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Jony Ive's knighting ceremony
Apple designer Jony Ive was knighted today in a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace, according to a BBC News UK report. It's an honor he said was "absolutely thrilling." Ive's knighthood was announced late last year and the ceremony took place on Wednesday. The famed Apple designer shared some small talk with Princess Anne, who was doing the knighting. You can watch the short ceremony on the BBC's website.
Jony Ive says Apple's current work is "most important"
Earlier today, Jonathan Ive was officially knighted at Buckingham Palace. To mark this occasion, Shane Richmond of The Telegraph published an excellent interview with the Apple design chief. In the long and personal conversation, Ive talks about his early design influences, which are decidedly British. He also talks extensively about his 20+ years at Apple, including a quick reference to his current work which he calls "the most important and the best work we've done." You can read more about Ive and his philosophy of design on The Telegraph's website.
Apple lead designer Jonathan Ive knighted for the New Year, how's your 2012 looking?
Apple Senior VP Jonathan (or Jony) Ive has been credited with fueling the company's resurgence alongside Steve Jobs with products like the iMac, iPhone and iPad, and for these successes has been made a Knight Commander of the British Empire as a part of the New Year's Honour's List. Aside from having a much better NYE celebration than yours, he'll be tapped on the shoulders by the Queen's sword and that will forever be Sir Jony to you, commoner (we'll see if he can make it through the ceremony without suggesting some tweaks for better balance and usability -- you can see his passion above as he eats an invisible sandwich pontificates about new iMacs). It's a bump up from his previous title of Commander of the British Empire and keeps the cycle going, as he released a statement appreciating the benefit of a "wonderful tradition in the UK of designing and making". [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Jonathan Ive gets a knighthood
The UK's New Year's Honours list is out, and there's a familiar (well-muscled) figure on it. Apple's design lead Jonathan Ive has received the honorary title of Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE). Ive was honored as a Commander of the British Empire in 2005, but now he can legitimately call himself "Sir Jony." Ive is a 19-year Apple veteran and has long been considered one of the company's key leadership assets, with Steve Jobs referring to him as a "spiritual partner." His design sensibility and expertise has shaped Apple's aesthetic; visitors to Hamburg's design museum can still see examples of every Ive-designed product on exhibit through the middle of next month. Congratulations to Sir Jonathan! Correction: While the title itself is referred to as an honor (or honour), it is not "honorary" in the sense used to refer to an honorary degree or title.
How Steve Jobs missed knighthood in 2009
Apple CEO Steve Jobs has received a number of accolades over the years, but now The Telegraph is reporting that he missed out on an honor that Bill Gates received way back in 2005 -- an honorary knighthood. Jobs was apparently nominated for an honorary knighthood in 2009 by a senior Labour Party Minister of Parliament, who felt that "Apple has been the only major global company to create stunning consumer products because it has always taken design as the key component of everything it has produced. No other CEO has consistently shown such a commitment." The honor was, however, allegedly blocked by then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who had invited Jobs to attend the Labour Party's annual conference. Jobs declined to attend, either because he just didn't have the time to spare or because he didn't wish to be associated with a UK political party. As a result of Jobs snubbing the invitation and destroying a PR coup for the Prime Minister, the honorary knighthood was blocked by Brown. A spokesperson for Brown, who is no longer the Prime Minister, denied the snub but refused to discuss the incident further with The Telegraph. We can only hope that David Cameron, the current Conservative PM, is presented with a nomination for a similar honor for Jobs, and that this time Steve Jobs kneels before the Queen of England. [via MacStories, Gizmodo Australia]
Steve Jobs' knighthood rejected by Gordon Brown?
As a loyal iPod user, you'd have thought that Queen Elizabeth II would have seen fit to bestow an honorary knighthood on a certain Steven Paul Jobs by now. After all, Sir Bill received his back in 2005 even though his company couldn't quite get its cellphone or tablet strategies to stick with consumers. According to an anonymous senior Labour MP who left Parliament in the last election, Jobs had reached the final stages of approval for "services to technology" only to be rejected in 2009 by the then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Why? Well, according to The Telegraph, Jobs had the audacity to turn down an offer to speak at Labour's annual conference. In retaliation we hear that Apple is holding Jony Ive -- himself, an honorary Commander of the British Empire -- hostage in an infinitely looping orange grove somewhere in northern California. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Shigeru Miyamoto to receive French honour
On the 13th of March, the French Minister for Culture and Communication will confer honours upon three game developers, admitting Michel Ancel, Frédérick Raynal and Shigeru Miyamoto to the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. Recognising contributions to French arts and culture, the Order is part of the French chivalry system.At Chevalier (Knight) rank, Miyamoto and the French developers will be among up to 200 new members this year. They join such past luminaries as Leonardo diCaprio and Bruce Willis as well as Philippe Ulrich, co-founder of Cryo Entertainment. With several OBEs awarded in Britain to game developers, it seems that games are becoming recognised as art--enough to deserve national honours, at least.[Thanks, Shiggy]
