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The story of Apple's upside down logo
It was perhaps one of the most baffling and frustrating design choices Apple ever made: the upside down Apple logo. For those of you who haven't been using Macs long enough to remember this, the "upside down Apple logo" refers to how PowerBooks and iBooks used to display the Apple logo "pointing" at the floor when the laptop was opened. Former Apple employee Joe Moreno reveals the story behind the upside down logo. Apparently when Apple designed the PowerBook and (later with Steve Jobs) the iBook they discovered that if they placed the Apple logo upside down from the user's prospective when the lid was closed, the user would constantly try to open the laptop from the wrong side -- by the hinges, because from that angle the Apple logo was right-side-up. Now, you would think that a company that prides itself on its branding would want their logo right side up so all the passersby would see it in the correct orientation, but Steve Jobs thought the upside down Apple logo was the right way to go. As Moreno writes: Steve Jobs always focuses on providing the best possible user experience and believed that it was more important to satisfy the user than the onlooker. Thankfully, Jobs eventually reversed his decision. But this story does raise the question: were that many people really trying to open their laptops from the wrong side time after time again? If so, the upside down Apple logo is probably the least of their worries. It also goes to show that Steve Jobs, as great of a design genius as he was, didn't always make the right design choices the first time around.
Apple wants Samsung name obscured on video players in courtroom
Unsurprisingly, Apple is really sweating the details when it comes to its upcoming court date with Samsung. FOSS Patents has noted that a court filing revealed Apple doesn't want to see any Samsung logos or brand identification in the courtroom. "Apple intends to bring a motion for '[o]bscuring the 'Samsung' logo on the court's video display for jurors.' Apparently the United States District Court for the Northern District of California uses Samsung equipment for this purpose." Apple doesn't want that jury to think about Samsung's technology contributions, so the request is a bit picky -- but it makes sense. Apple also doesn't want to see any references to Steve Jobs's comments to biographer Walter Isaacson about waging "thermonuclear war" against Samsung. Of course I'm sure Apple's attorneys won't be bothered if any of the attorneys are taking notes on their MacBooks or iPads.
Microsoft reveals Windows 8's new logo: 'It's a window... not a flag'
Microsoft is making plenty of big changes with its Windows 8 operating system, and that has now also extended to a new logo. As explained by Microsoft's Sam Moreau in a post on the official Windows blog, the logo was created with the help of the design agency Pentagram, which posed a simple question when it began on the project: "your name is Windows. Why are you a flag?" That discussion eventually led to the four-paned window you see above, which not only looks more like a window than the previous logos, but clearly echoes the company's new Metro design language. Microsoft also notes that the logo is "authentically digital," and says it will welcome you with a slight tilt and change color based on your desktop. You can see a bigger version after the break, and read the full story of its creation (along with a look back at past logos) at the source link below.
Moving Brands reveals proposed HP brand redesign, HP remains noncommittal
HP has gone through some big changes in the past year, and it turns out it's also been considering a rather drastic change to its identity -- one that may or may not yet be adopted. That's been revealed by the team at Moving Brands, who began working with HP on a complete redesign of the company's brand in 2008, and have now shown off what they've come up in an exhaustive case study on their website. At the heart of it is a new logo, which traces its history to HP's original 1941 design, but takes on a decidedly more modern appearance; gone are the familiar circle and rounded corners, and in are some sharp lines and hard edges. According to Moving Brands, the goal was to make the brand "digitally native, context-aware and ever evolving," with the lines in the logo itself echoing the same 13 degree angle of the original while also "recalling the forward slash used in programming." Just what would this new HP look like? You can get a pretty good idea of that at the source link below -- we've also included a small taste after the break, including two of Moving Brands' videos.
Vault Decoration 101: Free printable Fallout posters and vectors for the masses
Let's face it, a nuclear fallout shelter isn't exactly the brightest, most cheerful place to spend an eternal global winter. The walls are cold and metal, the halls echo and there's a terrible draft from the oxygen recycler, not to mention the dog-sized cockroaches. There are some things you can do to spruce the place up a bit, however. If your shelter is equipped with a printer, for instance, printing out and hanging up these free safety posters and advertisements will give your new home a little bit of the consumerist flair that has now been turned to ash on the surface. Scalable vector logos are available as well, which means you'll be able to keep your Vault-Tec home looking good as new as its logos and markings fade over time. Be sure and join us next week on Vault Decoration 101, where we'll teach you over 1,000 different games to play by yourself in a pitch black room. See you next time!
Electronic Arts sues EA (a fitness company) in logo dispute
The logo pictured, for Energy Armor, probably reminds you of the Electronic Arts logo. And according to Electronic Arts, it's a logo "likely to cause confusion, or to cause mistake, or to deceive consumers as to an affiliation, connection, or association between Energy Armor and Electronic Arts." Because of this, Electronic Arts has filed a complaint with the court of California, Gamasutra reports. Energy Armor, a company whose chief offering is wristbands, recently registered the logo with the United States Patent and Trademark Office -- the same logo that appears on the company's popular wristbands. Electronic Arts' complaint calls for a block on the registration, and that all existing wristbands Energy Armor is holding on to be delivered and destroyed. Not yours, though. You already bought it, so you're cool.
