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Netgear passes On through FCC with new router, name
What's in a name? Well, from the looks of this FCC filing, it could be something quite significant for everyone who knows the Netgear appellation. This N300R router has emerged from the commission's Washington enclave bearing On Networks branding, along with a spiffy new logo and less boxy look. We found that the new handle was trademarked by the company back in February, so maybe we'll see a corporate rebranding or this is the genesis of a new marque. As far as we're concerned, it can call itself whatever it pleases, as long as it still lets us roam free.
Nokia could sell luxury Vertu brand to VC firm for $265 million
As much as it'd be interesting to see Windows Phone running on a $21,000 gold-plated cigar lighter, that's probably never going to happen. According to the UK's Financial Times, Nokia has been trying to hive off its luxury Vertu brand for months already, and has finally found a suitor with the right cash / sense ratio. Although still far from a done deal, we're told that venture capitalist firm Permira is willing to contribute up to $265 million to Nokia's needy coffers -- which might sound like a lot, but is mere costume jewelry to a manufacturer that just lost $1.7 billion.
iPad is the only tablet brand many consumers know
In two years, the iPad has become a household name. Now it may be turning into a generic term for all tablet products, says a report by the AP's Mae Anderson. The "genericization" of brand names happens over and over again, but it only affects a small fraction of all brands (estimated at less than 5% in the US). Band-Aid, Thermos, Kleenex, Yo-Yo and aspirin all started out as brand names that have (to a greater or lesser degree) become generic terms for the products they identify. For most consumers, "iPad" describes all tablets the same way "Xerox" refers to any photocopier or "Googling" covers off on all Internet search. Some argue that being thought of as a generic product will weaken a brand, and in fact brands like Kleenex and Xerox spend a lot of money and effort fighting against the genericization of their trademarks. But copyright law professor Jessica Litman of the University of Michigan points out that Apple is "able to skate pretty close to the generics line while making it very clear the name is a trademark of the Apple version of this general category." Nilay Patel of The Verge disagrees vehemently, saying on Twitter that Apple's defense of the iPad brand is far too strong to allow for any trademark dilution that would lead to generic status. He says that the AP's story "badly distorts" trademark law. Edging a bit towards generic status could work in Apple's favor as competition between the iPad and Android tablets like the Kindle Fire heat up. Potential customers looking for a tablet will head to the store and may ask for an iPad (even if they mean "tablet" in the general sense). Instead of being shown several different tablets, the customer will be taken directly to the iPads and likely will walk away with the Apple device. [Via Seattle PI]
Engadget Interview: Richard Yu, Huawei chairman of devices
Countless smartphones were announced at last week's Mobile World Congress, but Huawei's showing was one of the more intriguing at the event. The company has some incredibly lofty goals, intending to ditch its past reputation as an ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) focused on budget devices and embracing an exciting future as an industry leader. Since such a thing doesn't happen overnight, what's the vendor's strategy to come out on top in the coming years? We briefly caught up with Richard Yu, Huawei's chair of devices, and picked his brain on some of his company's ambitions.
Brand swings on to Xbox Live Indie Games
Brand caught our eye all the way back in August of last year, and we've just gotten word that the game is available now on Xbox Live Indie Games, yours for the low price of just 240 Microsoft points ($3). You can see a release trailer above, and all of those swords you see in there are custom-made, because the game allows you to create your own.We're also told that you can play as your own Xbox Live avatar, and that there's about five hours of nonlinear exploration gameplay across three big areas. Looks good -- if you give it a download, let us know what you think.
