Google’s new domains have banished my mind to the gutter

Google has announced a new top-level domain that's currently up for grabs. The '.ing' domain allows brands to create a site identity using a single word containing the .ing suffix, and as it stands there are lots of creative possibilities – for an extortionately expensive one-time fee, of course. 

Be warned, trying to come up with the most ludicrous .ing domain is a slippery (and potentially costly) slope. However, it is an excellent way to test your vocabulary range, so happy ponder.ing. (If you need a strong website to match your snazzy new domain, check out our guide to the best free website builders). 

In an blog post, Google Registry revealed that a number of brands had already claimed some custom domains, including popular names such as Canva, which bagged design.ing and draw.ing, and Adobe which took edit.ing and signing. 

As part of the .ing launch, Google announced an Early Access Period (EAP) where brands can register their domain "for an additional one-time fee." The mysterious additional fee, as revealed by 101Domain, starts at $1.1 million in week 1, before decreasing weekly until 5 December, whereby all .ing domains will be publicly available at a (hopefully less extortionate) base annual price.

So at this point, your mind is probably racing with options and if you're anything like me, they're probably a little NSFW (FYI, the verb beginning with 'F' is still available – just don't make me spell it out). A quick (SFW) search on domain registry GoDaddy will garner varied results based on how niche your potential domain name is. For example, a more obvious option like 'paint.ing' will set you back a cool $39,000.17/yr, while 'notwithstand.ing' is available for just $20.17/yr – an arguably useless domain but what a bargain, right?

Google Registry also has the top-level domain '.meme' in the works, with early access set to launch on 28 November. I'm calling dibs on doge.meme, so let's hope the EAP is a little less steep next time around. For more from the world of Google, check out the search engine's Emoji Kitchen, where you can cook up all the cursed emoji mashups your heart desires.