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Apple sues Amazon for App Store trademark infringement
You had to know this was coming. Apple, which is already engaged in a heated battle with Microsoft to prove that it deserves the sole rights over its "App Store" trademark claim, has filed suit against Amazon for "improper use" of the same. Amazon's Android Appstore seems to have been intentionally contracted to a single word to differentiate its name, but that difference isn't enough for Apple, which has asked a California court to grant a ruling preventing Amazon's use of the moniker and asking for unspecified damages. Apple claims it reached out to Amazon on three separate occasions asking it to rename its software download offering, but when faced with the lack of a "substantive response," it decided to take things to court. Its big task remains unchanged -- proving that the term App Store is something more than a generic descriptor -- and this was a somewhat inevitable move given Amazon's choice of name. The legal maneuvering, as always, continues.
i think Apple is affecting children's grammar
I want to relate an interesting story my brother told me the other day about one fascinating -- and negative -- way Apple is affecting children in the classroom. My brother is a grade school teacher, and recently he's noticed an alarming trend in his students' grammar, specifically capitalization. It started a few years ago. My brother would review a sentence one of his students wrote, and it would read, "i went on a walk with my mom." He'd see this lowercase I and would mention to the student that he forgot to capitalize it. These lowercase I's would show up occasionally, but my brother always assumed it was just a case of forgetfulness on the student's part. However, this year seems to be a tipping point for lowercase I's. More and more, my brother began to notice that students who had never had a problem with capitalization before began to write their I's in lowercase. Sentences like "i went to Disney World this year" and "My father and i ate ice-cream" started to become the norm. One day last week, when his students had turned in their short story assignments, my brother graded them over recess and noticed that the dreaded lowercase "i" was incorrectly capitalized in more papers than ever. When his students came back from recess, he asked them why so many of them weren't capitalizing their I's, even when they began a sentence with the pronoun "I." The first reply: "Because iPod is spelled that way." The other children agreed that's why they do it as well, though some attributed it to the iPhone or iPad.
AMD Athlon, Phenom and Sempron names may be killed off in favor of Vision brand
AMD's long-awaited delivery of CPU-GPU hybrid chips in the form of its Fusion technology already had one victim in the company's branding strategy (we'll miss you, ATI!), but now we're learning that there may be even more redundancy slips being handed out. X-bit labs have uncovered documentation that claims AMD intends to consign its processor family names to the annals of history, going instead with different classes of its Vision brand. The Athlon, Phenom, and Sempron monikers we know today would be replaced by the A, FX and E series, respectively, with the Llano APU occupying the mid-range A sector, quad- and octa-core Zambezi chips slapped with the FX label, and the low end getting the leftover E tag. Since the current naming scheme really doesn't convey much useful info to non-initiates, this would seem to be a step in the right direction for AMD, but we just don't like to see old friends disappear without a trace. Guess the Athlon XP Thunderbird will just have to live on in our hearts instead.
HTML5 gets a brave new logo for this brave new world
The lynchpin for all discussions of open web standards, HTML5, has been spruced up with a dedicated logo from its parent organization, the W3C. We'd wax poetic about it, but that job has already been done: "It stands strong and true, resilient and universal as the markup you write. It shines as bright and as bold as the forward-thinking, dedicated web developers you are. It's the standard's standard, a pennant for progress. And it certainly doesn't use tables for layout." [Thanks, Matt]
AMD kills ATI brand, you can look forward to blood-stained Radeons
This, dear friends, is a sad, sad day. ATI, the name of hope for all PC gamers who were sick and tired of NVIDIA rebadging the same GPU over the past couple of years, is to be no more. The callous souls over at AMD have decided that our little consumer brains aren't sophisticated enough to handle two awesome brands, so they're just axing the use of the ATI moniker from here on out. Product line names will be retained, with the Radeon and FirePro branding still intact, but ATI Eyefinity will now be known as AMD Eyefinity. The first graphics cards to, erm, benefit from the new nomenclature will ship "later this year," and the whole thing is said to have been motivated by AMD's move to Fusion APUs -- hybrid CPU and GPU chips -- where it's considered beneficial to have a unified branding strategy. Great, but did anyone consider the fact that the graphics wars will now be fought between two teams wearing green jerseys?
HTC starts selling phones in China under its own name
It's long been the case that if you wanted a HTC handset over in the world's most populous nation, you'd have had to look for its rebadged variant under the Dopod brand. But, as of today, that is no more. The prolific Taiwanese phone maker has decided that its name is now recognizable and valuable enough in China to be put on its own hardware and is kicking off a campaign with four own-branded phones. The Wildfire and Desire we're all familiar with already, while the Tianxi looks like a mildly tweaked HD2 and the Tianyi is a mix-and-match of design elements from the rest of HTC's portfolio. The company's also announcing a partnership with China Mobile to bring these puppies to market, so it's looking like smooth sailing ahead. Full PR after the break.
