Million Dollar Domain Names

Chris Clark of Maryland bought pizza.com back in 1994 in preparation of landing a client in the pizza business for his internet consulting services. Fortunately for him that prospect never did become a client so he held onto the name.

The other day an anonymous bidder paid $2.6 million for the domain. For more information: pizza.com

While we’re talking about million dollar domain names I noticed that the owners of moms.com were asking something around $4 million for it. I own momz.com and would accept less…. I also own momz.net, momz.tv, dadz.com, dadz.tv. I sometimes wonder what they’re worth. If moms.com is worth over $4 million then I suppose momz.com is worth at least 1/10th that. ; ) And what about izit.com? What izit worth?

I can’t help but think back to my days online in 1994 when I was surfing the net, trading stocks on eTrade, and sending emails back and forth to people back east from my perch on the side of Haleakala on Maui. Will I kick myself this hard again in 14 years for not doing what I just know I should be doing TODAY?

What do you think the next 14 years will bring us and the internet?

The Grid Will Render the Internet Obsolete

A super fast internet is being built by some big-brained scientists at Cern in Geneva.

The internet has evolved by linking together a hodgepodge of cables and routing equipment, much of which was originally designed for telephone calls and therefore lacks the capacity for high-speed data transmission.

The grid, on the other hand has been built with dedicated fibre optic cables and modern routing centres, meaning there are no old fashioned components to slow the tremendous volume of data. Their are 55,000 servers installed today and that number is expected to rise to 200,000 within the next two years.

By routing all data through the new technology it is estimated that the speed would be up to 10,000 faster.

What that would mean is:

• Cloud computing - No more data stored on desktops. All data would be stored at an offsite location and retrieved realtime via instant data transfer
• Full length movies will be downloadable in 5 minutes instead of several hours.
• Holographic video conferencing will become reality.
• Online gaming could include thousands of players.

The power of the grid will become apparent this summer after what scientists at Cern have termed their “red button” day - the switching-on of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the new particle accelerator built to probe the origin of the universe. The grid will be activated at the same time to capture the data it generates.

For more information:

Cern - The European Organization for Nuclear Research

“David Britton, professor of physics at Glasgow University and a leading figure in the grid project, believes grid technologies could “revolutionise” society. “With this kind of computing power, future generations will have the ability to collaborate and communicate in ways older people like me cannot even imagine,” he said.”

For the full article visit: Super Fast Internet

For information on: Cloud Computing

Google Sued Over ‘Street View’ Photo of Private Property

The Smoking Gun posted an interesting article about a Pittsburgh couple suing Google for “intentional and grossly reckless invasion of their privacy” by making a street view photo of their house available on the web for all to see. In their complaint they refer to the ‘Private Road’ sign posted at the entrance to their property.

This case could prove to be very interesting as we are afforded some basic privacy rights in America although it’s not clear that a birds eye view (a high flying bird) of the top of our property constitutes an invasion of that privacy.

For kicks I viewed our home using Google’s satellite mapping tool and I must admit I was relieved that the satellite image is a few years old and taken when the pool was closed so my unflattering bathing suit shot didn’t become an online viral sensation.

APRIL 4–A Pittsburgh couple is suing Google for invasion of privacy, claiming that the web giant’s popular “Street View” mapping feature has made a photo of their home available to online searchers. Aaron and Christine Boring accuse Google of an “intentional and/or grossly reckless invasion” of their seclusion and privacy since they live on a street that is “clearly marked with a ‘Private Road’ sign,” according to a lawsuit the couple filed this week in Allegheny County’s Court of Common Pleas. A copy of the April 2 complaint can be found below. According to the Borings, they purchased their Oakridge Lane home in late-2006 for “a considerable sum of money,” noting that a “major component of their purchase decision was a desire for privacy.” But when Pittsburgh was added last October to the roster of cities covered by Google’s “Street View” feature, the Borings allege, their “private information was made known to the public,” causing them “mental suffering” and diminishing the value of their home (which cost the couple $163,000, according to property records). The Borings are seeking in excess of $25,000 in damages and want a court order directing Google to destroy images of their home. Click here for some photos of the Boring property, which is now even easier to locate via Google Maps, since the plaintiffs included their home address on the lawsuit’s first page. And while they are litigating, perhaps the Borings should consider suing Allegheny County’s Office of Property Assessments, which includes a photo of their home (which was built in 1916 and sits on 1.82 acres) on its web site.