Internationalized Domain Names (IDN)

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].