New Microsoft brand logos, company tagline revealed at MGX event? (update: no new logos, tagline is a go)
It looks like Microsoft may have revealed something big at its annual MGX (Microsoft Global Exchange) event, namely... new logos for its main brands and a fresh brand motto. "Be What's Next" touts a teaser which has been posted on YouTube, along with a fast moving sequence of morphing logos, shuffling from Windows, to Windows Phone, Xbox, Bing, and finally the familiar Office logo that's been kicking around for a little longer. It's unclear if these are just treatments used for a promo at the event, or if this is a signal that Redmond is dumping its familiar (and frankly dated) iconography for something a little looser, leaner, and hipper, but we can't say it would be a bad thing. It would certainly make sense against a backdrop of potential comeback in the mobile space, gains in search, and the seemingly successful (or at least satisfying) Windows 7 launch. One thing is for sure, MGX is a corporate, non-public opportunity for the Microsoft faithful to cheer the brand (Ballmer received a 30 year commemoration at MGX 2010), so this would definitely be the place to unfurl some new branding. Check the video after the break to see the new style, and hit the gallery below for a bigger look. Update: So... the YouTube video has been pulled. Fear not, we've got our own copy! Update 2: We've just been contacted by Microsoft and told that these are not new logos which will be used on products, rather a standalone treatment to show the flexibility of joined brands. However, the "Be What's Next" tagline is real, and will be showing up here and there. [Thanks, Anonymous] %Gallery-97972%
Report: EA retiring NBA Live name, replacing it with 'NBA Elite' [update]
According to the latest issue of OXM (via 1UP), EA is retiring the NBA Live name. Instead, the company will now be branding its franchise NBA Elite, starting with NBA Elite 11. We've checked the game's Twitter, blog and news feed to no avail. We did manage to get into touch with an EA Sports spokesperson, who offered this statement: "We knew it was time to leave the past behind. We have exciting and significant changes coming to our NBA game this year that will usher in the future of basketball videogames. We look forward to releasing information on exactly how we'll be doing that over the next few months." It's hardly confirmation of the name change, but suggests there's something to this whole NBA Elite business. Anybody have a copy of OXM to confirm this? We'd mightily appreciate it! Update: A tipster sent in an image of the OXM article in question. It looks like the news is legit: look forward to EA Sports NBA Elite 11 this fall.
Nintendo and the American Heart Association announce Active-Play partnership, co-hosting 'Innovation Summit'
Nintendo of America announced a strategic partnership with the American Heart Association this morning, effectively adding the AHA stamp of approval to all retail boxes of Wii Fit Plus, Wii Sports Resort, and the Nintendo Wii itself. "The brand serves as a chance to remind people about the benefits of a healthy approach to living and how active-play video games can be an integral part of a healthy lifestyle," the partnership's official website explains. In addition to the marketing partnership, the AHA and Nintendo will host a "multidisciplinary summit of representatives from a variety of fields ... to take a closer look at the synergies and benefits of active-play video games," entitled the "Innovation Summit." No details have been provided on when and where said summit will occur. Finally, various "active-play Nintendo video games" will be available to play at select "Start! Heart Walk" events this fall. Also, no, Nintendo hasn't explained the Vitality Sensor yet.
Nokia phones will still Come with Music, only stores see rebranding
If you live in India, our story was correct -- your mobile subscription music service will be called "Ovi," and no longer carry the weight of the cumbersome Comes with Music branding -- but we're hearing that in other Nokia territories, including the UK, that's not quite the case. Nokia UK told Pocket-lint that while the company's online music store will indeed be renamed "Ovi Music" across all 22 territories this year, the Comes with Music service is here (and there) to stay. To tell you the truth, though, we're not that interested in the fate of a brand name. We'd prefer if Nokia made a more ballsy move -- like discontinuing their service's most controversial feature, Comes with DRM.
