Men Free Blog

MARINA DEL REY, Calif.: Time is running out to make the Internet your business and put your name forward to join the global leadership volunteers who help the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers coordinate the polices and process that shape the future of the Internet. “If you want to be a part of ICANN’s exciting work on bringing the languages of the world to domain names, and creating more choice for consumers by allowing for the creation of new Internet extensions beyond the ones currently available like .net or .org, now is the time to let the us know,” said Hagen Hultzsch, Chair of the Nominating Committee (NomCom). “ICANN’s global team of Internet leaders is working on some of the biggest changes to the Internet since it was created – and this is the chance to help make that happen.”
The Nominating Committee is independent of ICANN and is tasked with searching the world for experienced individuals to fill key positions on ICANN’s Board and its Supporting Organizations and Advisory Committees. The following positions are being filled this year:

* 2 Board Directors
* 1 GNSO Council member
* 1 ccNSO Council member
* 2 ALAC members (who will represent Europe and North American regions)

“The ICANN leadership team is a dedicated group of volunteers from across the world who have helped shape the Internet used by more than a billion people globally. The coordination work done by ICANN has provided a foundation for businesses across the globe—and fostered operations that rely on the Domain Name System’s ability to connect them to customers and business partners,” said Hultzsch. “We’re looking for volunteers to join this team and work alongside people who come from in the technical field, who are leading policy experts, and even individuals who helped create the very foundations of the Internet.”

The deadline to submit Statements of Interest is 15 April 2008 23:59 UTC.

“Beyond its responsibilities for keeping the Internet secure, stable, and interoperable, ICANN’s mission is to grow and evolve its global multi-stakeholder decision-making process, so it is the individuals who make up the wider Internet community who direct and decide the Internet’s future,” Hultzsch added.

There have been 42 Statements of Interest received so far:

* 40 from men
* 2 from women
* 12 from Europe
* 8 from Asia/Australia/Pacific
* 5 from Latin America/Caribbean
* 12 from North America
* 6 from Africa
* Some candidates count toward more than one ICANN region.

Of the candidates, 34 have declared a willingness to serve on the ICANN Board, 23 have stated they would serve on the GNSO Council, 20 have declared a willingness to serve on the ccNSO Council, and 13 have offered to serve on the ALAC. Some candidates have asked to be considered for more than one position.

ICANN covers travel expenses related with ICANN duties. Information on applying is available at http://nomcom.icann.org/. The 2008 Nominating Committee does not anticipate extending the nomination period as it has done in previous years.

About ICANN:

ICANN is responsible for the global coordination of the Internet’s system of unique identifiers like domain names (like .org, .museum and country codes like .uk) and the addresses used in a variety of Internet protocols that help computers reach each other over the Internet. Careful management of these resources is vital to the Internet’s operation, so ICANN’s global stakeholders meet regularly to develop policies that ensure the Internet’s ongoing security and stability. ICANN is an internationally organized, public benefit non-profit company. For more information please visit: www.icann.org .

Media Contacts:

Jason Keenan
Media Adviser, ICANN
Ph: +1 310 382 4004
E: jason.keenan@icann.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

International: Andrew Robertson
Edelman (London)
Ph: +44 7921 588 770
E: andrew.robertson@edelman.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Source: ICANN Announcement - March 20, 2008

(Michael Gilmour has mastered the art of domain parking — he bought his first site five years ago and now reaps the advertising profits from 10,000 domains. Photo: Wayne Taylor)

Few good friends in an Australian publication. Via The Age :

    “What’s in a name? A lot of money if you choose wisely.

    AUSTRALIAN internet entrepreneurs are raking in millions of dollars a year by spotting the true value of what’s in a name.

    The practice of buying up unused names, known as “domain parking”, is estimated to be worth more than $1 billion worldwide — and Australia is seen as a growing market for those with an eye for a dollar.

    The Australian Domain Name Administrator (AUDA), the governing body for “dot au” domains, is set to loosen regulations restricting the practice within months, sparking a likely buying boom as a result.

    Domainers, as they call themselves, spot generic or popular names that have not been turned into websites and register them for as little as $US7 ($A7.50). They cram them with advertisements and watch as they earn a few cents per hit — big bucks when you have a portfolio of tens of thousands of domains.

    Unlike cyber-squatting, where people infringe trademarks and fraudulently obtain internet traffic, domainers say they are supplying people with information.

    Michael Gilmour bought his first domain five years ago and, from his home in Dingley, has expanded his portfolio to 10,000 domains, all of which contain advertisements.

    With two partners, he has built a business around names such as geekwatch.com and bingonight.co.uk — names that receive hundreds of hits through the sheer weight of the billion or so people who use the internet daily.

    He now works full-time as a domainer and is auctioning one of his most prized sites, progolfer.com , which he hopes will fetch him $75,000.

