Briefly: Apple shoots secret commercial, hit with patent suit

[AppleInsider]

Apple this week shot a commercial for an unreleased product; a Texas company alleges the iPhone maker infringed on its patents; and Microsoft files a trademark for its new retail logo.

Apple's secret commercial

Apple filmed a commercial Tuesday for a new, unreleased product in Truckee, Calif., at the restaurant Jax at the Tracks.

Because it is a secret upcoming product, Apple kept a tight lid on the production: No information or photographs were available, according to local paper the Sierra Sun. The restaurant's owner, Bud Haley, said the spot was picked by a location scout.

"Apple found us, they're trying to show us as a hip and cool spot for the 20-something crowd," he said.

Wi-Fi patent suit attacks Apple, Sony, Nintendo

A new lawsuit from Wi-Fi-centric company Bandspeed aims to prove that Apple has infringed on two of its patents. The company's Web site describes it as "the leader in next-generation Wi-Fi management."

Filed in a U.S. District Court in Austin, Texas, the company alleges that Apple, along with Sony and Nintendo, violates its patents with regards to the ability of a device to select a Wi-Fi channel based on signal strength.

Bandspeed believes that the iPhone 3GS, Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 all infringe on their related patents, entitled "Approach for selecting communications channels based on performance," and "Approach for managing communications channels based on performance." The company is requesting that the court issue a permanent injunction against the three companies, and that Bandspeed be granted unspecified damages.

Microsoft retail logo trademarked

The possible logo for Microsoft's upcoming retail locations was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The Windows-maker plans to open retail locations starting this fall to compete with Apple's own offerings.

The square logo is a new take on Microsoft's traditional Windows logo. The patent filing states that Apple's rival to the north plans to use the logo for its "retail store services and online retail services."



Microsoft's first two brick-and-mortar locations are scheduled to open in Mission Viejo, Calif., and Scottsdale, Ariz., before the year is out. The California store will be in the same shopping plaza as an already-established Apple Retail store.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[jazzguru]

That's a logo?

[cowhide]

That represents Microsoft, a bunch of squares.

[Quadra 610]

Originally Posted by jazzguru

That's a logo?

Yes, it looks odd, and unless you were told it's an MS logo, it would be meaningless.

MS can't brand or market. It's always been this way.

[saarek]

It's really really shite, lol.

Of course having said that even if it's rubbish they would probably go ahead, what people think usually doesn't matter, look at the London 2012 olympics logo, ridiculed world wide and the government stilp pushed it ahead!

[jazzguru]

Originally Posted by Quadra 610

Yes, it looks odd, and unless you were told it's an MS logo, it would be meaningless.

MS can't brand or market. It's always been this way.

Really, are they TRYING to make their marketing more irrelevant than it already is?

That looks like something that belongs in an amateur art gallery, not something that is going to represent and easily identify a supposedly world-class brand.

[charlituna]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Wi-Fi patent suit attacks Apple, Sony, Nintendo

A new lawsuit from Wi-Fi-centric company Bandspeed aims to prove that Apple has infringed on two of its patents. The company's Web site describes it as "the leader in next-generation Wi-Fi management."

Filed in a U.S. District Court in Austin, Texas, the company alleges that Apple, along with Sony and Nintendo, violates its patents with regards to the ability of a device to select a Wi-Fi channel based on signal strength.

Bandspeed believes that the iPhone 3GS, Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 all infringe on their related patents, entitled "Approach for selecting communications channels based on performance," and "Approach for managing communications channels based on performance." The company is requesting that the court issue a permanent injunction against the three companies, and that Bandspeed be granted unspecified damages.

1. not a shock this was filed in Patent Land. one day they really need to make a law that you can only file in a district that one of the players is actually in. and stop this garbage of every patent case going to the East District of Texas (which will let anyone file a claim even if on toliet paper)

2. i want to see the patent filing and see that it details the exact method that these companies later used. and not just the idea of picking by strength. if it is just the latter, it should be tossed.

[Quadra 610]

Originally Posted by cowhide

That represents Microsoft, a bunch of squares.

Priceless!

[Smiles77]

That logo is amazingly sad. I have absolutely no comprehension of how this is supposed to be inspiring, catchy, memorable, or anything a logo should be. It's like a bad case of modern art. Even if they couldn't create a logo (and I have no doubt they spent months and millions making this one), they could at least make some sork of contest on Windows.com and have users vote on it. Thatmight actually bring some creativity. Where has good taste gone???