Polaroid announces new OneStep film and instant digital cameras, some branded LCD TVs
Knowing the drive and tenacity of Lady Gaga, we expect that any day now we'll she'll be the president of PLR IP Holdings within the week. Until that fateful day when Polaroid becomes the Haus of Gaga, it looks like the company will be keeping busy by continuing to slap its name on consumer electronics. Probably the coolest of the lot is the PIC 1000, the future-retro Polaroid OneStep film camera developed in part at the urging of The Impossible Project. Just like its namesake, this guy uses Polaroid Color 600 Instant Film. This bad boy will be available at national retailers in 2010. If digital instant shooters are more your speed, The company's newest Zink-enabled camera, the obviously named Instant Digital Camera, boasts 12 megapixels and 3 x 4-inch prints. And rounding things out, the company has a slapped its name to a handful of LCD TVs from 42 to 65 inches in size. You're psyched, right? Hit the PR after the break for all the shocking details.
HTC You ad campaign unveiled
HTC's definitely been a major name amonst the gadget cognoscenti for a while now, but it looks like the company's gearing up to go mainstream -- this is the first print ad from the new HTC You campaign that's launching today. Considering HTC's recent slew of high-profile handset launches like the Hero, HD2, and Tilt2 and equally-promising upcoming products like the Dragon and Droid Eris, we'd say this marketing push hasn't come a moment too soon. As for the ad itself, while it's not exactly a knockdown punch, it certainly suggests that HTC sees Sense UI as its ace in the hole -- we'll see how that plays out as Android 2.0 phones like the Motorola Droid come out and make stock Android sexy again. Update: And the commercials have gone live on YouTube as well -- we gotta say, we're pretty into them. Check 'em after the break.
HTC You ad campaign unveiled (update: video!)
HTC's definitely been a major name amonst the gadget cognoscenti for a while now, but it looks like the company's gearing up to go mainstream -- this is the first print ad from the new HTC You campaign that's launching today. Considering HTC's recent slew of high-profile handset launches like the Hero, HD2, and Tilt2 and equally-promising upcoming products like the Dragon and Droid Eris, we'd say this marketing push hasn't come a moment too soon. As for the ad itself, while it's not exactly a knockdown punch, it certainly suggests that HTC sees Sense UI as its ace in the hole -- we'll see how that plays out as Android 2.0 phones like the Motorola Droid come out and make stock Android sexy again. Update: And the commercials have gone live on YouTube as well -- we gotta say, we're pretty into them. Check 'em after the break.
Microsoft discusses Wii-esque Project Natal branding strategy
digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/microsoft-discusses-wii-esque-project-natal-branding-strategy/'; While we may be nervous about Microsoft's Project Natal branding strategy -- remember, that's just a codename -- the suits in Redmond share no such concern. That's because the Natal project is following Nintendo's lead in more ways than just easy-to-play, motion-based technology. It's also following Nintendo's branding strategy. On May 11, 2004 Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced the "Nintendo Revolution" to the E3 audience and, while he didn't show off the motion-based controller (we wouldn't see that for another sixteen months, at TGS 2005), he did promise "an unprecedented gameplay experience." The Revolution would offer "something no other machine has delivered before." The following May, over two years after first announcing the "Revolution," Nintendo revealed the product's final name just before E3: Wii. When we asked Microsoft's Robbie Bach, "When can we stop calling it Natal?" at a recent Open House event, the exec wasn't shy about comparing the company's strategy to Nintendo's. "When Nintendo came out with the name 'Wii,' people sort of said 'Oh gosh, that's kind of a goofy, weird name.' I haven't heard a comment about it being a goofy name since the week after they announced the name," Bach said. "And suddenly, people just called it the 'Wii' and moved on." And, specifically, they've moved on to buying them en masse.