Apple jumps to 9th most valuable brand in the world
Apple is now the eighth most valuable brand in the world says a recent Bloomberg report that ranks the top 100 global brands. The brand rankings use five unnamed criteria and exclude privately-held companies. Brand value includes the name, logo, image, and other intangibles which identifies a company to a consumer. The top ten list is heavily dominated by technology firms including IBM, Microsoft, Google, Intel and HP. Apple trails IBM, Microsoft, Google, Intel, but comes out ahead of number ten HP. Apple's brand value stands at US$33.493 billion, up from $21.143 billion in 2010. Apple increased its value 58% year over year, climbing from 17th place last year to 8th this year. The company's momentum shows no sign of slowing down, and may climb even further up the ladder in 2012. [Via AppleInsider]
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.
Editorial: The problem with bad product names and what we can learn from it
Product names generally fall into one of four different categories: good, safe, meaningless and bad. There may be better categories to group them in, but we'll use these for the purpose of this editorial. In the first category I'd put something like Kindle, arguably one of the best new product names of the last ten years. iPhone and iPad, and their subsequent suffixed versions, are in the safe category. They're perfectly fine names for a cellphone and a tablet, but they're not as original or distinct as iMac or iPod were, which I'd consider good (iPod nano, shuffle and touch, on the other hand, are all safe names). In the meaningless category are things like the MSI GT683DXR or ASUS XU6280, one of which I just made up. Some meaningless names can also be good in their simplicity -- like the Nokia N9 or Nikon D3S -- but they are still basically nothing more than differentiators. This is an acceptable option. The names aren't just bad -- they're noise. In the bad category are the majority of smartphones released in the past few years. Rezound. Rhyme. Vivid. Epic. Sensation. Thrill. Skyrocket. Conquer. Triumph. Enlighten. Infuse. Prevail. Arrive. Can you name the company behind each phone? And those are just a few examples from this year. The names aren't just bad -- they're noise. Some names might fall into a fifth, slightly murkier okay category, but there are certainly more phones (and, increasingly, tablets) in the bad category than any other, and I'd argue that's a sign of a larger problem.
Apple, Oreo and Capri Sun top list of popular youth brands
Harris Interactive put together a survey asking American youth from ages 8-24 what their favorite brands were, and Apple came out on top in the computer, tablet, and phone space. That's not too surprising, given how powerful Apple's marketing is (not to mention how great its products are), but it is true that "the old" Apple tended to go for the slightly older audiences. Since the introduction of the iPod ten years ago, Apple's marketing and products have skewed younger and younger. What's perhaps even more interesting in this report is the other brands that are popular with this age group: Oreos! Capri Sun! Nintendo? These kids are into the same things I liked as a kid! Oreos and Capri Sun especially -- I believed those lunchbag standbys were old school, but apparently they're still popular on the contemporary playground. Next you'll tell us that kids today still dig Trapper Keepers and Ecto Cooler!
XBLIG's Brand looks to be a cut above
We know it's hard out there for Xbox Live Indie Game developers, so we like to do our part by highlighting the grains of wheat in a proverbial sea of chaff. In that spirit, we're slicing off a first look at the 2.5D sword-centric action of Brand, coming to XBLIG from Nine Dots.