    “Enormous money can be made out of parking still in Australia with dot au space, where a lot less penetration has been made than in America,” he said. “It’s as easy as seeing how many times a particular word is indexed on Google then seeing if it is taken or not.”

A couple of years ago I invested in a Golf company (since then sold my interest) and at the time, we used to have some of the best domains in the business. If I was to start today and try to cater to golf professionals, I would ask what other domains may be better then ProGolfer.com out there? Of course there’s Golf.com , GolfShop.com , GolfEquipment.com , ProGolf.com , GolfPlayer.com , and few others. Where is ProGolfer.com? My guess, if catering to golf professionals (training, equipment, publication) would be in the top 15-30 golf domains in the world. In a multi billion dollar industry, paying less then a family sedan to get into an industry with such a natural term, in my book, is an extremely attractive offering.

As for parking, I fully agree it is about picking the right domains. Teaching few good friends over the years how to get into the domain space, at times I spent literally weeks going into the very fundamentals of domaining, teaching “what makes sense “.

Hey, remember that Gateway P-172X FX we got our hands on yesterday? Well, now the gaming powerhouse has gone official, and is joined by a smaller, slightly less sporty edition — the $999.99 M-6850FX. The 15.4-inch laptop features a Core 2 Duo T5550 CPU, an ATI Radeon HD 2600 graphics chipset, 3GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, and a DVD-R / RW / DVD-RAM optical drive. Two other mid-level models are being introduced as well; the $849.99 M-1626, and $749.99 T-1628. The former comes equipped with a 15.4-inch display, an AMD Turion TL-60 CPU, ATI Radeon HD x1270 graphics, 4GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, 802.11g, and HDMI. The latter downsizes to a 14.1-inch display, keeps the AMD CPU and ATI graphics chipset, plus 3GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and the aforementioned wireless and HDMI support. The company is also introducing a new pen-based configuration, the C-142XL ($1,299.99), which sports a Core 2 Duo T8300 CPU, ATI Radeon X2300 HD GPU, 3GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, and utilizes a Wacom pen for input. That enough data for you? We thought so.

source:engadget

Now that Blu-ray has emerged as the lone HDM victor, that aging VCR is likely looking for a new home (if it wasn’t already). Thankfully, we’ve found the perfect excuse to rip it wide open versus hauling it off to the local thrift store. In one of the more elaborate how-to guides that we’ve seen, Charles Palen explains how to create a wind-powered LED by using scrap parts within a VCR, one your youngster’s pinwheels and a varied array of power tools, wiring and calm nerves. Notably, an unwanted CD-ROM drive can be used if you’re dead set on watching those Disney classics on VHS one last time, but regardless of which apparatus you destroy, be sure and hit the read link for the step-by-step.

source:engadget

Rakhi is the sacred amulet which comprises not only a sister’s love and emotions but also good wishes for her brother’s long life and well-being. Some more intimate touch can be added to this amulet by taking a little pain for these homemade Rakhis. This year try this simple and easy method of Rakhi making and impress your brothers with your creativity.

Anmol Handmade Rakhi
Required materials:
A silk thread reel (color of your choice, preferably red or green)
A cotton thread reel (matching to the silk reel color)
Toothbrush (an old one)
Scissors
Glue
Small artificial pearls (10-12)

Method:
Take the silk thread reel and cut its 20-25 pieces, each one around 25 inches long.
Hold all the pieces in such a way that both of their ends meet each other and then fold the entire bundle of threads at the mid point.
Take the cotton reel and tie the bundle with the help of cotton thread just 4-5 inches below the mid point.
Divide the longer portion of the thread bundle into two equal parts.
Plait both the divided portions separately and tie a small piece of cotton thread at both the ends leaving a margin of 2 inches. Thus the longer portion makes the string part of Rakhi.
The smaller part of the Rakhi is still in loops because of the fold. Take the scissors and cut the loops right at its center. This will make the central part of the Rakhi.
Take the toothbrush and comb that central part in all the directions in such a manner that a circle of the tiny threads is prepared.
Both the ends of the strings must also be brushed. Brushing the threads will make it even softer and give it a feathery look.
Finally stick the small pearls on the central part of the Rakhi with the help of glue.
Remarks:
The pearls stuck in a random way will appear as dew on the flower with the red silk thread background.
While the same pearls stuck on green silk thread background will look like dew on the grass.
This central part of the Rakhi can be decorated in various creative ways with different decorative materials.

Seeing how long it took the Zune to make it over the northern border and into Canada, it shouldn’t be any surprise that it’s going to take even longer to get to Europe — not until late next year, according to the director of Microsoft France. The wait should be worth it, though: that’s when the third generation of Zunes will be released, as well as a Europe-friendly version of the Zune Marketplace. There are also some sketchy rumors that Windows Mobile 7 devices will be able to take advantage of Zune content and services, but it doesn’t look like Microsoft has anything to say about that yet — but if that goes down you know a Zune phone is right around the corner.

source:engadget.com