says a significant Internet security vulnerability will be closed by 2011, after delays caused by technical aspects of the implementation.

The problem is that DNS, the Domain Name System that translates Internet addresses into numerical values, can be seeded with false values and used to misdirect users. VeriSign told ZDNet on Friday that it will put in place DNSSEC, a protocol that will guarantee the origin and integrity of DNS data for the .com and .net domains, by the first quarter of 2011.

Read more of "… Read more

The organization responsible for managing the assignment of domain names and IP addresses has approved a new plan to allow non-Latin characters in Web extensions.

Known as Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), the system is designed to globalize the Net so regions around the world can use their own local alphabet characters to surf in cyberspace, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, said Friday.

Calling IDNs the "biggest technical change" to the Internet since its birth 40 years ago, ICANN unanimously approved the plan on the final day of its six-day conference in Seoul.

IDNs … Read more

The Internet may be getting friendlier for a significant chunk of the world. A proposal is up for a vote to let Web addresses use non-English characters.

The proposed change (PDF), known as Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), will allow the use of non-Latin characters in the entire address. Currently, such characters are allowed only in part of the address. IDNs will let people who write in Chinese, Korean, or Arabic use their own languages to surf the Web, and is expected to jump-start Internet use in many regions across the globe.

ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, … Read more

If you're a blogger, you know that finding images, videos, and audio for your blog without worry of copyright issues can be difficult. Either the content is copyrighted, or you need to pay for it. In either case, it's not as tempting as freely available, copyright-free media.

Luckily, there are resources across the Web that allow you to use multimedia content for free with some simple attribution. It's a great way to add interesting flavor to your blog without worry of copyright issues.

Let's take a look:

Creative Commons A search for public-domain multimedia content usually starts with Creative Commons. The site is one of the best places to go, if you're looking for content to add to your blog.

When you get to Creative Commons, you'll find a search box where you can input a query. From there, a handy tabbed-browsing interface is shown, allowing you to send your query to Google search, Google Images, Flickr, and more.

Creative Commons' site is quick to point out that all the searches bring you to third-party sites, and there's no guarantee that the content is free to use, but you'll notice under the search box that the page automatically searches for content that's "free to use, share, or modify, even commercially."

I've used the search engine on numerous occasions and had some success using it. Try out Creative Commons, if you want to search several sites for some photos.

EveryStockPhoto EveryStockPhoto is a search engine for those who want free, public-domain photos to use on their site.

Overall, I was really impressed by EveryStockPhoto. When you get to the site, you have the option of viewing photos in popular categories or using the page's prominent search box to find photos. When you search the site, it finds images from several resources, including many of those mentioned in this roundup. Flickr is one of its most used sources.

When you click on an image in EveryStockPhoto, you can see who owns it, the licensing rights associated with it, and more. I really liked EveryStockPhoto. Check it out.… Read more

A judge has determined that violating terms of service is bad, but it's not tantamount to unauthorized access of a computer system. Good news for jailbreakers and hackintosh perpetrators. Also Opera 10 is out. I know. I know. But some of you really do care.

Confirmed: eBay has a deal to sell Skype http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10322833-94.html http://share.skype.com/sites/en/2009/09/a_new_chapter.html http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090901005931&newsLang=en… Read more

A caller wonders what happens to the Chevy Volt if you have the gas in there too long. Does the gas go bad? Well, it could get gummy. And nobody wants gummy gas. or gummi gas either. Not tasty. We also take the SEC conference to task for trying to ban Twitter and photos during their football games. Seriously? Also China got a Dell phone. But will they want it?

For SEC, tech-savvy fans might be biggest threats to media exclusivity http://www.tampabay.com/news/article1027680.ece… Read more

ICANN has won a major battle over the abusive tactic of domain tasting, said the organization in a report released Wednesday.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is responsible for managing and doling out Internet domain names.

It's not an easy job. And making it harder was a scheme used by some registrars known as domain tasting. Someone would buy up lots of domain names, try them out, and then get rid of the unprofitable ones, all without losing any money. As long as the registrar dumped the domains within the five-day grace period, known as the … Read more

This was originally posted at ZDNet's Between the Lines.

EMC reported better-than-predicted results for the second quarter and upped its outlook for the remainder of the year.

The company said that IT budgets have stabilized and customers are more confident about their visibility.

The storage giant on Thursday reported net income of $205.2 million, or 10 cents a share, on revenue of $3.26 billion, down 11 percent from a year ago. On a non-GAAP basis, EMC reported earnings of 18 cents a share.

Wall Street was expecting earnings of 16 cents a share on revenue of $3.… Read more

The Data Domain thrill ride ended this week when EMC upped its offer for DDUP to $33 per share (a whopping $2.1 billion dollars, or 111 times Data Domain's earnings), after which NetApp bailed out and went home.

Then came another surprise. Broadcom dropped its hostile takeover bid for Emulex--a prize it had been chasing for months. Hostile is almost an understatement for Emulex's reaction to Broadcom's entreaties. Harsh words and lawsuits were flying back and forth. But that one ended too when Emulex's board of directors unanimously rejected Broadcom's sweetened bid of $11 … Read more