Apple not happy with food company's logo
Apple is accusing a Chinese food company of trademark infringement over its fruit-themed logo. The Sichuan Fangguo Food Co., Ltd. uses a round red logo with a stem and leaf. Apple claims this logo borrows conceptual elements, specifically the leaf, from its logo. Fangguo's CEO Zhao Yi disagrees. Zhao does admit the logo is supposed to represent an Apple (it is a food services company that makes noodles and flour), but his logo has a distinct stem, Chinese characters and is a different shape than Apple's logo. Zhao also notes that the logo was originally designed in the 1980s and transferred to Zhao in 1997. Apple wants the company to remove the leaf from its logo, but CEO Zhao refuses to cave in to Apple's demand saying "I'm Fangguo, it's a fruit, if the leaf is removed, it'll just look like a bomb." Thus far, Apple's Chinese legal team has not followed up on this request. [Via MacObserver]
Acer's Liquid Mini gets Ferrari-fied, doesn't get any faster
Acer's Liquid Mini won't be breaking speed records anytime soon, but at least it can look like a red hot racer, now that it's received the Ferrari treatment. Following in the Liquid E's skid marks, this Liquid Mini Ferrari Edition features a vibrant red exterior emblazoned with the automaker's iconic shield, and ships preloaded with engine ringtones, racing-themed wallpaper and other apps. Under the hood, however, lies the same, Gingerbread-based handset, replete with 512MB of RAM, a 3.2-inch display, five megapixel camera and rather underwhelming 600MHz processor. No word yet on when the device will be hitting the raceway, but you can get a closer look at the source link, below.
Windows Phone changes logo, officially hip to be square
What's in a logo? These days, it's everything -- it's one of the most recognizable symbols a company can have, and it appears Microsoft isn't taking its emblems lightly. Over the course of the past week we've noticed an interesting trend: the Windows Phone branding has shed the circle-based icon in exchange for a square-shaped variant, appropriately reflecting the platform's "tile" look and minimalist theme. We first thought this was a fluke when we peered at the new logo at Fujitsu's IS12T event last week, as though it were a localized version made for Japan; as it turns out, however, this is indeed an official change across the board. If you need more proof than the source link below, yesterday's press invite for Nokia's Gamescom party features the new squared variant as well. We're still holding out for a green robot-shaped logo, but this will have to do for now.
The iCloud logo and the golden ratio
Apple's commitment to thoughtful design is legendary, and here's another example. The iCloud logo uses the golden ratio. In short, the golden ratio is an irrational mathematical constant that often occurs in nature. When applied to design, the results are considered aesthetically pleasing. Artists have been using it for centuries, including Leonardo da Vinci and Salvador Dali. Takamasa Matsumoto of Design Archive considered the iCloud logo's irregular shape, and took some measurements. He found that the golden ratio was represented by the cloud's inner "circles" as well as the cloud as a whole. Well done, Apple. [Via Business Insider]
YouTube subtly adds HD preview images, logoless playback option
It ain't nearly as monumental as the day that YouTube actually started supporting high-def videos, but it'll certainly make those who routinely upload HD content a bit happier. We're talking about two new additions put forth by the YT team: HD preview images and a logoless playback option. Any new video uploaded to the site in a resolution of 480p or higher will have an HD preview image wherever the player is embedded, and we're told that preexisting HD videos will be updated "in the next few weeks." Moving right along, that pesky YouTube watermark (seen above) will be no more should you choose to nix it, but it's not as simple as just ticking a box; you'll need to add "?modestbranding=1" at the end of the video URL in order to make it disappear. So, celebratory drinks at noon?
Sony files for 'PS Vita' trademark in Europe, intends to do something Next Generation with it
The words "PS Vita" and "PlayStation Vita" have just made their way through the EU Trademarks and Designs Registration Office, courtesy of a set of new applications from none other than Sony Computer Entertainment. The name PS Vita showed up in some source code on an official Sony site late last week, though it's still not certain that it'll be the official branding for the company's Next Generation Portable. "Vita" means "life" in Italian, so a literal translation would be PlayStation Life. For now, all we know is that the NGP will be large and in charge at E3, and the best way to find out how this Vita moniker relates to it will be to tune in to our Sony keynote liveblog later today, which can be found right over here.
Apple iCloud logo revealed... it's a cloud
Apple itself has already confirmed the name, and now AppleInsider has snapped some early pictures at the Moscone Center that reveal the iCloud logo / icon. Shockingly, it's a cloud.
