June 29, 2011

New Top-Level Domains Approved by ICANN

Quick background: I've spent over 5 years of the web presence industry. At one time, I was actually researching/analyzing this very proposal for opening up the TLD space - and it's potential business opportunities.

We've followed the ups and downs of this ICANN initiative for such a long time now, it's almost surreal to see the image of (almost) the entire ICANN board raising their hands and voting in favor of making this a reality.

I still remember reading the letter by the Department of Defense (or some such - been a while I'm not sure) to ICANN adding (what were clearly semantic level) road blocks to the proposal's progress. Arguably, Verisign's insecurity over .com's dominance led to some very interesting times.

The entire thing makes for a very interesting case study that I'd normally read in the Competitive Strategy class.

And the best part is that this is just the start of more interesting times. I can't wait to see companies competing for good TLDs, the stratospheric heights the bids reach in the (have-to-happen) auctions, the actual launches of new commercial TLDs, and everything else.

Stay tuned.

In the meantime, for those who have no clue what I'm rambling about, check out the cool infographic that I hope adds context.

June 19, 2011

Instagrams from the Bombay break

Instagram is my new addiction!

Here's some Instagrammed pics from the Bombay break - the Bombay Masala trip in particular

(download)

Full credit to Avi for some of the (cooler) pics

June 16, 2011

Möbius Ship | Indianapolis Museum of Art

California-based artist Tim Hawkinson is known for taking everyday materials and altering them in imaginative ways, creating works that address broad issues about the intersection of human consciousness, nature and technology. Here, he employed a mix of found objects and common household materials—including twist ties, craft wood, staples, and packing material—which he transformed almost alchemically into a complex and awe-inspiring sculpture.

Echoing the working methods of ship-in-a-bottle hobbyists, Hawkinson created a painstakingly detailed model ship that twists in upon itself, presenting the viewer with a thought-provoking visual conundrum. The title is a witty play on Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick, which famously relates the tale of a ship captain’s all-consuming obsession with an elusive white whale. The ambitious and imaginative structure of Hawkinson’s sculpture offers an uncanny visual metaphor for Melville’s epic tale, which is often considered the ultimate American novel.

Möbius Ship also humorously refers to the mathematical concept of the Möbius Strip. Named after a nineteenth-century astronomer and mathematician, the Möbius Strip is a surface that has only one side, and exists as a continuous curve. Its simple yet complex spatial configuration presents a visual puzzle that parallels Hawkinson’s transformation of the mundane materials into something unexpected.