Internationalized Domain Names (IDN)

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Verisign is testing Internationalized Domain Names (IDN), which are domain names, or Web addresses, represented by local language characters. IDNs are available in more than 350 languages. IDN requires a browser plugin, named i-Nav™ which is, as one may guess, only available under Windows at this time, leaving the rest of us outside this new territory extension of domain names. I do hope that when IDN will take off, it won't require any plugin at best, or that they realize that Windows does not (yet) compose 100% of the computers' operating systems out there, as I would hate to register françois.xxx then not being able to access it with my computer of choice. Note that this seems to be an early test, I tried the French registrar listed as an accredited IDN provider, and there is no such thing on their web site! [Via The Register].