News
Opera Enables Emoji-Only Web Addresses Provided By Yat
While longer addresses consisting of four or five emojis sell for as little as $4, it can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to secure a memorable single-emoji URL.
If you have the latest version of the Opera web browser installed on your computer, go ahead and launch it.
Now, copy & paste 🌈🚀👽 into the address bar and press Enter. You should see a landing page belonging to Kesha, the American singer-songwriter.
You can also enter 👽🎵 to be redirected to the official website of Young Money Entertainment, the American record label founded by rapper Lil Wayne.
These emoji-only web addresses are the result of Opera’s partnership with Yat, a startup that sells URLs with emojis using its Y.at domain. Thanks to the partnership, Opera users now don’t have to enter “y.at” when visiting Yat’s emoji-only web addresses.
“The partnership marks a major paradigm shift in the way the internet works” said Jorgen Arnesen, the executive vice president of mobile at Opera. “It’s new, it’s easier, and more fun”.
It can also be pretty damn expensive. While longer addresses consisting of four or five emojis sell for as little as $4, it can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to secure a memorable single-emoji URL.
Why would anyone do that when it’s fairly easy to purchase a custom domain name that supports emojis and use it instead of the “y.at” domain? Because Yat’s CEO Naveen Jain has big plans for the startup.
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In the future, Jain would like Yat to become a self-sovereign company using blockchain technology to provide a decentralized alternative to the current domain name system (DNS).
“This is laying the foundation. There are certain elements of the vision that are certainly more of a social contract than actual implementation at this point in time” says Jain. “But this is the vision that we’ve set forth, and we’re working continuously towards that goal”.
In 2021, Yat sold almost $20 million worth of emoji identities, and the partnership with Opera could make 2022 sales figures even more impressive.
News
Google To Launch AI Hub In Saudi Arabia, Aiming For $71B GDP Boost
The tech giant also plans to develop local AI solutions, and train regional talent to foster innovation and entrepreneurship.
Google has announced plans to set up a cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) hub in Saudi Arabia, a move aimed at accelerating technological growth and economic development across the wider gulf region. The ambitious project aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, an initiative that champions technology and innovation as central to economic diversification away from the oil industry.
According to Google, the hub has the potential to contribute as much as $71 billion to Saudi Arabia’s economy. The initiative will likely speed up the adoption of AI across industries such as healthcare, retail, and financial services — not only within Saudi Arabia but also throughout the wider MENA region and beyond.
Yasir Al Rumayyan, Governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), highlighted the importance of the project for the Kingdom: “This partnership demonstrates PIF’s dedication to fostering an AI-friendly environment through investments in human capital and technology, upskilling thousands with cutting-edge tools to support our sustainable and innovative infrastructure goals,” he explained. Al Rumayyan also emphasized that Saudi Arabia’s combination of sector knowledge and long-term investment strategies makes it an ideal environment for global technology partnerships.
Also Read: Top Free AI Chatbots Available In The Middle East
A central aim of Google’s initiative is nurturing local talent. The AI hub will offer a range of training, research, and collaboration opportunities for developers, researchers, and entrepreneurs within Saudi Arabia. Google envisions training “millions” of people, helping to create a robust innovation ecosystem that supports entrepreneurship and ensures economic benefits reach all segments of society.
As international technology giants increasingly look to develop solutions tailored to regional needs, Google’s initiative reflects a progressive approach that leverages the strengths of local markets. With the potential to inject billions into the economy and strengthen digital capacities, Saudi Arabia could soon emerge as a prominent center for AI innovation in the Middle East.
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