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New .mobi domain wins ICANN approval

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Internet-oversight group ICANN approved the creation of a sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) for mobile devices. The ".mobi" domain, according to a consortium headed by Nokia, Vodafone and Microsoft, will create "the opportunity to streamline the deployment of new Internet sites optimized for mobile usage." However, it's hard to see how a new domain will do anything other than add to the confusion created by the proliferation of other "specialized" (read: useless) domains such as .info, .name and .biz. The island of Saipan is already marketing its .mp TLD as the place for cellphone users to set up sites, suggesting that the domain stands for "mobile phone" — though they're also pitching it to members of Britain's Parliament, commonly known as, yes, MPs.