[c4rlob]

Justin Long (I'm a Mac), and John Hodgman (I'm a PC) weren't on set, then it's fair to say that it wasn't a Mac ad. Come to think of it, I can't think of the last time Apple ran an ad for any of their products that took place in a real-world environment other than when the iPhone first launched. Maybe they weren't shooting for a tv spot, maybe it was for a promo video for the product launch?

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by cowhide

That represents Microsoft, a bunch of squares.

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by Smiles77

Where has good taste gone???

You mean it was there before?

[budeades]

It seems as if MS is using apple's marketing to decide where to place stores! Sort of why you sometimes find other fastfood chains next to a McDonalds! Why pay demographics?
Also reminds me of MS tendency to copy good ideas from apple!

[mcloki]

Does the location they were shooting at have free wiFi. Is it a known wifi hotspot. Might tell us about the nature of the product they were shooting.

[MissionGrey]

Originally Posted by saarek

It's really really shite, lol.

Of course having said that even if it's rubbish they would probably go ahead, what people think usually doesn't matter, look at the London 2012 olympics logo, ridiculed world wide and the government stilp pushed it ahead!

Wow, that is bad. I do graphic design work. And that looks like garbage.....

Originally Posted by jazzguru

Really, are they TRYING to make their marketing more irrelevant than it already is?

That looks like something that belongs in an amateur art gallery, not something that is going to represent and easily identify a supposedly world-class brand.

.....as does the new MS logo for their stores. Are they really that short of... just anything requiring creativity.

[doyourownthing]

did they make that logo with MS Paint?

[jazzguru]

Originally Posted by doyourownthing

did they make that logo with MS Paint?

In Windows 95?

[MissionGrey]

Originally Posted by doyourownthing

did they make that logo with MS Paint?

Originally Posted by jazzguru

In Windows 95?

I think they used MS DOS

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by jazzguru

That's a logo?

Yeah, it's not a good logo update. Most major companies at least try to adjust the logo just enough that it looks fresh but retains enough of the old that you still know what it means, I think that is the best. I don't know if they can really count on people seeing the color pattern and knowing what it means. Mind you, I'm not a graphic designer or artist type, but still, whether in spite of it or because of it, I just don't see it working.

Originally Posted by c4rlob

Justin Long (I'm a Mac), and John Hodgman (I'm a PC) weren't on set, then it's fair to say that it wasn't a Mac ad. Come to think of it, I can't think of the last time Apple ran an ad for any of their products that took place in a real-world environment other than when the iPhone first launched. Maybe they weren't shooting for a tv spot, maybe it was for a promo video for the product launch?

Apple hasn't run a Mac ad in a while. And it doesn't mean they have to keep using that kind of ad. Ad campaign styles don't stick around forever.

Originally Posted by mcloki

Does the location they were shooting at have free wiFi. Is it a known wifi hotspot. Might tell us about the nature of the product they were shooting.

I don't think it would. What major product / line does Apple have that doesn't have WiFi? The non-touch iPods are the hold-outs, and I expect that to fade. I would not be surprised if even the nano gets WiFi, though I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't.

[jazzguru]

Knowing MS, they pobably contracted a marketing firm to come up with this abomination of a logo...and the firm probably uses Macs!

[whoami]

ummm... can you say "josef albers-homage to the square"?

[iGroucho]

.....

[fulldecent]

Um... the Google Chrome store?

[jazzguru]

Maybe if you stare at it long enough...?

[anonymouse]

Originally Posted by charlituna

1. not a shock this was filed in Patent Land. one day they really need to make a law that you can only file in a district that one of the players is actually in. and stop this garbage of every patent case going to the East District of Texas (which will let anyone file a claim even if on toliet paper)

Well, the reason the law is the way it is is that, if you are a small garage inventor in, say, Maine, with a couple of patents to your name, and a company in CA is infringing your patents, the financial burden of filing a suit in CA would be oppressive to you and make it practically impossible for you to seek relief for the infringement. This is a good idea as a way to help small inventors.

What they really need to do is find a way to tighten patent law and patent guidelines so that patent trolls can't make money off ridiculously vague patents that they have no intention of licensing or putting to use other than to look around for companies with deep pockets to sue. The trick is to do this without screwing legitimate small inventors who aren't able to actually bring products to market and can't get anyone to license their patents, otherwise, large companies would just ride right over them.

I also think there should probably be an investigation of what's going on in the East District of Texas that makes it such an attractive venue for patent trolls. There's clearly something rotten there.

[chuckmoser]

.....

[Magic_Al]

Could be a commercial for the "iProd", aka iPhone OS tablet.