Clearwire ditches plans to produce phones, satisfied Sony Ericsson drops logo lawsuit
We thought Clearwire might have had a chance at legal victory against Sony Ericsson, but the wireless carrier has apparently dropped out of the ring. Clearwire told a federal court it no longer plans to produce a smartphone -- which basically nullified Sony Ericsson's worry that upcoming Clearwire handsets would oh-so-similar swirling orb logo. As a result, Sony Ericsson's reporting today that it's dropped the trademark infringement lawsuit, which sounds good for all involved, except it leaves Clearwire not producing much of anything now.
Want to write in LOGO? There's an app for that
Logo is a great introduction to programming for children, so a version for the iPad seems like a great idea. Emmanuel Crombez's implementation of Logo is very welcome indeed -- at least, it is if you speak decent French. French developer Crombez has a large suite of educational software apps covering reading, writing and math. Crombez produced the iPad version of Logo to introduce children to the world of computer programming. He's targeting his US$3.99 app at children over eight looking for an interesting introduction to computer programming. Since it was introduced in 1969, Logo has helped many thousands of future programmers get a taste of the joy of coding. If you can't wait for an English version of his Logo app, there is Logo Draw for the iPad available in the App Store, which provides an introduction to programming concepts, computer graphics and logical thinking. ** Update: Developer Emmanuel Crombez e-mails to tell us that he's just submitted an English-language version of his app, complete with English documentation, to Apple for approval and expects it to be in the store within 1 -- 2 weeks.
Acer changes its logo, hopes to start afresh
Over in Acer HQ, it's out with the old and in with the new. Having bid ciao to former CEO Gianfranco Lanci, the Taiwanese company is now slapping a fresh coat of paint and a softer typeface upon its corporate identity. The new Acer green is lighter and brighter and the more rounded new shape looks a lot safer for kids to play around with, should the occasion ever arise. We doubt this will make a big difference in the company's push to be "more like Apple," but hey, at least we now have a visual marker to distinguish the products that came before this shift in strategy from those that come after.
Apple files for old Apple Corps trademark
Apple Inc. (formerly known as Apple Computer) must be feeling pretty sure of itself after finally hammering out the Beatles deal for iTunes with Apple Corps. and its associated partners. The company that makes iPhones is now trying to re-secure the Apple logo trademark that Apple Corps. used for so long. The logo was originally lost to Apple Inc. in 2007 after a settlement gave much of Apple Corps.' trademarks to the computer company, but now Apple Inc. is actually filing for the legendary trademark, per Patently Apple, in order to nail down ownership once and for all. As I read it, Apple is simply trying to ensure that the Granny Smith logo stays where it legally belongs now: in Cupertino. Apple already had a hold on the trademarks, thanks to that 2007 settlement (which itself paved the way for the Beatles' iTunes release), but this filing was most likely pushed by the legal team and seeks to hammer out a total and complete hold on everything Apple Inc. can use Apple Corps.' trademarks for in the future. [via CrunchGear]
MIT Media Lab gets a multiplicitous new logo (video)
Logos can be surprisingly divisive things, so the MIT Media Lab has decided to cheat a little bit with its new identity: it won't have just one logo, it'll have 40,000. You heard / read / imagined that right, the new Media Lab logo will simply be the concept of three intersecting "spotlights," composed of three colors, straight lines, three black squares, and a few blending gradients. There's an algorithm behind it all, which is used to generate a unique logo for every new member of staff, meaning that although trademark claims may be a headache to enforce, originality will continue thriving in the Lab for a long time to come. Hit the source link to learn more or leap past the break for a nice video rundown.
Shocker! Apple product placements dominate Hollywood
Something you already knew to be true has just been confirmed by Omnicom's Interbrand brand consultancy division: Apple reigns supreme in Hollywood films. Interbrand's Brandchannel website dug deep into the fetid bowels of product placement to reveal Hollywood's preferences (paid or personal) in the 33 films that hit the US box office number one slot in 2010. Brandchannel identified 591 total brand or product appearances for an average of 17.9 placements per film, with Apple appearing in ten of the top films for a 30 percent share -- Nike, Chevrolet, and Ford each appeared in eight. Incidentally, Iron Man 2 won the dubious distinction of being cluttered with the most identifiable brands (64) in 2010. Apple is actually off from its peak of 50 percent of number one films in 2008 and 44 percent in 2009 as demonstrated in the chart after the break. But it's not for a lack of trying. Brandchannel contends that the competition for brand placement has simply intensified resulting in fewer appearances of Janoff's U+F8FF.
Product placement gets a logo of its own, turns the world inside out
So the UK is finally catching up with the fine money-grubbing nations of this world and allowing product placement in British-made TV programming, starting from next Monday, February 28th. Advertising embedded in internationally sourced films and shows has long been tolerated as a necessary evil within the Queen's realm, but now that the telecoms regulator Ofcom is opening up locally farmed TV content to the blight of commercialization, it's come up with a suitably austere logo to warn us of its dangers. Basically, any future episodes of Hollyoaks that may contain a "stray" Diet Coke or Nokia N8 within the frame will be preceded by the above P placed within a P, which will prep you for the pernicious potentiality that the programming you are perusing may provoke you into purchasing new property. Capiche?