Study confirms: Some people are way too invested in their favorite brand
Did you weep into your cornflakes over Antennagate last year? Me either, but a new study suggests that some people might have. According to Ars Technica, researchers at the University of Illinois discovered that attacks upon people's favorite brands can be perceived as attacks against their self image. The study claims that people with high "self-brand connections" were more likely to perceive personal psychological injury when their brand was attacked, while those same people were likely to gloss over or ignore negative news concerning their brand. We at TUAW get accused of this kind of behavior all the time, naturally. All of our writers own multiple Apple products. Our benevolent corporate overlords at AOL (not, as many have claimed, Apple itself) pay us a modest sum to write about them. Does this mean that I lunge for the Prozac every time some Android-plugging pundit insists that the iPhone is "dead in the water?" Nope. When various pundits go out of their way to slam Apple and prop up the competition by making outlandish, unsupportable, and linkbaity claims, what depresses me isn't that it's an assault on Apple, but an assault on logic. Another common criticism that some of our more fervently anti-Apple commenters regularly like to toss at us is that we never report any negative news about Apple and spin everything to make the company look favorable and pristine. Just from my own back catalog of posts I can tell you that's far from the case. Here's some proof: Baffling inconsistencies in OS X Lion Multi-Touch OS X Lion Bug: Safari guzzling massive amounts of RAM Lion bug: Some iMacs locking up after playing video Apple issues recall for some iMac hard drives And my favorite: Why my next Mac won't be a notebook Of course, stepping up to defend myself and TUAW like this is just what you'd expect a "fanboy" to do, right? And the scientific minds behind Cracked would point out that poo-pooing study results like those from U of Illinois is extremely common, that we all delude ourselves we're above that sort of thing. "Certainly," we'll say, "there is an Apple cult, but I'm too self-aware to be part of it. This is why I stay with Apple, not because I salivate every time I see a precision-crafted piece of unibody aluminum." I will say that my loyalty to any company goes only so far. My PlayStation 3 died yesterday as a result of a well-known manufacturing defect, and my PlayStation 2 died an untimely death only four years ago because of yet another manufacturing issue. Both happened well outside of Sony's pitiful warranty period, so all repair/replacement costs came out of my own pocket. So guess what? I'm not buying a PlayStation 4. Sony, you and me, we're done professionally. As for Apple and its products, the second a single company comes out with a notebook better than a MacBook Pro or Air, and a phone better than an iPhone, and a tablet better than an iPad, and an operating system better than OS X, and customer service better than AppleCare, and integrates it all so tightly that from top to bottom there's no mistaking the quality of the products or the experience of using them, I will kick Apple to the curb without regret. I mean, wouldn't you? ...No? Pfft, fanboy.
Qualcomm overhauls complex naming scheme, introduces simpler Snapdragon levels
Say it with us now: "Huzzah!" For years, Qualcomm's Snapdragon brand has been held back from general understanding by one thing: befuddling model numbers. Hearing about an MSM 8255 doesn't really stick with the average consumer, and even for members of the press (and folks neck-deep in the supply channel), it wasn't exactly easy to keep track of. In a bid to put on a more consumer-facing suit, Qually has announced its intentions to move away from complex processor names and move towards a simpler "series" model. For now, you'll find S1, S2, S3 and S4, with "1' being a mass market device and "4" being the product you actually want. The slide just after the break explains where the cutoffs are for each level, but curiously enough, it sounds as if more of these will be added as technologies improve, speeds increase and capabilities soar. In other words, we hope your great-grandson is eager to get his hands on a Snapdragon S498. Wait, wasn't this suppose to reduce complexities?
Picasa, Blogger to get renamed: now with more Google?
Google's reportedly trying to put all of its product eggs into one self-branded basket. According to Mashable, two of its most popular services -- Picasa and Blogger -- may go under the branding knife and come out the other side looking like 'Google Photos' and 'Google Blogs.' With the exception of the latter's planned UI overhaul, both services should function exactly the same. The move -- alleged to take place within the next six weeks -- would unify the search king's user offerings ahead of the public launch of Google+. And if that social service's rumored July 31st launch date pans out, we could be seeing this overhaul very soon. But don't expect crown jewel YouTube to receive similar treatment, that site's brand equity already sent its ugly step-sister -- Google Video -- to the grave.
