Since Wednesday, companies and organizations can register Web addresses with a new top-level domain, .tel. The new domain, which stores and encrypts contact information directly into the Domain Name System, has the potential to become a phone book for the Internet. A .tel domain name links to the contact information of businesses, organizations and individuals. Information can include telephone numbers; links to Web sites, including a Facebook or MySpace page; e-mail addresses; instant messaging names, and, if you wish, identities for virtual games like Xbox Live or Second Life. Because the data is stored in the DNS, rather than on a server, when a person updates a phone number or address using their .tel account, it is automatically updated in the address books of their friends who have their .tel information stored on a smartphone or other mobile device. The initial registration period is open only to businesses and organizations with trademarked names that want to secure the related .tel address for a fee of about USD 400 a year. A “land rush” period, in which anyone can buy domain names for around USD 150 a year, begins Feb. 3. After March 24, domain names will be available for around USD 20 a year.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/tel-them-where-to-find-you/?hp
