names

In the world of URLs, www.sex.com was the sure thing.

Whoever owned it was guaranteed riches beyond measure, pleasure beyond pain. And yet, ever since it was originally registered by Gary Kremen, founder of Match.com, the great domain has been a house of hurt.

It has been the subject of one book that describes a brutal battle over its ownership. Then another came along in an attempt to satiate those who cannot believe that it is not the most popular domain in the world. Even being the subject of a civil-liberties case has not helped Sex.com … Read more

Documentation on setting up your personal domain name can be scarce. This tutorial is a simple way to do it using MobileMe, GoDaddy and iWeb 09 on Mac OS X 10.6.2. So, get a site started in iWeb and meet me after the break for the rest!… Read more

CPU-Z yields an impressive data sheet of a computer system's functions and operations. By cutting out a lot of technical and manual searching, this handy freeware generates a list of information that computer lovers will find very helpful.

We had no trouble operating the program's interface since it had practically no command icons. The program is basically like reading a report, though one rich in information. Casual computer users probably won't get much from CPU-Z, since the information it presents is heavily data oriented. However, technophiles will love its attention to detail. The interface features seven tabs … Read more

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

Gmail's labs section is full of tools that help advanced users fine-tune the interface of the free Web mail service. What may be more impressive, though, are its tweaks for the not-so-advanced users, the kind who need a little hand-holding to keep them from firing off e-mails while intoxicated, or missives that they didn't mean to send in the first place.

To add to these two features, Google on Tuesday introduced "got the wrong Bob?", a very simple tweak that, based on first names, will give you a subtle nudge if it thinks you're sending … Read more

First Names 2009 creates interesting cards and scrolls based on the meanings and origins of a person's name. While it doesn't look fantastic, the information given is interesting.

The program's interface was a little disappointing, especially the black and white graphics, but overall it functioned well. We quickly maneuvered through the various tabs to create a card. The highlight of the program came from simply entering a first name, our sex and birthday. The resulting information gave us the origin of our name, its meaning, the personality qualities of the name, and even a profile of that … Read more

For all I know, the folks who run PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, are fine, upstanding individuals.

I imagine that at times, they get a little over-excited about their cause. But at least they care about something.

For example, Monday, PETA's blog celebrated the organization's success in persuading a hospital in Missouri to stop shoving plastic pipes down cats' windpipes.

I can't be sure if the hospital was searching for a cure for hay fever or merely allowing its internists to have some rather unpleasant fun. Because I was struck momentarily insensate by … Read more