France bans Twitter, Facebook mentions on TV, in the name of market competition
The words "Facebook" and "Twitter" are now verboten on French TV, because France thought it'd be a good idea to follow its own laws. Last week, the country's Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel (CSA) ruled that TV networks and radio stations will no longer be able to explicitly mention Facebook or Twitter during on-air broadcasts, except when discussing a story in which either company is directly involved. The move comes in response to a 1992 governmental decree that prohibits media organizations from promoting brands during newscasts, for fear of diluting competition. Instead of inviting viewers to follow their programs or stories on Twitter, then, broadcast journalists will have to couch their promotions in slightly more generic terms -- e.g. "Follow us on your social network of choice." CSA spokeswoman Christine Kelly explains: "Why give preference to Facebook, which is worth billions of dollars, when there are many other social networks that are struggling for recognition? This would be a distortion of competition. If we allow Facebook and Twitter to be cited on air, it's opening a Pandora's Box - other social networks will complain to us saying, 'why not us?'" It didn't take long for the US media to jump all over the story, with many outlets citing no less objective a source than Matthew Fraser -- a Canadian expat blogger who claims, in ostensible sincerity, that the ruling is symptomatic of a "deeply rooted animosity in the French psyche toward Anglo-Saxon cultural domination." Calling the ruling "ludicrous," Fraser went on to flamboyantly point out the obvious, stating that such regulatory nonsense would never be tolerated by corporations in the US. But then again, neither would smelly cheese or universal healthcare. Apple, meet orange. Fueling competition via aggressive regulation may strike some free-marketeers as economically depraved, but it certainly won't kill social media-based commerce. Facebook and Twitter have already become more or less synonymous with "social networks" anyway, so it's hard to envision such a minor linguistic tweak having any major effect on online engagement. That's not to say that the new regulation will suddenly create a level playing field -- it won't. But it probably won't put America's social media titans at a serious disadvantage, as some would have you believe. Rather, these knee-jerk arguments from Fraser and others seem more rooted in capitalist symbolism and cross-cultural hyperbole than anything else -- reality, included.
Samsung Galaxy S II US carrier names revealed: AT&T Attain, Verizon Function, and Sprint Within
Anticipation, thy name is Galaxy S II. Or is it Galaxy S 2 Attain? Perhaps it's Galaxy S 2 Function or Within, it all depends on what carrier you prefer, really. You see, the sleuths at Pocketnow have unearthed a silicone case for sale that lists those three names as the particular branding Samsung's new flagship smartphone will enjoy with AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, respectively. That, combined with earlier trademark filings by Sammy asking for Galaxy Attain, Function and Within registrations, would lead us to believe that we are indeed looking at the final product monikers. T-Mobile is notably missing from the list, but we suspect that may be because its variant of the Galaxy S II is materially different in design to the original GSII. The good news for everyone else is that the same silicone case will be interchangeable among AT&T, Verizon and Sprint devices, leaving very little room for those guys to screw things up.
Nokia slams door on Ovi label, rebranding everything to Nokia Services
Nokia's Ovi Store, Ovi Maps, and Ovi everything else will soon be getting a name change. The Finnish company has announced that it's "evolving" its software brand identity by renaming its service offerings to Nokia services, starting with new devices in July and August. This transition is expected to last into 2012 and was pretty much inevitable in the wake of Nokia's hookup with Microsoft earlier this year. Part of that agreement was for Nokia software, Maps in particular, to be made available in other Windows Phone devices and across Microsoft's range of services, so it makes sense for Nokia to literally put its name on its wares. Nothing structural will be changing about software roadmaps or plans up in Finland, this will be just a new nameplate atop the same strategy as outlined previously.
BrandZ global report puts Apple at #1 most valuable brand for the first time
Apple is the world's number one most valuable brand, according to BrandZ's sixth annual Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands Ranking. Apple's rank jumped 84% from 2010 and knocked Google out of the #1 spot, a position the search company held for the past four years. Apple's brand valuation now sits at a cool US$153 billion, which is $40 billion more than previous brand leader Google. Apple beat out other big names such as IBM, Microsoft and McDonald's in its climb to the #1 spot. It also has a brand value worth more than Coca-Cola and McDonald's combined. These rankings were developed for WPP, the world's largest communications services group, by its subsidiary Millward Brown Optimor. They take into account a company's dollar value and financial data, as well as consumer measures of brand equity derived from interviews of two million people worldwide. Much of Apple's success in the past year can be attributed to the iPhone and iPad, both of which are highly sought after devices both here in the US and globally. One only needs to look at the lines for the iPhone and the iPad to see the power of the Apple brand in action.
