That’s because sites can now go beyond the English character set in URLs. Since top-level domains became a thing, they’ve been limited for users outside of the U.S. due to the fact that only the Latin character set is supported. Until now. ICANN is fast-tracking a new solution which allows extended character sets to be used. However, due to the fact that it needs to be compatible with the current URL structure, it’s a bit complicated and likely to break due to the technical hoops needed. Но погодите, доменные имена на русском языке! source
She sent an e-mail saying, ‘I only connect with people I know, and hopefully our paths will cross one day,’ I read that, and I said, ‘Oh, my God, I’ve been rejected.’
LinkedIn user Elaine Fogel • Describing the emotional roller coaster she went through after a smart 40-something woman declined the chance to connect with THE STAR, THE LEGEND, ELAINE FOGEL!!!!!!!!! Fogel has 500 connections on LinkedIn, and to make up for that, we’re going to connect with her. It’s a bit of stunt-casting, we know, but we feel that we could easily be just as good of a business colleague to Ms. Fogel as that unnamed woman. And considering the emotional response defriending causes, it might make her feel better. I know it would make us feel better. • source
This little square lights nearby things using the energy of the people that step on it. Currently being tested out in London, it’s not long until it takes over the world or something.
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So the very first message ever on the Internet was the very simple, very prophetic ‘lo,’ as in lo and behold.
University of California-Los Angeles computer science professor Leonard Kleinrock • Describing the first phrase that went over the internet 40 years ago today. The message was supposed to be “log,” but the computer crashed before the “g” could go through. He also sent it on a crazy machine with knobs and buttons and stuff. Imagine sending a tweet on that thing. • source
Celebrate good times, come on! Google just decentralized the whole music industry, and Lala is going to be the big winner. We heard rumblings of a Google-search-based music service last week, but now it's official, and boy, does it make walled gardens look silly. Other services (like MySpace's iLike) will get the nod too, but Lala will be the biggest beneficiary of the service, which will allow full-song samples to play from doing a search for either a song or (this is pretty cool) a lyric. Watch out, Apple and Amazon. source
48 years ago today, NASA launched its first Saturn I “space launcher,” an important development in the history of space exploration. In a big way, the Ares I-X test flight, in the midst of launching, has a similar historic impact. It’s the first shot in the space agency’s next generation of spacecraft. Nerds are aflutter for this reason.source