Polaroid's One Step film camera relaunching in 2010, nostalgists unite to celebrate
Call us crazy, but we never had much faith in the power of The Impossible Project to bring back the legendary Polaroid instant-print film camera. Despite our doubts (and those of the world), that very group has evidently caused quite a stir in the offices of Summit Global, which has today announced that the film-based One Step Camera is on track for a mid-2010 release. The Impossible Project will be in charge of producing a limited number of Polaroid-branded color and B&W Instant Films along the way, and just in case film isn't really your bag, Summit is planning to issue a Polaroid TWO -- described as the "digital version of the traditional camera that produces instant digital photos" -- sometime next year. It's all about bringing sexy back, y'all.Read - Summit Global's releaseRead - The Impossible Project's release
Nokia grabs the Windex, clears up 'erroneous' Maemo carrier customization claims
We aren't too sure where a number of outlets overheard that Nokia was planning to pass on customizing its Maemo-based devices, but one of two things has happened: either Nokia is lying to our faces and has secretly had a change of heart, or everyone was just misinformed from the get-go. Regardless of the hows and whys, Nokia has now come clean and stated that those very reports -- you know, the ones that "erroneously suggested that Nokia will not support operator customization for Maemo devices" -- are "simply incorrect." A long winded explanation follows, but the long and short of it is that the suits in Espoo are (at least now) very open to letting operators "tailor future Maemo devices to suit their needs," which may or may not be a positive in your eyes depending on the carrier you're chained to. Now, aren't you glad we had this little talk?[Thanks, Dallas]
Nokia putting foot down on Maemo, won't allow carrier customizations
Google and Apple have both managed to wrest a great deal of control over the mobile user experience from carriers over the past couple of years -- cheers to that, by the way -- and now Nokia's decided it wants a piece of that action with the introduction of Maemo 5 and the N900, which it says will be free of the branding that Symbian products frequently get subjected to. It makes total sense that Nokia would be looking to come play in that rarified air that Android, iPhone OS, and webOS are all playing in -- a place where ARPUs are high, UIs are slick and modern, and the apps (and data) flow like water -- but since the majority of customers for these types of devices rely on subsidies to justify the purchase, they'll still need carrier buy-in to pull this off effectively. At least Palm and the gang have all proven that there's precedent for it, and it's definitely a noble fight to wage -- no one wants a bright magenta interface, right? [Via Phone Scoop]
Windows 7 branding leaks out
You didn't think Microsoft was going to ship Windows 7 with that same tired Vista-esque branding it's been using on the betas and RCs, did you? No way, man -- and if those crazy-cool wallpapers didn't prove it to you, the eager monkeys at MS China have thoughtfully posted up the new branding for your perusal right now. We rather like it -- it conveys a welcoming sense of lightness that contrasts well with the battleship-heavy aesthetic of Vista, and that's pretty much exactly how Microsoft needs to position 7. A few more shots of the branding being used at the Chinese PCBETA event at the read link.[Thanks, Nicola] Read - Microsoft China Windows 7 site Read - Branding at PCBETA
Trend: Company-specific apps and ads
Imagine this scenario: you're watching the latest episode of "Mythbusters" on the Discovery Channel when an ad for Nationwide Insurance appears. Are they trying to sell you insurance? Of course, but they're also touting their new Nationwide Mobile (click opens iTunes) iPhone app, which Nationwide policyholders can use to report accidents, start claims, and find local agents or repair shops.Later, you're watching NBA playoff action and you see an ad for E*TRADE that catches your attention. It's not that you want to lose more money in the stock market, but you're fascinated because the ad is talking about the E*TRADE Mobile Pro app for the iPhone. Banks have been doing iPhone apps for a while, with Chase and Bank of America taking the lead. Are you beginning to see a trend here? Sure, maybe a handful of ads doesn't make a trend, but more and more companies are delivering apps that provide a mobile solution for their customers, and then advertising that iPhone-based solution to a wider audience on TV. Why? The iPhone, despite being on the market for two years, is still considered to be leading-edge technology, and it has an unparalleled "cool factor". Any company wanting to show that it's cool and on top of current mobile technology is going to jump on the iPhone connection. I wouldn't expect to see any Microsoft apps for iPhone soon. What apps and related ads would you like to see?Update: Thanks to the many readers who pointed out that there are two Microsoft apps available: Seadragon Mobile and Microsoft Tag Reader. Of course, I seriously doubt if they're going to tout either of these apps in a TV ad. Additionally, we've seen a DirectTV ad that shows a customer interacting with the service via his iPhone. They're not promoting the mobile app or the iPhone, just using it in a matter-of-fact way. Interesting.
Xbox 360 Platinum Hits are numerous, cheap, rebranded
This one's just about as confusing as it gets, folks, but here goes nothing. Microsoft is repackaging eight of its titles under a new moniker: "Greatness is Earned." Though these titles still fall into the Platinum Hits category (and as such, are priced at $19.99 and up), a number of them are receiving the treatment for the first time. And this is where things get confusing: We've seen the "Greatness is Earned" logo before, nearly a month ago now, on the repackaged Gears of War (Platinum Hits edition, mind you) seen above. At the time, Microsoft wouldn't comment on the images.Considering Viva Piñata and EA Sports Fight Night Round 3 are among them, we're doubting (and hoping) they won't all get the dark and brooding look. We've listed all eight titles after the break in for your perusal. We'd also like to point out that, while snooping around the Microsoft press site for images of these games, we noticed Halo 3 "Classics" in the "Upcoming Games" category -- the same note found next to all other Platinum Hits games. Interesting, hmm?Update: We've replaced the image above with shots of the new "Greatness is Earned" pack shots of Gears of War, Forza 2 and Mass Effect. For giant shots, peep the gallery below!%Gallery-63475%
