The rumours have started... we all want to know what's in store for Apple in the year to come. What can we get our eager mits on, and when? Is there really going to be an Apple TV? Will there be a new ipad? Fast Company's own Kit Eaton gives us his take, here and we can't help but get a liiiittle bit excited... 

1. Company has changed its name - for whatever reason - so the design has to change too.

2. The existing symbol has for some reason become too controversial.

3. The existing design has grown obsolete in meaning or content.

4. The design itself has grown obsolete in meaning or content.

5. Perhaps the existing symbol created technical problems, for example being too delicate to reproduce well.

6. Rarely - there is a legal requirement to change the symbol

7. Many symbol changes take place because management wishes to signal a change in corporate direction, culture, or marketing strategy.

Sourced from Tony Spaeth's website, Identityworks.

Google is still seeing huge growth in search volumes in Australia, as more and more Australians begin customer journeys with search, more often. He outlines the risks of retail marketing that creates customer demand but isnt supported by a sound search marketing strategy. Ross also highlights the high click through rates enjoyed by well-known retailers who are using search marketing. 

What does the future of Microsoft hold for us? Microsoft imagines reaching new heights in communication technology - where we will navigate through multi-level interfaces that are fast, efficient and easy to use. Whether or not this is actually feasible.. I guess we'll just have to wait and see! 

Seven out of 10 marketers believe their CEO understands the importance of social media, while nearly eight out of 10 view it as a long-term investment, according to a new study from ISBA and Havas Media Social.

The study surveyed 50 senior marketers across the consumer goods, telecoms, finance, fashion, entertainment and automotive sectors, with additional in-depth interviews.

It showed all respondents were involved in social media in some way, with two thirds of brands claiming to have a social media strategy in place.

Half of the brands surveyed said they had an in-house social media resource, such as community managers or executives.

But 96% of brands required an agency to help them, with 66% using them for design and build, 64% using them for strategy, and 52% for wider creative executions. Read More..
(By Sarah Shearman, marketingmagazine.co.uk)

Social networking is the latest fad and few social websites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ are to become indispensible as per current lifestyle. These websites offer such beneficial features that are difficult to ignore. This time again, youth has become early adapters to social networking along with Generation X and followed by the baby boomers. Now in current lifestyle, one thing that is difficult for us to approve is to accept someone not having account on these social websites. These websites have become a wonderful platform for people from different walks of life to get interacted with similar interest people and share views and ideas with each other. Social profiles are the most appropriate ways to reach those unknown potential customers, to deliver your message to them and save large sums of money spent on other forms of advertisement. (read more of this article via Inspirationfeed)

Although the weather was stormy, with anxious talk of hail and gale force winds, it didn't stop Glide from getting on down to the Semi Permanent conference on Tuesday to get our share of inspiration. The conference has previously been held at the Regal Theatre and the Convention Centre, but this year it was The Bakery's turn - which was quite cosy (and served alcohol), so it was a win for us.

First speakers were John Durey and Sonja Danilovic from Nude Design Studio, based in Perth. Together, the ex-solicitor, and all-round graphic designer / illustrator / typographer / grid Nazi, showed off their minimalist contemporary style in a series of short stories. Their style is very refined, using only the elements that have a unique purpose to the overall design - ditching all the namby-pamby stuff...       Respek-t!  

Second were the amazing Supervixen guys, based in Surry Hills, Melbourne. When describing their business, they simply call themselves ‘Directors’ in a kind of non-specific way like ‘The Architect’ in the Matrix. They presented a broad range of work from major 3D motion graphics and commercials, to limited edition skate deck illustrations. Is there nothing they can’t do?  

Next up – Gemma O’Brien, a SUPER enthusiastic typographer / illustrator. She’s crazy about all things type, evident by the long hours she spends creating, documenting, blogging, and talking about it (to anyone who’ll listen!) Before even graduating, she was being invited to attend conferences in Berlin, and had her work published in a number of books. More recently, Gemma has been designing and directing a new stop motion intro to ABC’s Playschool, which she’s hoping her kids will get to see one day - considering the last intro wasn’t updated for 10 years! 

After lunch was Ken Taylor, who described how his first addiction - graffiti – (accidentally) led him to his new love, creating intricate screen-prints. He produces limited edition poster art, to promote bands and movies including the Decemberists, Bon Iver, Queens of the Stoneage, Thor, Hellboy, and Star Wars. Ken doesn’t actually get paid for his work… instead, the client allows him to receive a number of the posters for himself, which he then sells to devoted fans online.  

To close the event was Fuel vfx, who have a pretty awesome list of clients, as well as a high reputation for their work in various Films. In particular, we were shown a commercial for Gucci’s Guilty fragrance. The Ad, which features famous actors and superior motion graphics, was broken down for us into the brief, ideation and development stages up to the finished product. Very Inspiring stuff. 

We happily topped it all off with a sneaky bevvie, and a catch-up with fellow designery-types. Thanks to Design is Kinky, The Thousands, and The Bakery for organising and hosting the event. Looking forward to next years’!  

Burberry, the London-based fashion house, has partnered with Twitter to develop what the two companies call 'Tweetwalk'. Backstage Twitpics of every look will be taken and shared with the brand's followers on Twitter before the models hit the runway. In other words, Burberry's Twitter followers will see the collection moments before anyone else! (More on this story via Mashable)

Semi-Permanent is a world leading design conference that covers all disciplines of design, including graphic design, film, fine art, illustration, web design, interaction design, photography, visual effects, animation, graffiti, motion graphics, stop motion, and architecture, and much more. This year in Perth it is being held at the Bakery on the 27th September, and will feature the likes of Ken Taylor, Supervixen, and Gemma O'Brien (who's work is featured below). For more information on this event, click here.

The handy infographic below (via Ad Age) looks at the users of the major social sites, providing a detailed table of the age breakdowns of Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn. Take a look!