Apple brand valued at $153 billion, scoots ahead of Google for first place
What is the world's most valuable consumer-facing brand? If you'd asked the guys behind the BrandZ survey at any point over the last four years, they'd have told you "Google," but in 2011 their answer has changed. Apple is now the hottest property in terms of consumer goodwill, earning an estimated valuation of $153.3 billion and leading a pack that includes the likes of Coca-Cola, BMW, HSBC, and Disney. The tech sector had a very strong year as a whole, with Facebook's brand improving in value by a staggering 246 percent (to $19.1b) and Amazon becoming the world's most valuable retailer (at $37.6b) in spite of having no actual stores. Sadly, there were some downers too, as Nintendo lost 37 percent of its brand worth over the past year, Nokia dropped by 28 percent, and the BlackBerry marque was considered 20 percent less awesome than before. Punch the source link to learn more. [Thanks, Bruce]
Caption Contest: Samsung hires David Beckham as a global brand ambassador
David Beckham is a man that needs no introduction. Indeed, Samsung hopes he'll be the one making the introductions, as it's just signed up the English footballer to act as its global brand ambassador. Mr. Becks will be responsible for disseminating the news that Samsung is one of the major sponsors of the London 2012 Olympics, and we can see he's already received the first tranche of his remuneration in the form of a Galaxy S II. Lucky him. Thomas: "I'm sorry, I got the Spanish version, this one says 'Sii' on it." Vlad: "At 8.49mm, this phone's almost as thin as my wife!" Tim: "I don't know who you are or what this is, but I'm sure Victoria will love it." Amar: "Finally, a Galaxy that won't bench me!" Darren: "Man, this thing crushes my Aura." Richard Lai: "As part of the deal, Samsung will also be announcing the Galaxy S Beckham. OK, it's just a golden dual-core." Myriam: "So you want me to drop-kick this in front of the cameras, right?" Zach Honig: "Maybe in this Galaxy I can win a World Cup."
Gamasutra examines a PlayStation brand in crisis
Hard as it may be to recall, at the turn of the century, "PlayStation" had replaced "Nintendo" as the colloquialism for "video game," and the PS2 was beginning its unprecedented run of 150 million units shipped. The brand was nothing short of "awe-inspiring," as Gamasutra business editor Colin Campbell recounts in a recent editorial. But a decade later, "the PlayStation brand is in gentle decline," observes Campbell. "And the events of the past week could accelerate that decline into something more serious." In his thorough assessment of Sony's "predictably pitiful" response to the current crisis, Campbell poses a most distressing possibility. Imagine if, in a year's time, we were to look back and reflect: "'It just kinda went away, didn't it? Sony entirely laid the blame on the hackers, launched a lot of legal flak, refused to take any responsibility, offered the minimum clarity and token recompense. But no-one cares any more. At least they've encrypted my personal data now.'" Could we really settle for that? While Campbell lays out an otherwise convincing ideal game plan for Sony to follow -- where is KB on this one, really? -- he's also suggesting that, aside from unavoidable short-term costs, the crisis could blow over for the company. It would seem, then, that in order to prevent such a sorry (non) response from Sony, video game media and consumers alike will have to act and not just react. Now that we've changed our passwords and checked our credit reports, what next? Do we just sit back and hope a freebie is coming our way? Is that how little it takes for us to forgive and forget? Or can we continue to push Sony for a respectful response -- and, if that fails, take our business elsewhere? The video game community at large doesn't have to clean up Sony's mess, but we owe it to ourselves and each other to ensure Sony does the job right. Otherwise, we risk continuing to be treated as uninvolved, adolescent basement-dwellers. The hackers among us shouldn't be the only ones to teach Sony a lesson.