[L. Angry]

Originally Posted by fulldecent

Um... the Google Chrome store?

Google colors anyone?

[mpantone]

Originally Posted by mcloki

Does the location they were shooting at have free wiFi. Is it a known wifi hotspot. Might tell us about the nature of the product they were shooting.

No, it wouldn't.

Apple could have easily borrowed the restaurant's wired Internet connectivity and set up a temporary WAP. They could have used a paid access point (if that's what the restaurant has). They could have walked in with a Sprint MiFi. They could have faked the whole thing (i.e., add screenshots in post-production).

It really doesn't matter if this is a known wifi hotspot or not. It's not like they are rare and endangered species. I get free wifi at the local mom-and-pop coffee shops and most sports bars.

Everything from the iPhone to the iMac has built-in WiFi. The presence of WiFi (public or private) on set is meaningless.

[Kaiser777]

It's no "Dark Side Of The Moon" logo.

[zeromeus]

At least it looks like a square window.

[rnp1]

Originally Posted by jazzguru

That's a logo?

1. The original Windows logo for W95 was created on a Mac using Photoshop (before Adobe got corrupted) at W/K agency.

2. The icons for W95 were altered icons from the Mac Os, done by the same original artist that Steve Jobs had draw them for Apple. (she obviously needed the money, moved over to MS and lost her mind!)

So in complete silliness, the Mac created flag logo, those 'borrowed' Apple icons and now the "new" retail logo for MS, based on the W/K flag, are all still here!!! Well kept secrets nearly as hidden as anything Dick Cheney had in his file cabinets that were burned before he left office!

Watch on Monday nights at 9 for, "Microsoft's Best Secrets Revealed"
"See, the Microsoft code revealed. Andy Hertzfield and Douglas Engelbart direct code and their signatures are found hidden in Windows code. The Bill Gates/Paul Allen rewrite wasn't able hide the truth of outright theft of the code. Each Monday night, Steve Wozniac dons a cape and mask and, with four lovely assistants, exposes how Microsoft, with overly complex, bloated code and maxed out chip usage, is able to almost approximate the tricks that Apple does using minimal processor speed and precise, compact code. No NBA team owning code thief, mercury laden vaccine dispensing philanthropist, monopolistic mega-corporation, or corrupt team of sleazy lawyers is safe from the MASKED MAN! Tune in Monday at 9!"

[hiimamac]

Originally Posted by Quadra 610

Yes, it looks odd, and unless you were told it's an MS logo, it would be meaningless.

MS can't brand or market. It's always been this way.

inuse macs. I use windows. Both are good, prefer macs. When I see stuff like this though I want to fire marekting as I have done this. I can develop hipper products. Lol. Maybe hipper mac products. Lol. But for those that use both, don't you want to bang your head, I mean really, Songsmith? Sure someone believes in it so I don't go to that forum and trash someones dream, but it needs to be a better product with pro samples. Sometimes msft just doesn't think. Geeesh. If it's a logo that brands the different dept of stores, maybe it's just one of many as if they get away with that color scheme and boxes, they can probaly use different shapes, 3D but are they that smart. Hmmmm.

Peace All.

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by jazzguru

Really, are they TRYING to make their marketing more irrelevant than it already is?

That looks like something that belongs in an amateur art gallery, not something that is going to represent and easily identify a supposedly world-class brand.

In other words... it's perfect.

[techno]

I think they had an in house exec. create that logo in Word. Maybe they require all of their logos created in Word.

[djsherly]

Originally Posted by Quadra 610

Yes, it looks odd, and unless you were told it's an MS logo, it would be meaningless.

of course if that were the case whatever body is responsible for registering trademarks s
will reject the application. A trademark is supposed to connect the manufacturer to the product or service.

[MsNly]

Originally Posted by djsherly

of course if that were the case whatever body is responsible for registering trademarks s
will reject the application. A trademark is supposed to connect the manufacturer to the product or service.

It does, it's a piece of shit.

Originally Posted by jazzguru

Knowing MS, they pobably contracted a marketing firm to come up with this abomination of a logo...and the firm probably uses Macs!

Heretic!!!

[jeffharris]

What a logo.

Josef Albers is spinning in his grave!

[Foo2]

Originally Posted by cowhide

That represents Microsoft, a bunch of squares.

Microsoft is so bad at bringing technology to the masses, they even make a square look complicated.

[chronster]

I think that I speak for everyone when I say this: The news about the Microsoft logo is the most important thing this website has ever reported and it deserved it's own standalone article. Thank you for bringing us the cutting edge stuff.